Podcasts about podcastification

This episode we talk Dahmer, OJ, and the podcast that we owe our very medium to - Serial. Not only is true crime everywhere right now, but it's starting to impact active cases and change the way we think about crime and punishment. So why on earth do we love using it as a way to relax??? And is it ever ethical to produce true crime content? CW: discussion of violence, abuse Recommended Reading: Bloody History of the True Crime Genre Serial is My Favorite Murder Captured by True Crime Why do we love true crime - and is it healthy for us? The Bloody Bubble The Rise of True Crime Music Credit: https://uppbeat.io/t/cruen/the-lowdown License code: PPH9FBEMASHOI7PB https://uppbeat.io/t/cruen/in-the-now License code: 5WQG1LQRLH7QMYPC NB: All opinions are our own and this podcast is for humorous and fun analytical discourse only! This episode was recorded on 2/10/22. Since then, there has been an update in the Adnan Syed charges: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-12/charges-dropped-against-serials-adnan-syed/101525454

For https://podnews.net/update/consistent-episode-notes (the first time ever), podcast show notes display almost the SAME in all podcasting apps (thanks Apple). That brings up the question... what ARE show notes anyway? And how can I best use them? On this episode of Podcastification, I'm going to explain what show notes are, what they should contain, and how to create and use them in the MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS. Keep reading. What ARE show notes?There are differing opinions or definitions out there for the term "show notes." Some people feel like it's a blog post length summary of a podcast episode, or maybe even a transcript of the audio. Others feel the term should refer mainly to the brief description of an episode you might find in a podcast app. Which is it? From my perspective as the Founder of a company that creates show notes for podcasting clients, it's both. Let me explain... Kill two birds with one stoneTo make the most of every episode of your podcast, you really NEED BOTH the longer blog post content that goes on your website, AND the shorter, abbreviated content that pulls into the podcast apps from your media host. Instead of creating a separate document or post for those two things, I suggest you create one MASTER post that you can use in a variety of ways to fulfill both needs... and social media elements while you're at it. But before we get to that, there's one last thing I want to say... Your listeners won't know what you've created for them if you don't guide them to itYou may follow the steps I'm about to give you and create the best show notes on the planet or within your industry or niche. But if your audience doesn't know they are available, they won't use them. It's YOUR job to ensure they know about the resources you create. I suggest you figure out a way to remind yourself to TELL your audience about your show notes EVERY TIME you record a new episode. Develop a bullet-point list you use when you record that reminds you of all the important stuff you need to say Add references to your show notes to that list WHERE DO YOU INCLUDE IT? Make the mention of your show notes a standard part of your call to action at the end of each episode. When guests share a resource, comment that you'll include it in the show notes or description. Your listeners will become aware of your show notes and become accustomed to looking at them when they need a resource... in time. Just be consistent. MAKE FINDING THE NOTES EASY FOR YOUR LISTENERSThe last stats I saw (early 2021) said that 85% of podcast listeners are listening on a mobile device. So think about that from a show notes perspective... If you're saying, "Check out the website for the show notes to this episode," you're making it HARD for your listeners to find them. Even if you refer to a specific short-link, you're still forcing them to open a web browser and find the show notes. HERE'S A BETTER IDEA... Since you know that the majority of your listeners are listening to your show on a mobile device, then point them to the description on their mobile device. I often say something like this... "That resource can be found in the description for this episode, and you can find that in the listening app you're using to listen right now. Swipe right, left, up, down... something and the description section will be there." Your show notes master documentFirst off, create a Google Doc that you can use as a template for your show notes. That way you don't have to recreate the structure every time you produce a new episode. You'll simply copy the template document, rename it, and away you go. What should your template include? I'm going to give you my suggestions... and I'm going to do so in a specific order, for a specific reason. It will make your creation easier to repurpose and reuse. Basic intro paragraph(s) Picture this intro paragraph section this way... A new potential listener finds your show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Your...

Scott Voelker produces an Amazon FBA Podcast — and for many of you, that statement was total jibberish. That’s because Scott has discovered that driving deep into a niche topic enables him to attract a very niche and passionate audience. So, just so you have some context… The FBA part of what I said stands for “Fulfilled by Amazon,” it’s a way of selling products you create or source and have Amazon ship them, handle customer service, handle the processing - everything. It’s an AMAZING possibility for those who want to build their own product-based business. But it’s NOT easy, as Scott explains. You’ll hear his story, learn about how he learned online marketing and creative digital product creation, retail arbitrage, Amazon FBA, and serving others to help them succeed. You’ll benefit from listening to this episode if you... Are willing to take action to move forward… no matter where you’re starting from [0:52]  Love stories of people who’ve paid their dues to reach success [4:36] Wonder if you can succeed without a college degree [10:48] Are in a situation that feels hopeless or “dead end” [15:35] Have always wanted to start and run your own business [17:30] Are curious about selling Private Label products [30:40] Want to learn how to make your own luck and build an audience [37:10] Would like to know the benefits of creating your own  podcast [41:20] Are interested in discovering what you have to offer an audience [43:20] GET NOTIFICATIONS OF NEW EPISODES OF... Podcastification (this show) Scott’s podcast: The Amazing Seller 5 Minute Pitch (Scott’s podcast partnership project) CONNECT WITH: Carey and the Podcast Fast Track Team: https://PodcastFastTrack.com  Scott: https://TheAmazingSeller.com  Read the FULL show notes, including resources mentioned on this episode at https://PodcastFastTrack.com/133 Music used in this episode: "Shaving Mirror" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ "Rock Your World" from https://Audionautix.com (Jason Shaw)

Hey Adventure Crew!!! We are back with a brand new episode!!!! Tune in as the good brother Wade iLLson goes on a solo adventure where he covers a lot of DC Comics news, Birds Of Prey , NXT Takeover , & our first look at Robert Pattinson's The Batman & so much more!! Rate, review, & subscribe! Always remember we love y'all & we will be back with a brand new episode next week & don't forget to #MakeItPOP ! Follow us on social media: Facebook: BigHec & Wade Adventures Twitter:@BigHecWadeAdv Instagram: @BigHecWadeAdventures Follow the FourthWall Pop! Network on social media: Facebook: 4thWallCast Twitter:@FourthWallPOP Instagram: @4thWallCast Follow @klever_art on Instagram! And go check out brickhousepower.com use code: BigHecWade10 for a special discount! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/fourthwallpop/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fourthwallpop/support

Hey Adventure Crew!!! We are back with a brand new episode!!!! Tune in as the good brother Wade iLLson goes on a solo adventure where he covers a lot of DC Comics news, Birds Of Prey , NXT Takeover , & our first look at Robert Pattinson's The Batman & so much more!! Rate, review, & subscribe! Always remember we love y'all & we will be back with a brand new episode next week & don't forget to #MakeItPOP ! Follow us on social media: Facebook: BigHec & Wade Adventures Twitter:@BigHecWadeAdv Instagram: @BigHecWadeAdventures Follow the FourthWall Pop! Network on social media: Facebook: 4thWallCast Twitter:@FourthWallPOP Instagram: @4thWallCast Follow @klever_art on Instagram! And go check out brickhousepower.com use code: BigHecWade10 for a special discount! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bighecwade/support

Full show notes: https://PodcastFastTrack.com/128  I have no crystal ball - but I work with enough podcasters week in and week out to know something about the future of podcasting. I’m a smart enough guy to see the writing on the wall, so to speak - and I want you to be in the know about what I see coming. This episode of Podcastification is a quick explanation of the near horizon of podcasting. I’m going to take back a bit to understand how podcasting has changed, then look at what’s happening around us right now (it has to do with big dollars entering the podcast-o-sphere) - and why that matters for us as Indie podcasters.  I wrap up giving you TWO big things to think about and take action around in order to ensure that the future of podcasting has a place for you. What you’ll hear on this episode [1:20] Why I am qualified to talk about the future of podcasting [2:04] A brief summary of the history of podcasting (and why it matters) [4:26] Big dollar organizations make the competition we face much harder [11:02] Why there will always be a market for niche podcasts [12:30] Why fans matter more than subscribers and growth of downloads [14:34] STEP ONE: What does your audience consider valuable? [19:23] STEP TWO: Reconsider your METHOD of podcast production [20:50] The practical ways you can find out what your audience thinks is valuable [21:20] Practical ways you can amp up your podcast production and format Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com  

https://podcastfasttrack.com 

https://PodcastFastTrack.com 

You hear the term “monetization” all the time in reference to podcasting - and the translation is usually “get a podcast sponsorship.” That’s a great option for shows that get thousands of downloads, right? But what about the little guys? What about those of us who have a very passionate but smaller audience? Is there a possibility that we could find an ideal sponsor for OUR show? Trevr Smithlin from Advertisecast says “Yes, it’s possible” and on this episode of Podcastification he’s going to explain exactly how it’s possible.   [1:25] Podcast monetization doesn’t work like most people think [2:33] How Trevr got the idea that he could create a company to help podcasters [4:46] Why advertising fits for almost everyone who podcasts [6:46] How can a niche based podcast even hope to get a podcast sponsorship? [8:50] The honest truth about how many downloads you need to land a sponsor [12:03] Super niche shows can demand higher sponsorship fees [17:19] How advertisers can use the do-it-yourself marketplace [19:34] Many sponsors provide samples or trials for podcasters before they endorse [20:42] How to get your podcast listed for advertisers to consider sponsoring you [23:10] Calculating possible revenue at a $25 CPM on the first 30 days [29:06] If you are curious about Advertisecast, try it out - and you can be picky! Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter >

Podcast Success is not accidental. It happens through deliberate strategy and dedicated hard work. Danny “Sunshine” Bauer is a former educator and administrator turned life and leadership coach. His podcast is downloaded more than 95% of all podcasts and he enjoys helping individuals launch and grow podcasts in a “sweat” environment. He is the founder of Better Leaders Better Schools and facilitates weekly Masterminds with school leaders from around the globe. A teacher at heart, he also coaches small business owners in running profitable ventures clearly aligned to vision, mission, and values. On this episode of Podcastification, Danny and I chat about the success he’s experienced with his podcast and how YOU can work toward the same kind of results he has experienced. [1:12] Amazing success for Danny’s education focused podcast [5:45] The tactics Danny followed to launch his podcast effectively [8:05] Relational skills aid in the promotion of any podcast, no matter the niche [10:00] How a mastermind played a part in Danny’s podcast success [20:23] What is the best way to find your specific audience? [23:36] The power of providing free stuff that adds tremendous value to users [26:42] Getting past the “hard work” hurdle (none of this is easy) [30:11] How to decide what to work on that will provide tremendous value [34:06] How Danny delivers his free resources (the tech behind it) Featured On This Episode www.BetterLeadersBetterSchools.com - Danny’s site and podcast Danny Sunshine Bauer’s Business Coaching: 4 Steps to Business Freedom Get your free session: Your Vision Story (AND DID I SAY IT’S FREE?) Resources BOOK: The Miracle Morning BOOK: Option B Switchfoot song: The Shadow Proves the Sunshine Podcaster’s Paradise Brene Brown Gary Vaynerchuk BOOK: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook Aaron Walker BOOK: The Enemies of Excellence BOOK: The Power of Moments BOOK: Profit First Jim Rohn Ramit Sethi Seth Godin Quora Pat Flynn - Smart Passive Income Leadpages and LeadDigits ConvertKIt

Welcome back to Podcastification - on this episode I’m walking you through the step by step details of what I do to carry out MY successful podcast production workflow every single week. It doesn’t matter if you publish episodes every week, every other week, or once a month - organizationally you’ve GOT to have an effective podcast workflow to ensure two things: Quality AND Consistency What I demonstrate and describe on this episode is not the ONLY way to do this - but it’s the best way I’ve found after 5 years of podcasting. And if you scroll down, you’ll also notice that I ALSO recorded this one as a video - with the workflow mapped out on my whiteboard. The visuals help on this one - honest. If there’s one thing you get out of this episode, this is what I hope it is: Process leads to Success! [1:18] The vital importance of having a well-considered podcast workflow: consistency & quality [3:12] Write down every step of your process - one per sticky note: here’s why [4:01] Beginning the process, one step at a time Choose your topic Research and preparation GUEST EPISODES: Choosing and preparing for your guest GUEST EPISODES: Reaching out to your guest GUEST EPISODES: Your guest schedules a time GUEST EPISODES: Asking the guest to provide you some vital info GUEST EPISODES: Confirm the recording (the day of the recording) [17:41] Do you see how the workflow enables you to be professional and consistent? [21:45] Resuming the steps to your podcast workflow Create a test recording/sound check Record the main audio/conversation Record the intro and outro immediately following the recording: Here’s why Add the audio files to my Dropbox system (I describe it here) Notify the editor (or set a time to edit on your own calendar if you do your own editing) Create an optimized title and send to my VA (because the artwork step is coming) Add to Auphonic (if you don’t use Auphonic, do it now!) Writing the show notes and notify the VA Artwork/graphics are created Post the show notes and artwork to Libsyn and the website Set up social sharing GUEST EPISODES: Send promo info to guest [44:15] Why process equals success Resources Mentioned YouCanBook.me Calendly Schedule Once The list I send to guests about how to best prepare for the recording The form I use to ask my guests to confirm their participation here Google Forms Hello Sign Hubspot Ringr Zencastr Cleanfeed Skype Zapier Keyword Finder (affiliate link) Auphonic My previous episode about using Auphonic Episode: The Triple Power of Killer Show Notes Canva Libsyn - use the code “PFT” to get up to 1 ½ months off Episode: Using virtual services/assistants Procrastinate on Purpose by Rory Vaden Recur Post eClincher Meet Edgar Featured On This Episode Custom Audiograms from Podcast Fast Track Wavve - check it out! Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter > click on each link > read articles without having to search for them > and begin my own bullet point outline for the episode, all in the same spot on my Trello board. Create a bullet-point outline of my thoughts As I just mentioned, the next thing I do is begin my own outline of the topic. I want to include things I’ve discovered/ learned, things I believe from my experience, and what others who are experts on the subject have to say. I want to leave no stone unturned - because it’s that kind of comprehensive quality that will get the attention of my listeners/readers AND get the attention of Google. Honestly, it does work that way. Once I’ve created my bullet-point outline, I’ll go through it slowly to ensure it makes sense from a sequential standpoint. If I need to reorder or reorganize it, I will. It’s got to make sense the moment a reader/listeners glances over it. If it doesn’t they’ll probably click off to something else. Journal/write about the topic I don’t always do this, but if I’m dealing with a complicated subject, or one that is easily confused (in my own mind, especially), I’ll add this step - I journal my thoughts and understanding about the topic. Why do I do this? Because as Dawson Trotman once said, “Thoughts disentangle themselves when they flow from lips or fingertips.” Typing/writing things out helps ME understand it. When I finally record the episode I want to be speaking about the subject matter naturally, as one who has studied and understood the topic for myself (because I have). If I shortcut this step, it will show up in the quality of my episode content - and I believe that costs listeners/fans/followers in the long run. I can’t have that. I won’t have that. :) Brainstorm/decide on guests for the episode If the topic I’m interested in would benefit from a conversation with an expert guest, I start thinking through who that guest should be. Nobody is out of the realm of possibility. My philosophy is to ask because the worst they could do is ignore my outreach or say “No.” That’s not so bad, is it? In a future point I’ll tell you how I go about reaching out to these experts. Brainstorm resources I may need for the episode Are there any special graphics, audio clips, sound effects, or other resources that would make this episode ultra special? If I can come up with good ideas, I jot them down. I’m going to do everything I can to up the value of the audio and the show notes to make them stand out - to my listeners and to Google. My philosophy on that is that if it pleases my listeners, it will likely please Google too. But be careful here - don’t overdo it. I went through a season on my podcast where I did lots of cutesy sound effects just for the sake of doing them. I thought they were fun and gave the show a unique sound. My audience told me they were annoying. (Listen to your listeners when they give you feedback). STEP #3: Give my topic, potential guest, and resource needs to my VA/Assistant If you don’t have a VA or assistant who helps you with this kind of thing, you’re making a list for yourself - and you have another set of things to do in order to publish the show as you have planned. It’s a lot of stuff, but it’s worth it to do things right. I’d rather have an episode publish late and be phenomenal than to publish on time and be so-so. I believe my audience knows the difference - and is glad when I don’t shortcut the process. So… passing these things to my VA puts a new task on her plate, which is the next step in this process - reaching out to the guest I have in mind. If I’ve decided to approach the guest through a contact or friend, I do that legwork before I pass this info to my VA. I want her to have as easy a time as possible connecting with the person I have in mind. She’ll also start collecting the resources I need, whatever they are, and place them in a predetermined Dropbox or Google Drive location. That way when I or my editor are ready to produce the episode or show notes, the resources are available. STEP #4: Reach out to the potential guest Once I’m ready for my VA to reach out - I have her do so using a template I’ve written and provided to her that she customizes to the person I have in mind, the topic I want to chat with them about, and the timeframe in which I’d like to record the episode. I thought about providing a copy of my template here but decided against it, simply because any template you create needs to be in your voice and reflect the unique characteristics of your podcast and brand. I can’t write that for you. So, spend quality time on this. It’s important. The first impression you give to potential guests is powerful for them and could make or break their willingness to be a guest on your podcast. Some items you might want to include… Names of previous guests who have been on your show A link to an outstanding show notes page to show them how you feature them A suggested timeframe for the two of you to do the recording A link to your intake/scheduling platform And even though you need to include all that - keep it short. Busy people don’t have time for long emails. Short and sweet is key. STEP #5: Guest Schedules a Time to Record and Completes Intake Form I’m being entirely optimistic here, assuming that your email request was well-received and the person you reached out to is enthusiastic about being on your show. If so, you should receive a response of some kind from them - they’ve filled out your intake form or have scheduled on your calendar to record a conversation. This isn’t really a step where you need to do something, I just include to remind you that your next action points depend on this happening first. So be patient and remember that busy people are busy. It may take them a while to respond (if they do at all). STEP #6: Confirm your recording with the guest Possibly the worst thing you could do is to receive a favorable reply from a guest and then not respond in kind. That person needs to know that you received their information and are planning on recording at the time they chose. So reply to them - some way - any way. Just let them know you got their information and are looking forward to the conversation at the particular date and time they selected. If you have a list of interview best-practices you can send their way, include that with your response. You want to help your guests be good guests. STEP #7 - Test your recording equipment The day of your recording has come. You’re ready to get a great conversation or solo recording into digital form. But you won’t be able to if your equipment/setup isn’t working properly. So test everything. You don’t want the audio coming out less than professional. It will reflect badly on you and on your guest. So take the extra time you need to ensure everything is working as expected. I’ve had instances where I had to switch my recording method simply because I couldn’t get things worked out. I’ve also had to ask guests to switch the microphone on their end to get a better sound. As you do these things, be sure to reiterate to your guests that it’s all for the sake of making them sound as great as possible. They’ll usually be OK with the hassle in that case. STEP #8: Record your main audio This one is pretty simple - just do the recording. Use the great outline you created in the prep and research stage. Enjoy the conversation with your guest. Mine the gold nuggets out of them with good questions. You’re more than halfway done at this point - I think. STEP #9: Record your intro, outro, and pre-roll elements I label this step the way I do because it’s what I have to record for my podcast production workflow. Yours will vary. But the point is this - and I can’t say it enough… well, maybe a story will help… I have clients all the time who toss their main content into Dropbox for my team the minute they are done recording it. Check. Good job. But then when it comes time for my team to put together their audio and produce it, we have no intro or outro (or other needed elements). When I talk to the client about it they say, “Yeah, I always forget to do that.” Or another, even better version goes something like this… “I wish I could do this a better way. By the time I get around to recording the intro and outro I’ve forgotten everything we talked about.” BINGO! This approach solves those problems. You don’t have to remember to record anything because it’s already recorded. You don’t have to rack your brain to remember the details of a conversation you had weeks ago, because you recorded the intro and outro fresh on the heels of that great conversation in the first place. Get it all done at one time, while it’s still fresh on your mind - and save yourself a bunch of hassle later. STEP # 10: Store the files in your designated place In my case, Dropbox is the destination for all my recorded files - and we structure the files and name them in a way that everyone one the team knows what they are looking at and what do do with what they see there. The more detailed you can be with these systems when you’re working with others, the less communication you’ll have to have week to week. Just set it up in a way that works and leave it alone. If you’re doing the editing work yourself you still need to be organized. I can’t tell you how many times at the beginning of my podcasting journey I couldn’t find the audio file I recorded. Clean up your system. A place for everything and everything in its place. STEP #11: Notify editor / do the editing Once my files land in Dropbox, my editor receives a notification that the audio is ready for him and he gets to work. If I were doing the editing myself, I’d arrange my schedule so I could do it immediately following the steps I’ve just outlined. I don’t want to have to come back to it later. I don’t want to have to remember where I left off. I want it out of my hair, scheduled, and ready to go - all in one swoop. STEP #12: Optimize the title of the episode and send to my VA This one is HUGEly important. I can’t stress it enough. In fact, I want to say it again! OPTIMIZE YOUR TITLE. If you don’t know why this is so important, you must not have heard the incredible results I got from doing so - on this episode. And what you hear in that amazing case-study doesn’t only apply to show titles - it applies to episode titles too. So I take the time to do some effective long-tail keyword research using this tool (this is my affiliate link) to make sure I’m crafting a title that people out there in Google-land are actually searching for. Then, once the title is honed in just like I want it - I pass it on to my VA. Why? Because of this… STEP #13: My VA creates my episode artwork Using Canva templates I’ve set up ahead of time, my VA drags images into the display, changes titles and episode numbers, and cranks out new artwork for every episode of my show. She does that with the title I provide to her. But she also produces social media artwork aimed at making the episode appealing to social media users. These may include quotes from the episode, the optimized title I passed her way, or even audiograms (coming to my workflow in the near future). Then she’ll schedule out the social media elements using a social media management tool of some sort (we haven’t settled on one at this point, though I have used eClincher in the past and didn’t have any trouble with it). And she makes sure to include a short link to the episode show notes page as part of the social media posts. STEP #14: Show notes are created As of right now, this is still on my plate. I write these show notes for every episode of my podcast (as of June 2018). Yes, they are long. Yes, I’ve spent half the day on this set of notes already. YES! It’s worth it. The value of exhaustive content like this will grow over time as the internet rolls on. And it will bring great value to my listeners again and again. If you want your show notes to be a certain way, it’s up to you to ensure they ARE that way. Either you have to refine your process and create a video or checklist to show someone else how to do it, or you have to write them yourself. OR - I almost forgot this one - you can outsource your podcast show notes to a team of professionals like mine. STEP #15 - My VA schedules my audio and show notes on my media host and website Nothing hard about this - just a lot of detail. And I’m responsible to make sure my VA understands the details, knows how to implement them, and is able to do it without fail. I recommend checklists. HIGHLY. You can’t expect quality or consistency from anyone if you don’t enable them to know what that level of quality looks like. This goes double or triple for the people working for you. So figure out the steps involved in your posting process - write it down - tweak it - make sure nothing is missing. Then pass it on to someone else. Nathan and I talked about that on this episode. STEP 16: Send promo materials to my guest (if applicable) This is another task my VA has been instructed to do - and she only does it if my episode included a guest - OR if I mentioned someone in the episode that I’d like to let know about the mention. She simply sends another form letter, modified to the person and episode, that provides resources to my guest for sharing the episode with their network. I want to borrow from my guest’s network to get momentum for the episode. The more it is seen in their network, the more likelihood there is that I’ll gain some new subscribers to my podcast. It’s that simple. Wrap-UP Going step by step through my podcast production workflow like this is a bit exhausting, isn’t it? My brain is tired - as are my hands (from the typing). But it’s an example of how a bit of hard work now will reap huge rewards in the future that are ongoing and compounding over time. I’d love to hear your best practices when it comes to your podcast workflow. Please let me know what YOU do to make your workflow smooth and simple.

For as long as I’ve been playing around and working on the internet, I’ve heard people touting the benefits of paying for virtual services - you know, VAs and that kind of stuff. From the first time I heard it said, I got the logic of it. Sure, it makes sense to hire someone to do the things I either don’t want to do, am not good at doing, or shouldn’t be doing from a time VS value perspective. But until this conversation, I’ve never been able to bring myself to take the leap and actually hire out some of the stuff that makes my podcast and business run. I’ve invited Nathan Hirsch, co-founder of FreeeUp.com to be my guest on this episode of Podcastification to help convince me - and convince me he did. BTW: The audio quality on MY SIDE of this recording is terrible. Awful. And in all other ways stinky. It’s because I got lazy and didn’t use my podcast production checklist to ensure that everything was set correctly. As a result, my voice was recorded through the built-in mic on my laptop. BAD form. BAD form. My apologies. I guess it goes to show that even those of us who do something on a professional basis make mistakes from time to time. I’m just sorry you have to listen to it. Main Points : Virtual Services For Podcasting [2:06] How Nathan became desperate and turned to virtual services for a solution [4:14] The first things podcasters might consider outsourcing to virtual assistants [5:40] So you see the need, but don’t know if you can afford it. Listen up! [7:35] What should you do if it’s going to take as much time to train someone as it will for you to do it? [13:02] Making it easy: What you’ll experience when you go to the Freeeup website [15:42] Pre-vetted candidates for your job - as many as you want - and keeping up quality [18:14] You could even “steal” a worker from FreeeUp permanently through a buy-out [20:13] Hiring is one thing: managing someone providing virtual services is another Featured On This Episode Nathan Hirsch and www.FreeeUp.com Pricing: www.FreeeUp.com/Pricing Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter >

“What’s the BEST structure for a podcast? I mean… one that really engages listeners and keeps their attention throughout the episode?” I am asked that question - and questions like it - all - the - TIME. And while there are no dumb questions, there are questions that haven’t been thought through very well, and that’s ONE of them. Why? Well, it has to do with the fact that you and I and Mary down the street are all podcasting about different topics and trying to reach different audiences. I walk you through the logic and practical steps of discovering YOUR best podcast structure, on this episode of Podcastification. Main Points : Is there a “best” podcast structure? [1:25] The questions I receive all time and why my answer is often “it depends.” [2:01] My walk down main street and how it can help you answer the question yourself [3:10] Who are your ideal listeners? You need to answer that question first [8:09] Look at the top downloaded podcasts in Apple Podcasts - they have differing structures [8:59] How do you discover the structure that will fit your audience? [10:37] The best-practices don’t always translate from one niche to another - so you’ll have to put in some work to figure it out for your niche [13:02] Get out there and talk with your target audience Featured On This Episode Are you listening to this podcast trying to “figure it out” yourself? You don’t have to make the same mistakes others have made over and over. You can learn best-practices that I’ve learned from working with 100s of clients over the lifetime of my podcast production company - through The FREE Podcast Optimizer Series.   Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter >

Wanna hear my predictions about where the podcasting industry is headed? You can - on this episode of Podcastification. You know every year Edison Research comes out with what's called The Infinite Dial - isn't that a cool name? The infinite dial looks at survey data that they have gathered from thousands of people. The good folks at Edison are trying to gauge how people are using online media - social media, online radio stations, and podcasting is included. They are trying to understand people's usage habits, interests, adoption of technology and so on. You can also see from the Edison results how various aspects of the media industry are growing. As I read these stats from year to year I see some trends that some people notice and some people don't. I feel like I have some thoughts about this I'd like to share with you because I can see happening in the podcasting industry in particular that I think are action points for podcasters like you and me. They're things that show us a little peek through the keyhole of what's coming - so that we can prepare ourselves in get our podcasts positioned in a way that we will be better off in the future. So let's dig in!   >

Alexa podcast is a thing. Really, it is. We podcasters need to start thinking about where the industry is headed. Now that podcasts can be listened to on Smart speakers like Alexa, there are a handful of things that I can think of that we need to consider in order to make our efforts more widely usable, which will include those kinds of devices. On this episode of Podcastification I have a few things for you to think about when it comes to Alexa podcasts and the distribution of your show through those platforms.   Okay so we're talking about smart speakers on this episode. Do you even know what I mean when I talk about smart speakers? Smart speakers are like Alexa or the Amazon Tap is like a mini version of the Alexa. The Tap is really just a fancy bluetooth speaker. We happen to have one of those that we were actually given through a drawing at a podcasting event that I was at a little while back. But that's all beside the point. We're talking about Amazon Alexa and Google Home and all of the smart speakers they're starting to come out with. They are all connected to the internet and they are able to play audio for you through voice commands. My wife uses our Amazon Tap quite often to play Spotify - the speaker has really good sound so it's a great little application of a smart speaker. But you can also speak to it because the Tap functions in many ways like an Alexa because you can connect through an Alexa app, which then connects to the internet, which you are able then to ask questions just like you would Alexa herself. So, we say things like “Alexa, tell me a story,” and it starts telling us a story. How is this is relevant for us is podcasters? It’s very relevant. We are on the cutting edge of a digital change of behavior for most people in the Western world and we don’t even realize it. The voice command features of these devices are going to make it easier and more common for people to listen to podcasts. So as the title of the episode says, Alexa podcasting is a thing. Will Alexa podcasts work for your particular podcast name? Maybe not. I did some experimentation with my little smart speaker - the Amazon Tap. I tried to get it to play a my particular podcasts - I have quite a few of them. I would say something like this… “Alexa, play Podcastification.” And it actually started playing a podcast but it wasn't a my podcast, it was something else. What I think happens is that because the name of my show is not very clear and distinct and easy to pronounce and understand even for humans, the little smart speaker ain’t so smart. It can't quite find my podcast because the name is not easy to decipher. Could the technology improve in the future to the point that saying it by that name it might actually find and play my podcast? Yeah, maybe. But at this point it's not able to. So what's the principle we can draw from this? It may be better to keep this identification issue in mind when it comes to naming our podcasts. It should be something very distinct, very clear, very easy to pronounce, very easily understood so that people using smart speakers can easily say the name of your podcast to their smart speaker and have it understand what they're saying. Now you can always go back and rename your podcast if you're up for that. Or maybe not. There's one other thing I think we should think about when it comes to podcasting and Alexa... When we’re thinking about these smart speakers and listening to our podcasts on them, there is an important issue to consider: loudness levels. I was noticing the other day when I was working inside Auphonic that podcast levels are recommended to be at what's called negative sixteen LUFS - L. U. F. S. That's nothing more than the measurement used for loudness of a digital audio file. Podcasts are recommended to be at -16 LUFS. But there’s a different recommendation for Alexa and other smart speakers. The loudness level for them is -14 LUFS. It's two points difference and that's actually in the louder direction. So these smart devices - or their developers - are wanting us to submit audio for them to use that is louder. Now why might that be? Well, given the context these smart speakers like Alexa are in, you may have background noise going on in the room. You may also have the speaker sitting on the other side of the room. So they are wanting the original audio file that's being drawn from to be louder to begin with - so that it's easier to hear on those devices. That makes total sense to me. So. If you're even aware of the loudness level of your podcast you may want to consider adjusting to negative fourteen LUFS. Yes, negative sixteen is still what is recommended for podcasting, but because smart speakers are becoming more and more prevalent throughout our society, negative fourteen may be what we need to go to. I'm considering it for all of my shows, including my client work because we want to optimize things the very best we can. What are you doing about loudness levels? Anything? Amazon Alexa Amazon Tap Google Home Alexa Skills Auphonic Leave your question for me to answer! Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter  

Contact us at www.Podcastification.com/contact 3 Ways to NOT Kill Your Podcast Growth Curve [Ep 91] Warning - warning - warning. There's a rant ahead! I have seen this same mistake on podcaster’s websites over and over and over now, so I plead with you… listen to this episode, learn from this episode, and NEVER do this stinkin stupid thing again. >

Mobile Recording can be hard to figure out, especially if you don’t have a money tree growing in your backyard. I’ve given a lot of thought to this from a “lean budget” perspective and have tried a LOT of things over the years I’ve been podcasting. What I demo in this episode is the best MOBILE RECORDING solution I’ve discovered yet. It only requires one piece of software that is app based (phone or smart device) and one additional piece of hardware that is portable and costs less than $100. Interested? Play the stinkin’ episode! Subscribe to Podcastification On Android | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Podbean | iHeart Radio | Spreaker | Email Here’s What You'll Learn In This Mobile Recording Demo [0:51] Why I wanted to discover a remote or mobile recording solution for my podcast [2:20] How you can use the Auphonic service to set up for mobile recording [4:49] DISCLAIMERS: Audio quality at the source is still an audio quality limitation [5:55] How you can leave me a question that I can answer on this show! [6:47] The episode within the episode - DEMO of what my mobile recording solution produced (recorded in my freezing cold back yard) [9:02] The mic I used: The Rode VideoMIC ME [9:39] Ahead-of-time steps you need to take within Auphonic (see below for details). [14:35] How to get your smartphone app and connect your microphone - turn on AIRPLANE MODE [18:15] The perks of doing mobile recording this way - inexpensive, easy to transport, easy to pull off [21:51] How the Podcastification team will give you a %10 off discount ongoing First step toward this mobile recording setup is this: you need to connect Auphonic to a storage account - they call it an “external service” Ok, let’s get to it. In order to do exactly what I did in the “episode” within this episode you’ll need to set up some things ahead of time. First, you’ll need an Auphonic account. Relax - Auphonic is free for up to 2 hours of audio a month. That’s pretty generous given that many podcasts are 30 minutes or less. So 4 episodes per month… you do the math. You can find a link to Auphonic below. Then, within Auphonic you’ll need to follow the instructions I explain in this episode to set up a few things… External services like Dropbox or Google Drive #1 - click on the “services” tab at the top of the main page IMAGE #2 - In the lower section, select the service you want to use to store your intro and/or outro files. Auphonic will pull from that location to use them each time you access the template you’re going to create (I used Dropbox in my example) Once you’ve got that external service set up, all you need to do is setup your Show’s Mobile “preset”. I’ll walk you through that next… How to Set up your mobile recording preset in Auphonic The first thing you’ll do before you actually try to set up a preset in Auphonic is to place a copy of your intro and/or outro into the proper spot within your external service (Dropbox or Google Drive). I chose Dropbox, so here’s where it has to go: Dropbox>Apps>Auphonic Place a copy of your intro and outro files in that folder and you’re good. They will be available to you within Auphonic as you move on to the next step Next, go back to the menu at the top of the Auphonic homepage and select the “presets” option. Click on the big, red “New Preset” button as you see here… And you’ll get a page that allows you to specify all kinds of things about your preset. Here are the ones I focused on to set up my mobile recording preset… Name: I chose “P-Mobile” (for Podcastification - Mobile”) Select Intro: When you click on the drop down it will give you the option to choose from one of your external services. For me, I chose the proper Dropbox account (if you have more than one, be careful to choose the right one). You’ll see little spinner thing appear for just a second as Auphonic searches the Dropbox account you selected, and then a second drop-down box will appear to allow you to select a file from Dropbox. When you choose that dropdown, lo and behold, there are your files to select. In this case, I selected my intro. After you’ve selected the proper intro file, you want to set what Auphonic calls an “Overlap” duration… this simply means: “How much (in seconds) do you want the ending of your intro to overlap the main content you upload later through the app?” You may not want any overlap. You may want a lot. But keep in mind - this is referring to the END of your intro file and the BEGINNING of your main content to be uploaded. You will likely need to listen to your intro file and watch the timestamp as it moves in order to determine exactly how much space you have at the end of it for an overlap. The cool thing about a phonic is that it will automatically duck your intro volume underneath the content of your main file once you upload it. No need to make any adjustments. :) In my case, I chose 3 seconds because I only want my main content overlap The Fading cymbal crash at the end of my intro for a small portion of time. Now you will start the same process for your outro. Using the drop-down box, select the proper external service, which should be the exact same as it was for your intro. Once you have made your selection you will be provided a second drop down box from which you can choose the appropriate outro file. Then you need to select the overlap time for your outro. Be careful that you think about this one differently, it's actually the exact opposite of what you did on your intro. The way to think about it is that you are specifying how much of the BEGINNING of your outro file should play underneath the END of your main content file that will be uploaded later through the app. In my case, I timed out how much music plays at the beginning of my out row before the voiceover begins and discovered that I had about 33 seconds to play with, so that is what I chose for my overlap amount. The rest of the fields on the page are pretty self-explanatory. Keep in mind that things like your title and track number will need to be input later, after you have determined what those things will be. For now, you are only completing the fields for those things that will be the same on every episode. If you would like Auphonic to automatically send a finished copy of your audio file to Dropbox, Google drive, or another external location, you can do that as long as you have already set up that location. As you see in the following image, I am having mine sent directly to my media host and to my Dropbox account. At the very bottom of the page you are allowed to choose what processes Auphonic we'll run on your uploaded file and combined intro and outro. I typically use all four of the check boxes shown and set the loudness target to - 16 LUFS. Once you've done everything on the page that you care to do, be sure to save the preset using the big red button at the bottom right. That's it! You have just set up the preset that you will use when your recording from your mobile device. Let's move on to the actual recording and uploading using the app. Next, learn your way around your Auphonic app to do your mobile recording simply and easily The Auphonic team has provided two versions of its mobile app, one for iPhone and one for Android. It's going to be next to impossible for me to demonstrate both because I am an Android User, not an iPhone user. But most people listening to this podcast are tech savvy enough to figure it out on their own. Just download the app (links below in the resources section) and begin playing around with it. It's pretty simple. Before you actually open the app to do an actual recording for your podcast, be sure you have a good quality external microphone and have it plugged in. The microphone that I used is the Rode VideoMic ME (link in resources below). It comes with an attachment to secure it to your phone, and a “deadcat” type windsock to cut down on wind noise. I have intentionally used it in high winds to see how effective it is and was pleasantly surprised. Once you have the microphone plugged in, it's time to record. In the case of the Android app, it opens immediately to a list of recordings you have made, and if you haven't made any it will not show any. There is a red microphone at the bottom of the screen and tapping it takes you to the recording screen. Tap the big red record button and begin talking. When you finish recording, press the pause button as shown in the image below. Notice that just below the timestamp in the middle of the screen is an option to save the recording. You will need to do that before you were able to send it to Auphonic and use your preset to process it. The following screen will display your recording in a WAV file format. Tapping on the Auphonic log will enable you to access your Auponic account, name your file, and select the preset you created. Choose the “START” button and your file will begin to upload and Auphonic will do its magic! What you can expect from this approach to mobile recording When I discovered that Auphonic had features that allowed me to record in this manner, I knew the sound quality of my resulting file would probably be pretty good because Auphonic is an amazing application. What I didn't know is whether using the external mic and the intro and outro presets would work the way that I hoped. I wasn't disappointed. As you can here on this episode, The mini-episode that I placed in the center of the main episode, which was done entirely using this mobile recording method, turned out very good considering that I was standing outside in my freezing backyard. Of course, there are other ways to do mobile recording, but many of them require a bag full of equipment and I really didn't want to spend the money or the time figuring out what I would have to Lug around with me on trips. So this is my solution. All in, this approach cost me right around $75 for the microphone, and 4 most people the Auphonic account will turn out to be free. Throw in the free app, and this is a low-budget approach to mobile recording that anyone can do. I would love to hear your thoughts, questions, and other mobile recording approaches so be sure to connect with me using the contact information on the page. Resources and Items I mentioned in this episode to help you set up your own mobile recording solution Auphonic - an incredible audio processing service Get the Auphonic app for iPhone and Android The external mic I’m using - The Rode Videomic ME (caution: make sure the mic you get fits your smart device) Dropbox Google Drive My Melanzana pullover hoodie was purchased here :) Leave a question for me to answer! https://www.speakpipe.com/Podcastification Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter Subscribe to Podcastification On Android | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Podbean | iHeart Radio | Spreaker | Email  

Every year I read/listen to the book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. For me, this is the same as a football go saying, We need to get back to the basics. It reminds me of what my goals are as a content creator. In the book, Michael talks about making good content isn't really good enough anymore if you really want to get noticed. You need to make content that makes people go WOW. Then this response is followed by them telling a friend. Two Podcasts Episodes That Made Me Go WOW! Episode 100 of the Story Behind Podcast - Emily Create this Episode as a Musical. I had numerous people ask me if I had heard it. This episode too more than four days to assemble. Carey Green on episode 81 of Podcastification did an episode comparing Skype, Ringr, Zencastr, Zoom, and Cleenfeed. Carey said that including research, recording, setup, editing, show notes, probably 8 to 12-ish hours, all done in chunks over the course of a month. Carey also runs Podcast Fast Track (audio editing and show notes) Seth Resler who works for Jabs Media did an article on if there is or isn't a discovery problem in podcasting (read it here). While he had to do a little work to take all the answers and put them into an article that was easily read, he also pointed out, "It took years, because the only reason that the podcasting leaders that are quoted in that article responded to me at all is because I've invested years in the podcasting space, not just learning about the craft, but also building relationships at conferences and trade shows, and establishing my own credibility by writing, speaking, and hosting webinars about podcasting. This Doesn't Mean Your Next Episode Should Take 14 hours Please dont read this and think, "I need to spend at least 10 hours per episode. That's not my point. My point is that it takes some planning, it takes some strategy, it takes knowing your audience, and it takes some practice to create WOW content.  Here are the ingredients to wow content ( Adapted for podcasting from Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World). Surprise. Wow content should exceed expectations.  - The Stacking Benjamins has great information but also is pretty funny. Anticipation.  Anticipating a wow experience is almost as good as the experience. David Hooper's latest episode of the Red podcast had a huge teaser at the end.  Resonance. A wow experience touches the heart. It resonates at a deep level. It might even cause goosebumps or tears. Dictionary.com shows resonate as "to produce a positive feeling, emotional response, or opinion." Transcendence. A wow experience connects you to something transcendent. Michael states, "You experience purpose, meaning, or even God. " Dictionary.com shows, "to rise above or go beyond; overpass; exceed," and "to outdo or exceed in excellence, elevation, extent, degree, etc. ; surpass; excel." Clarity. A wow experience creates a moment when you see things with more clarity than ever before. I've had people tell me I do a really good job of explaining things. Presence.  A wow experience has you experiencing the NOW. You are fully present. Universality. A wow experience is experienced by everyone in the same way.  Evangelism. A wow experience has to be shared. The minutes the content is done, you're already thinking of the people you need to tell. Longevity. You can experience it time and time again without growing tired of it.  Privilege. You're glad to be associated with it. I wanted to add a few things of my own. Scarcity/Uniqueness. You can't get it any place else Bravery. People that have the courage to stand up and tell the truth Intimacy. When someone shares intimate details of their life, this somewhat ties into Michaels surprise, but it makes people uncomfortable. Other Things To Consider With Your Content Managing your audience expectations. If you set the bar too high, you might leave the door open to disappointing your audience. What about Passion? Audio Quality? Microphones?    Mentioned In This Episode Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts January 6th Join Now Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. Jim Collison From the Average Gut Network Ask the Podcast Coach Jonathon Oaks Trival Warfare Ravi from Subscribeme.fm and Coolcastplayer.com Darwin Dave Dealing with My Grief Master Kuldrin from Kuldrin's Krypt SP from Better Podcasting Alan Two Chairs No Waiting Epodcast Productions (edit and show notes ) The Audacity to Podcast David Hooper Red Podcast Podcast Talent Coach Podcast Review Show Harry Durran - Podcast Junkies Pat Flynn Smart Passive Income Episode 598 Because of My Podcast Segment Gallon Smashing Pranks on YouTube Brother Love Congressional Dish John Lee Dumas The Heroes Journey Podfest.us Podfest Multimedia Expo in Florida  Social Media Marketing World Bernie The Cat Show Let Me Help Start Your Podcast Podcasting in Six Weeks Starts January 6th School of Podcasting Self Paced Online Classes One on One Consulting

There are quite a number of easy wins you can get to make your podcast better. Is there any reason you wouldn't want to do them? Subscribe to Podcastification On Android | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Podbean | iHeart Radio | Spreaker | Email I have the privilege of spending a lot of time checking out the resources podcasters are producing, from their podcast episodes to their websites and promotional material. Do you know what I find? Lots of obvious mistakes that I guess aren't so obvious to the podcaster in question. In this episode I share with you 8 of the things I've noticed that many podcasters are messing up when it comes to their websites, the way they present their brand, and the way they interact with their following. I'm certain you will find something in here that you can tweak to get an easy win for your show. Main Points : Easy Wins (by avoiding 8 common mistakes) [1:22] How I come across the obvious mistakes podcasters are making [3:14] Things about your website you need to understand [4:23] MISTAKE 1: Taking people AWAY from your website. It’s an EASY fix [8:02] iTunes ranks podcasts on one thing only. Do you know what it is? [9:05] MISTAKE 2: No subscription options [12:53] MISTAKE 3: Wonky episode titles that ignore keyword optimization [16:52] MISTAKE 4: Where is your contact info? Social only? Really? [19:48] MISTAKE 5: Podcast listens are happening more and more via mobile - can those people easily contact you? [22:18] MISTAKE 6: Cover Art that makes me want to throw up or yawn [27:52] MISTAKE 7: The website link in iTunes should go…. Where???? [30:22] MISTAKE 8: Brand names or Cutesy show names Your podcast player can be like the glue that keeps people on your page It seems like many podcasters don't understand how and why Google chooses the websites it serves up to people who are searching for various things. It all has to do with Google's perceived value of the resources that are provided on that webpage. But Google is a computer algorithm, how does it know? Google's designers, as well as the designers of Bing and Yahoo, have programmed their systems with algorithms that look for certain indications of whether searchers are actually finding the content they discover on web pages to be valuable to them, or not. One of the most important of those indicators is the time a searcher spends "on page" once they make a selection from the search results. That simply means if you want to tell Google you've got valuable content, you need to keep people on your show notes pages as long as possible. In my opinion, a podcast player can be an incredible tool to use simply because it DOES keep people on your website pages longer. It's like glue - as long as they are listening, they are not going anywhere. So can you see what mistake number one might be? You got it! No web players on the page. In fact, some people are even sending searchers away from their websites to listen to their episodes on Stitcher or Google Play or iTunes. Find out how I suggest you remedy this problem by listening to this episode. And hey, you'll help Google know this page was helpful to you! Subscription options: Are you including them on your show notes pages and player descriptions? It doesn't seem to be common knowledge, but iTunes determines which podcasts to rank highest in its search algorithms primarily by the number of subscribers there are to that show. That means if you are not asking your listeners to subscribe to your show, specifically in the iTunes platform, you are missing out on the opportunity to rank your show higher in iTunes organic search. But that only has to do with Search in iTunes. There's a related issue here that you need to be aware of as well, and that has to do with whether people are subscribing to your show at all (no matter the directory or app). In this episode I explain why asking your listeners to subscribe is important and how it can benefit you, providing an easy win for your podcast promotion. Episode 27: Bobby Smith. - What’s wrong with that title? That's a pretty stupid episode title, don't you think? All it tells the reader is that some person named Bobby Smith is being interviewed on that episode. There's no topic, there's no appealing headline, in fact, it's so boring most people will simply click away without giving it a second thought. You don't want that for your podcast episodes. So take the time to name them effectively. In this episode of Podcastification - you can click the player above and hear it for yourself - you are going to hear what goes into a great episode title, why it is important, and how easily you can fix them the moment you're done listening. If that is not an easy win I don't know what the words mean. If you have no easy contact info on your website - you’re telling me you don’t really want to talk to me When I go to a website and want to connect with the person who has created it, I expect that I will be able to click on the contact tab and send them an email, fill out a form, or some how reach out to them directly. What do I find most of the time? Social media profiles linked from the website. And in some cases, nothing at all. It makes me think that the person behind the website doesn't really want to talk to me, no matter who I am. What if I was their ideal client with my pockets full of money? What if I wanted to hire them to do business with me? The only option I have is to reach out to them through social? Really? There has to be a better way. And there is. You'll hear about it on this episode of Podcastification. Here’s an experiment to demonstrate how important good cover art is - and how you can get an easy win by fixing yours Cover art changes are an easy win for every podcaster who needs it and to prove the point I have an experiment for you to try. I have a little experiment for you to try. Next time you're seated at your computer… Open up the iTunes directory. Go to the business category Then click on the "see all" link. Scroll through the images you see there that represent the various podcasts available. What do you notice? Some of them stand out right away, others make you want to yawn, or worse yet, throw up.  Which kind do you think is more beneficial for your podcast? Creating good looking cover art for your show is an easy win. It's one of those ways you can stand out in a very crowded podcast niche. Seriously, I will click on a nice looking piece of cover art over a boring cover art selection any day. It's just human nature. Here is an example of how I improved my cover art for this podcast. You'll see the before image, followed by the after image.   There you go. Point taken? The good news is that anytime you want to update your cover art you can do so inside your media host and iTunes and all the other directories will pull that information almost instantly. You can find out more great tips like this for getting easy wins for your podcast on this episode of Podcastification. Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

How to record interviews over a distance is one of the most frustrating things for many podcasters - and the tech is not quite there yet. But it’s getting better. :) 2017 brings a handful of pretty decent options for recording a conversation, many of them with tech that takes out the “distance” part of a distance recording so you get better quality audio every time. I wanted to make it obvious how good the options are as well as answer some of the questions I get on a regular basis about the best way to record an interview. So my client onboarding guy, Aaron and I took a morning to do some recordings of OUR conversations using all the options that I think are legitimate for 2017. So - How to record interviews: 2017 Demo of the Best Options is what you’ll hear on this episode of Podcastification. Subscribe to Podcastification On Android | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Podbean | iHeart Radio | Spreaker | Email Here’s a rough outline of this “How to Record Interviews” episode: [1:44] My top 5 recommendations: Zoom - Ringr - Zencastr - Skype - Cleanfeed and our demos of each of these options, demo’d for you. [3:00] Tips for making a good distance recording, no matter which option you choose Zoom Demo [3:46] My experience using Zoom (my description of what I see) [5:26] The recording of Aaron and I speaking and recording to each other via Zoom along with our impressions and observations of the platform [7:16] The “guest” side of a Zoom call - Aaron’s insights and observations [7:50] Zoom’s details, pricing, method of recording, number of participants, etc. Ringr Demo [10:40] The pre-recording setup and login experience for recording an interview on Ringr [11:10] The actual conversation we recorded and how Ringr works (double-ender) [12:08] The “guest” side of the Ringr connection and some of the cool things we see Skype Demo [14:51] Skype calls must be recorded using a 3rd party app [16:08] The “guest” side of the Skype call - and why Skype is the good-old standby [17:17] Why Skype calls with bad connections are HARD for audio editing Zencastr Demo [18:55] Pre-call setup of a Zencastr recording/call [19:49] Zencastr’s chat feature, timeline footnotes, etc. [20:46] Zencastr’s free plan: features, integrations, bells and whistles [21:40] What is happening when you hear a glitch in Zencastr Cleanfeed Demo [23:52] Counterintuitive things I feel about Cleanfeed [24:38] The guest and host experiences on Cleanfeed [26:21] Why you need to stay in the platform until things are done uploading SUMMARY [27:10] Review of platforms and features [29:11] Another option as an “honorable mention” - www.Tryca.st [29:58] OUR RANKINGS OF THE TOP 5 PLATFORMS FOR RECORDING AN INTERVIEW [31:49] Browser-dependent issues some of the platforms will experience from time to time I’m not only going to tell you how to record an interview, I’m going to demo it for you 5 different ways… with a little help This episode of podcast application has been in the works for a long time. Maybe we were putting it off because we knew how much work it would do. But it was worth it! My client onboarding guy, Aaron and I are going to demo all the options we think are worthwhile when it comes to recording in your interview conversation. Some facts you might find interesting about these recordings: We are 823 miles and 3 states apart as we speak to one another so you should keep that in mind when you consider the sound quality of each other recording platforms. We are both PC users, not Mac users, so the various features and platforms may look different on Mac then they do from what we describe in this episode. You're going to get to hear both sides of the calls on each platform. When I remember to do it, I will tell you what I see coming into the platform as a host, describe how easy or difficult it is to get into the platform and get a call set up, and then Aaron will describe what he experiences from the guest side of each of the platforms. And finally, we will outline the features and costs of each one of the platforms and give you our ranking of these five options for recording an interview at the end of our demonstrations. This is 36 minutes of audio that is well worth your time if you ever have been curious how to record an interview with the best quality possible. Our experience recording an interview with ZOOM Zoom is a recording option that many podcasters are using these days, I know because I see files from Zoom coming in from our clients fairly often. As you listen to our demonstration of what it takes to set up a call on zoom and get it recorded, downloaded, and actually usable for your podcast, keep in mind that Zoom was not created for podcast recording in particular, it is a video conferencing software. That means it includes screenshare capabilities, video, chat features, and much more. Aaron and I used the free plan that Zoom offers to record the call you will hear on this episode end it offers the following features: Records 1, premixed mono file (mpeg4) Can record audio & video Can record to cloud (Zoom) or computer You can select the microphone of your choice Participants can mute their microphones at any time You can host up to 100 participants (group meeting) - what a nightmare of a podcast episode THAT would be The free plan offers unlimited 1 to 1 meetings/recordings per month If you do a group meeting (more than 2 people) there is a 40 minute limit per meeting When finished, you have to wait a short time for a download of the audio The Ringr demo Ringr is a top-of-the-line app brought to us by its founder, Tim Sinclair, who I have interviewed on this podcast before in episode 41. That particular episode was recorded back in June of 2016 and Ringr has come a long way since then. One thing I did not mention in my conversation with Aaron that you will hear on this episode is that Ringr is not only a web-based app, it also has a smartphone app that enables you to connect with people who are not at their computer at the time you need to do your recording. In a situation like that, you need to keep in mind that recording quality will depend on the quality of the microphone that is being used - either the internal microphone of the phone in question, or an external microphone that might be plugged into the phone. You can hear from the recording on this episode that recording interviews with Ringr gives you great quality and a good overall experience. Here is what Ringr offers: Free Trial (30 days) that includes all the premium features After that, you choose a plan: Basic $7.99/mo :: Premium $18.99/mo :: Enterprise You can pause and resume a call/recording Conference calling (more than 2 people) is now available Ringr offers both a mobile app & a web-based app Recordings can be downloaded in either Mp3, OGG, or FLAC You can choose between mono, stereo, split-track (on the premium plan or higher) You can choose any bit rate (premium plan or higher) There is unlimited storage of previous recordings (premium or higher) Unlimited calling/recording You must wait for all files to finish before exiting the browser and receiving your download options The Skype recording process One of the things you will hear me mention at least a couple of times on this podcast episode is that recording with Skype requires a third-party application of some kind. Skype itself does not offer call recording. In this demonstration, I used a pc-based application called MP3 Skype call recorder. The link for that free software is in the resources section below. I believe that one of the reasons Skype has become the go-to resource for people who want to record an interview is because it was one of the first internet-based call solutions any of us knew anything about. So, it's the same as if you had read the book and then gone to see the movie, and the book always seems better. It's simply because you read the book first. These days, Skype is still in the auction and it does a decent job, but it has its limitations and drawbacks when it comes to podcast recordings. I believe there are much better options for you to offer your listeners that don't cost any more than Skype - and that is free. Here is what Skype offers: A free option (there IS free 3rd party software also) Requires 3rd party software You can call and record a person who is using the Skype app You will have to pay when calling a landline Records directly on your computer No limitations on the amount of recording you can - other than your time Our Zencastr Demo - just the facts Zencastr is one of the first browser-based recording options I became aware of when they first became a thing. It records each person in the conversation inside their own internet browser, then uploads those files to the cloud, the Zen Caster cloud, and sinks them together into a downloadable set of files. Can you see the advantage of that kind of recording? It enables you to avoid all of the long distance issues like delays, glitches, warbles, line noise, and anything else that would come from trying to record something over a very long distance. It's only fair at this point to also say that Ringr and clean feed which will be featured next, offer the same kind of technology of a sort, so the quality you get from them should be the same as you get from sin caster. Here are the features you get from Zencastr’s free plan Up to 3 people per session 8 hours free per month Receive a high quality mp3 Must wait for all files to upload, then have the ability to download Can automatically save to your Dropbox account Our final contestant: Cleanfeed I hope you were able to hear my conversation with Mark, one of the founders and developers behind Cleanfeed, back in episode 69. If not, stop everything you're doing and go listen to it right now you insensitive person who seems to enjoy hurting my feelings. Just kidding. ;) One of the things that Aaron said during a recording about the Cleanfeed interface is that it is very clean. It is fairly unobtrusive, has very little in the way of controls and knobs that you can see, and overall is pretty pleasing to the eye. But there is a downside to that. Some of the controls are a little bit difficult to find. Especially on the host side of things. But like anything, once you've gone through it a few times you get used to where things are and are able to work it into your interview recording workflow with no problems. I've even created a video to show you how to use clean feed which you can find in the resource section below. Here are the details about Cleanfeed Always free Web-based Unlimited number of guests Unlimited number of hours you can record Unlimited number of sessions You can set the type of file you want (joint stereo or combined) Receive wav files Must wait a short time for files to upload and download options to appear One very good “honorable mention” platform that was NOT included in our demo There is one other service that records interviews with the same kind of technology that Ringr and Zencastr use, but I did not include it in this demo session because it is much more than just a recording solution. Cast is a media host and podcast publishing solution very similar to Libsyn or Podbean. And more... It has all kinds of bells and whistles, including editing software online, including audio optimization software, and more than I can even tell you right now. Since it is not really a comparison of apples to oranges for me to include cast in this demo, I didn't. AND THE WINNER IS… Near the end of our conversation Aaron and I both ranked these 5 platforms for recording an interview according to ease abuse, price, features, and sound quality. I could tell you exactly what each of us think right here in the show nuts, but I think you'll enjoy it a lot more if you take the time to listen. :) Subscribe to Podcastification On Android | Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Podbean | iHeart Radio | Spreaker | Email MP3 Skype Call Recorder All of the reliable 3rd party Skype recording apps My previous conversation with one of the developers of Cleanfeed My interview with Josh, developer of Zencastr My video about how to use Cleanfeed (embedded below) My video about how to use Zencastr (embedded below)   Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter    

No show notes for this one - but if you're going to be at PODCAST MOVEMENT 2017 I'll be there too! Look me up. I'm doing a Q&A session about show notes Friday at 9AM.

This solo episode was recorded on Fourth of July (American west coast time - Pacific Daylight Time). I recorded the show with IK Multimedia's iRig Mic Lav (mobile lavalier microphone) and Boss Jock Studio app, on my smartphone (iPhone 6S Plus). Post-production was done through Auphonic. Show notes: 00 Libsyn's post on Google+ 01 I Have a Message 01 EGO Interview with Colin Gray 02 How YOU Can Be The Trusted Resource Your Listeners Are Looking For [Ep #71] - Podcastification 02 EGO NetCast Support page 02 Lyceum (Martin Lindeskog) on Voxer 03 Lyceum on Instagram 03 Lyceum on Twitter 03 Lyceum on Periscope 03 John Cox Art 04 Betsy Ross flag 04 Ego wearing a tennis (polo) shirt with a Betsy Ross flag. 04 Boston Tea Party 05 My birthday is on May 25, a.k.a Geek Pride Day! ;) 06 Real money...

This solo episode was recorded on Fourth of July (American west coast time - Pacific Daylight Time). I recorded the show with IK Multimedia's iRig Mic Lav (mobile lavalier microphone) and Boss Jock Studio app, on my smartphone (iPhone 6S Plus). Post-production was done through Auphonic. Show notes: 00 Libsyn's post on Google+ 01 I Have a Message 01 EGO Interview with Colin Gray 02 How YOU Can Be The Trusted Resource Your Listeners Are Looking For [Ep #71] - Podcastification 02 EGO NetCast Support page 02 Lyceum (Martin Lindeskog) on Voxer 03 Lyceum on Instagram 03 Lyceum on Twitter 03 Lyceum on Periscope 03 John Cox Art 04 Betsy Ross flag 04 Ego wearing a tennis (polo) shirt with a Betsy Ross flag. 04 Boston Tea Party 05 My birthday is on May 25, a.k.a Geek Pride Day! ;) 06 Real money...

Subscribe to Podcastification | Contact the PFT Team If you’ve ever wondered how technical and complicated it is to get a podcast setup - I’ve recorded this episode to simply say (and demonstrate) - not very. Seriously. I think anyone with half a brain and can follow instructions can easily set up their own podcast, begin recording, post it on the internet, get it submitted to the directories and be LIVE within a week. It’s not a promise because it depends on you, but I’m confident it can and does happen. In fact, I’m confident it WILL happen because of this episode. If it does happen for you, I’d love to hear about it. Your podcast setup doesn’t have to be technically complicated. I know it’s the tech stuff that intimidates most people when they think about starting their own podcast. But the getting started part is really not as difficult as you imagine. It’s simply the unknown (which often looks bigger than it really is) that is making you feel that way. You can do this. I know you can. I’ve done it three times simply by following tutorials I found on the internet - and here’s the cool thing - I’ve learned how to do it without those tutorials and am able to teach YOU how to do it now. Which is what I’m doing on this episode of Podcastification. Do you have a message or body of knowledge or form of entertainment you want to get out there? Why not start a podcast? I want to help you do it - on this episode. And there’s absolutely nothing in it for me - except the satisfaction of knowing that I was able to help you. So start at the beginning, pause, take notes, use the resources listed below, whatever it takes to walk you through this step by step - DO IT. You can have a podcast up and running by the end of the month. Granted, it will be basic - but it will be YOURS. You can do this! The highlights of this podcast setup episode [1:37] Why I think I can teach you basic podcast setup for free - and be just as effective. [2:35] The importance of having something valuable to say - and what that really means. [4:03] Before you setup your podcast you need to know who it is you are talking to, specifically. [6:52] Determining the equipment you’re going to use to record. [11:54] How you can determine topics for your episodes. [17:58] The most frustrating part of the process is the actual recording. [22:15] What is a media host and why do you need one? [27:02] Getting your new podcast submitted to directories like iTunes (Apple Podcasts). [31:58] If you’re podcasting and nobody hears it, did you really say anything? [38:21] And finally: how do you record someone else in an interview format? Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History Audacity My microphone - ATR 2005 (also mentioned - ATR2100) www.AudacityForPodcasting.com (my course) Gimlet Media Libsyn Blubrry Pinecast Amazon S3 INSTRUCTIONS for how to get into all the directories Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes) Stitcher Radio Google Play Podcasts Podbean Spreaker Radio Fiverr Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

Subscribe to Podcastification | Contact the PFT Team Share your enthusiasm… and make me feel really good at the same time! Tweet: I just got PODCASTIFICATED! Wanna come? #podcasting #hacks @PodcastFast   You want to grow your podcast. I want to grow My podcast(s). There’s no question that we all want to reach a broader audience. That’s part of why we podcast in the first place - we have something to share that we believe will help people. So… there are always new things to learn when it comes to promotion, marketing, building an audience, and so forth and such and such. BUT - BUT - BUT - there are some things that I BET you have not considered when it comes to growing the audience for your podcast. What is that mysterious thing? (Yes, I know - you’ve already seen it in the show, but it’s so much fun to say “mysterious,” don’t you think? Or is that just hype-y?). It’s apps. A custom app. For your podcast. For you to provide free of charge to your audience. It’s possible. It’s affordable, and it’s something you should consider yesterday. So - on this episode of Podcastification Rob Walch is my guest again - who is, by the way, the most-frequently-appearing guest on this show. He’s a pretty gracious guy to put up with all of my shenanigans, don’t you think? He’s got the Libsyn solution to the app need to tell us all about - so you can hear what they’ve got for you and your audience, on this episode. You can have your own membership site - right on your listener’s phone! This episode is mainly about audience growth - but there are other aspects to having an app for your podcast that are incredibly powerful. One of the options that THIS humble podcaster thinks is incredibly powerful is to use the app to provide “member only” content to special subscribers (those who pay for the additional content). Libsyn has it all set up for you, takes care of the payment, and handles all the tech issues. It’s pretty incredible and a way that you can make money off your podcast that you likely haven’t thought about. So… what are you waiting for? Listen to this episode to find out more! People who don’t know about podcasting can be added to your podcast audience. An app is a very cool way to find people who are totally, rabidly, incredibly interested in the things you talk about - but do NOT listen to podcasts. Here’s a scenario: Somebody is interested in underwater basket weaving (which happens to be what YOU podcast about. Come on… work with me, here). They get it into their noggin that there might be a pretty cool underwater basket weaving app in the IOS or Google Play store. So they go looking. And guess what? They enter the keyword “underwater basket weaving” and they find YOUR podcast app. They don’t know about podcasting, but it’s an app - and they know about that. So they download it, listen, read, check out whatever you’re offering via your app. And Walah! You’ve just discovered another way to grow your podcast. Find out more stuff like this that an app can do for you, on this episode. Here’s a rough outline of TOPIC OR GUEST… [1:24] Back with Rob Walch, winner of the “Most Frequent Guest” award. :) [2:33] Why Libsyn was one of the first to get into the App Game. [4:05] How an app can grow your audience - real life examples. [5:50] But aren’t custom apps expensive? NOPE. Really. [10:37] How you can monetize your show via “paid” portions of your app. [15:27] The steps you can take to get your app rolling today!] [26:10] Get YOUR branding on the home screen of your listener’s phones.   Libsyn App Features and Info Ben Greenfield’s Podcast (mentioned as a great example) Libsyn’s podcast - The Feed (in IOS or Android) Today in IOS (app link for IOS only :) ) Hamish and Andy (app link for IOS and for Android) www.SchoolofPodcasting.com www.ChristianHomeandFamily.com   Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter          

Podcast production gets easier as you do it more. Naturally, right? That’s at least part of the reason I thought it might be helpful for YOU, the listener, to hear from a couple of guys who, between the two of us (and our teams), probably have our hands on over 100 episodes per week. We’ve learned a few things about podcast production (much of it the hard way) and would love it if you did NOT repeat our mistakes. Funny stuff happens during podcast production. Here’s some proof. But I also thought there might be some VERY FUNNY stories we could tell on/about our clients, their guests, and the tech nightmares we’ve seen happen. And I wasn’t wrong about that. There are some truly funny moments in this episode. So, on this episode I welcome my guest Steve Stewart - he’s a peach of a guy (whatever that means to you… unless it means something dirty to you… in which case I retract the statement entirely). You’ll like Steve’s approach to editing, his ability to tell a story, and will also get some great tips from the guy to boot! And I throw in a couple of stories and tips of my own as well. So… will you join us? We’d like to podcastificate you. It won’t hurt, honest. In fact, you might find you like it. ;) Here’s an overview of the podcast production tips Steve and I covered… [1:30] A thumbnail sketch of the amazing Steve Stewart, esquire. OK, he’s not an esquire - but he IS a cool guy. [4:26] Ways you can BETTER help your guest make a better recording (and bring their best game) - INCLUDING microphone options. [14:57] The things you notice when your EDITOR BRAIN kicks in (it can be ugly). [17:26] The things podcasters do that EDITORS LOVE! [20:53] My crazy story of the whining dad trying to control his kid who interrupted his recording. [24:16] If you don’t want to miss things in your podcast production workflow, you NEED a process checklist (bullet point outline). [32:54] The 3 biggest pain points in a podcaster’s life - and Skype nightmares! [43:42] Do you use too much DATED COMMENTARY in your podcast? [48:43] How you can get in touch with the incredible Steve Stewart. www.SteveStewart.me www.AudacityWorkshop.com Podcast Editors Facebook Group Heil PR-40 ATR 2500 ATR 2100 (Steve’s recommended, least expensive mic for guests) Zencastr Skype Getting Things Done (book) Trello My video demo of how I use Trello for episode ideas and publication Dan Miller BOOK: No More Mondays You Can Book.me Schedule Once Calendly Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

Subscribe to Podcastification | Contact the PFT Team Share your enthusiasm… and make me feel really good at the same time!   It is hard to stay encouraged in any pursuit in life - simply because discouraging things come up against your efforts. I’ve found podcasting to be that way - IN SPADES! There seem to be so many things - from the rest of life to the technology hurdles - that make it hard to stay consistent and encouraged when it comes to keeping your show alive and the vision you first had for it front and center. That’s why I invited a podcasting veteran to be on the show today. And he’s not just a veteran, he’s like the Grand-Daddy-Grand-Poobah of podcasting. I’m talking about Rob Greenlee - a guy who was doing podcasting before it was podcasting. Seriously, you need to hear his story to see how that was even possible. It’s all on this episode. I want you to stay encouraged, because you have great things to publish on your podcast. On this episode of Podcastification, Rob Greenlee digs into the archives of his past to share some of the most discouraging and difficult things he faced in those early years - and he follows it up with sage advice for those of us who are coming behind him on the podcasting journey. His advice about how to stay encouraged is practical, down to earth, and stuff you can implement right away, so be sure you take the time to hear what he’s got to say. Rob’s track record proves that he truly cares about you being the success we all know you can be! How Microsoft shut down podcasting WAY before Apple came along. One of the most interesting little bits of trivia Rob Greenlee shared on this episode is a little-known fact about podcasting from the history of a mega-company that is not even remotely associated with podcasting today - Microsoft. Listen in to hear how Microsoft had all the technology in place to make podcasting simple and possible for the average person and then made the decision to pull the plug on it entirely. Oops! You’ll get a kick out of it - and learn a lesson or two from Rob along the lines of - where your mindset is, your actions will follow! Outline of this conversation about staying encouraged [2:09] Rob’s experience with podcasting before it was podcasting. Yep. [5:36] How Rob’s passion for marketing led him to podcasting. [10:44] The obstacles and discouragement Rob faced and how he pushed through them. [13:41] How do you carve out the time to produce a quality podcast? [20:20] The things Rob has seen that most commonly sidetrack podcasters. [26:11] Rob’s role at Spreaker - and what Spreaker is. [28:34] Advice for fairly new podcasters to endure the slog. [31:43] How to determine if your podcast is bringing the ROI you want. [34:28] Why podcasting needs to be seen as a marathon, not a sprint. www.Spreaker.com www.blog.Spreaker.com www.SpreakerLiveShow.com www.NewMediaShow.com Blubrry Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

Subscribe to Podcastification | Contact the PFT Team The better your connections with your listeners - the better your connection with the EXACT people who can propel your podcast and brand forward. Just think about the way people feel connected to Apple or Southwest Airlines, or Tom’s Shoes - those things don’t happen by accident. And YOU have the opportunity to make it EASIER and MORE CONVENIENT for your listening audience to connect with you… and I’m going to tell you a way that you can do it, on this episode of Podcastification. What I cover on this episode about making better connections: [2:03] Using the description portion of podcast apps to your (and your listener’s) advantage. [6:49] Where do you put all your cool information? This needs some explaining... [9:31] Do you know what feed you fed to iTunes? [12:15] Where do you post all your cool info that will help you make better connections with your audience ? [14:54] My best practices for what to post in your description (but make up your own mind). [19:40] Timestamps can be VERY useful to your listeners. Here’s how to include them. [21:22] Images can help your listeners trust you more. Talk about better connections! Trust is what you want! [23:09] Help your not-so-savvy listeners know HOW they can use your resources (it’s called marketing). [24:59] Helping your listeners help you (and them). Do you know what feed you fed to iTunes? If you’re going to make full use of the process I describe in this episode to better connect with your listeners, you’re going to need where your podcast feed is coming from. What? You don’t know what a podcast feed, is? That’s OK - I’ll tell you on this episode. But MORE IMPORTANTLY, I’m going to tell you exactly how to DISCOVER where your podcast feed is coming from and make use of that information to best effect. Sounds like a super-secret-government-conspiracy. But it’s not. It’s just learning the tech that is at your disposal to give yourself more opportunities to build better connections with your listening audience. What is the point of making better connections with your listeners? Whether or not you are using your podcast to generate money or not, if you think about the connections you make with your listeners from a marketing perspective, I think you will easily see why it's vital that you get this right. Your listeners are not just leads for whatever you are promoting, they are hot leads. They have self-selected to listen to your show and to receive counsel from you as their expert. That means they are chomping at the bit to receive your advice, apply it, and possibly even purchase whatever you create. And they are more likely to take that final step if they know, like, and trust you. That means they need to be connected to you in a way that they feel comfortable with. Are you getting my drift? Find out how to use the current technology to make it easier for them to make those connections with you, on this episode. Pocketcasts Libsyn (podcast hosting) iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, iHeart Radio Blubrry PowerPress Plugin Podbean Regan Starr’s feed discovery tool HTML cleaner (pre-Libsyn step when copying from a doc of any kind) Blogtalk Radio The Regan Starr interface for locating your feed address (click for a larger image) Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

One of the reasons we do interviews at all is because we want the value a great conversation can bring to our show. But there’s both an art and a skill to pulling it off. I’ve learned - through a lot of mistakes and by watching others - that there are some very practical things you can do in order to turn the odds of having great conversations with your guests in your favor. That’s what this episode of Podcastification is all about - my lessons-learned. [2:21] Why you need to show up on time and get off on the right foot. There is never a second-chance to make a first impression - so you want to be sure you NAIL things when you first connect with your guest in person. That means being professional and respecting their time by showing up on time when you said you would. But that’s just one piece of making your conversation truly great. And you’re in luck - I’m going to walk you through those issues, as I see them, on this episode. [4:02 ] Pre-recording small-talk. It’s a valuable thing. I’ve been on a number of podcasts myself as a guest and I’m often surprised at how LITTLE small-talk goes on before some of those conversations. The host doesn’t take time to truly get to know me, understand what’s important to me, or find out how they can best highlight what I’ve got to share in order to be of the greatest value to their audience. I prefer to go another way. In this episode, I’m walking you through what I try to do with each guest to make for great conversations that my audience actually enjoys listening to. I hope you take the time to listen. [6:27] My pre-recording checklist - and why I go through it WITH my guest. If you don’t have a pre-recording checklist that you use every single time you do a podcast interview, you are probably making the same minor mistakes over and over again. I’ve learned that I can’t trust my brain to remember everything, every time - so I have created a checklist for myself to ensure that the important stuff is not overlooked. So… if you want to hear what I include on my checklist, I’m happy to share it - and I do on this episode. [16:25] Once you hit the “record” button - don’t start your conversation just yet. I know you’re eager to get started with that great conversation with your ideal guest - but once you hit the record button, don’t launch into your interview questions just yet. There are a few very small but very key things you need to do to ensure that your conversation actually makes it on-air in the way you are envisioning. It’s part of what makes great conversations as impactful as they can be, so don’t miss this important step! [18:12] How to have great conversations with your guests? Focus on the emotion. I’m not a particularly emotional guy, but as I’ve become a bit older and have grown in my relationships I’ve discovered that everybody speaks the language of emotion. And the more I can get my podcast guests to share on that level the more it impacts my audience and the more it makes for a great conversation with them. On this episode I’m going to tell you what I’ve learned when it comes to sharing on an emotional level and how I, as the podcast host, can get my guests to share on more of an emotional level as well. If you can learn this one - you’ll be on your way to great conversations that you can feature on your podcast. Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

On Ep 58 of Podcastification - Rob is the Guest and talks with Carey Green all about Stats - what matters, what doesn't and more.     http://www.podcastfasttrack.com/58  

In the last episode of Podcastification I gave you my best tips on getting that ideal podcast guest to say “Yes” to your invitation to be your show. Today I’m going to take you to the next step. What do you do once a guest has agreed to be on your show? Are there things you can do to help them prepare, make the most of the opportunity, and get the best recording possible? Is the Pope Catholic? On this episode we’ll be covering a TON of helpful things you can do to make the guest at home on your show, ready to give their best, and able to help YOU promote and publicize it powerfully. [2:43] Step 1: Get the info you need to make it a great interview. Your podcast guest is just that - YOUR GUEST. You need to practice some good old fashioned hospitality and help them do their very best on your show. It’s your responsibility to bring out the great value they can deliver to your audience - and that starts with helping them to help you as you prepare for the conversation. This episode has some very practical tips and tools to help you set up an efficient system that enables your guest to EASILY give you the info you need and set the stage for a great interview and a powerful promotional effort on both your parts. [6:49] The kinds of things you NEED from your podcast guest (stuff to ask for). [15:38] What kind of instructions does your podcast guest need? Whether your podcast guest has ever been interviewed for a podcast before or not, they’ve never been on YOUR show before, right? You have particular things you do and specific things you’re looking to get out of your interviewees - and your guest knows nothing about those. On this episode I’m going to help you think through the things your guest needs to know in order to bring their A-game to your conversation, optimize their side of the recording for great audio, and make it an enjoyable and valuable experience for your listeners. [19:18] Why it’s good to provide your podcast guests with a “best practice” sheet. It’s a great idea to provide your podcast guests with a sheet of some kind that they can keep for easy reference that tells them the best practices for being on your show. What sort of things should go on that list? Here’s a short-list: and you can hear them broken down in detail on this episode of Podcastification. Emphasize that you want to promote them in best light possible. Tell them you will go over some of this again briefly when you connect. Ask them to plan to record in a quiet setting with a low amount of echo. Encourage them to be mindful of sitting still (no activity, driving, treadmill). Let them know to use a hard-wired computer connection (not wifi). Emphasize that they need to use an external mic. Here are my recommendations in order of preference: USB microphone, USB headset, earbud microphone. Stress that they must wear headphones, earbuds. Ask them to turn off all external speakers from computer (and other noisemakers). www.PodcastFastTrack.com/59 - Part 1 of this episode Google Forms Zencastr AND the tutorial video I created Ringr (affiliate link) - AND the tutorial video I created AT-2100 microphone AT-2005 microphone Rode (microphones) Blue microphones   Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

Contact Carey at Carey@PodcastFastTrack.com - visit the show at www.Podcastification.com  Podcast statistics can be one of two things - incredibly intimidating or incredibly intoxicating. Which is it for you? Since there’s so much ignorance and plain old misinformation out there about stats for your podcast I thought I’d invite Rob Walch, V.P. of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn to be on the podcast to tell us the TRUTH about stats. In this conversation we talk about download numbers, what they mean and where they come from, how they impact your iTunes ranking, whether New and Noteworthy is impacted by downloads, myths about podcast statistics, deep level stats and how to use them, Twitter bombing, and more. As always, it’s an entertaining conversation with Rob. You only have to listen to the beginning teaser to figure that one out! [5:06] Checking your stats multiple times a day? You’ve got a problem. ;) There are addictions of all kinds - and podcast statistics can be one of those. On this episode Rob tells us the kind of responses he gets from people when the Libsyn stats system is in maintenance mode for a few hours, why he thinks it’s unhealthy and unproductive for you to check your stats more than once a week, and how you can do that weekly checkup most effectively. It’s worth listening to whether you're the addict or apathetic. I guarantee you’ll learn something. [12:20] How do you REALLY get into the iTunes New and Noteworthy listing? And does it matter? There are tons of theories out there about how you can get your show into the iTunes New and Noteworthy section. But very few of them even hint at the REAL way your show can get into N&N. And it doesn’t really have to do with your podcast stats. Honest. Rob Walch speaks to the issue on this episode and clarifies the kind of “bump” to your downloads you might see if you do happen to get into N&N, and why it’s not what you really need to be focused on. [21:04] Common myths about podcast statistics - and what the truth is. [23:55] Geography, traffic sources, technology: Do those stats matter for your podcast? Libsyn and most other podcast media hosts are going to provide some pretty details statistics for your show. But do you know how to use them? There is a ton of insight in your stats dashboard and on this episode Rob shares how to interpret them and gives some practical examples of how to use them to make more money and understand exactly where you need to improve to gain more listeners. [39:58] What IS twitter bombing and why does it mess up your stats?   You can reach Rob Walch at Rob@Libsyn.com  Libsyn Lore Podcast Overcast App PocketCasts App iTunes App Casper Mattress Hello Fresh Storyworth Stitcher Google Play iHeart Radio Safari Firefox Mozilla Podcast Addict App Chrome Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

Connect with Carey: Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter Do you record interviews with guests for your podcast? Have you ever run into a situation where something goes wrong with the connection? Skype crashes. The voice of your guest is delayed. Every other word is a stuttering nightmare. It’s not uncommon and it’s not something you can always correct. But there are things you can do ahead of time to make the likelihood of technical problems less when you record interviews. That’s what this quick-and-to-the-point episode of Podcastification is all about. [2:49] Three words: or two if you are a pro-hyphen person: Hard-wired connection. We’re so used to using wifi for everything it’s hard sometimes to remember that there is another (better) alternative. If you can at all arrange for your computer to be connected directly into your router via an ethernet cable, you’ll do away with some possible points of weakness in your interview recording setup. You won’t be sharing bandwidth with other devices in your home, microwave ovens, cordless landline phones, or anything else. You’ll have a dedicated connection that goes DIRECTLY into your internet service that will make things a lot more stable when you record interviews. [4:51] When you’re recording interviews, do you REALLY need those programs open? One of the things I run into during my workday is that the longer I’ve been working, the more tabs or browser windows or programs I have open on my computer. It’s great to have them available so easily, but when it comes to recording interviews over a distance (Skype, Ringr, etc.) those open windows can be a possible failure point. On this episode, I walk you through the “why” behind the issue and give you some suggestions you should consider, including the most common problem programs that work in the background and disrupt the smooth operation of your computer memory while you’re doing your interview recordings. [7:50] Everything on this episode applies to the guest you are recording an interview with. That’s right. You can take everything you hear on this episode of Podcastification and apply it to thing son the other end of the line. Your guest needs to be coached by you - the podcaster - in what THEY can do to ensure that you get the best quality recording possible and avoid things that could disrupt your recording and cause you and them to have to set aside time later to record a second time. Nobody likes to waste time, so be sure to pass this information along to your guests too. When you record interviews for your podcast, you need these tips! Skype Ringr (affiliate) Zencastr Dropbox Google Drive Box

We all love our podcasts. But there are aspects of producing them that we HATE (or at least don’t love as much). One of those for many people is the AMOUNT OF TIME it takes to do the actual audio production - from recording through uploading to their media host. On this episode of Podcastification I’m going to teach you how I use what I call a Podcast Template to make my audio recording and editing process even faster - saving me as much as 4 and half hours per year! [2:17] What do I MEAN by a podcast template? What I refer to as a podcast template is a pre-set project in my audio editing software (Audacity) that already contains the ongoing elements of my podcast episodes. So things like intro, outro, transition sounds, sponsor messages - all of those things are preloaded into my template and saved to ensure that I don’t have to re-import or recreate them time after time after time throughout the life of my podcast. This episode is meant to give you a peek into my process so you can develop a process of your own. It’s not the only way to do it, but it’s MY way - and I like it! [4:41] The steps I take to create my podcast template. OK, this section is the practical part. I spare you no boring details here - you’re going to learn what I do, step by boring step, to ensure that my podcast template is setup properly so that I can save time in the future as I record my episodes. Grab a cup of coffee - or something stronger. You’re going to need it. :) [14:25] The most important part of building a podcast audio template. In recording this episode of Podcastification, I not only wanted to teach you how to build your own podcast template for making your audio production process smoother and faster - I also wanted to save you the excruciating heartache that comes from building a template like I’m showing you and then losing it. The most important part of building your podcast template is not building the template. Can you guess what it is? [16:45] Best practices for using your template in the future. A template like I describe on this episode can be used in a variety of ways - and two of the most common are for recording your own “solo” episodes, or live episodes you do using a mixer and additional microphones or audio sources. But you can also use this kind of template with Skype or Ringr recordings. The last thing I teach you on this episode is exactly how a podcast template like this works in those situations. Thanks for listening! You’re the best! Audacity Free Recording Software Adobe Audition Hindenburg Journalist Logic Pro GarageBand Rory Vaden Ringr (affiliate link) Zencastr Skype Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

If you are at the point that you’re considering a podcast editing service, there are many things you need to keep in mind to ensure that you find the RIGHT service to fit your needs. I’ve been running a podcast editing service since early 2013 and know that most people discover what I’m about to share with you - the hard way! But I don’t want that for you. I want you to find the podcast editing service that is a perfect fit for the things you need. Why wouldn’t I just tell you to hire me? A couple of simple reasons: #1 - My podcast editing company is not the only game in town that can do good quality work for you (though I do think we’re the best). And #2 - I know that the way we do business and the values we hold to are not going to be the best fit for everyone. So, it only makes sense for me to help you find the exact people who can best serve you when it comes to editing your episodes week to week. That’s what this episode of Podcastification is all about: 10 Tips To Help You Find The Right Podcast Editing Service. Outline of this episode [1:20] What kind of things should be asking a podcast editing service? [2:05] If you’re not aligned in terms of values, you’re asking for trouble. [3:37] Find out the company’s editing philosophy. [5:21] Do you have to provide guidance episode to episode? [7:24] They have current clients, don’t they? Find out all you can! [8:29] Listen to their work! [10:17] Will you have an editor assigned to your show? [12:14] Does the company have streamlined systems? [14:12] Is there a commitment to clear communication? [16:10] Where is your podcast editing team based? [18:27] The issue of pricing in finding the right podcast editing service. Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

Every podcaster wants BIG podcast download numbers. I mean, we hear about amazing accomplishments when it comes to downloads - like Mark Maron’s episode with President Obama, or the most recent episode of Dan Carlin’s “Hardcore History” that got 1 million downloads in 24 hours - and let’s admit it. We’re a bit jealous. OK, not a bit. A LOT jealous. But podcast download numbers are not all created equal. When you hear about a show like Hardcore History that accomplishes such an amazing and impressive number of downloads, you need to know that there are facts about the show, the way the downloads happen, and the behind-the-scenes stuff that you don’t know about - that make it IMPOSSIBLE to legitimately compare your show to that show. On this episode I’m walking through some of those very real issue so that YOU won’t be so discouraged when your numbers are nowhere even CLOSE to that. In fact, there’s a lot of reason for you to be very ENCOURAGED. :) So HOW SHOULD you think about downloads? What really IS a good number of downloads to expect from your normal, niche specific, podcast - a podcast like yours? For the answer to that I reached out to a colleague of mine, Rob Walch who’s one of the outstanding folks over at Libsn - the big-dog media host in the podcasting space - and as Rob is wont to do, he pulled out the stats to give me the real picture of what are truly good numbers of downloads and what podcast download stats we shouldn’t even be paying attention to. I think you’re going to hear something from what Rob shares that is first of all - unbelievable - but secondly, very encouraging. Really. It is. But, the download numbers are NOT what really matters! I KNOW, I KNOW, Facebook and other social media platforms have us ADDICTED to knowing how many people are liking or tweeting or listening to or reading our stuff. For that reason those kind of numbers are rightly referred to as VANITY metrics because they make us feel good more than anything else. Download stats can become the same sort of self-encouragement. And that’s not ALWAYS a bad thing. But there are OTHER things that the numbers tell us that are MUCH more important than the simple fact of what the number is. It’s what the download numbers represent to a podcaster (like you) who truly cares about his/her audience, who is trying to add maximum value to the people who listen to their podcast. I’ve got an example from my past to help you get a handle on how you should look at your podcast download numbers that I think will help. You can hear it on this episode of Podcastification. Come on, it’s a short episode - what do you have to lose? Outline of this episode [1:18] The allure of high download stats and why they can’t be trusted. [1:54] The things about huge downloads you need to understand. [4:05] What ARE good podcast download numbers? [6:08] Looking at the numbers the RIGHT way.   Dan Carlin’s Hard Core History www.PodcastFastTrack.com/43 Happy Black Woman Podcast Rob over at Libsyn Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

If you haven’t noticed there are LOTS of podcast editing services popping up these days. And no wonder - there are more than 1000 new podcasts being added to iTunes every day! But the reality of more services popping up often brings up the question of whether you really should be doing audio editing at all on your podcast. It’s not a simple issue, but I’m going to tackle it - from my perspective as a podcast editor and show notes creator - on this episode of Podcastification. Should you hire someone to edit your podcast? It really comes down to the time VS money issue for most podcasters. It’s hard to really KNOW if it’s worth the money to have your podcast audio edited every week. After all, it can wind up being a sizeable amount if you’re not careful - or if you get the wrong company or freelancer working on your show. Keep in mind, it’s not just the quality of audio you want to be concerned about - you also need to be conscious of the amount of time you’re having to invest in communication, back and forth file exchanges, etc. Ideally, a podcast editing service should be set up in a “set it and forget it” sort of way so that when you are paying for someone else to do your editing - you’re not having to do ANYTHING from the time you hit the “stop” button on your recording software and upload the file to Dropbox. On this episode, I’m going to give you the formula I use to easily figure out if it’s worth the money to hire a podcast editing service or not. The numbers don’t lie. And what about hiring someone from the Philippines or India to do your audio editing? Isn’t that cheaper? Uh… yes. Cheaper in many ways in most cases. Ways you won’t want to experience. Without getting into the details that I cover in this episode, I’ll just say this: Savings in dollars is not the only consideration. You want to be assured that the quality, dependability, and EASE OF COMMUNICATION between you and your audio editing service is of just as high of an importance as the money you save. So… with that said, you should take the time to listen to this episode. It’s under 10 minutes, so I KNOW you’ve got the time. :) If you are going to resist the urge to hire a podcast editing service or company, here are some resources to help you do a better job on your own edits. Not everyone is ready - either financially or emotionally - to outsource something as important as their podcast audio editing. Knowing that I’ve provided a couple of great resources to help you learn how to edit better so that you can keep doing it yourself with a heightened degree of quality. I cover Audacity, Adobe Audition, Logic Pro, and even Hindenburg. So if you want to do your audio editing yourself - you need to hear about these resources. Outline of this episode [1:18] How much editing should you do on your podcast? 3 editing philosophies. [3:30] The time VS value issue. [4:53] Should you do your editing yourself or hire a podcast editing service? [6:13] What can you expect to pay for good podcast editing? [7:17] Can you find someone from other countries to do your editing cheaper? [9:28] How you can get 15% off your first month our editing service for your podcast. www.AudacityForPodcasting.com Adobe Course for $15 on Udemy Logic Pro Course for $15 on Udemy Hindenburg Tutorial Videos for Free Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

If you want to stand out from the crowd as a podcaster, you’re going to have to up your game. I don’t care how professional or expert you are in what you do as a business, if you want to grow your podcast audience you’ve got to give your potential listeners more reasons to listen to your show above all the others in your niche. Make YOUR needle stand out from the haystack You’ve really got to start thinking differently about getting your podcast heard. It’s no longer a “record it and they will listen” world. There are over 2100 NEW podcasts being published every day. EVERY DAY. That’s a lot of noise you’ve got to cut through. The good news is that many of those shows are absolute JUNK. But there are probably just as many that aren’t. And when it comes to the ones that are in your same niche, you’ve got to stand out from the crowd, to be head and shoulders above them in terms of quality, content, and production values. So how do you do it? How do you stand out from the crowd? That’s what this episode of Podcastification is all about. I’m going to share ? things you can do to improve your podcast in ways that make it better than the other shows in your niche. If you don’t do something, believe me, YOUR COMPETITION WILL! So don’t get left behind. Don’t blend into the the crowd. Don’t let your show sink into the iTunes directory of obscurity (there really IS a category like that. You didn’t know? ;). You’ve got to up your game. Blending in is no longer an option. Here’s how you can up your game. Outline of this episode [1:18] The reality of the competition you face as a podcaster. [2:12] Audio quality matters more than ever these days if you want to stand out. [5:54] The one thing that can get people to click on your show above the others. [8:50] The different types of intros and outros that can make a difference. [10:39] One of the reasons you might consider unique music for your show. [12:02] The REAL power of GOOD QUALITY audio editing. [13:35] Speak directly to your listener - your IDEAL listener. [15:49] How unique is your perspective on your topics? It matters. Audacity Audio Technica 2005 microphone Audio Technica 2100 microphone www.PodcastFastTrack.com/clients Check out my custom music (and contact me for a deal) https://podcastsconnect.apple.com/ - Go change your cover art to stand out! Connect with me… Carey(AT)PodcastFastTrack.com On Facebook On Twitter

Welcome to the Merchants of Dirt Podcast Episode #8, hosted by Reckoneer.com founder Kyle M. Bondo. This is your insider’s guide to practical recreational engineering where I teach you the art and science of building, promoting, and directing off-road races. In this episode, we’ll hear the interview I gave to Carey Green from Podcastification at DC Podfest last month that goes into why I started the Merchants of Dirt Podcast, how it relates to building your first race, and why building races is essential to the survival of the off-road racing industry. And I will introduce you to the principles of a profitable race where you will begin to understand why having standards will help you make better decisions, make you money, and stay in business longer than five minutes.

Listen to session #12 of The Podcast Engineering Show! Listen and Subscribe in iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, Android, RSS. My guest is Carey Green, founder of Podcast Fast Track, host of Podcastification, and creator of an Audacity video course. We discussed: Templates Auphonic Keyboard shortcuts Digital Spitfish (de-esser function) Thank you for being a great guest, Carey! DID YOU KNOW........We exist for the purpose of helping you, so please comment below with any questions or remarks. Thanks for listening! Want to Start a Business or Have a Career as a Podcast Producer/Engineer? Listen and Subscribe in iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, Android, RSS

Is your old podcast audio doomed to obscurity? As you may know from listening to previous episodes of Podcastification, one of the things I absolutely HATE about podcasting is that I create this great audio content (one of my shows has over 90 episodes of past interviews and instruction) and once it has it’s initial […]

Podcast music is something that makes a show stand out... in good ways and bad ways.Your podcast can STAND OUT in a bad way if YOU USE COPYRIGHTED MUSIC AND GET SUED. Your podcast can STAND OUT in a good way if you use music that makes your audience think of you, and ONLY YOU! So where can you find podcast music that is legal and gets you noticed in the good way?That's what I'm going to cover on this episode of Podcastification... here's the links to the sites I mention: ROYALTY FREE MUSIC (means you pay a small fee, download the music, and use it. But others can use it too) http://www.InstantMusicNow.com (www.InstantMusicNow.com) http://www.PartnersInRhyme.com (www.PartnersInRhyme.com) http://www.Opuzz.com (www.Opuzz.com) http://www.NeoSounds.com (www.NeoSounds.com) http://www.MusicRadioCreative.com (www.MusicRadioCreative.com) CUSTOM MUSIC (means you pay for something that is only for you... often you'll have to pay extra for a license to own it as well) http://www.PodcastThemes.com (www.PodcastThemes.com) http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/contact (www.PodcastFastTrack.com/contact) We do https://podcastfasttrack.com/professional-music-or-voice-over/ (custom podcast music) based on tracks you like. You get: Two 30 second pieces to choose from You choose one of the pieces They'll never be sold to anyone else You get a license to use it how you want, forever What do we do with the podcast music track you didn't choose? We keep them in a "hopper" for people to buy at $99 per track. Same usage rights. Same sole ownership rights. If you'd like to listen to them, https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5S57nVDrkyjflBFRGVjVTIzUm1hRkl3anlTWERBZkJ6Ym1LR052d2NNUDEzcTkwaXBtQUE (you can go here to do that)!

Is your old podcast audio doomed to obscurity?As you may know from listening to previous episodes of Podcastification, one of the things I absolutely HATE about podcasting is that I create this great audio content (one of my shows has over 90 episodes of past interviews and instruction) and once it has it's initial blast of buzz, it's gone into the realms of internet obscurity. I hate that. But I love it at the same time. Because it gives ME the opportunity, the challenge, the HIGH CALLING to get those episodes BACK into the light of day - somehow. In this episode of Podcastification I'll be revealing to you ONE MORE way that you and your team can get your old podcast content repurposed to be of benefit to your audience once again.It's short - and worth listening to. And if you'd like to talk to me about doing this very thing for you... it's part of what my team does. You can contact me at Carey(at)PodcastFastTrack(dot)com

There is a two-fold problem when it comes to writing truly epic show notes Good show notes have to be optimized, which takes a certain degree of expertise. As with any blog post or web page, optimization includes some or all of the following: Keyword research (the most time-consuming part) Formatting that makes best use of those keywords and related phrases Proper use and optimization of images Formatting that is easy to scan, so readers can find exactly what they're looking for. All of that takes extra time, which most podcasters don't have. I know the headaches of being a part-time podcaster. I began doing my first podcast as part of a side-hustle while I was working full time at another job. I also know the headache of having to do something like show notes when there appear to be so many other pressing things to make my full-time business more profitable and effective. So if you want to do quality show notes, there are only two solutions: You figure out a system that enables you to do the job in the least amount of time possible. You outsource it. I don't know any other solutions. This episode of Podcastification is all about the first of those two options. I want to equip you by sharing the system the Podcast Fast Track team uses to write quality show notes. So, here we go into the process... Create a bullet point outline of the episode as you do the edits on your recording. I know there are a variety of approaches to recording a podcast. Some of you create a bullet point outline to begin with that serves as the talking points of your episode. I've talked about how to do that that on a previous episode. You can find that at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/PodcastScript. If that's how you approach your podcast recording, you've already got this step done. Congratulations! The reason the Podcast Fast Track team pulls out a bullet point outline first is because it's the easiest and most effective thing to do while editing. Main topics are easy to hear and write down on fast speed without losing our place (yes, we use fast play speed while editing). This enables us to get a firm grasp of the entire episode's content the first time through, which will enable us to do our keyword research before we write the full show notes. Did you notice that I said we do all this while editing? That may sound like crazy multi-tasking, and in one sense it is. We search high and low to find people skilled at both audio production and writing so we can optimize our process in this way. If you know someone like that, I'd love to hear from them (carey@podcastfasttrack.com). Making this a high priority enables us to make the entire process faster without sacrificing quality. If you're going to take this approach (pulling out bullet points while editing) , it will require you to develop the skill of listening for audio that needs to be edited while you ALSO listen for changes in topic. You can do it, it's really not all that hard. After 2 or 3 times, you'll have it down. A tip to make it easier is this: On interview style shows, the questions the host asks usually indicate a topic worthy of its own bullet point. One other thing: The Podcast Fast Track team also inserts [TIME STAMPS] on the bullet point outline. That means one additional thing we're doing as we listen/edit/write - we're watching the editing software closely and making a note of the time stamp when we create a bullet point. It sounds complex, but again, it's something you can train yourself to do and will not be that difficult after a few times of doing it. Why do we include time stamps? It's part of what we provide to readers to make the post more scannable, more consumable. It's all about the end user in our minds. That's step one - the bullet point outline. Once you have a good bullet point outline of the audio recording, you're ready to move on to the next step... Do keyword research based on your bullet point outline. Once you've listened to the audio all the way through, you have a very good idea of the main topic of the episode. The first thing my team does is try to boil down that main topic in one, punchy sentence. We'll come up with 3 or 4 of these - and we write them down. In the end these may serve as our post title or some sub-headings, but for now, they simply help us solidify the main topic in our minds. Then we take that topic as the starting point for our keyword research. How do we do keyword research? We type our main keyword, or keyword phrase into a google search - then we look at the "related searches" at the bottom of the resulting page. That gives us a great idea what people are searching for surrounding that topic. You can also use the Google Adwords Keyword Planner. It's designed to figure out good Google Ad campaigns, but using the "Find new keywords" tab, you can get a good idea of the popularity and phrasing of searches surrounding your topic. There are some other "free" keyword research tools you can use - http://keywordtool.io - http://www.spyfu.com - and http://ubersuggest.com/ among some of the simplest and best. But if our team feels they've gotten a good grasp on the popular searches that are going on around the topic of our audio through Google search and/or the Keyword tool, we'll move on from there. Remember, we're trying to maximize efficiency and save time in our process. What do we do with our keyword research results? We open up our Google Doc, the one where we've already placed our bullet point outline, and at the TOP of the page, where we can easily see it, we type or paste in our list of keywords and keyword phrases. These will serve as reminders to us of what we're aiming to rank for as we write our show notes. And that takes us to step #3... Start writing our show notes - a 500 word (or more) summary of the audio. This step is pretty involved - a lot goes into it - so it's going to be the topic of our next episode of Podcastification. Show notes call to action... What is your biggest takeaway from what I've shared so far? What are you going to DO as a result? I'd love for you to share your thoughts in the comments of this episode, on the show notes page at www.PodcastFastTrack.com/shownotes2 And if you've heard enough and simply want to hire my team to do all this for you... we'd be happy to consider your needs. We've got a pretty demanding load of clients, and can be kind of picky with who we work with as a result, but if you're willing to talk, so are we. Contact me at carey@podcastfasttrack.com

Sound quality really, really, really matters for your podcast show. If you want to know how much I believe that to be the case you should go back and listen to Podcastification episode #2 – www.PodcastFastTrack.com/editingmatters One of the most difficult places to ensure that the sound quality is the best it can be is […]

Sound quality really, really, really matters for your podcast show.If you want to know how much I believe that to be the case you should go back and listen to Podcastification episode #2 - http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/editingmatters (www.PodcastFastTrack.com/editingmatters) One of the most difficult places to ensure that the sound quality is the best it can be is when you are doing guest interviews or having a conversation with a guest to the show. When you introduce a person to your show who is not familiar with audio production or sound quality issues - you've just introduced a whole slew of variables into your show that can seriously impact the sound quality. Some of the more common sound quality issues a guest can introduce to your show are:They don't have a good microphone. The only microphone they have is a "phone" mic and it keeps rubbing against their shirt. They keep bumping the desk the mic is setting on or the microphone itself. Dogs, doorbells, cell phones, children, email sounds, etc. They don't speak into the microphone. They are too close to the microphone (pops, harsh "S" sounds, and other http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Plosives (plosives) - yes, that's what they're called). Their input volume is turned up too much. Etc., etc., etc. In this episode I'm going to take just a few moments to run through some of the simplest remedies to most of those problems. Remedy #1: Prepare your guests If your guest doesn't know anything about sound quality and what it takes to get good sound quality in an audio recording, it's your job as the host to kindly and briefly educate them. Now I know this is a contested point. I heard one podcaster say just a week or so ago that he doesn't want to add any additional burden to his busy guest's schedule by asking them to do anything extra before the recording. I get that - but I disagree. If the people you're interviewing care anything about their own brand and image, they will appreciate you helping them sound the very best they can for your audience - which may at least in part, become their audience after your interview. So what I usually do to prepare my guests is this: I send them a one-page PDF document that outlines some of the issues that I need them to take care of BEFORE we start recording. I know other podcasters who create a page on their website with the same information, to which they point their guests ahead of time. You can find a copy of my PDF document which you are free to tweak and make your own, in my resource center at http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/resources (www.PodcastFastTrack.com/resources) . But so you don't have to wait to download it... here's a quick blast through the document to give you an idea of the kinds of things I include: FOR MY GUESTS I can't thank you enough for being willing to come on my show. I'm confident that your experience and expertise will be of great value to my listeners. I just wanted to give you a quick bullet list of things that you can do to prepare for our conversation. I want you and your brand to be represented in the best possible light, so please read through the list below and make any of the suggested adjustments you are able to make prior to our conversation. Following these suggestions will enable us to make the most of our time. Visit the necessary "personal room" before our scheduled time to chat. Have a glass of water nearby during our chat… you'll probably need it. If you think you might reference any websites or links, please have them open and ready so you don't have to hunt for them during the conversation. Turn off all non-essential programs on your computer to enable our recording to happen with less potential for technical glitches. Please use a wired computer connection (not wireless) if at all possible. Find a quiet place for our conversation. Make sure all potential noise-makers are turned off or taken care of ahead of time (phones, email, children,...

The best podcast education money can’t buy… what does THAT mean? It’s my not-so-clever way of introducing you to this, my new podcast about podcasting. Yeah, I know there are a lot of great podcasts about podcasting already going. Let me assure you, I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel here, just trying to let […]