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

How do you generate lots of traffic, and get people talking about you? You state in a conference from a podium that “Podcasting is Dead,” or you make a blog post that “Podcasting is Over” etc. Then all the podcasters get bent out of shape (and I count myself in that category) and we all stand up and say “NO IT's NOT.” So here I am saying “No it's not.” The interesting thing is Leo Laporte stated he was getting $70 CPM on this week in tech. Hello? Can you show a better example of how valuable podcasting is in selling to a niche? Radio is getting $15 – $40 cpm. -

Should I Start a Podcast? Some people wonder, “Should I start a podcast?” and they wonder if they have the material. I am always amazed at the number of people who give away a free newsletter, but don’t turn that exact same material, record it as audio, and turn it into a podcast? As most of you know I recently got married and have three wonderful step-children. As I have never had children before I decided to read up on the subject and was advised to read “The Successful Stepfamily” by Ron Deal. So far I am very impressed with the book, and may actually lead a study of the subject at my church next year. I went to his website at successfulstepfamily.com and was surprised that while Ron had books, he was a speaker at conferences, he offered personal coaching, he did not have a podcast. Was it that he didn’t need the publicity? I typed “Stepfamily resources” into Google and did not find him on the first, second, or third page (so I stopped looking). While podcasting will not boost your Google rankings, it will boost your exposure to people who may link to your website which may boost your Google ranking. I contacted his company, and after some thought they decided not to go in that direction. What a shame they have great content. If you have a newsletter, and you have content that is worth people reading, that should be a podast. All you do is read the newsletter into a microphone (be sure to add some inflection so it doesn’t sound like you’re reading), write a quick blog post, upload and attach the audio to the post. Yes, it’s that easy. How much does it cost to start a Podcast? Most of my recommendations at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/equipment but if it’s just you recording its going to cost around $250. If you’re on a tight budget, about $125 to start, and an ongoing fee of $5-12 a month.  Meanwhile a membership at aweber.com (a popular email client) is about $200 a year. Why people think e-mail is better? The nice thing about email is you can get your reader one click away from buying your product (if your email promotes a product). The bad news about email is people get so much email. I can’t remember the last time I purchased something from an email. Don’t get me wrong, email is still the top way to communicate for a business. I just know more and more I’m going to my inbox, highlighting a number of emails, and pressing delete (before I even read them). But that’s just me.  In terms of getting your potential customer 1 click away, email does that splendidly. Give Your Content in the Format That People Want Movies are delivered on the big screen, then movies on TV, then VHS, DVD, now blue-ray and movies available for download. Why? Because good content is good content, but some people want to see it on a big screen, some people want to watch it at home; some people want to watch it on the go, etc. So instead of forcing your potential customers into a channel they don’t want, why not give the content in a format they will enjoy. What podcasting has over e-mail The first podcast I created was and is  for Musicians. Before it was a podcast it was a newsletter delivered via email. At one point that newsletter had about 1200 subscribers. I turned it into a podcast and it has around 800 downloads per episode (some higher some lower). However, as a newsletter only I think I sold about 2 copies of my book in a year. As a podcast I sell about 1 a month. Why? Because it has a tone of voice, and has made me more human. The podcast has enabled me to build a relationship with my listeners. If I travel I know of different cities where I have open invitations to stay at people’s houses, get tours of cities, etc as these listeners are more friends than potential customers. Am I going to retire on my 1 sale a month? Absolutely not, but I don’t do the podcast to sell books, I do it because I love the subject (and make more money via sponsorship of the podcast). However, don’t over look the fact that marketing via podcasting is more effective (from my chair). The Best of Both Worlds The good news is you can do both. You can use free services such as feedburner, and have people that sign up for your email list be notifed when you do a new post (with or without a podcast). Now you have your product one click away, and they have the ability to listen (or watch) you talk about the topic. The Bottom Line Podcasting allows you to reach a global audience that wants to listen/watch (not read) content. If you have content already (articles, newsletters, etc) that you give away for free you can distribute that for next to nothing and build a relationship with your readers. If I was Ron Deal I would promote my email list in your podcast (along with your speaking engagements, and how the new book was coming), and in the email newsletter I would promote the podcast. You can always offer exclusive content that is only available in that format to get them to sign up for both. Spoof Testimonial Thanks for Chris from www.fillupuripod.com for taking the voice over I sent him and turning it into a “spoof” testimonial. Hillarious.

Here are my likes and dislikes of 2008 In 2008 I was glad to see the enhancements of great tools for podcasters. Wizzard put out their new player, and Paul Colligan and crew continue to add more features to premiumcast. I like the fact that in 2008 whenever I spoke to a group and ask "Who has ever heard of podcasting" almost all hands were raised, and almost as many when I would ask "How many have actually listened to a podcast?" That trend is continuing. I disliked that in 2008 my audience didn't seem to grow as fast as it did in 2007. It was a slower, gradually climb as apposed to 2007 which had more spikes. On the other hand I'm doing less to promote my shows. In 2008 Podshow changed their name to Mevio, and changed their payment plan to me. I can't discuss the details, but as I'm listing it as a dislike you can figure out how it affectd me financially. What I do like about Mevio is they have given me the potential to earn more money using their sponsors and my own in the future and I now own 100% of my show. So there is a mixed bag that will hopefully blossom. In 2008 I am sad to see and hear podcasters selling out for much less than they are worth. In many cases an advertisement will be in your show for life. I had one company offer to pay me 7 dollars for a link on my site. A link that had to be permanent, and more insane things that totally devalued my listeners and visitors to my website. While I have made decent money using affiliate marketing and podcasting, I am bummed that so many people want to use the CPM method which only works if you have mammoth audiences. Which leads to me one of my biggest disappointments In April I was told that Podango was working on fixing their show builder lite software that helps you create your podcast on the fly. Then if you get a new sponsor, the new sponsor is inserted into the back catalog. This is HUGE for people trying to sell advertising . While their system is easy, and if you have the time to republish all your old shows  - it work, but I'm frustrated that their system (which from what I understand was much more fragile than expected when they purchased it from Gigavox). I'm even more frustrated that no company has developed a competitor for the podcaster with a few hundred listeners, and would love to have a dynamic version of their podcast. I like that the uber-hype of podcasting has crescendo'ed to a bit and people are realizating that in the same way that VCR's didn't kill the movie business, Podcasting is not killing radio. People are starting to understand that Podcasting is a phenomenal channel (just like email, fax, and print) to get your message out to the world. It also is probably one of the most effective and cheapest. I disliked that when the economy took a hit that I had members of the School of Podcasting left. However, I did like that in the midst of the panic, more companies hired me as a podcast consultant to just "do it for them." While I don't own an iPhone, I am very happy people can download a podcast without even being near a computer. This is HUGE. My biggest dislike was having three websites hacked, and one gmail account hacked (that for the record I've know been without for 14 days) My biggest like was emailing, communicating, tweeting, with great people like you, and the members of the School of Podcasting. I recently updated all of our wordpres tutorials to show version 2.7 and in the process streamlined much of the learning curve at the School of Podcasting. If you've been thinking of signing up, now would be a great time. Don't forget about that coupon code SANTA to save 25% now through the end of the year. There will be no extension. I want to thank each and everyone of you for listening, and contributing over this year. I would deeply appreciate your feedback at dave "at" schoolofpodcasitng.com or call in your comments at 888-563-3228 or go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact for the many other ways of chiming in with the podcast. I would love to hear your thoughts on 2008. Comment out at the blog, and let me know. Speaking of that, I will be taking next week off and I will be switching my feed from one website to another. Now the good news is 99% of you have subscribed to my feedburner feed and shouldn't notice any change. All I'm doing is switching the original RSS feed (which came from Libsyn) and substituting my RSS feed from the School of Podcasting. I've migrated all of my old posts and when you go to shownotes.schoolofpodcasting.com you will now go to the School of Podcasting instead of the old Libsyn site. In doing this I've already seen an increase in traffic to my site. Hopefully it won't cause any issues with you my loyal subscribers. Thanks to all. Have a safe and happy Chrsitmas season, and have a blessed new year. Please start living a life worth podcasting about, and until 2009 - class dismissed. 

This show originated from www.schoolofpodcasting.com where you can save 25% off using the coupon code "SANTA" now through the end of the year. My Gmail Account Was Hijacked.I was very surprised when I couldn't login to my gmail account that I've had for two+ years. Confused, I went through the hassle of having my password sent to me. The problem was when I went through this step it sent my password to an email address that wasn't mine. Huh? That's right I had lost control of my gmail account. Now when I go through the procedures to have my account returned, I get this message from Google, "Thank you for your report. For account security, we limit the number of requests that can be processed about the same account. Please wait a few days and try filling out the form again. " I loved the Gmail service, but sometimes you get what you pay for. Thanks google can you be a little more vague? In the meantime I've set up a new email (connected to my website) and a feature where people can upload audio comments.  See it all at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contactWordpress TipIf you have a large archive, go into your widget and have it displayed as a drop down menu. This tip came from Dave Moyer of the Wordcast Podcast at www.wordcastpodcast.comNew Listener Surveyhttp://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey

This show originates from www.schoolofpodcasting.com This is show number 146Today I play with my new DBX 286A compressor/deesser/enahncer/noise gate that I bought from www.schoolofpodcasting.com/bsw I really like it (its around 200, I got it for $150).Previously I was using a Behringer Composer Pro XL which I got for $99I typically by my gear from Same Day Music as there is often free shipping, and (unless in New Jersey) no tax. If I can't find the product there I go to BSW When playing with new gear don't be afraid to twist knobs and see what sounds better. Likewise don't always judge what you hear live, but listen back through your stereo (so you can pay attention to listening only and not talking). I'm really happy with the unit except its mono, and there is no on/off switch (no big deal). LAST 5 IN 5 From Dan Lewis at http://www.theramennoodle.com/ and www.djoseophdesign.com 1. Podcast Answer Man - www.podcastanswerman.com2. Sci Fi Show www.scifishow.com 3. Woot www.woot.com 4. The Onion Radio News Network - http://www.theonion.com/content/radionews5. Journey Inside my Mind - http://jimmpodcast.blogspot.com/If you are ready to start your own podcast, come and visit us at www.schoolofpodcasting.com

Today I dip my toe into the Video Podcasting pool. I was lucky enough to secure one of the new Flip Video Cameras. This camera takes great video no matter what lighting you put it in (if you have extreme back lighting it may be a little dark, but let's be realistic..). I took video at dusk and it looked much brighter than it actually was in real life. The great thing is you can take up to 60 minutes of video. It has a rewing and fast forward on the camera for reviewing the video. You can easily delete video that you don't want to keep. It also has a built in 2X zoom. It runs on a rechargable battery that gets charged when you plug the camera into your USB port. The USB interface pops out when you flip a switch. It also has the ability to be put on a tripod. The microphone pics up audio great from the front, and while it's not as clear from the back its still easily understood if you are commenting from behind the camera while shooting video. If I had used my old camera I would record to super 8, then have to transfer the video to my computer. So if I shot 60 minutes of video it would take (roughly) 60 minutes of time to transfer to my computer. With the Flip camera, I plug the camera into my computer, and I can drag and drop the files into my favorite editing program. This took about 3 minutes instead of 60 with my old camera.  If you don't have editing software, there are some basic video editing software that comes with the camera that allows you to pick where the video starts and stops as well as you can put background music to the video. It also has some features that make uploading video to you tube uber easy. So what would I change? I like that you can plug it into a video source (like a TV) to watch the video. I do wish I could plug it in and use the TV as a monitor. You can't do this. When you record, the video is only display on the display on the back of the camera. The other thing I would change is to put a retractable lens cover. The camera comes with a "nifty" puch to carry the camera, but I would rather have a lense cover. My last thing (and this is kind of outside the scope of the product) would be to have the ability to use it as a web cam. That's not really a fair criticism. It's more of a "add to the dream list." It retails for around $139. For me, if you're looking to get into video podcasting, and you want to be mobile, you're looking to do something fast and quick, it's a no brainer. I know I will be doing all sorts of "Dave around town" types of videos. If you're are going to want to mix in music, or plug a microphone directly into it, then you will need to look for another camera, and hit a bank machine, on the way to Best Buy. Check it the Flip Mino Video Camera at Amazon.com

Paul Colligan has a great post about building a podcast audience. So many people "If I build it they will come." Not so. Get ready for relentless marketing. Today I talk about www.prweb.com and other ways to build that audience. It amounts to this: 1. Find out who your audience is (put a form on your website). 2. Find out where they go, read, eat, sleep, shop, etc 3. Go there and tell them about it. HOW ARE YOU PROMOTING YOUR PODCAST? Ready to jump in the Podcast Pool? Check out www.schoolofpodcasting.com and start podcasting today. We have step by step tutorials, live help, and great resources.

This show originates at www.schoolofpodcasting.com This is show 143.I read about this on Leesa Barnes' blog how Terry Fallis won 10,000. He previously couldn't get an agent (which he now has). Congrats Terry. I mentioned today that Todd Cochrane had said a typical podcast episode is "done" after 72 hours. I miss spoke, while this is true in most  cases it is not in all cases (especially if you material is not timed based). But if your podcast is (for example) news related, people may not want to listen to 6 month old news stories. You can hear Todd's presentation at Podcamp by going to  http://www.coefficientmedia.com/podcampohio/ Thanks to George from www.oneminutehowto.com for reminding me of this point. The CEO of Wizzard Media is predicting 1.5 - 1.8 billion downloads, and double to four times the ad spending of the past year for 2008. (source: podcastnews.com )How Do You Record a Skype Interview?In the past I've said "get it off your computer" and use a portable recorder. This still  is the safest way. However, I've been using voiceemotion.com and many people at the School of Podcasting are using Power Gramo which you can download for a free trial. The nice thing about Power Gramo Professional is it splits the interviewer and interviewee into separate channels (which makes editing the interview easier). I then use Skype (using Skype Out) to call people's phones. It's better if they have a skype account, but not 100% mecessary Skype is Not Always an OptionIn some areas there is no cable modem connection to the Internet. What do you do in that case is get some sort of "JK Audio" product. You can find these at BSW. These can be expensive. For microphones and such I like samedaymusic.com as they do not charge tax (unless you are in NJ). Podcasting Time Saving TipOne of the most time consuming parts of podcasting is organizing and posting your show notes. Did you know that you can put your show notes in Wordpress (or Libsyn.com) and save them without publishing them to the public. Then when the show is finished, you can take out any part of your notes that don't fit, and BOOM! instant show notes. The key to this is to NOT click the publish button, but to click the SAVE button. Then when you are rady (and your audio/video is link to the post) click the publish button.

I went to Podcamp Ohio. It was great. WE RAN OUT OF ROOM. My hat is off to Angelo and everyone involved with organizing the event. It was so smooth, and they handled everything (what a great problem to have - not enough room!). Todd Cochrane had a great presentation about getting sponsors. HE also stated that typically a podcast episode sees traffic for 72 hours and then it dies off drastically. I was not really use to the "group talk" style of some of the presentations (and it leaves room open for assertive people to take over the conversation).I will definitely be going to more podcamps when my schedule permits. I sat in on a webinar from Paul Colligan. They have added a feature of making membership site at www.premiumcast.com and after watching his presentation I was able to set up a membership site in about 5 minutes. The great thing is some membership scripts allow you to make a "roped off" area, and others allow you to create premium RSS feeds, and premium cast allows you to do either or both. Check it out at premiumcast.com

Today I've got a BAD cold, and my throat is killing me. I share some stats from the latest report on Podcast consumers. Podcast Listening is up 5 % both video and Audio30% of regular Internet Users have downloaded a podcastVideo is catching audio podcasts with a 1 % lead going to Audio What is the age of the podcast listener?53% Male 47% female25 to 34 (21%) 35-44 (21%), 45 to 54 (20%) 12 to 17 (15%) 18 to 24 (13%) 55+ (10%) Last 5 in 5 from Dan at www.jimmpodcast.com School of Podcasting's Morning Announcements (this podcast)Marketing Over Coffee ( http://www.marketingovercoffee.com/ )Eds Mixed Bag (www.edsmixedbag.com )Media Bullseye (www.mediabullseye.com )Six Pixels of Separatation (http://www.twistimage.com/blog/ )