School of Podcasting - Podcast Tips to Plan, Launch, Grow Your Podcast

A brief summary of this episodeMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyCan You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards

National Podcast Day September 30th September 30th 2104 is National Podcast Day where we all put the spotlight on Podcast Movement and help turn more people on to listening to podcast, creating new podcasts, and general helping podcast awareness raise up a few notches. Using the Roland R-05 John from http://www.letstalkmetaldetectingandtreasurehunting.com/ wants to know how I use this device? When I recorded at Podcast Movement. When I use the built in microphone I try to use my guests as sound shields (putting them between the mic and the sounds). I kept the microphone about chest level. I always listen so I can hear what is being recorded. Promo For Podcast Review Show Dave Jackson and Erik K Johnson will go over your show from top to bottom and use their 30 cobined years of creating content to help you spotlight what you are doing right, and help you tweak those things that need help. You can get reviewed by going to www.podcastreviewshow.com/reviewme Podcasting Good To Great How to Grow your Audience through Collaboration [7:55] To we focus on one thing: growing your audience. We have Jared Easley author of the book Podcasting Good To Great How to Grow your Audience through Collaboration. You might also recognize that name as we was one of the organizers of the HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL Podcast movement and also has a really good podcast called Starve the Doubts. Today we hear how Jared stared out by noticing others and seeing how they could help them (looking for nothing in return). He didn't know what he was doing all the time, but that didn't stop him. When he doubt, he could always find someone and ask some questions.   I first started listening to his podcast before Podcast Movement. I liked this show. I met Matt Lovell at the event, and he mentioned how he was going to be in Cleveland soon. I toll him to look me up. He did. We did and he sat in on a recording o the Ask the Podcast Coach show that I do live on Saturday Mornings. On the way to breakfast he told me a story of how he had reached out to a podcast host, and the host had called him on the phone. The podcaster? Jared Easley. Does this mean that you have to call all of your listeners to grow your audience? No. If you have the time, you could. We talk about using teleconferencing to connect live with your audience (especially helpful if they are not up to speed on webinars). Jared mentioned FreeConferencing.com and Dave like uberconference.com. Its not doing LARGE things that will grow your audience. In many cases its the little things you do that have the most impact. What if you impacted 5 people a week. What would that do over the span of a year? You could have 60 people who have true connection with you and enjoy telling people about your show. As the old commercial goes, "And they told two friends, and they told two friends.." Matt's Story - Permission To Chat? [31:00] Matt Lovel had just found Jared's podcast, he tweeted about it to his friends. He asked what their favorite episode of Starve the Doubts was. People came out of the woodwork with suggestions and one person was the host Jared Easley. Jared asked (via twitter) if they would like to move to the phone, and 2.5 hours later their phone call ended. One of the cool things about podcasting is people who like your show are more than likely LIKE YOU. This means you will probably connect with people who listen to your show. In this instance Matt and Jared talked about life goals, etc and Matt explained how he was moving between jobs. Jared new someone who was looking for Matt's skills. When I say you can have an impact on your listener's lives, I don't mean that you will find them work that pays them more and changes your quality of living, but we ca now say, "It could happen." Find Matt's Podcast at www.mindingthegap.com Start Your Podcast Today - Join the School of Podcasting Start Podcasting Today  Mentioned in this episode:Can You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards2025 Audience Survey

I have people who want to start podcasting and they have an idea of what to talk about, they have the money to buy equipment, but still they won't start podcasting. Today we talk about why, and what you can do to get over it. Because of My Podcast I  Spoke in Front of 20,000 People [2:30] Kenn Blanchard of the Black Man with a Gun podcast and the Motor Cycle Radio got to speak at an event in New York and got to share the stage with non other than Donald Trump. How cool is that? Check out Kenn's book, "Black Man with a Gun." We have spoken with Kenn before. He once helped a listener who was thinking of committing suicide. He got to speak about the rights of people and have dinner with some millionaires. Shalom Baby! You can find all of Kenn's podcasts at www.blanchardmediagroup.com  Last 5 in 5 [4:50] This was recorded on the floor of Podcast Movement with Jeremy and Taylor from Final Clock Out podcast. They show that there are more ways to make money besides the 9-5. Taylor's Chae Jarvis Audio Podcast Bullet Proof Radio Smart Passive Income  London Real Super Fast Business Jeremy's Ask Pat Kick Ass Life Achieve Your Goals Podcast Answer Man  Marketing Lifestyle Tim Perris  Podcast Rewind [11:45] I appeared on The Podcast Report Talking Podcasting stats with Paul Colligan Personal Branding show with Bernard Kelvin Clive (from Ghana ) Thanks to : by Garrettent44614 from USA on August 28, 2014 So far I've listened to every episode in the last 4 weeks and I have to say that this podcast has it all, Audio Quality, Content Quality, and Dave Jackson definitely brings the perfect personality to the table when it comes to how the podcast is produced. Thanks a ton Dave, Keep up the good work!!! Learn podcasting and have fun doing so! by SteveW928 from Canada on August 23, 2014 Dave not only has the heart of a teacher, but he brings his great sense of humor in to keep it fun as well. School of Podcasting is a one-of-a-kind educational experience where you'll not only learn great details about podcasting and the industry, but you'll also learn about hosting, equipment, software, hardware gadgets, etc. as Dave loves to try a bit of everything and give you his opinion on how well it really works. And, as mentioned above, he's a hoot to listen to. For the latest iTunes Reviews. By reviewing the show and rating it, you help us get more exposure. WRITE A REVIEW I learned of these reviews by using My Podcast reviews The School of Podcasting Went over 1,000,000 Downloads This Month! [18:50] Thanks to everyone who has listened over the year. I am humbled by this number. http://youtu.be/4BUXd2y1wEc You can still here my first episode. Is Fear Stopping You From Starting Your Podcast? The answer I'm hearing more and more is how people are trying to get over their "jitters" to start recording your podcast. When we launch a podcast we go into areas that we have never gone before, and that will make us nervous. It's normal. You're going to hate your voice. That's normal. I know that fear can really become a factor so here are some thought to help you face the fears of starting a podcast. 1. Its not live. You can record it once, twice, three times before releasing it. Just because you record it doesn't mean you have to release it to the public. 2. Editing is your friend If it's not perfect, you can edit out the part that need help. And you can always record it again. 3. Why Would people listen to me? Remember you don't have to know everything, you just have to know more than your listener. Or if you don't know anything make it a journey podcast. I'm sure President Obama feels this way when he puts on his tie. I have never felt I could sing. Mainly because my brother told me at an early age. It stung. I sing in most of the bands I play in, but its usually the really high stuff and I have to wear a size smaller underwear to hit the high notes. But I was shocked when my friend asked me to play and sing at his wedding. I did, and I got huge compliments. Everyone had heard me scream on stage, but they had never heard me sing. It turns out I'm not half bad. 4. What's the worst that could happen? If it's really bad, you can always pull it off the Internet. Remember, when you first start there won't be much of an audience (so there isn't much to be embarrassed about ). Try this: instead of convincing yourself to believe the worst about something you fear, try imagining the best. You might make someone's day. You might inspire to change their life for the better. You might inspire a future customer .  When a podcast show fails, there are always lessons to be learned. Many very successful podcasters are on their second (third) show because the first one tanked. Mentioned in this Show Joe Hicks and the Above Average Show  The Creative Penn Podcast Canva Image EditorMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyCan You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards

I spent money on plane tickets to go to Podcast Movement. I worked for weeks on my presentation. Then when I went to deliver my presentation, the original attendance was not what I had hoped for. Today I share how I had two thought paths I could've followed. Half of the podcasting game is mental. Being mentally prepared for criticism. Being mentally always looking for insights into your audience. This is why you need to determine WHY you are getting into podcasting. There will be those times when things are not going as planned, and you want to quit. The WHY will carry you through. For me, a momentary lapse of purpose had me thinking of going down a dark place. I decided to go a different route. At the end of my presentation, the room was not entirely full, but it had tripled the few people who were originally there.  I had given it everything I had. I was sweaty, and tired. I had left what I had on the stage (more on that next week when I hare a story behind an interview). When people choose to listen to your podcast, it is an opportunity to connect with them. It is an opportunity to impact their life. Don't take your audience for granted, and always deliver your best performance. I'm glad I did.  For more information on the presentation go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/pm14 (slides, videos, etc). Mentioned in this episode:Can You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards2025 Audience Survey

Fresh back from my trip to the Podcast Movement event, I share two stories of how podcasters are making a difference. We are being seen as the voice of customers; we are being seen as people who can influence others. Corey Fineran of Ivy Envy Helps MLB Change a Rule Corey shares how a contest for free Chicago Cubs tickets seemed unfair. He wrote a blog post and spoke honestly on his podcast. He was nervous when an official from the Cubs reached out to him. Then he found out his podcast and blog had been used to help change the rule for contests run by Major League baseball.  Blog Talk Radio Working on Updating Their Audio Quality I have not been of Blog Talk Radio for a long time (their audio and other issues were pointed out in this post) so you can imagine when I was attending Podcast Movement 2014 and a Blog Talk Radio representative approached me. Then he started off his remarks with the phrase, "About your post..." I was amazed when General Manager Andy Toh said he had taken my post, and was using it to help rebuild Blog talk Radio from the inside out. He explained how the new beta version will be able to export audio at 128kbps (CD Quality). Andy know there there will be a lot of improvements needed to get my official seal of approval, but the fact that Blog Talk Radio was even attending the vent, and that they are planning on making changes to their service shows their dedication to the community (where hosting companies like Podbean.com and Podomatic.com where not in attendance). As always my two favorite providers Libsyn.com abnd Blubrry.com had booths and I will be talking about Libsyn.com's redesigned app in a future episode. Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyCan You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards

Pat Flynn made 89,903.53 last month. This is down from the 89,000 he made in April. This doesn't happen by chance. Pat has always been a hard worker. If you haven't check out his book Let Go, then you should. You read how he did all the things you were supposed to do (go to college, work insane hours to get up the corporate ladder)  only to be let go. Pat had been studying for a certification and was using the web to store his notes. Later when he passed the exam he uncovered that his notes were very, VERY popular. So he took the notes and repackaged them as an ebook, and put it up for sale. He never considered himself an author, but why not. It made (and continues to make ) a LOT of cash. Along the way Pat shares the good the bad and the ugly of his journey. Today he shares some insights into what it takes to create content that truly resonates with your audience, and how he is taking podcast players to a new level with his Smart Podcast Player. Here are some key points from the interview Pat spends HOURS writing a single blog post. When you read his posts at smartpassiveincome.com you will see the insane amounts of detail that he puts into his posts. The goal is always to inform his audience in an unbiased way. The goal is to help his audience make an informed decision. By not selling out to the top bidder, and only talking about products he has first hand knowledge of, Pat is not only a resource, but a trusted resource. Pat knows when he is most productive (he's a night owl) and that's when he does his work. He has a dedicated office. He admits that its hard to separate work and family, but in the same way that a employee clocks out to go home Pat knows that when he leaves his office he has "clocked out" and it's time for his family. When I read the book Let Go you get to see bonus videos of Pat with his family. It's very cool, and his passion and love for his kids is beyond evident. Pat learned that you need to let others who can do things better take over. He tried to turn his book into an audio book, but later hired someone to read it for him. It was a lot of money ($1400) but that money came back to him. Many people are envious of Pat's bank account. I envy the time and influence Pat has with his children. Pat took his successful blog and grew his audience using a podcast. When Pat meets people at conferences, they all mention the podcast. It took Pat a year and a half to build his audience Smart Podcast Player When Pat launched the Ask the Pat podcast ( a quick daily show where he answers one listener question) . He had a custom player created. You can find it at www.smartpodcastplayer.com or at www.askpat.com it has built in share buttons and if you have a large catalog (like a daily show will produce) it makes it easy to browse through the episodes and listen to the one you want. How Does it Work? It doesn't matter what media host you use. You input the location of your RSS feed and it pulls the information from that and creates the payer. This way when you release a new episode it automatically is added to the player. If you use soundcoud as your media host (for the record I would only use soundcloud as a secondary host - see my thought on this) you can add additional tags which may help you be found, and help people discover your content. When In Doubt Ask Your Audience Pat rolled it out to a limited beta group knowing there would be growing pains. Pat knew there were features he would want to add, and by rolling it out to a select few, he had a built in focus group to help him identify and prioritize new features that will be added to the player. When it first rolled out there were limited choices to the colors you could use. Now you can use any color for your player. Great Support As expected there were a few bugs when it rolled out. I worked with his group and they were very responsive and a great group of guys. With my recent moving of my website to a new host, I have had other priorities and have not activated the player on the new host (not that it takes a lot to put it into place - you know podcast movement, etc,  first things first). Flexible The Smart Podcast Player allows you to put a full page of your podcasts in one spot ( see screenshot) or you can put a single episode on your site. It will be exciting to see what features are added in the future. Pat talked about wanting the player to prompt you to join a mailing list (or other call to action). He realizes that while you could throw in a bunch of features, its best to roll them out slowly and make sure you are adding features that are wanted. Protecting Your Brand Pat talks about he is asked on a daily basis to promote products. Many of these have huge payouts, but Pat knows that if he were to endorse a product that turned out to be awful, his trust would be ruined. He has the intelligence to know that the most valuable thing you have is the trust of your audience. He could have a list of hundreds of thousands of subscribers, but if they don't trust your content - it's worthless. If you're in it for the long haul, guard your audience and protect from the people who are looking to make a quick buck. Find all things Pat at www.smartpassiveincome.com www.smartpodcastplayer.com www.askpat.com www.nichesiteduel.com    Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyCan You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards

Today we talk about identifying your perfect customer and then making a podcast for them . We also hear a story of courage from a young 14 year old boy. We get an update on the patent troll case, and a book review Because of His Attitude [5:00] Today I get feedback from a 14 year old Australian boy who had the courage to ask to speak at a Wordcamp. Sure enough he passed, and was able to speak in front of 500 people. His attitude, "What the heck, let's try and see." I think we all can learn from William and see that while we may not think we have the credentials, WE DO. For those above the age of 14, you have a bit more history under our belt. Get Reviewed on the Podcast Review Show [9:43] Recently we reviewed Dan Hansen's Coffee Couch (hear the review). Dan shares his thoughts on the experience. You can get the most affordable private coaching with two coaches for $99 Marketing Your Business With Your Podcast - Ben Kruger Interview [11:20] Ben Kruger produces the Authority Engine podcast and is known as the "Podcast Marketing Guy" who took his passion for marketing and incorporated it into a podcast that helps people use podcasting to bring in new clients. He offers services for small business who just want to create content (and let Ben and his team do the rest) Some topics we talk about are: Does your show need to be daily? How many downloads do you need to be successful? The key is targeting your audience. Find the top leaders in your niche and help them deliver the best content to their audience. Don't do a giant commercial. Start building your email list with tools like Aweber and Mentioned in this episode:Can You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards2025 Audience Survey

Some Podcasting Basics Are Worth Repeating In today's episode we talk about how I often revisit some concepts about podcasting. Today I get an email from a listener that points out that I repeat myself over and over. Looking back, I see his point, but I also know that new podcasters make the same mistakes over and over and over (hence causing me to repeat myself). Here are some basic podcasting truths that will never go out of style: 1. Build your website using a Web hosting company (use the coupon podcastcoach at Host Gator to save). 2. Put your media on a media host like Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com (use the coupon sopfree to get a free month at both places). 3. Have a great looking album artwork. 4. Don't use another platform (blog Talk Radio, Tumblr, etc) as your "main" website 5. There is a huge difference between a $8 microphone and a $99 microphone. There is NOT a huge difference between a $99 microphone and a $300 microphone (in my opinion). 6. When in doubt ask your audience. 7. Don't get into podcasting to make some quick cash 8. When you connect with your audience, they will download your back catalog. 9. Podcasting takes time. A 15 minute audio podcast takes about an hour from start to finish to create (roughly speaking). 10. Some times you get what you pay for when the prices is free. Because of My Podcast - I Exchanged e-Mails With Jay Mohr [2:00] Brainstorm from the Cannabis Community Project explained how he got free tickets from Jay Mohr by just reaching out to the comedian/movie actors/radio host and to his surprise he got a direct response from Jay himself. Now he can truthfully say that Jay Mohr has been involved with his podcast.  Does Dave Repeat Himself Too Much? [6:15] In response to the listener who emailed and said I repeat myself too much, thank you so much for the feedback. I will try not to do that in the future. There are some topics I will repeat (see the list above for a short list) but I will try to not stretch 15 minute topics into 45 minutes. I was unaware of this. I would love any additional constructive feedback in the comments (below) or just send them directly to me. What I've done in the past and will continue doing in the future is I find other people to share their experience that reinforces the opinions and facts that I shares on each episode. I Have An Idea - The Next Step of Podcasting [13:50] I had a caller on the Ask the Podcast Coach show who was very excited about starting a podcast (we've all been there) but couldn't really say WHAT his podcast was going to be about. Many of us have been in Michael's shoes and we focus on the tools of podcasting. We ask about microphones, and wordpress themes. We ask about promotional tools like twitter and facebook. The problem is we don't have a podcast yet. We have nothing to record. We have nothing to upload .Podcasting starts with content. So if you are in this boat ( I want to podcast, but I'm not sure about what). I would recommend listening to the episode where I talk about getting your podcast in sync with your goals, and then write down 10 topics for 10 episodes. This will help you identify if you are really ready to start a podcast. Don't get distracted by the tools. The tools you will use to distribute your content. They are worthless without the content. Make the content first, then start working toward how to distribute the podcast. Don't look at distribution, and then figure out what you're going to create. Podcast Rewind [21:10] I appeared on the Timelines of Success Podcast with Bill Conrad. Podcasters Roundtable - Best Practices   Why You Don't Use Your Web Host as a Media Host [30:00] I have been saying how its a bad idea to use your web host (a website that provides a service to build a WEBSITE on) as a MEDIA HOST (a service designed to deliver and track the delivery of audio or video). I was contacted by Ralph Sutton of The SDR Show (Sex, Drugs, & Rock and Roll) because Ralph was using Dreamhost as his website host, and as his media host. H e even asked them if it was ok, and they said "Sure." One month later and his dreamhost had turned into a nightmare. He was getting thousands of downloads per episode and his server was taking a beating. Consequently, his host wanted him to upgrade. The upgrade would be $150 a month to be on a private server because he was getting too much traffic. Luckily, Ralph contacted myself and a representative from Libsyn and we switched his media to a media server and now instead of spending $150 a month, Ralph is spending $20. Had this continued, there is a good chance his website company would shut him down. At that point you've developed a nice audience only to have your reputation tarnished by trying to save a few bucks. Ralph Did The Work of Podcast Promotion Ralph didn't look for the giant switch that would turn on one thousand listeners. He flipped those switches that turned on one new listener one thousand times. He crafted an email message and then customized it and sent it to everyone he knew on facebook. He then asked his friends who work in the rock industry if they would tell their audience about the show. Stating the Obvious: Ralph has a radio background and a syndicated show across the US. he also has access to guests who are/were famous. This helps, but none the less these people would now have known if Ralph had not told them about his podcast. He did it in a personal way, and utilized the  relationship he had built up over years of being in radio. Ralph had some stickers printed up and went to places where his target audience hangs out and passed out stickers. He went to where his audience was, made some contacts, and told them about his podcast. He use fiverr.com to have someone paint his logo on her back. He used this image to announce t-shirts. Advice to Doing Podcast Interviews Ralph does not write out questions, but topic he wants to know about. He wants to avoid the interview being an interrogation. He wants it to be a conversion. He plans how he will start the podcast, and from there he tries to have a conversation. Be Ready For Traffic Ralph switch to Libsyn.com for his media and his problems went away. (use the coupon sopfree to get a free month at Libsyn). He then hired Dave to move his feed from one website to another. What Caused the Problem With the School of Podcasting Website Last Week Just because you can add domain after domain after domain on your shared web host doesn't mean you should. It is OK to do this as long as you don't use up more than 25% of the server's resources. I had 18 add on domains, and I was taking up 87% of the server's resources and consequently, my media host emailed me that they were shutting me down, and before I could upgrade it was too late. Does this mean every podcaster should NOT use shared hosting? No. Shared hosting should be fine for 95% of the podcasting community. When you do see yourself getting close to exceeding your resources, don't wait to upgrade. In the end, I took a huge hit for two days as my websites were down. What did I save? $50-ish   Mentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyCan You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards

Today we talk about different successful people who took years to make it to the top. We also interview Nick Loper as he reflects on one year of podcasting and how its changed his business. We have an awesome Because of my podcast story that you will love about the yes music podcast. Go to schoolofpodcasting.com/418 for detailsMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyCan You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards

I've heard it over and over, I want to podcast - I'm just not sure what I'm going to talk about. I recently went through Ray Edwards Rapid Writing Method(a great value) and if you've listened to the show you know I'm a big Michael Hyatt fan and today I pull a page out of the Ray playbook and some insights from Michael Hyatt's New Media Expo presentation to help you pick a topic that works for you. If you have a comment you can chime in on the show by using the information on our contact page, or call 888-563-3228. If you're looking to start podcast join today. Because of My Podcast They Lost 300 Lbs [1:52] Today we get a second story from Cliff Ravenscraft (we interviewed him last week) and he shares how his podcast helped inspire someone to lose 300 lbs. How cool it that? Last 5 in 5 from J.D. Stutter Happy Camper Radio - Skip & Daniel - happycamperradio.com The Classic Tales - BJ Harrison - thebestaudiobooks.com Useless Information - Steve Silverman - uselessinformation.org 99% Invisible - Roman Mars - 99pi.org The Mic & Denny Show - Denny Brownlee - dennybrownlee.com Podcast Rewind [9:22] Dave Appeared on the Podcast Report Dave appears on the Audience Hacker Great Example of the Power of Podcasting on Podcast Junkies Picking Your Podcast Topic I'm using two things I've learned from two people I respect. Ray Edwards is a master copywriter, and Michael Hyatt is a king in content creation that connects. Choosing Your Topic - Idea Matrix What are things you like? What are some things you are good at? What are things other people say you are good at? What are things you hate? What Will Your Podcast Do? I am ________ . (what do you do?) I help _(target audience)_______ do or understand ________ so that __(how they benefit)_____ for me it might be: Dave Jackson I am a teacher I help intimidated adults overcome their fear of technology so they can impact a global audience in a positive way for both parties. If you would like more free content about this topic check out the show about making sure your podcast goals are aligned with your goals   Mentioned in the Show Porter's Podcast Action Coaching Airplane Geeks Oh Beep Food Craftsmen (Ryan Parker) She Podcasts Podcast JunkiesMentioned in this episode:2025 Audience SurveyCan You Do Me a Favor? Vote For Me!This only takes a minute, if you could go to www.podcastawards.com and vote for the School of Podcasting in the education category -it would mean the world to me. Podcast Awards