Podcastification - podcasting tips, podcast tricks, how to podcast better

Podcastification - podcasting tips, podcast tricks, how to podcast better

Podcastificating the world, one listener at a time.A fun look at podcasting, its challenges and triumphs, and the tech, tips & tricks, and strategies that impact the world of everyday podcasters like you and me. I'm a regular guy who's been swept up in the podcastificating world of podcasting. I've build a business to support podcasters and content providers and love passing along my hard-learned lessons about podcasting, production, and editing, as well as my take on the technology that's available and the news that's affecting the podcasting space. Short episodes. Fun episodes. Very sparsely populated with interviews here and there. Let me know what you think. I'd love your rating and review. And if you need help with your podcast production, show notes, etc. - my team is here to help. www.PodcastFastTrack.com

  1. 160: How two friends grew the Bourbon Pursuit podcast to multiple six figure income and started their own brand of bourbon, with Kenny Coleman

    02/22/2022

    160: How two friends grew the Bourbon Pursuit podcast to multiple six figure income and started their own brand of bourbon, with Kenny Coleman

    How successful can a niche podcast be?The answer likely depends on the niche. For example, back on episode 154 of this podcast Glenn Hebert, the personality and power behind The Horse Radio Network said this about his niche: ”(Annually) We are well into five figures, and you know, in our niche, we’ll probably never get to six figures. I don’t see us ever doing that.” But his comments are about an expensive and specific niche, horses. What about if the niche in question is broader but very popular? Like Bourbon?While he was still in college, Kenny Coleman became a fan of bourbon (makes sense) and got into the “Bourbon Culture” from there. His interest became a passion and his passion has turned into a multi-six-figure business, all built on the back of a podcast that happened to become very, very popular. My theory? Kenny pursued something he loved that many others were growing to love at the same time, and he saw an opportunity to serve people like himself. Kenny and Ryan started their podcast from scratch, just like the rest of usGo back and listen to episode 1 of The Bourbon Pursuit podcast (you can find it here). There was nothing super special about it. Just two guys with a mic (maybe two) who were talking about something they enjoyed — bourbon. They set the stage, gave listeners an idea what to expect, and asked for feedback. I love what they said at the end of that episode... “If we suck, let us know, if it’s good, let us know. If you think something else would be cool, let us know. We just want to learn and grow as we go.” That is KEY: Ask for feedbackNo matter what your niche is, you won’t be able to serve your audience well until you know what they want. So figure out ways to ask them... What do they want to learn?Who do they want to hear from in the niche?What kind of skills do they need?What are the pains they feel related to the niche? These days Kenny and Ryan do that through a community that is managed, run, and kept alive by members of their Patreon supporters. But back at the beginning, they had to figure out ways to do it. Annual surveys were a tool they used. Soliciting listener feedback episode to episode helped. And little by little, they were able to dial-in their demographic and know how to serve their audience better. Quality matters, both technically and in skill levelKenny and Ryan started their podcast about bourbon back in 2015. Bourbon back then was NOT the thing it is today. Today it’s cool, hip, trendy, etc. , but back then, it was just a hobby for enthusiasts. But that began to change. More bourbon-related podcasts started showing up and Kenny (the Executive Producer of the show) realized he’d have to figure out ways to make their show better than all the rest. So he up-leveled the equipment they used. He improved their interviewing skills. He shot for higher-level guests and topics listeners said they wanted to hear. And the podcast continued to grow. Burnout happens to all podcasters at some pointThere was a turning point when Kenny felt he was going to have to give up the podcast. He was working a full-time job, was married, and had a child, and he felt that he was being pulled in too many directions. Between his job and the podcast he was working 80 hours a week and knew that without any payoff coming from his efforts, it didn’t make sense to keep making the kind of sacrifices he was making. He was open about the situation on social media and a fan reached out and suggested they start a Patreon. Kenny didn’t even know what it was. If you dont, here’s the nutshell: Patreon allows fans to support you on a donation level. You can set it up in a way they donate monthly, or per-episode you...

    50 min
  2. 158: How Scott Johnson uses his head to create ongoing audience growth

    12/07/2021

    158: How Scott Johnson uses his head to create ongoing audience growth

    Every podcaster is looking for ways to grow her audience. Why? Hopefully, it's for reasons bigger than our own ego (if it's not, please — STOP podcasting right now). The best reason to work toward podcast audience growth is to better serve those who find our show interesting and or helpful. I know you agree with me, right? Scott Johnson is a guy who does that through a couple of podcasts, but the one we focus on in this conversation is what he calls his "passion project" — "What was that like?" It's an intriguing show that interviews real people about the bizarre and sometimes painful experiences they've had in life. (Check out this episode, "Robert was in a gunfight with pirates" to get a taste for yourself). Scott and I discuss the MAIN thing he's done to keep his audience growth heading upward — and it comes in THREE forms. He breaks it down on this episode. You'll enjoy this episode if you're interested in...the best ways to discover what kind of people listen to your podcasthow to find other podcasts that have a similar audience (listen to understand why this is important)making connections with the podcasters who host those showspartnering with other podcasters to grow your respective showsreal-life results that come from this strategypodcast mastermind groups: their benefits might surprise you Mentioned on this episode"What was that like?" - Scott's podcast discussed on this episode: https://whatwasthatlike.com/Scott's The Computer Tutor podcast: https://computertutorflorida.com/ MIDROLL: Podcast MastermindIf you're interested in growing your podcast by joining forces with other podcasters who are on their way to success (just like you), consider applying for the next Podcast Fast Track Podcast Mastermind. It's one of the best investments you can make in your podcast, hands-down. Not to mention the great ongoing cooperative relationships you'll make with other podcasters like yourself. APPLY FOR THE NEXT GROUP HERE. Other podcasters who share your audience are NOT your competitionOne of the things I've loved about podcasting ever since I started is the reality that it's a very cooperative space. Unlike other industries, podcasters seem more than generous to help others who are trying to grow a show just like they are. This conversation with Scott is an example (he's a very generous guy). Scott banks on that fact as part of his podcast audience growth strategy. It's an easy assumption to make because you know that other podcasters who your audience finds intriguing or interesting are attempting to grow their listenership just like you. Reaching out to them to investigate cooperative partnerships makes perfect sense. But it's not easy to do with all the SPAM hitting our inboxes these days. For that reason, I was super interested in finding out how Scott makes the most of his opportunities to partner with other podcasters. As I suspected, he doesn't use a copy-and-paste email template that can be modified for pseudo-personal outreach. He does the hard work required to ensure he's coming across genuinely and that his communication is cutting through the noise. Listen to find out the details because I ask him all the questions. What elements contribute to your audience growth outreach pitch being noticed?As I mentioned above, SPAM...

    46 min
  3. 157: Podcast Show Notes Best Practices and Strategy

    11/23/2021

    157: Podcast Show Notes Best Practices and Strategy

    For 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 sayAdd 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...

    35 min
  4. 156: How to monetize a hobby with Maria Failla

    11/09/2021

    156: How to monetize a hobby with Maria Failla

    If you feel you don't know enough about the topics you want to podcast about, you are in good companyMaria Failla began her podcast, Bloom & Grow Radio because she DIDN'T know enough about how to care for her plants and saw it as a great opportunity to talk to experts who did. And by the way, isn't that a GREAT name for a podcast? It comes from a line in Maria's favorite song from the musical, "The Sound of Music" - Edelweiss. I was eager to talk with Maria about her journey because as a client, I've seen her go from almost no audience to an amazing following and enthusiastic membership community that's quite astounding. The lessons she's learned are ones any podcaster can benefit from, especially if you're looking to serve your audience in bigger ways, build relationships with sponsors that benefit them long-term, and therefore, fuel your podcast, AND make your podcast a full-time living kind of thing eventually. All of that is true of Maria and it just might be possible for you too. Give her a chance to convince you of what's possible! What you'll learn from Maria's story[2:32] Maria's monetization story: Where she's at now[4:32] Niche podcast ad sales | speaking opportunities | membership community[7:18] The wandering path: Why Maria thought 10 episodes would be it for her show[11:10] The first steps of monetization Maria started taking[14:35] How to leverage the power of the fact that you are your target listener[19:36] How to move affiliate relationships to sponsor partnerships 🚨 Set up a MEMBERSHIP for your podcast In this episode, I mentioned that I have a very successful membership once your podcast is rolling. You'll hear Maria speak about how she's doing that if you listen (you ARE going to listen, right?). I use a platform called Supercast, which I describe at the midpoint of this conversation. HERE IS MY AFFILIATE LINK to Supercast... and remember, if you use my link to sign up for Supercast, I'll send you my "Supercast Walkthrough" video to help you get it set up and get started. And to see how Supercast works, here is the link I share with my podcast listers that provides more information about my podcast partnership (what I call it instead of a "membership"): https://CareyGreen.com/partners [27:17] The membership Maria has created sounds amazing... she shares how you can build one too![33:06] Premium tiers are coming to Maria's membership... here's how she's setting it up[36:01] How Maria's self-doubt and ignorance led her to a vulnerable approach to her topics (that has been SUPER successful)[38:10] Getting past the fear of asking people for money to support what you're doing[42:01] Being friends with your sponsors removes the tension from the financial relationship and makes things more fun[44:51] Why "Bespoke" podcast ads are THE WAY TO GO with your sponsor relationships (it's a game-changer for you and your sponsor) If you're not an expert in your niche, that may be an IDEAL reason to start a podcastMaria says that she never expected her podcast to get past 10 episodes. There were a handful of reasons for that but the main one was that she thought she would probably run out of questions and guests by then. But as she got into things, it became clear to her that not only did she have more and more questions as she went along, but the audience was benefitting greatly from the content she was producing.That led her to one of the key insights that have...

    52 min
4.8
out of 5
41 Ratings

About

Podcastificating the world, one listener at a time.A fun look at podcasting, its challenges and triumphs, and the tech, tips & tricks, and strategies that impact the world of everyday podcasters like you and me. I'm a regular guy who's been swept up in the podcastificating world of podcasting. I've build a business to support podcasters and content providers and love passing along my hard-learned lessons about podcasting, production, and editing, as well as my take on the technology that's available and the news that's affecting the podcasting space. Short episodes. Fun episodes. Very sparsely populated with interviews here and there. Let me know what you think. I'd love your rating and review. And if you need help with your podcast production, show notes, etc. - my team is here to help. www.PodcastFastTrack.com

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