School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast

Glenn the geek has been podcasting since 2008. He does it full time. He grew his audience by reaching out to leaders in his field and partnering with them. He has a background in sales, and found the right sponsors for his shows. He embraces his audience, and knows that if you want people to listen you have to be entertaining. You might be thinking that if he is making a living from his podcast he must've had some huge podcast launching and rocked the top of the iTunes charts, and lived in New and Noteworthy. While that may be true, Glenn wouldn't know. You see, Glenn focuses on his audience. He focuses on making great content that entertains and educates. It wasn't until recently that he even knew to ask for reviews. He did it the old fashioned way. He earned their trust, and never lets his audience down. Consequently, they don't let him down. As a salesmen, he has made more money in the past. However, he is now making a living and having more fun talking about a topic he is addicted to (horses) and loving every minute of it. Today get a pencil ready as we interview America's Favorite Horse Husband Glenn the Geek from Horse Radio Network. Podcast Rewind (2:43) Paul Colligan lays it on the line in the Episode title The Weird Thing About Podcasting For Money Rob Walch was interviewed on Podcast Junkies on the Truth about Podcast Numbers (the stats start at the 52 minute mark). Glenn the Geek America's Horse Husband (5:47) Here are some of the top takeaways Glenn started with ONE podcast. Glenn put all his efforts into this show. He started with ONE. He got a sponsor early even though he didn't have thousands of listeners. How? By finding an advertiser who was more interested in promoting their brand than delivering a coupon. Glenn gets his sponsors involved in his show. He uses them to answer questions from his listeners. This is a great way to promote the brand, make the brand look like an expert, without having a giant commercial. Glenn KNOWS HIS AUDIENCE. They are addicted to horses and aren't the most technical bunch. You will see on horseradionetwork.com that Glenn has step by step tutorials to help his audience learn how to listen (on every single type of device). If you know you're going to have a network, promote from episode 1 (even if the network doesn't exist). This way when it DOES exist people who catch your early shows will have the same branding (Glenn was following the model of Twit.tv). Glenn is not a horse expert, but he shares a passion for horses and he plays the role of "Average Horsemen" on the show. You don't need to be an expert to start a podcast. He used Blog Talk Radio but left due to poor audio quality (Blog Talk Radio just unveiled their upgraded service which now delivers CD quality and allows you to connect directly to the service without using a phone or skype). He now uses Call In Studio, and Mixlr to stream live. Glenn does use CPM for selling ads. He sells a flat rate per episode. He advises his sponsors to purchase three months of ads to start out (he prefers 6 months). Glenn used Big Contact to make a player that can be shared on other websites. Big Contact is no longer accepting submissions. You can do this using the Libsyn Player, the Player from Blubrry.com (under conntect), Podtrac.com, or you can make your own using Wimpy Player. Glenn only lets products he uses sponsor his show. The only thing you have is your integrity, and he knows his audience trusts him and he never loses sight of how he will lose in the long run if he sells out. Find companies that are already advertising in your space (like a magazine), find out how much they are spending (call to see how much it costs to advertise) and explain how you have their target audience, and that you can put their brand in front of them for less money.  Become the Official Radio Station of  Your Industry (29:42) Glenn went to an exclusive trade show for horses and told them he wanted to be the official radio station for their conference. All he wanted was a booth. The first year he had to explain what a podcast was. Eight years later he has sponsors begging to be on his show. He get's great content. He gets access to places others don't (this is not an open conference), and he starts building relationships with future sponsors of his show. This is absolutely brilliant.  The trade show gets free publicity, and Glenn gets access to sponsors and great content.  Finding The Right Products Glenn has a $250 pitch fork that the manufacturer was potentially having a hard time getting the word out about his product. Glenn's audience is using a manure fork while they listen. The Manure fork manufacturer now sponsors the show on his most popular segment on Fridays. He has been sponsoring for years (so it's working)  Making His Advertisers Human By using his sponsors as experts, Glenn's audience gets to know the sponsor on a more personal level. It makes them human and increases sales. This is why 70% of Glenn's sponsors continue to advertise with him. Glenn built his podcast audience by connecting to people who shared his passion - not through gaming iTunes, or Spamming Twitter. (Amen brother!).  Make It Easy To Promote Your Show Glenn sends a note to all of his guests with a pre-written note and a link to the show notes and a link to the mp3 file.  Good Shows Aren't an Accident Glenn spends around six hours on an episode from start to finish. The more your prepare the less you have to edit. While only a small portion of his audience listens live, he wants the show to feel live. To do live, you need to be prepared when the recording light goes on.  The Best Interviews Come From Your Listeners While you may land a "big/famous" person on your show, often the best interviews and segments come from your audience. A "big" name may not have a ton of time to promote your show, and your audience is often at the places/events where your audience is - and deliver great content. In addition, your audience gets excited to be on their show and they tell other people about their appearance. I did a whole show on getting your audience involved.  Don't Be Boring (59:30) While anyone can make a podcast, not everyone should. There may be people who want "just the facts" but Glenn feels you should entertain first, and educate second. By being entertaining you keep them listening. By providing value, you keep them coming back. He wants peopel going away from their show smiling and saying, "Hey I learned something."  Check out all of Glenn's shows at horseradionetwork.com Podcasting News John Lee Dumas of Entrepreneur on Fire has an article in Forbes Magazine U2 appeared on the You talking U2 to me?  Ready to start Podcasting Check out www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

I attended Podcast Movement last week, and I am busting at the seems to tell you about it. To keep this short, here are my top memories and take always from Podcast movement. 1. The Door Key Was Branded Yeah, you know the magnetic door key. It had their logo on it. I often lose hotel keys and have to ask for another one. I didn't this week. What a HUGE first impression. I told Dan and Jared that there was so much icing on the Podcast Movement cake that you could not get a bad piece of cake. 2. The Michelangelo Line from Lou Mongello Lou Mongello is one of my favorite people. Lou is so authentic (you will see a theme here). In his keynote he just kept saying things that made me want to stand up and go "Preach On Lou!" (his talks was on Sunday). He said a line like,  "When people came in to look at a new painting from Michelangelo they didn't go, "Great Painting - What brush did you use?" 3. Ejecting Bad Guests - Jordan Harbinger Jordan is like a Lioness guarding her cubs when it comes to his show. It's HIS show, and if you try to mess with HIS show he will kick you to the curb. Try to keep pimping your stuff on his show when he explained up front that the pimping (if any) would be done at the show and he will shut down the recorder and send you home. It's HIS show. 4. Aisha Tyler - It's MINE. This one really hit home with me. How many things are truly 100% YOURS. Aisha has like 37 roles on TV, movies, etc. Yet, she records, edits, tags, uploads, and writes notes for her podcast. Why? She admitted she is an workaholic (transparent), and she said with all of her roles, her podcast is the only thing that is 100% hers. When a listener said she talked too much when interviewing a guest she advised him to get his own show (where he could be a mime for an hour). 5. Great Content - Different Angles The combination of Lou Mongello (The Dean of Disney) and Aisea Tyler (a fanatic of the F word) was a bit of a whiplash, but it was AWESOME. Why? Because they both were hitting the same topics. Why? Because they are best practices. Don't get in it for the money. Be unique. Follow your heart. Make and learn from your mistakes. 6. Nice Flip Flops - Marc Maron I'm standing in the Stockyards restaurant and in walks Marc Maron. I felt like I was on his TV show. There he was in cut off jean shorts and flip flops. Marc is Marc. He's authentically Maron. What you see is what you get. What you get is funny. I apologized for him having to be interviewed in Cleveland where the DJ had his staff vomit in the studio (Marc refused to go in the room). He laughed. 7. Embrace Your Audience - Marc Maron There were tons of podcast "Celebrities" at this event. When Marc walked in, celebrity went to a new level. I felt honored to shake his hand. Later I saw where he took photo after photo with people who know like and trust him. 8. No Recording Devices  - Really Sarah Koenig? You come to a podcast event and tell us to NOT record you? This left a bad taste in my mouth. It just seemed out of place. It seemed so ....RADIO. Afraid someone might post it to YouTube and you can't do the same presentation over and over? WOW. 9. Pat Flynn - How To Top A Delorean Pat Flynn did got me. At one point I actually thought the mighty Pat Flynn had lost his place in his presentation. Then an English accent came out of the speakers. I found out later that each time the English voice (inside Pat's head) was created by Pat pressing a button. This was hugely entertaining. Once it was over, and you just realized what you saw, the magnitude of preparation had to be insane.  I once saw the band Genesis. Phil Collins and Chester Thompson did a 15 minute drum solo. Both men were completely 100% in sync. The longer it went on (with the beats getting more complex) the more mind boggling it became. Once it was over, you just kept asking, "How did they do that?" Pat, how did you do that? Pat entered the room with a movie and a Delorean at the New Media Expo. 10. I'm Getting Your Banner - Gary LeLeand I've always needed a backdrop for my office. Part of the icing of PM15 was the banners outside the doors. They looked awesome. Call me weird, but I really like the one with my name on it. So I asked after the last presentation if I could have the banner with my name on it.  I asked different folks and they had to check some things. Later I was walking down the hallway and there was one of the creators of Podcast movement Gary LeLeand working with the banner. I asked him was he was up to and he said, "Getting your banner, do you have a screw driver on you?" I expected some hired hand to do this, not one of the co-founders. It was important to me, so it was important to them. Listening to what your audience wants, and giving it to them. That's good old Podcasting 101. 11. A Quick Handshake out the Door - John Lee Dumas I was watching a keynote on Sunday when I felt a hand on my shoulder, I turned around and there was John Lee Dumas extending his hand. He said, "I'm taking off it was great to see you." I am a big fan of JLD. He is the energizer bunny of podcasting. His combination of talent, charisma, dedication, and delivery have served him well. He is the poster child of, "It is possible to make money with podcasting." If I had a nickle for every time someone said the words "John Lee Dumas" at this convention I would be rich as well, John Lee Dumas. I had wanted to hang out with him at the Stockyards, but silly me, there were two additional rooms that I never discovered (and all of my friends apparently were in those rooms). When I was an award winning customer service representative I discovered that its the little things that mean alot - like a handshake out the door. 12. Life is Like a Box of Chocolates - Glenn the Geek I will be interviewing Glenn next week. Glenn is the man behind www.horseradionetwork.com and while Glenn was not even supposed to talk, he did an impromtu speech on Friday that blew me away. I can't wait to interviewing him, and share his story. He has been podcasting for 8 years, and it is his full time gig. I can't wait for you to meet him. 13. UBER I went to lunch with David Hooper and Mark Johansen. I was courageous enough to take up Dave's offer to get an uber for us. It was a great experience. Paul Colligan heard me tell him about it, so he sent me a link to get me $20 off my first ride. This proved again that you pay with things in two currencies money or time. It would've cost me an extra 20 to take Uber to the airport, but Paul's coupon took that away and instead of waiting for the shuttle, to then wait for the shuttle to fill up, I got to sleep more. Ready to Start Podcasting? Ceck out www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Podcasting News: Midroll Purchased by Scripps - Another shot of legitimacy for podcasting? Ask the Double Rainbow Guy The article mentions CPM (the amount you make per 1000 downloads) of $100. This seems unrealistic to what I typically hear ($15 - $30 CPM). Honda's 2016 Accord will have the ability to have Apple Car Play, and Android Auto. Full Story Podcast Rewind: I recently was asked back on the Coachzing Show  talking why podcasting is here to stay. I did a webinar with Steve Stewart on Podcast Workflow for his Audacity Workshop its only available for a limited time I started listening to the Tim Ferriss show, and the one thing that he us just AWESOME at is follow up questions. When he interviewed Rick Rubin he asked how Rick got into the 99 Problems video by Jay Z. At the end of the answer Rick says, "He is one of my favorite people." To this Tim instantly asks, "Why do you say that?". Later when he interviews Glenn Beck he asks about Glenn's dilema of having to hire a large amount of people to build his Blaze network. Glen explains who he hired first. He said he knew within the first three minutes of their initial meeting that this woman was going to be hired. To this Tim instantly asked, "What did she say to make such an impression on you." It's an interesting show, and he has interviewed so many big names, that you can "cherry pick" episodes of just those people you like. Podcast Microphone Shoot Out Audio Technica 2020 (condensor XLR/USB $99) Audio Technica 2100 (Dynamic XLR/USB $59) Audio Technica BP40 (Dynamic XLR $349) Electrovoice RE320 (Dynamic XLR $299). You will hear that all these microphones sound great. I recommend podcasters NOT use a condensor microphone (2020). In listening to the 2005 vs the BP40. The 2100 seemed to carry more bass (odd as they have the same bass frequency). There is a low cut switch on the BP40 if you want to cut frequencies below 100 (these are so low, these are almost frequencies you feel more than hear). The one thing that hit me right out of the gate is this microphone can double as a weapon. Its super solid, looks good, and just seem heavy duty. I really liked the AT8484 shock mount that is designed to be used with the microphone. It has a super slick lock that allows you to slide it in and out with ease (not that most of us will be switching microphones, but it is cool). As the shock mount is designed for the unit, it holds it well. I have a "off the shelf" shock mount for the RE320 and it seems a little strained to hold it (so here again sticking with factory stuff, even though slightly more expensive might be the way to go). Test One: Gain How much gain is coming out of the microphone? All of the microphones seemed to need the same amount of gain. It seemed like the BP40 did provide a little more (and needed less gain). Test Two: Tone The ATR2100 (for me) had the most pleasing tone. Plenty of low and high end. The RE320 was the clearest, and the BP40 had a smooth sound (but didn't have the hi end of the RE20) What is my first impression? I love the look of the BP40. It's super rugged. It's super solid. I LOVE the shock mount that is an accessory as it is SUPER EASY to snap the microphone in and out. Test Three: How much room noise does it pick up? I put a fan on in the background and turned the radio on lightly. None of the microphones (accept the 2020) would pick up a noticeable amount of room noise. Can you hear it? Yes, but only if you are in a quiet room listening through headphones. Of the 2100, the bp40, and the RE320, it seemed the BP40 seemed to pick up the most room noise (but again, the amount of noise was something you would really have to strain to hear). For me, for the money and the flexibility I still like the Audio Technica 2100. Now, the ATR2100 is not as durable as the BP40 or the RE320. These are microphones designed to be in a broadcast booth. They (the BP40 and the RE320) definitely have different tones (the RE320 is more clear). Keep mind you want your voice to not be abrasive or distracting. So having too much high end, or too much low end can ruin your tone.  The more I use the BP40, it's really growing on me especially when I run it through my DBX 286 microphone preamp. Bottom Line: I couldn't really pick one that was miles above the others. I liked all the microphones, and when run through a mixer where you can boost and cut the EQ I was able to pull out any tone I wanted. None of them had any major proximity effect issues.  I like the look for the BP40 more then the RE320. As always tone is a very subjective, and in the end it depends on how the microphone works with your voice. Which one did you like? Ready to Podcast check out www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Today I will answer the questions that I receive on a regualr basis.    Podcasting News: Popular Science has launched a Podcast caled Futuropolis Salary.com listed "On Air DJ" as one of the the top 12th jobs on the brink. Speaking of that, CBS Radio eliminated more than 200 positions in companywide layoffs this week, including an unconfirmed number in Chicago Ira Glass now owns This American Life. The interesting thing is this artcile mentions that he has 22 employees.  In March 2014, This American Life ended its relationship with PRI, who had served as the show’s distributor since 1997, flexing its muscles in a way that suggested long-running intent towards independence. Speaking of employees on the latest "But wait theres more" episode of Startup, Alex Blumberg states that he has a staff of 19 people to produce three pdocasts and they are making 2 milloin dollars this year (and spending 2 million).   FREQUNETLY ASKED QUESTIONS How much does it cost to start one? $91 Mic, Stand, Pop filter $60 Mixer $20 Libsyn (use the coupon sopfree) $8 Hostgator $60 Artwork $24 Intro MRC $263 Xbox One, 500GB Hard Drive $342 What Microphone The Audio technica 2100, 2005, or a Electrovoice RE320. I hear good things about the Heil PR40 as well. I like the EV RE320 as no matter where my mouth is, the tone doesn’t change (with other microphones the close you get the bassier it gets). How Long Should it Be? As long as it should be, and not a minute more. Vallery Geller in the book Beyond Powerful Radio says, “There is no such thing as too long, only too boring.” This is proven by Dan Carlin’s Hardcore history which can run around 3 or 4 hours and published irregularly. How Often Should I Publish As I previously mentioned Dan Carlin’s show, you should publish a podcast that consistently delivers value, and impacts your audience. However, if you can establish a schedule that your audience can count on, they will make you part of their routine. My advice is record a few test shows so you can fully understand the work it takes to create a podcast, THEN pick your publishing schedule. While you will hear people talk about doing multiple episodes a week, keep in mind these are multiple shows that deliver value. Where do I get Music For My Show? Podcasting-Resource.com I like Audio Jungle Can I play Music in My Podcast? No. Not Legally? Do People do it? Yes Will it get you banned from iHeart Radio? Yes What’s the Best Media Hosting? Libsyn Great stats, ease of mutli location publishing. Blubrry - Great Stats, Ease of Publishing your podcast Spreaker - Good stats, built in audience. Podbean - OK Stats, Can I Use my Web Host as My Media Host? You can, but should you? No. Listen to SDR Show. It took him 6 weeks to get shut down. How Many Downloads Should I Have? Take the value the value you provide and multiply it by the effort your put forth to promote it, and there is your number. For the average Joe, it should be between 10 and 200 downloads per episode. Here are my download numbers: Ask the Podcast Coach 250 Jillian Michaels Fan Cast 2000 Building a Better Dave around 300 Marketing Musician 600 Weekly Web Tools 325 SOP 1600 Feeding My Fatih 150 Wost Podcast Ever 10 How Do I Grow My Audience? Figure out who your audience is Make content people want to talk about that impact them Go to where they Make friends Tell them about your Podcast Make it easy to share Sounds like a lot of work. Simple, not easy. If I Write a Review for you in iTunes will you Review Me? Why are you asking a stranger to review your show, why not ask your audience? No, I mean I want you to Review my podcast? See podcastreviewshow.com Should I Buy? A Mixer? Do you have more than one person in the room with you? Are you adding music and sounds live? Are you interviewing people over skype? YES How Do I Record Skype or Interviews without getting too Technical Ecamm Call Recorder schoolofpodcasting.com/callrecorder Callburner on the PC. schoolofpodcasting.com/callburner Ringr.us If you understand Skype on a PC, have your guest use Skype on their smartphone. Worst Case Scenari, uberconference.com (but it will sound like the phone). How do I find guests for my show Help a Reporter .com Radio Guest List.com Ask your guest. Amazon.com New Releases How Do Make Money With My Podcast Create a show that delivers Value Attract and audience. Sponsors Sell Products Sell Other peoples products (affiliates) Speaking Gigs Membership Sites Donations Better insights into your audience. How Do I Get Sponsors For My Show Provide content a sponsor would want to put their name on. Get 5,000 downloads (preferably 20,000) per episode Create a Media kit explaining who is listening, how many there are, and explain how engaged they are. 8% of people have this number Look into Affiliate marketing, or smaller companies. Ready to Start a Podcast? Check out www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

In today's episode, (not safe for work) I share clips from a podcast I set out (as an experiment) to be the Worst Podcast Ever. It would: 1. Have F-bombs. 2. Insult the audience. 3. Deliver no value 4. Use Potty humor and be overtly immature The reason? I had two: 1. I wanted to test podbean.com (who during the test had a technical issue, and my files quit downloading). 2. I wanted to see what kind of downloads a horrible podcast would get. I've heard from Libsyn that many podcasters get around 200 downloads per episode. (get a free month at Libsyn using the coupon code sopfree ) The worst podcast ever gets about 10. Rules for Experiment: 1. I could not use my real voice. I didn't want anyone to know it was me.  2. I could not promote it at all. Not a single tweet. Doing a Podcast as a Character: This is not new. "Madge Weinstein" has been doing yeast Radio since 2004. There are people who do not use their names such as School of Podcasting student Stargate Pioneer who does the Legends of Shield podcast. Cali Lewis has always been Luria Petrucci behind the scenese of Geekslife.com You may feel more confident behind the microphone as your character then in your own skin. I say "Fake it till you make it" (you will get comfortable as yourself) but being a character is an option. People like Seth McFarland get away with tons of things on their TV show The Family Guy as the characters are cartoons. The Simpsons is another example of characters getting away with things a real person would not.  But in the end Seth still takes flack for his characters.  The down side of being a character is connecting with your audience. I met Paul David Peterson of Entrepreneur Explosion. Paul's show is a parody of all the Entrepreneur shows. Paul is not his real name. If I want to meet Paul at Podcast Movement or New Media Expo, I can't if he is completely incognito. In my case my character on the Worst Podcast Ever was simply named "Grumpy Old Man." What if AARP wants Grumpy to come speak at a convention? These characters don't exist in reality.  The Stylizer 3000 Today I play a bit that I included in today's show to get you to think about all the different styles that you can use to create your podcast. There are SO MANY ingredients that you can use to create a completely unique podcast. I worry that people will not take me seriously as a podcast consultant if I'm too goofy on the microphone. I guess we will see. Podcast Rewind: Formats on the Podcasters Roundtable I participated on the Podcasters Roundtbale Episode 53 with +Ray Ortega,+Daniel J. Lewis +David Jackson +Colin Gray +Paul Peterson and+Doug Payton to discuss the various types of formats you can chose for your podcast. Check it out  Ready To Start a Podcast? If you're ready to start a podcast SIGN UP TODAY, and rest assured you will have everything you need to learn how to launch a successful podcast. 

Podcast Rewind: Spreaker Live show with Rob Greenlee - My Appearance  Darren Rowse from ProBlogger (now a podcast) on the New Rainmaker - Dareen started getting new listeners to his content less than 24 hours of launching his podcast. Startup Podcast stated that 50% of customers at Dating Ring (the company they spotlighted this season) came from the Podcast Serial Brought 341,000 New Listeners to Podcasting 6:00  Serial posted a report on their effect on podcasting Serial had a 4.6 % of their audience respond to a survey 23% of their subscribers said this was their first podcast. 90% changed their viewpoint of podcasting. 137,000 Newsletter Subscribers According to CNN (and these numbers are probably bigger by now) 3.4 million is the average number of downloads per episode (as of 12/2214) If we take the percentages from the survey results and apply it to the download numbers you get this 23% (782,00) Serial was their first podcast 90% (703,800) said it changed the way they viewed podcasting. 89% (695980) of the first time listeners tried out more podcasts. 49% (341,030) of those who tried out more podcasts are listening on a weekly basis. FULL REPORT Free Subscribe By Email Service 12:18 Blubrry Launches Subscribe By Email service. This is a free way your audience to be notified (by email) of your latest episode. So if your audience is not super tech savvy, you can give them an option (for free) to subscribe and be notified when a new episode is available. It doesn't cost you or your audience any more and there are no ads in the emails to your customer. If you are looking for a free service that will always be free, this might be an option for you. For me, if a listener of mine is giving out their e-mail that should go to ME. I can get an email list for free with a service like Mail Chimp. Eventually if you get a large list you do eventually have to pay for it. Here is what it looks like or you can just have a text link that reads Subscribe by Email Finding Your (Captive) Target Audience 16:55 Promoting your podcast is simple, but not easy. Here are the steps: 1. Identify who your audience is. 2. Make content that impacts and inspires them. 3. Go to where they are. 4. Make friends and build relationships with them. 5. Tell them about your podcast. When you make content that impacts and/or inspires your audience they will talk about your podcast I am working on an article for Podertainment Magazine about growing your audience. This month's article will be based on some stories in the book Fizz: Harness the Power of Word of Mouth Marketing to Drive Brand Growth in the book he mentions how the Bissell swepper company had a sweeper that was quiet (no motor ) and powerful (able to suck up small toys). They needed to get this in front of their target audience (Moms with small children). They went to the mall and through pine tree needles on the group and swept them up - right in front of the line for Santa where their target audience was. The great thing is the kids got involved and took turns using the sweeper. Mom's took pictures and shared them. They told their friends about it and word of mouth marketing boosted sales by 15% the first year and 25% the second. Musicians Playing Laundromats Back in 2008 Dave interviewed a musician who had started playing gigs in Laundromats. The idea was the audience couldn't leave. He built a rapport with them, sold CDs, and eventually the audience started coming to gigs the musician did with his band. Demo CD Dave used the service Kunaki.com to make sample CDs. This was filled with small clips of audio that secured credibility of the show, and gave great tips that would impact the audience. Dave delivered these to the local Gutiar Center (where his target audience - independent musicians shopped). Not the best use of this idea. The audience is not captive, and there is no way of tracking it (if I ever do this in the future, I will have a special address like schoolofpodcasting.com/cd  to track the effectiveness). If you make a demo CD be sure to start off by telling people what to expect, and how they will benefit. Catermind Sold Out - Waiting List Open Last week Dave announced a new "group coaching" class called "Castermind" where people who already have launched a podcast could get personalized coaching at a discontented rate (three people in a group).  We will meet once a month and get access to a private group on slack.com If you missed it, you can sign up for the waiting list at www.castermind.com  Mentioned on this Show SDR Show Podcast Review Show Get Reviewed Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World Ready to Start Podcasting Check out www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Group Coaching: Castermind Group Coaching I'm starting something new and I have room for three people. I may expand this in the future, but for now as I test this out there will be three people (four including me). We will meet once a month on a Tuesday night. We will talk about where we we are, and where we want to be. We will talk strategies, measuring our progress, and sharing what works and what does not. I am running this promotion via Joyride, so you can sign up here. Seating is limited. Podcast Advertising Works In a recent article about the popular podcast Serial, "81 percent of “Serial” listeners between October and December correctly recalled a season one sponsor. And almost all of them knew it was Mailchimp and what the email-marketing service does." Podcast Advertising Pays - If You have the Numbers An article on theawl.com stated this about podcast advertising (using Midroll). The company’s ads—“integrated, native, often host-read spots”—are hugely effective compared to most internet advertising, so businesses pay good money for them. Podcasts, which tend to run one or two ads before the show and two or three ads during the show, can earn around three hundred dollars per ad if they average at least ten thousand listeners. For the elite circle of shows with over four hundred thousand listeners—generally the iTunes Top 50—a single ad spot can net over ten thousand dollars. Podcast Idol? WNYC Launches Podcast Accelerator WYNC has launched what they are calling a Podcast Accelerator. What is it? The WNYC Podcast Accelerator will give both established talent and up-and-coming storytellers the opportunity to pitch their big podcast idea and potentially win the chance to produce a pilot. The application period will run from June 25 until July 15. Five finalists will be paired with producers from top WNYC podcasts who will mentor and train the candidates, helping them hone their pitches. The winner gets the chance to produce a pilot episode with a WNYC producer. The Podcast Accelerator is open to anyone able to attend ONA and who is NOT a current employee of NYPR. The conference is $769. Finalists get one complimentary ONA badge apiece, and benefit from a six-week virtual mentoring and training period, in which leading audio producers will help you hone your pitch, including story lines, character development, sound, texture, voice. In addition, you’ll have two virtual meetups with fellow finalists, ONA’s digital director and a WNYC producer to share ideas and progress. The winner will have a chance to create one pilot episode with a WNYC producer The President Was Interviewed on Marc Maron's WTF Podcast This episode set a new record for the most downloads in a 24 hour period ( 735,063 or 30,628 and hour, or 510 downloads a minute). The previous record holder was Dan Carlin with his Hardcore History podcast that had 351,000 downloads in 24 hours) CarPlay and Android Auto Going into 14 Chevy Models. While we've heard about Apple CarPlay and Android Auto a while back, they are starting to be installed that normal people can afford. For the 2016 model year, Chevrolet will offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility in more models than any automotive brand. The 14 Chevrolet models include the all-new 2016 Cruze compact car, which will debut on June 24. Cruze is Chevrolet’s best-selling passenger car, with more than 3 million sold since launch. Additional models are listed in a chart below. New Podcast Stats From Edison Research A new Edison research report has come out on who is listening to podcast showing how podcasting is continuing to grow. 49% have now heard of podcasting 33% have listened to podcast 17% Have listened to a podcast in the last month. Listeners are now 50/50 Men/Women The Smartphone has had a HUGE impact on podcast growth. Biggest Age Groups Listening to Podcasts: 20% 25 - 34 17% 35 - 44 15% 45 - 54 15% 18 -24 15% 12-17 12% 55 - 64 6%  65+ 10% of Americans have listened to a podcast in the last week. Podcast Listeners Have a Profile on  77% FaceBook 66% Google + 36% Instagram 35% LinkedIn 33% Twitter 28% Snapchat 27% Pinterest 17% Vine 14% Tumblr 60% use social media several times a day. Cale Nelson Had a Sponsor Before He Started His Podcast Cale Nelson is an awesome guy living on a farm in South Carolina with his five kids (who are home schooled). He spent a decade in Christian Radio, but with five kids switched jobs to devote more time at home. He missed the microphone. In 2014 he started the the Fo Time podcast (an inside joke for anyone in the Amateur/Ham Radio world). He approached a small "Mom and Pops" vendor of Amateur radio called MTC Radio about sponsoring a show he wanted to do. As he had never met these people, all he waned for payment was the "Mom" of the shop to do his voice over work. In exchange for the Voice Over, he would mention their website. This would allow everyone to see if this was a good fit. Once this original "trial" portion was over they could meet and examine moving forward. MTC Radio came on board. Things were going smooth, and the podcast grew fast. Cale states that in a few months his podcast numbers were 7 times what they were when he started. He went back to MTC radio to see if there was a way he could be paid more for the sponsorship. It turns out that MTC gets paid to promote certain products from companies like Kenwood. They took that money, and gave it to Cale to promote those products on his show. Now not only did he get the added funds he was looking for, he got MORE than he asked for. The manufacturer benefits. MRC Radio benefits (because Cale sends his audio to their website to purchase the equipment). Cale benefits by making some spending cash. LESSON LEARNED: You Don't Need Giant Sponsors For Your Show To get a sponsor you have to ask Treating your advertiser like a partner can lead to bigger payouts. Don't underestimate the power of the niche Mentioned in this Podcast Ken Blanchard Ready to Start Podcasting? See www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

There is a great saying, that those who learn from their mistakes are smart. Those who learn from other people's mistakes are wise. Marc Johansen sent in a voicemail stating how another podcasters who has been on the scene for almost to years stated that Apple created podcasting (they didn't) and many other obvious "untruths." It seems everyone who can press record has now dubbed themselves a podcast consultant. What is a person to do? Because of My Podcast: Marc Maron Marc Maron has already interviewed two of his childhood heroes in Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and today he is releasing an episode where he go to interview The President of the United states. The President of the United States was on a podcast called WTF. Which makes me ask, WTF? Why Good Podcast Consulting is Expensive I occasionally get caught up with watching other consultants.  I was listening to a Duo who just launched their podcast course explain how they had to record their episode four times due to a strange white noise they get when using Skype, I want to shout "Turn off the setting to let Skype adjust your volume." Now if they had hired me to troubleshoot their problem that call would have taken 5 minutes (and the way I work, they would billed for minutes - not 15). Currently a five minute call with me would be around $12.50. You might say, "How can that be it only took you a few minutes!" The truth is it's taken me 10 years of playing with technology and working with hundreds of people and their podcasts. My Podcast Dilemma If I start calling people out, I look like an egotistical jerk. If I say nothing, there is a chance you might fall prey to their crap. When in doubt, focus on making content that will inspire and impact your audience and let the chips fall. If you truly impact your audience, they will tell others about your show. Podcast Rewind I appeared on the Podcasters Roundtable with +Ray Ortega,+Daniel J. Lewis +David Jackson +Jerod Morris +Tawny Fineran and+Pilar Orti to discuss the ins and outs, ups and downs of having a podcast with co-hosts. You can hear it here. If you do interviews you HAVE To go listen to Erik K Johnson Podcast Talent Coach podcast. OMG! He has been doing a four part series on Interviewing that is just super cool and really gets me thinking. Check him out at www.podcasttalentcoach.com Follow Up On the Haters Episode: Last week we talked about dealing with negative comments and Max Flight had a great comment. He stated when someone sends you an email, tweet, etc that is negative. Ask them for their phone number of skype ID and ask them to have a live conversation. It will truly separate the men from the boys. In the end you may end up with a friend (who knows). Daniel J Lewis celebrated five years with his Noodle Mix network. He did an episode where he shared what he has learned in the past five years. A Strategy To Help Grow Your Audience: Say My Name I was driving to Michigan and my GPS had taken my the same way it always does. I looked up to see the see that the road I was supposed to take was closed. Oh no. I started following detour signs, but I was supposed to be going north, and instead I was going south. The sun would be going down, and I was getting stressed. Luckily, one of my favorite podcast from Moondog Marketing came across my playlist. John Buscal has been on this show, and I've been on his. I love the way John breaks down marketing concepts into wording that anyone can grasp. The bonus he was interviewing Andy "Dr. Pod" White. Both these guys rock, and to have them on the same show was like Ted Nugent doing a duet with Eddie Van Halen. The best part, was the stress of being almost lost subsided. I wasn't alone with just me and the woman in my GPS. My buddies John and Andy where with me and I didn't care if I was late getting to the hotel. Then it happened, they started talking about American Podcasters and before I knew it they were talking about ME. Later on the phone with my wife, I had to tell how stoked I was that my two buddies had said such kind words. I've shared the story before that when I was in Jr. High I had called a radio station and requested a song. They wouldn't play the song I wanted but instead asked me to ask them to play some Journey (or other non-metal band). Later, I heard myself on the radio. While the lack of authenticity some what ruined the moment, I WAS STILL ON THE RADIO! So I asked the members of the School of Podcasting if they had this type of experience. It's not a huge surprise, but many of us had had similar experiences. When you hear your name of a podcast its a rush. In one case John Bukenas from  lets reverse obesity said he almost crashed his car. Nick Seuberling from spnt.tv told his wife who also got excited. My co-host Jim Collison from the Average Guy TV says he gets a holt every time I mention him on the show. I heard an episode of Ask Pat where the person who sent in the question stated he would "lose it" if he heard his voice on the show. Pat said that "losing it happens alot." Make it Authentic Does this mean you next podcast will just be you reading names? No. It's when someone mentions you, and they didn't have to that it maximizes the effect. I donate $10 to the Rock and Roll Geek show and every month Michael Butler reads me name. I am proud to support my friend, but its not the same jolt because he is supposed to read my name. TANGENT: Let's take a tangent shall we? It has been said that the favorite word people like to hear is their name. I get that, and this episode helps illustrate that. But I do hate the fake use of names when I'm interviewing someone. I ask the question, and they say, "You know Dave that's a good question (no it's not), and Dave when I ...." It's like keyword stuffing. You're saying my name over and over trying to stimulate me. It is a strategy used by telemarketers. Podcating is about being real, and trying to butter me up with my name? I can smell that a mile away. Contributors: Doris Smith of the Knit and Pearl Podcast Jason Bryant of Mat Talk Online Mike Dell of Podcast Help Desk Daniel J. Lewis of The Audacity to Podcast Jim Collison of the Average Guy Network Nick Seuberling of Podcasters Group Therapy (and others) John Bukenas of Let's Reverse Obesity Henry Jasper of Voices That Carry John Buscal of Moondog Marketing Andy White from the Podcasting Advisor Ready To Start Podcasting? Join the School of Podcasting and get step by step tutorials on topics such as planning your podcast, choosing the right equipment, plugging all your podcast equipment in, creating your podcast website, understanding Wordpress, Understanding RSS, Publishing Your Podcast, Growing Your Audience and so much more. You have 30 days to try it, and if you're not satisfied, you can get your money refunded. Sign up at www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Quick Tip for Crowdfunding When you find a tool to help your fund your audience (Patreon, JoyRide, etc) instead of sending those people to their website, use a pretty link and direct them to the page. Why? Because what if a better system comes along? You will have all these past episodes pointing them to a website that no longer is relevant. I lucked out once and I have a link to Audible. Audible change their company that handles their affiliate program so my link changed. By controlling your link, you can simply update what that link points to and your back catalog stays intact. For Example: My Patreon page is schoolofpodcasitng.com/patron and my Joy Ride page is www.askthepodcastcoach.com/joyride They Said I Was Nothing Today I answer a question I originally Answered on Ask the Podcast Coach. It's from Elsie and Jessica from shepodcasts.com and they are wondering how to handle haters. Here are some things to consider. 1. The Source. Is this person a regular listener? If not, then let them go their way. They are not your target audience. 2. Do they Have a Point? Is what they are criticizing you about have any validity? 3. Can you implement the changes without changing who you are, and the goal of the show. If implementing these changes is very unnatural for you, or if it would change the dynamic of the show, then it may not be in the best interest of the show to put them in place. If you try to act a way that is not you, it makes podcasting a chore. Do the Best You Can Do, and Sleep Well At Night In my job as an instructor I get put into positions that were not made to conduct training. Recently I was asked to teach a class on Excel 2010 where some of my students have had Excel 2007, and some has Excel 2013. Some had mouse skills, some didn't. Some could see, and others could not. I did the best I could. I try to live without regrets, but that can be a tall order. Be Yourself I crack jokes during my class to try and keep it entertaining. I teach a large amount of Microsoft Excel. It's primarily  number crunching program. Not exactly the most exciting. So by interweaving stories, jokes, and insights, it gives my students a "brain break" and makes the class go faster. When my niece was growing up she was spooky smart. Why? Because she started learning playing computer games when she was 2. She graduate High School with 1/2 a degree from Kent State University. Why? Because she didn't realize she was learning. She was just having fun while Roger Rabbit taught her how to read on the computer. Consequently, I try to do what I have dubbed "Edutainment." It's educational and it's entertaining (or at least not boring). Someone Won't Like Your Jokes Every now and then I will get a review from my students, and someone will comment that they didn't like something about my style. I'm ok with that, because in every class, in every situation, I try to the best I can with what I have at that time. I can sleep at night. This week on Ask the Podcast Coach's post show, my co-host explained how he had a co-worker explain how they had found podcasts and were listening to Entrepreneur on Fire. She didn't care for John Lee Dumas (Blasphemy!) . Jim told her to try Pat Flynn's Smart Passive Income. She enjoy Pat's style more. Is John's style wrong? No. It's different. Want to Start a Podcast? Go to www.theschoolofpodcasting.com

Today I have the joy of interviewing Jessica Kupferman and Elsie Escobar from the Podcast called She Podcasts and now they have launched a specific Podcasting School of Women ($997). This segregated approach lead some men going, "Do we need a special school of Women?" and the answer (according to Jessica and Elsie is yes. Podcast Rewind - Dee Snider on Radio 2:21 Today I play a small clip from Dee Snider's Snider's Comments podcast (iTunes) who explains how radio is so bad, that people PAID MONEY to NOT listen to it. Satellite radio requires more hardware in a time when everything was going to the phone. My favorite part is Dee asks, "Name me three people in their 20's that are listening to Satellite Radio."Dee's show is on Podcast One, and is available at DeeSnider.com and iTunes Why a School of Women? You may not be aware of this, but Men and Women are different. Men like to get to the point, and Women love details. In today's episode Jessica reveals a story where she asked a man about her show and his answer was to shorten the episode length and do more of them.  When she shared this with her female audience, they told her "NO! Don't DO THAT!" In some cases Men "getting to the point" with their answer may come across as "salty." It may come across as impatient, and short. When a man answers a question he has good intentions (we love to fix stuff) and yet the delivery of the answer may not connect with everyone. For the record, there are plenty of women podcasters (the women who are listening need to get their friends listening to BOOST the AWARENESS of women podcasters, as well as shows geared towards women. Never Forget It's Your Show Does this mean you need to be more politically correct when you speak into the microphone? One should never knowingly, intently say things to hurt people. However, in a world that is getting more and more sensitive - you're going to offend someone. You are the best at being YOU, and if speaking a certain way doesn't come naturally it may hurt your performance. It may cause you to over think topics. One of the things I LOVE about She Podcasts is that I AM SO NOT THEIR TARGET AUDIENCE. Case in point, in one episode Elise admits she has a crush on someone. I don't think you'll hear that between Ray, Daniel, and myself on the next episode of the Podcasters Round table. And you know what? That is ABSOLUTELY OK!. You are NOT going to please everyone, and if you try your show will lose in the end. Elise and Jessica were contemplating letting dudes into their private Facebook for women only. I APPLAUD them for NOT letting men in. It's THEIR group, and they can handle it any way they want. You can always make your own group. How Did They Start? Jessica and Elsie met at a business school and often crossed each other past. When Jessica heard that Elsie was podcasting she immediately connect with her. It wasn't long until they noticed there was no "female - podcast about podcasting." So they thought, "We should make one," and they did. One Passion Different Approaches When I listen to the show, Elsie (who has a background in Yoga) and Jessica (who may across as "Feisty") compliment each other well. Jessica is always ready with a joke, and Elise has an completely infectious laugh. According to their website, "Jessica Kupferman is an online business consultant who helps small business owners and solopreneurs find their voice, create irresistible  online products and design their business by their own rules. Elsie Escobar is a digital Jedi, working in the mystical paradox between tech and holistic living choosing podcasting and the magic of audio as her weapon of choice." It's a great mix. What To Expect at the Podcasting School For Women? Jessica is using her branding and marketing experience, and uses it to tie into Podcasting. Instead of "how to use Facebook" it is now "How to use Facebook for podcasting." Elise can help with the Technical end as well as getting the confidence to press record. Thee are insights into how to handle guests. Elsie set up the course so that you examine yourself first. This way you can understand who you are, how you will react, and prepare accordingly. They also go back, and explain what is a podcast so they can explain it to their audience. The lessons are live, but recorded so you can listen later. Other Podcasting Resources If you don't' currently have the budget ($997) for the school, you can join their Private She Podcasts Facebook Group for free. They will also be doing a full day session at Podcast Movement (save on your ticket to Podcast Movement - the event - using the code sop) You can also list your show in their She Podcasts Directory Ready to Join the School of Podcasting? Get step by step tutorials Private Facebook Group Networking/Q&A "office hours" webinars 30 Day Money Back Guarantee Go to  www.theschoolofpodcasting.com