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

John Lee Dumas started his Entrepreneur on Fire podcast in June of 2012 (about a year ago). Fast forward and John now has a podcast that is in the top 5 of business podcasts in iTunes. He is making 18,000 a month, reaching HUNDRED of THOUSANDS of people each month in over 145 countries. He did it using the organizational tools and courage he learned in the Armed forces (he served 13 months in Iraq) and with passion that is infectious. He was consuming a large about of podcasts in the car, but he needed more content. What did he do? He filled his own void by creating the podcast he wanted to listen to. Your Podcasts Downloads Stats All In One Place - Stitcher News [3:00] Stitcher announced that they will "pinging" your media host. In a memo that was sent out they outlined the changes as follows: You should begin to see a change in your stats via your hosting provider dashboard when our iOS update is live in the App Store within the next few days. The magnitude of the change will vary based on the specific show but should be noticeable immediately via your hosting provider’s metrics dashboard. We are also updating the Stitcher Partner Portal to reflect this change. We will keep you posted on timing but anticipate seeing this new Download number included in you Stitcher metrics within the next few weeks. The old Downloads stat, which was measuring actual listens, will still be in the partner portal but relabeled “Listens” This means that we no longer have to login to (for example) Libsyn.com or Blubrry.com (two of the top media hosting companies) and then later also check into Stitcher. This will make is easier to quote numbers to potential sponsors. Congratulations Marcus Couch [7:21] If you are a regular listener of the School of Podcasting then you know Marcus Couch and I go way back to the early days of Podcasting with companies like Mevio, Juice Software, and iRiver recorders. Marcus is an SEO expert and a Wordpress Guru. He wanted to get more traction in the Wordpress World. His goal was to get on to the dashboard of every Wordpress user and this month he landed there. How? By doing what Marcus preaches - creating good content. He has his music show the Scene Zine, and recently became a co-host of Wordpress Plugins A to Z (one of my favorite podcasts). You an now read him on the official Wordpress Tavern blog. Congrats to Marcus. John Dumas of the Entrepreneur on Fire Podcast - Light Up the Sky! [9:02] John Dumas is the passionate podcaster behind the microphone on Entrepreneur On Fire. He is also the author of the Book Podcast Launch, and is now rolling out an inner circle mastermind group call Fire Nation Elite. In today's interview you will get inside the mind of John and see his commitment to his audience. You will see where his drive is to inspire his audience to take action. You will hear how he is building his audience through dedication, commitment, and a determination to build his audience (called "The Fire Nation") one person at a time. John shares what lessons he learned during his 13 months in IRAQ. "It's better to make a good decision now then make a great decision later." John spent $3,000 to hire a personal mentor (Jaime Tardy) and says if you don't have that much to invest in your podcast start up that you could check out master mind or online groups (I'm a big fan of some of the groups on Google+, LinkedIn). A One on one coach can be helpful because of the personalized approach. Mastermind groups (which you might find at meetup.com) may get you in contact with other people and become a networking opportunity. [23:55]Entrepreneur on Fire had 267,000 unique downloads in May of 2013 and June should go over 300,000. [25:25] My favorite part of the interview is when John goes to tell me some new news from Apple. He doesn't say, "This is something my audience doesn't even know yet." He doesn't say "This is something the fire nation isn't aware of." He says "I haven't even told fire nation," and to me it shows how John thinks of his audience as ONE person. John talks about the importance of having an "avatar" of your audience (picture your audience member), and then talk to that person. John asks the same questions to every guest on his show. This accomplishes two things. You know what's coming, and you never know what you're going to get (because each guest answers them differently). John has got some great guests like Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss on his show. How? He caught them when they had books available and were on publicity tours. [35:40]Industry Standard Podcast CPM Sponsors came to John when was seen in the top rankings of iTunes. According to John the industry standard is: $18 cpm (per thousand downloads) for a 15 second preroll at the beginning of your podcast. $25 cpm for a 60 second spot in the middle of your podcast. John in the second quarter of 2013 was getting 8,000 downloads per episode. This calculates to $300 per episode - per sponsor. John had two sponsors per show. This means he was making $600 per episode. John does 30 episodes a month, so he made $18,000 a month. His sponsors are signing up for the third quarter (which shows that podcast sponsorship works). John has his mastermind group that you can join at firenationelite.com John released a book Podcast Launch which is spreading his brand. John is using a Private Facebook group to manage his membership/mastermind group. John's Weekly Schedule Mondays - He had 8 straight interviews on every single Monday. He was up to midnight editing. Tuesday - Wide open. Wednesday - Wide open. Dinner with friends. Thursday - Interviews on other podcasts. Friday - Fire nation elite members. Saturday - Fire nation elite interviews before going to visit family Sunday - Splicing entrepreneur on fire interviews.  Mentioned On This Show Podtrac.com The Mid Roll Advertising Blubrry.com and Libsyn.com (get a free month at Libsyn using the cod e sopfree) Jim Collison Wordpress Plugins A to Z Stitcher App

In the last week I've been interviewed and conducted interviews. One of those podcasts was Entrepreneur on Fire  (iTunes)and the other was Urbanism Speakeasy (itunes)Podcast. In today's show I share tips and insights from both sides of the interview. Podcast Clip of the Week - Your Audience Is Excited When They Find Your Content [3:28] In episode 5 of the "My Digital Life with Rob Greenlee" podcast (website, iTunes), host Rob Greenlee (who has been on the show before), talks with Nicole Simon, Author, Social Media and Podcast Consultant at nicole-simon.eu from Berlin, Germany about the global aspects of podcasting. In the clip you hear how Nicole felt the first time she discovered podcasting. Member Spotlight - Cool People Podcast [5:23] If you're tired of hearing the same people being interviewed over and over, check out the Cool People Podcast hosted by Robert Chazz Chute. Rober has interviewed some "outside of the box" people. These include: a judge at a marijuana competition actors authors an erotica author who was a judge feminist porn they talk drugs in America, Middle East politics, if your a cool person you might like it. Check it out at coolpeoplepodcast.com (itunes). Tips for Doing a Podcast Interview - Being the Host [9:42] I was Entrepreneur on Fire podcast with John Lee Dumas. John does a DAILY podcast. That is a lot of work. These are all interviews. That is a TON of work. With this in mind, John needs to run an efficient ship, and when I was asked to be on his show I was really impressed with his work flow.  John invited me to be on his show two months in advance for a show that will air one month after it was recorded. By inviting people months in advance, you have a smaller chance of people being "booked." John's Invitation Was Straight and To the Point John's invitation was short, respectful, explained what his podcast was, explained why I was a good fit for the show. It also explained the "tone" of the show (it's all about inspirational stories). It provided statistics of his audience (about 225,000 downloads a month), and provided information to show John as a credible source. John also let me know how long the interview was, so John Sent Me a List of Some of the Questions that He Would be Using By sending me the questions ahead of time it let me be prepared so the interview had great content. It turns out these were not ALL the questions, but it gave me an idea of what type of content fits his podcast. I previously worried that providing the questions ahead of time would leave me with an over prepared guest who had memorized their answers. I have changed my mind. Provide some of the questions ahead of time. This leaves you room for an honest conversation later during the interview. After all, you don't want the interview to be ruined because you guest is somewhat slow on their feet. For some people this is a nerve wracking situation, and allowing them to be prepared is going to result in better content. Automate the Scheduling Process If you want to take some of the hassle of scheduling interviews, there are services that allow potential guests to pick the time that suits them best (again stress the time zone you are in so they know ahead of time). Some examples of these include: Vcita.com timetrade.com John uses meetme.so to automate his schedule (I use Vcita  (affiliate link)- which has a Wordpress Plugin). While you can send requests and such via Google Calendar, this tool really takes the headaches out of the scheduling piece. Send A Reminder If you're scheduling months in advance, there is that chance that your guest forgot to put it on their calendar. John's system automatically reminded me, and John sent a personal email making sure we are still on (very cool). IN that reminder, be sure to touch base on the time zone that you are using for the interview. Most scheduling systems have this automated. Times Zones Will Come Back To Haunt You When you are setting up the interview time, times zones can come back to haunt you. Be sure to let your guest know what time - and time zone - the interview will be . Provide Multiple Ways to Contact You In the future when I do Interviews I'm going to provide my phone number. This way if someone is going to be late they can tell me). If all they have is email, they may not be able to get to a computer to say "I'm going to be late" (not everyone has a smart phone). Ask the Guest For Clearance When you setup the interview, before you hit record establish anything the guest does NOT want to talk about. This avoids editing out segments later. Then either do it at the end of the interview (for a verbal version), or have some sort of form for them to sign that states you have the rights to use this content in any fashion you so choose. This will also be the time when you establish if your podcast is explicit or not (do people use "naughty" words). Edit With Your Audience In Mind As you can't see your guest (I turn off my video when recording to lesson the load on my computer), you may have a guest "over answer" your question. This is where they answer your question, but since there is a pause they provide additional information that is really not needed. Leave Giant Blanks if There is a Mistake If there is an "Edit point" where someone wants to do something over, pause for 10 seconds (it seems like forever) but this can GREATLY reduce your editing time as its OBVIOUS where the edit points are. Provide a Review Copy if Possible If possible, provide a copy of the interview before it goes live to your guest. It's not mandatory (unless they ask for one), but its a nice gesture. Have A Backup Recording Of the Interview I use PowerGrammo (PC) you can also use Call Recorder (Mac) to record Skype calls. I also have a backup of the recording by using a portable recorder. I plug an 1/8 to 1/8 cable from my headphones out of my computer into the line in on my portable recorder. I then plug my headphones into the portable recorder and when I press record I hear everything. There is nothing worse than having to call someone back and ask to do the interview again. Listen You are bringing someone on to your show because they have something you don't (why else would they be on your show). While it's a conversation, in the end your guest should do the majority of the talking. It's not always about you. Be Nice People have their own networks. Their may be other potential guests that your guest might know who would enjoy being interviewed. Mess up this interview, and they won't be singing your praises to anyone. Develop a Relationship Now that you've cracked the door and had a conversation with this person, be sure to check in and stay in touch. It never hurts to have a ton of friends. Tips For Being Interviewed on a Podcast [29:01] Know Their Audience - Sample Their Podcast Everything you do should be done with the audience in mind. If you are not familiar with the podcast, go listen to a few episodes to understand the tone of the podcast. Make it Easy To Contact You I didn't mention this one in the show, but make sure your contact information is on your website. Make sure you are checking any email that you are providing as a contact source. Touch Base Before the Interview If you haven't received a reminder from the host, be sure to touch base with them before the interview (a week, or a day before) and make sure everyone is on the same page. Be Prepared - But Not Over Prepared Yes you want to sound good, professional, and intelligent. However, if you memorize your answers it will be obvious. You may sound like a robot. Think about the audience you are speaking to, and what information will resonate with them. You may want to practice your answers to make sure they come out of your mouth smoothly (again, NOT memorizing, just practicing) Help Promote Your Appearance If someone has put you in front of their audience the leas you can do is mention it to your audience. This can be a blog post, a mention in a podcast, twitter, Facebook, or all of the above. If You Have To Cancel - Cancel Quickly If life happens, be sure to let your host know immediately that you can't make the interview. This gives them the maximum amount of time to find a guest for your time slot. Be Nice People have their own networks. Their may be other podcasts that the host might know who would enjoy having you on their show. Mess up this interview, and they won't be singing your praises to anyone.   Mentioned On this Show Average Guy Podcast Network Podcast Roundtable Episode 14 Podcasting in a Niche Entrepreneur on Fire  Urbanism Speakeasy  

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

Today we have some great podcast success stories. If you are looking to start a podcast, click the join now button and join the School of Podcasting - you're audience awaits. Because of My Podcast I Had No Problem Getting a Book Deal [3:30] In our podcast success story we hear from heather of the Craft Lit podcast. She combines niches of knitting with literature. She later "spun off" a "just books" option for those who loved the literature but weren't too keen on the knitting part. As a teacher, Heather loved the ability to enhance people's understanding of literature and help create a community that was talking about great books. Later she took the relationship she created with her audience and offered premium content for those looking for more literature information. She also easily found a publisher for her book What Would Madame Defarge Knit? This is a great story of embracing a niche, listening to your audience, and moving them with your content. In her case she is helping people understand the books, giving insights, facilitating discussions, and enhancing the overall consumption of literature. You can find her at: CraftLit.com - Just the Books • Knitting Blog: MamaOKnits.com• What Would Madame Defarge Knit? Books 1&2 Available now: WWMDfK.com Harnessing the Power of Influence with Award Winning Podcaster Daniel J. Lewis [20:15] Today we hear part one of my interview with Daniel J. Lewis of the Audacity to podcast. In today's interview you will learn where Daniel grew up, and how his early hobbies turned into his day job. Daniel is a very talented designer and does web design, as well as presentation designs. Daniel decided to start podcasting after he realized that he had something to say. The podcasters he was listening to were using skype and other tools that Daniel had worked with, and he thought, "I could do that." He started out by writing out the entire podcast, but quit doing that after the first 9 episode as it just took forever to produce a show. He still does the Ramen Noodle Clean Comedy Podcast, the Audacity to Podcast and the Once Podcast. You can find them all at www.noodle.mx He recently released his first wordpress plugin that makes it super easy to add icons for sharing and subscribing to your podcast. You can find it at subscribeandshare.com Winning a Podcast AwardIn the interview Daniel explains the steps he took to rally his audience into nominating (and eventually wining) a podcast award in the "Technology" category. By directing his audience through specific steps, Daniel was able to sharpen their effectiveness and maximize their potential. Daniel did this via video that showed them exactly what to do, and reminded them regularly to help out and vote. He then promoted across all of the podcasts. His Ramen Noodle podcast was the ONLY clean podcast in the category. By doing this he avoided being disqualified by being nominated in too many categories. Through his networking efforts he was able to have other podcasters tell their audience to vote for Daniel. Connecting With Your Audience Daniels says to be in those network where it makes sense. If you can be on a site like facebook or twitter and be able to engage your audience on that platform then be there. If you can't do it well, don't do it. Different audiences will engage in different ways. Delivering Great Content Daniel purposely makes an effort to NOT turn his podcast into a giant commercial for his services. Subscribe and Follow Podcast [44:47]Daniel explains what inspired him to build his first plugin as well as all the features of the subscribe and share wordpress plugin. Mentioned in this Episode Nick Seuberling of Start Talking and Recording Today CraftLit.com - Just the Books Knitting Blog: MamaOKnits.com What Would Madame Defarge Knit? Books 1&2 Available now: WWMDfK.com subscribe and share wordpress plugin Ramen Noodle Clean Comedy Audacity to Podcast Once Podcast

In today's show we hear about some of the subtle items Americans (or other people) can do that may not translate well in other countries. I share with you the insane number of countries that consume this podcast. It is amazing to think that I'm in a room near Cleveland, Ohio and I'm reaching hundreds of people in China, Canada, Germany, and many, many, many other countries. Pinterest Podcaster Lands Television Spot [2:00] Cynthia Sanchez of the Oh So Pinteresting Podcast has been podcasting for a little over a year, and was recently asked to appear on local television to (see the clip). This is another example of podcasting helping someone be seen as an expert. New Subscribe and Follow Plugin [4:10] My friend Daniel J. Lewis of the Audacity to Podcast has authored a plugin that makes sharing and subscribing to your podcast super easy. You can easily go in and input the links to sites like iTunes, stitcher, miro, and more then customize your colors, and if you want to feature one network over another you can do that as well (for example make the iTunes button bigger than the others). Best of all these will look great at any resolution. Check it out at subscribeandfollow.com Through the end of may Daniel has it on sale for $27 ($10 off the regular price) so hurry. I cam currently using it on my Weekly Web Toolssite and will be using it on this site shortly... How Podcasting Can Boost Your Business [6:30] I appear on the Photo Biz Expose Podcast talking about how podcasting can boost your wedding or portrait photography business. Listen to it here. Special thanks to Andrew for having me on the show. Reach a Global Audience with Podcasting [7:23] Today I bring an interview that was conducted on the floor of the New Media Expo last year. I interview Karin Høgh of podconsult.dk She mentions that we need to remember that there are holidays, products, etc that don't always "translate" well to a global audience. For example, while you can make $15 for every new audible subscriber on your podcast (details here), Audible is a very "American/Canadian" type of offer. She also mentions the Yender Law which is an unwritten law that promotes everyone being equal. Think of it as an "Un-ego" law, and that we should think twice before touting our accomplishments, or openly "selling" a product. In looking at my stats, 85% of my audience is from the US, with the second option being "other" at 7% followed by China at 4% and Canada at 2.5%. It is interesting as I look at my Libsyn.com stats that there are very few counties on the planet (Iceland being one) that I do not get at least 1 download (get a free month at libsyn.com using the coupon code sopfree). The reach of podcasting is amazing. Clip of the Week [19:13] This weeks clip of the week is from the New Media Show featuring Paul Colligan. Paul mentions how his young daughter was a little confused when her Dad said, "I guess we'll have to listen to the radio." He response? "What's that?" Using More Than One Blue Snowball Microphone A listener asked, "Can I use more than one Blue Snowball Microphone?" and the quick answer is "No." At least not easily. Blue snowball microphones are USB ONLY, and do not work with standard mixers. They are also condensor microphones which means they pick up more room noise. A better choice is the Audio Technica 2100 microphone. It is USB (so you get the plug and play) and it also works with mixers (XLR jack), and it sounds great and is only (as of May 2013) $34. Check it out at Amazon.com A Historical Look at the School of Podcasting [28:30] May 2006 Reading Feedburner stats May 2007 Losing your free voicemail number, your podcast name, and making podcast flyers, and pacing yourself. May 2008 Time shifted Interviews May 2009 Is your site accessible to those who blind? Taking Your Podcast Portable. May 2010 Review of the Go Mic from Sampson, You Can't Please Everyone May 2011 Podcamp Beginner Questions, Why You should NOT host your media on your website, putting a sock on it, and the bad side of podcasting. May 2012Feedburner, Flattr, Podcast Promotion the Biblical Way, The Best Time to Live Podcast, and Membership Sites. This Show's Length [33:00] I've been thinking (since the last New Media Expo) about doing two shorter shows a week instead of one long show with multiple topics. I wanted to get your opinion. [polldaddy poll=7114138] New Group Podcast Coaching Coming I will be launching live podcast classes that will meet for a few weeks where you will be attending live (and if you can't you'll receive the recording) and we will go through the entire podcasting process. In just a few short weeks, you will be podcasting. To find out more, go to howtopodcasting.com Podcast 411 Backblaze online backup tool Fix My Podcast Podcast (podfaded after a month) ElectroVoice RE320 Microphone

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode

A brief summary of this episode