Podcast Freq

I hate to do a post that starts talking about 2008 in November but I think it is wise to begin thinking about what has gone well, what you need to improve upon now so that you can start the new year with fresh goals and, of course fresh enthusiasm.

So here are some questions to start thinking about ready for a successful 2008.

1) What has gone well and how can you do more of that, next year?
2) What do you need to improve upon and what actions are you going to take?
3) How do you measure your success? If you don’t measure…do you need to and if you do measure what are the results saying to you? Then set new targets for next year.
4) One that I like to think about is “Ask not what podcasting can do for you, but what you can do for podcasting?” We, as podcasters, all have a responsibility to bring more consumers into the space, to generate a conversation about podcasting, to raise awareness of how easy listening and subscribing really is….what have you done for podcasting?
5) How do you plan to keep the show fresh, do you need to review your album art, your blog, your format?

This is not an exhaustive list and you need to think about your specific show - but the important thing is to make some time for creativity, for inspiration. Podcasting is time consuming and time is one thing that we are often short of…so invest a little before the year end to ensure 2008 starts with a bang!

podcasting, podcast, subscribing to podcasts, goals, conversation

Continuing the series on looking at podcasts and podcasters that are not part of the large corporate world and who I listen to because they either entertain, educate, inform or inspire me in life. Today I am looking at H, which is an easy call as far as I am concerned!

H= Heather Gorringe. Heather is a UK podcaster who sent in a comment to my main podcast The Engaging Brand, she said that she loved the show but suggested that I interviewed more small businesses. I invited her on the show and the rest is history as we became friends. Heather has an amazing passion for podcasting and is presently on a Nuffield Scholarship to research how social media can help farmers reconnect with their consumers. Anyone who has met her is bowled over by her enthusiasm, her honesty and her ability to connect with listeners and consumers alike.

Heather produces a wonderful show - often promoted by iTunes called Wiggly Wigglers - which manages to both entertain, educate and inform! Wiggly Wigglers looks at farming, gardening and all things to do with the natural world/environment. The key to this podcast popularity is the humour, the humour is so natural and infectious.

Heather also co hosts 2 other podcasts - Middle Age Shed which is the story of how 2 middle age women struggle to maintain their weight and also The Podcast Sisters which is a podcast which explains Web 2.0 for the non geek and how to use web 2.0 to grow your business.

Heather is one of the influential podcasters in the UK and a great speaker on how podcasting has changed her business life.

Over at the Zune Directory it has been announced that podcasters will be able to submit their podcasts on 13 November. At the moment, I think they have taken the top podcasts only so make a note in your diary for the 13th…here is part of the announcement…

“The reason we are doing this is to seed the catalog with a base level of podcasts that Zune users and podcasters can build on over the next few months. Being a long-time podcaster, I understand that most content providers want to know about where their podcasts are being distributed and thus would want to actually submit his or her feed to us. It has been exciting over the past few weeks to have so many podcasters contact me and request inclusion in the new Marketplace podcast area – the catalog will have the first 1000 or so from us, but the rest will come from the podcasting community.

Please plan on downloading the new Zune Marketplace software on November 13th, then visit the main podcast section in the software to “Suggest a Podcast” for inclusion in the public Podcast Marketplace. ”

Now I know that I am an iTunes and iPod user but the Zune Directory will have increasing importance to podcasters…it no dout will become the second most popular directory relatively quickly so you need to think about having your show available and also buttons on your site for Zune subscription.

zune, podcasting directory, podcasts, itunes, zune marketplace

The production of podcasts can be tiring and draining mentally - they need you to invest a lot of time in research, production and also promotion of your show. Sometimes you can look at your show statistics and think is it really worth all this effort, or indeed it is worth the effort but you are totally bereft of ideas. We have all been there especially if you podcast alone. I often write about not being stale, about constantly pushing yourself to learn something new, about fighting podcaster complacency.
The easiest way that I have found to cope with this state of mind, is to realise that staleness comes from something that felt like new, now feeling old. Thus, with my very simple mind I know that I have to search for something new..to bring back the freshness. This might be

1) In myself, by attending a conference, barcamp, podcamp…anything that inspire the podcasting soul!
2) In the show, by doing something either I haven’t tried before or having a guest purely from left field that brings a different angle to the conversation.
3) Change the presenters..if you are solo..invite a co host. If you co host why not fly solo one week.

Your role is to keep that element of surprise there for the listener..that element of surprise their for you! That surprise that you learn a new skill i.e recording an interview, that you have contacted someone for the show that you never imagined that you would, that you learn something new about yourself…like how to reignite the flames of motivation.

One question I ask is ” If I wanted to surprise me, what would I do!”

It is coming up to 2 years since I had an iPod bought for me - a gift that changed my life literally. I had no idea at the time what a podcast was, and I had no technical background. Within 2 years, the majority of my time and the majority of my income is generated via social media….what a whirlwind two years. Now the iPod is part of my life, part of my everyday living.

1) I use it as a hard drive to carry a back up presentation to clients. I would be carrying it anyway for entertainment so it means there is nothing extra I have to remember to put in my briefcase.
2) I use it as my photo album, before I never could find the photo’s I was looking for…now the memories are with me all the time.
3) It is my learning and development tool - I don’t attend courses, I listen to podcasts on all sorts of areas to develop my skills…expand my learning…
4) I use it as my library….I only listen to audiobooks.
5) I now do 40 minutes exercise each day without getting bored…why? because I am entertained and engaged during that exercise either with a podcast, an audiobook or a video.
6) I use it as my address book for when I am offline…I don’t have a pda, so I carry my mobile and my ipod.
7) I wake up every morning to my iHome. I have over 10,000 songs on it and always play them on shuffle so that I never know what is coming next.
I use it as a child occupier when out with friends! I have downloaded a few cartoon, and short films….wonderful to help entertain a bored child when you are out for tea!
9) I use it to record when I am out and about…normally I use a micro audiotrack but if I find myself without it..I use my iPod.
10) …..Great for plugging into your ears when you don’t want to speak to people on the train etc……:)

When you create your podcast, it is easy to become so close that you lose objectivity on the standard of your podcast. A question to ask yourself regularly is “If you were not the producer of the show, would you listen and subscribe to the show?”

Here are some checks and balances that I would have in place…

1) Listen as a subscriber frequently…in car, on a computer, on an iPod. Does it sound OK?
2) Compile a list of subjects covered…are you repeating topics too frequently, is your content remaining fresh?
3) Listen to other shows on your subject - are you different, are you all talking about the same things…are you putting your distinctive personality on your subject area
4) Review your review in iTunes, in podcast alley, to see what people are saying?
5) Have you got a Technorati and google alert for your show, to see what people are saying about it?
6) What are your subscriber numbers doing…..increasing or decreasing?

The first 10-12 shows are about finding your voice, finding out how to express your personality through this new medium. At some stage, you find that voice and it then becomes important that you don’t become too comfortable with it…..when I say comfortable, I really mean complacent. You become that close to the product and the production becomes so much easier than before that you don’t put in the same level of effort, or give the same amount of energy to the show.

If you have honest friends that will give you objective feedback - use them as a resource, use them to act as your warning signs that you need to freshen either your approach or your content.

What other checks and balances do you have, that you want to share with other readers?

I have been a member of the Blubrry community since it’s launch, I have always been a huge fan of their work.

I am delighted to see that they have updated their page layout - check out Middle Age Shed (love that logo!) and The Engaging Brand to see the new buttons.

The page looks clean and I love the simple layout….look at the range options

Add to Digg, Google, Delicious
iPhone feature
Zune

The tag feature is great for finding new shows and I also love the fact that the shows are now central to the page. Often directories are bland and look just like a long list of shows…Blubrry is different, it has a retail appeal in it’s layout. When you add to the design strength the ability to join affiliate programs and earn money from your podcast…it is a powerful package.

I think the only thing that is missing now is the community of the show. Would it be possible to have a news feed for the blog, or links to the facebook group etc…oh and of course the Facebook Blubrry player!

The art of search for podcasting is such a critical element of future growth….one of the reasons I use Blubrry as my link to my podcasts is that for people new to the medium, will find the site easy to navigate and easy on the eye….as I said with the retail feel. It is so important that people find the experience of listening to their first podcast or downloading their first show…easy, otherwise they will not stick around and it will be the equivalent of a lost shopper during the checkout process.

So well done Blubrry…as always love the changes
[tags] blubrry, podcasting directory, podcasts, search, attracting listeners [ /tags]

The wonderful world of Podcamps has been a great way of podcasters meeting up and learning from each other free of charge. At the wrap up session last Sunday, at the Podcamp Boston event…Chris Penn announced a change to future events - one that makes sense to me. At Boston 1,357 people registered, and of those approximately 650 attended, that means there was over 50% of people who did not show up. That is a high amount. I feel for the organisers when this happens as how do you cater…how do you plan logistically…how do you keep costs down, yet ensure that there is enough space etc for the people who show up?

Because of this, they have announced that future PodCamps will be allowed to charge a registration fee, in order to cut down on the no-shows. A small fee will show a commitment to the event and I tend to agree….a nominal amount for an event that helps you reach/connect with other podcasters, an event that has an array of speakers for beginners to advanced, an event that inspires so many….surely that kind of event should inspire us to part with a nominal fee?

I also think there should be a level of commitment from the speakers. There were a couple of no shows at the conference and it causes the organisers such headaches. Clearly, there are unforeseen circumstances and I appreciate that….but it can also be a chance to get your name up there pre the event for publicity and then not show, which I think is dreadful. I think if you have put your name down and you cannot attend then you should find a replacement for your slot…after all you probably know many people attending…

Here are the latest updated PodCamp rules:

1. All attendees must be treated equally.
2. All content must be released under Creative Commons.
3. All attendees must be allowed to participate.
4. All sessions must obey the Law of 2 Feet.
5. The event must be new-media focused.
6. The financials must be fully disclosed in an open ledger.

The photo below is of the Boston Convention Center where this years was held - impressive sight eh! One thing is for sure for a new person to Boston it was not difficult to spot in the night sky!

In my small way I want to promote those independent podcasters that spend time, money and effort podcasting. The reason being that it is getting harder and harder to find these independent podcasters unless you are not an iTunes user!

Today we are up to G, but if you want to check out the other recommendations based on my podcast picks then here is the link to the previous posts.

G= Geek News Central. I love this podcast, not just for the content but also for the fact it is a tech podcast that I can understand and relate to, because the host Todd Cochrane does a really great job of sharing his personality with providing news for us all.

The podcast is accompanied by both a blog and a newsletter which I subscribe to….here is the aim of the site in their words
“Geek News Central is a subsidiary of his company Podcast Connect, with this website launching in May 2002 with the goal of creating a high quality tech and informational site for people of all ages and backgrounds. In addition to Todd a small number of volunteer editors contribute content to the site. The idea of launching this site has it origins from what was in wanting to share information and opinions in a community fashion.

The goal continues to be posting quality links and information along with personal commentary on sites that interest us and hopefully those visiting the site. As you can see from our content we want you to be exposed to new ideas and technologies by publicizing new and innovative software or pieces of information that effect your daily connected lives.”

Once again if you have shows that you would like to highlight that start with the letter G then leave a comment at the end of this post - actually this was one of the hardest letters to choose from as I have 10 shows that start with the letter G!

Well 2 days travel for a 2 days conference. Tough schedule but well worth it as Podcamp Boston was a great event to attend. As I have said before I have always wanted to go to the Boston event as it is the home of the Podcamp and I wasn’t disappointed. So what are the key, top line takeaways for me personally?

1) The US are ahead of Europe in terms of thinking about podcasting. The conversation is much more about social media and how podcasting fits into that model rather than the tools of podcasting. There was much more emphasis on marketing, on creating a community, on branding. But the gap is closing and closing quickly.

2) The importance of face to face meetings/conferences. On line friendships are a vital part of my life now and I see them as strong as many of my offline ones. However, there really is nothing like meeting the face behind the voices. You can see the passion, you can see the personality, you become inspired by the level of ideas being thrown around the corridors and rooms. Never feel “Oh, I can’t be bothered to go…”, be bothered because you get so much personal development and even contacts that events really are worth the effort.

3) The power of audio as a brand. Many podcasters such as John Wall from The M Show I could just recognise from the voice….the realisation that the voice is the brand, the sound of the podcast is the brand. That before you change the sound of the brand, ensure that you are not compromising the brand values or if you are, it is part of your plan!

4) That as a podcaster you often do not realise that your passion has faded a little…I love podcasting, love doing 3 shows - The Podcast Sisters, Middle Age Shed and The Engaging Brand but all that editing can drain some of the energy away without you realising it. Finding events like a barcamps or podcamps, can top up that energy by acting as affirmation of why you are podcasting…why this medium was so important to you when you set out…and also how far you have come.

5) Another lesson for me was that, we do have to try and get the podcasting message out to the world! I heard a few people say..other people don’t get it….well I think that is dangerous. Once upon a time, I knew nothing about podcasting…it didn’t mean I was stupid, it meant that someone needed to help me, help explain the benefits and how to subscribe to these free shows…I remember thinking there must be a catch! We shouldn’t build a barrier of superiority because we understand podcasting, but instead throw a challenge down to ourselves that we will have introduced a 1,000 people to podcasting over the next 12 months.

So a great event and I will share more about various sessions during the week but check out the podcamp schedule and if there is one near you go…if there isn’t one…why not organise one yourself?

podcamp, podcamp boston, podcasting, barcamp,

I was interested to read on blogstring.com why he doesn’t listen to podcasts

1. Not searchable- When I’m looking for content, I can easily and visually search blogs. Finding great video content is a little bit tougher. But finding good audio content is nearly impossible for me.
2. Not “bend-over-the-page-able”- I drive a lot. I decided to try out an audiobook for the long ride each day. I quickly learned that audiobooks are not for me. With a book, I can easily return to my last attention spot. But when I listened to the audiobook, I kept drifting off and couldn’t easily find the place where I started to drift.
3. Not discoverable- It is very difficult to discover new audio content, as you have to actually listen to the content in order to gague the relevance. With a blog, it’s incredibly easy to traverse the web finding new posts by following links. If you hit a wall, you can easily recognize that the link you’ve just clicked is not for you. It’s a two second process involving nothing but a scan. Podcasts require a much more significant time expenditure.

I think this is a great summary of why podcasting has not progressed as widely as people imagined. The podcasts that I listen to are not based on specific content, they are based on personal brands…people that I have found through recommendation, accident, iTunes

So question in my head is …..do we need to promote podcasting or do we need to find a way of promoting the personal brand more? Is the podcast part of your social media strategy or part of your personal branding strategy…i.e. which is the subset ?

personal branding, podcasting, podcast, finding podcasts, podcast promotion

I arrived last night from the UK, 2 flights and 12 hours later I was in Boston for the premier Podcamp in the world. I cannot wait for the sessions to start today - if you want to follow on Twitter the you can either use the tracking option - track Podcamp Boston or there is a twitter feed for the event.

I cannot wait for the day to start with a full day of outstanding content. There are 6 hours of speaking events and for each hour there are 7 options! One thing that has struck me is how difficult it is to choose the session - why? Because these podcasters have built incredible personal brands that I connect with, that have built an element of trust with me….a brand promise that I want to buy into and not miss the session. That shows the global power of podcasting - imagine, I have flown just under 7,000 mile because of who is speaking in Boston! For anyone who doubts that podcasting can increase customer loyalty, customer retention, customer advocacy then I am living proof that podcasting can be an important element!

So which sessions are attracting my attention….well here are a few that I want to dip into, today.

1) Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 and Beyond - I want to understand how business should be positioning themselves with social media.
2) Measuring Success - I am still interested in understanding new ways to measure success instead of the old methods for old media.
3) How to market with new media - new media is evolving, so what are new ways of using the tools in the marketing space.
4) What is the sound of your brand. Recently I interviewed the brand futurist Martin Lindstrom on The Engaging Brand and he inspired me to think of audio as an increasingly important element of the marketing mix - so want to explore the use of sound as part of your personal brand, part of your podcasting brand.

There is SO much stuff! There are so many people I want the chance to meet. I will make in depth notes and of course I will share the learnings with you all, over the next week.

Today I have chosen a podcast that was one of the very first that I listened to…it was in the first 3 podcasts that I downloaded and has remained a must in my podcast feed. To look at which podcast shows I chose for A-E then hear is the link
F= For Immediate Release. For Immediate Release is produced twice a week by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson, two of the kindest gentlemen on the planet. Shel and Neville discuss all matters to do with communication, pr, and technology. Although, Shel and Neville are the main presenters they have contributions from regular “correspondents” around the world. This show is much more than 2 men talking, this show is built upon a strong community who are incredibly active with their comments both audio and written. One unusual aspect to the show is that Shel is based in California and Neville is based in the South of England. I like that transatlantic feel as it allows news from both sides of the pond and also it is great to have different perspectives on global issues or world events.

As a matter of note, they have recently published a book called How to Do Everything with Podcasting which covers all aspects and is a great read for anyone who wants to learn more about the podcasting world.

podcasting book, podcast, community, podcasts to listen to, how to podcast

How can you use your podcast to earn money? That is probably the question that I get asked the most, when people know that I am a passionate podcaster.

I often say that my podcast is not meant to be my main income, it is meant to be a negative cost. I can see that may confuse some people - negative cost! But my podcast and indeed my blog, are a key part of my marketing plan. They cost me next to nothing - under $120 per annum. But for that level of investment, I have gained just under 70% of my new clients this year from either the blog or the podcast.

Therefore they are saving me money - a negative cost. The best part is that it is a negative cost that is revenue generating….

So why do people want to hire me as a personal coach, business coach or speaker…because they have built trust in my expertise, they have got to know me as a person - my values, my style, my approach - so they have almost been able to test the product before buying. The podcast is almost like that perfume sample on the shelf - when you try it you have no idea whether you will buy it, but if you try it then you are possibly more likely to buy.

For me that is a power of podcasting, people can hear your voice and by hearing you speak they feel closer to you. It is strange when I meet new people they treat me like a long lost friend because they feel they know me…..more so than blogging. When you think how personal the connection is - me speaking in their ears twice every 10 days then you realise that to many people you are more than a podcaster…you are a friend. Sometimes as we sit at our computers editing…which feels very impersonal….we forget how personal the end result is…

podcast, making money + podcasting, marketing, audio, voice

Continuing our series of independent podcasts that I believe are worth listening to, today we are going to look at E. But today I am writing a little tongue in cheek as I am writing about my show! But I do believe it is an excellent show - why? Because I learn a lot from producing the show.

Social media is an enormous area and podcasting as a subset of that, has to understand how to engage listeners, how to build a sense of community.
i
The Engaging Brand is all about how to motivate, inspire and ENGAGE people. Although the show is about engaging people at work, all the principles are as relevant to podcasting, and blogging. There are some great interviews on the social media sphere - Steve Rubel, Leesa Barnes, Joseph Jaffe, Jeremiah Owyang, Seth Godin, David Meerman Scott to name a few. I can honestly say that each interview I learn something new…in fact I see producing the show is part of my own development.

The full archives of the show can be found at Blubrry.

Just so that I am not totally biased ! I will also offer another E…