Healing Our Marriage

I had someone ask me about starting a podcast. They wanted to "Stand Out" without "Niching Down." The easiest way to stand out is to Niche down. When you do a show like We Have Cancer, Adoptees On, or the Chameleon Breeder, you get providing information that people can't get anyplace else. You end up with a smaller audience size, but a more engaged audience. Podcasting is Closer to Cable Television Than Radio In this clip of "The Loudest Voice," you will hear actor Russel Crowe as Roger Ailes explains how he doesn't want a wide audience. He's is going to purposely make content for a demographic that is being underserved. Roger went on the grow Fox news which dominated cable news for decades. When you turn on cable, you get channels on cooking, animal sports, outdoors, and none of the channels will get anywhere near the audience of the major networks. However, you will have people like my ex-wife who watch HGTV like her life depended on it. COVID Took Natalie Kennedy's Job - Podcasting Delivered Her Dream Toda

Your Podcast is A Steam Train I often say that when you start out, your show is rolling slow. As it keeps moving, it gets faster and faster. It just takes time, consistency (of schedule, and value). Kim Krajci of Toastmasters 101 pointed me toward this YouTube video from Box Angeles. This video shows Mellisa Hunter who has a hilarious series of Adult Wednesday Adams and how one video in that series went viral and her back episodes starting taking off with the original video.  More Cool Podcast Gear For Podcasters One of the great things about podcasting getting more and more popular, is more and more products are coming to the marketing Specifically for podcasters. Zoom Recently came out with the Podtrak P4 (for me this is THE go-to piece of equipment). Now they've come out with the Podtrak P8 which is a direct competitor of the Rodecaster Pro from Rode. Neither one of these units is a bad purchase. They both make it easier to create great sounding podcasts. Who Is This For? The Zoom Podtrak P8 (and the Rodec

Last week, I interview Matthew Dicks who is the author of the book Storyworthy. I am a HUGE fan of Matthew and was very excited when he agreed to come on the show. After the episode was published I get email after email. I saw comments on Facebook all stating, "WOW, That was a great interview." There will be times when you get feedback, and no matter if it's positive or negative you want to investigate why (so you can do more about it). I've received more than average feedback on episodes like The Ultimate Guide to Hosting and Guesting Podcast Interviews, Overcoming Impostor Syndrome,  How to Start a Podcast Network: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, but the feedback I got about How to Tell Better Stories with Matthew Dicks was "way more than usual." One of the things I help people do is figure out what they are doing correctly with their podcast so they can do more of that type of content. With this in mind, I went back and looked at "Why did this connect with my audience?" Step 1: Start with someone interesting

I have had the voice of Matthew Dicks in my head more than any other person this year. I heard him on a podcast, bought his audiobook Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling, and listened to it. When I was done with the book I wanted more and found his Speak Up Story Telling podcast. Unlike other books on Storytelling that have brilliant messages like "Stories are good," and "You should learn how to tell stories," I was THRILLED that I had finally found a book that explained HOW to tell better stories. It is an AMAZING book, and I feel it will benefit anyone who reads or listens to it. Today I am honored to have the author on my show. Here are some key points: Start with a thesis. I use to think something, and then something (the story) happened, and now I think something else. I would prefer to be entertaining than lengthy and boring. Always serve the story (not yourself). I think about what I want my audience to feel in certain parts of the story. I make

This week rock guitar God Eddie Van Halen died after a long battle with throat cancer. As a guitar who was 13 when Van Halen's first album was released, and whose band provided the soundtrack to my adolescent years this hit me hard. With this in mind, I wanted to talk about things podcasters can learn from Eddie Van Halen. Sponsor -Profit from Your Podcast: Proven Strategies to Turn Listeners into a Livelihood Methods and Advice for Making the Most of Your Podcast—Pricing, Sponsors, Crowdfunding, and More Pick up any book on podcast monetization, and you will find 90 percent of it only covers how to launch a podcast. If you already have a podcast, you have that information; you’re ready for the next step. Profit from Your Podcast provides top strategies and real-life examples of podcast monetization. This book is more than what to do. It also tells you how to do it. Chapters cover such topics as: How to Grow Your Audience How to Set Your Pricing Understanding Advertising Jargon How to Find Sponsors Best Strat

School of Podcasting Win Best Technology Podcast People's Choice Podcast Award I am thrilled and humbled to be named the winner of People's Choice Podcast Award for best Technology podcasts (beating out seven other podcasts). Thanks to Todd Cochrane and everyone at podcastawards.com for all you do and thank YOU for voting for me. I had one this award back in 2017, and now I will have an awesome set of bookend for my bookcase.  THANK YOU!.  Profit From Your Podcast Is Now Available I spent months researching podcasters who are making money with their podcasts and assembled all the insights and strategies for you to follow. I announced that I was available for speaking on different podcasts, and I was lucky enough to have listeners who felt I would be a good fit for their show (I'm still available if you think I'm a good fit). By appearing on these different shows, the book was rated the #1 New Release in the blogging category. I was honored to be on the following shows, and look forward to appearing on yours. 

If you want to hold someone's attention you first need to know who they are and what they need. Then we hear that people's attention span keeps getting smaller. Is it? Today I look into attention spans, and what makes things interesting. I asked my audience what thought made things interesting. Thanks to everyone who contributed including: Craig From http://www.inglespodcast.com/ Thomas from www.novelmarketing.com Harris from Wild Talk (XFL Podcast) Orlando from www.hablandodetecnologia.com/ Carey from Podcastification Andres from Colmillo Roquero Brandon from Florida Focus Podcast Bill from the Stroke Cast Kim from the Pharmacist's Voice Sean Whaley from Tourpreneur, Spybrary and Radio GDR Full show notes at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/742 Conclusion It's not that attention spans are getting smaller (they are not) but more our ability to know what we want and identify when we are NOT going to get it has grown. Know your audience, and give them what you want. Be your honest, transparent, vulnerable self to hol

Elizabeth Benton is known as a health and nutrition guru, but to me, she is more of a "mindset guru." She is someone who has dug herself out of being $130,000 in debt, and has lost (and kept off )150 lbs. My audience from the Logical Weight Loss podcast told me I HAD to read her book, Chasing Cupcakes (get it for free on Audible), and once I finished her book, I checked out her Primal Potential podcast and downloaded all of her episodes. I was thrilled when she agreed to come on the show and explain how podcasting has boosted her business. SPONSOR: School of Podcasting Get access to step by step tutorials, a private Facebook group filled with brilliant podcasting minds, and live group coaching and access to me. Join worry-free with a 30-day money-back guarantee.  Join Today   Topics With Elizabeth Benton 7:16 How Long Did You Run Your Business Without a Podcast? 8:31 Did you hesitate to start your podcast? 9:11 People have STONG Feelings about Eating Healthy 11:24 How has your podcast impacted your business?

Charley Valher started a podcast and was "swinging for the fences" and after hiring a team, and putting 50,000 into a marketing budget he realized after a year that the show just wasn't producing the results he needed. Today he shares the mistakes he made, and how he came back to podcasting with new strategies and insights that resulted in his podcast (the business of podcasting) being the number one way her is driving customers to his business at Valher Media.  Topics Include: 02:41 Charlie's Services 05:14 Charlies Hired a Team for His First Podcast 07:59 What Was Missing? 10:44 How did you come up with the new formula? 12:19 Position Yourself as the Expert 14:45 Can You Niche Down Too Far? 15:54 Three Ingredients of a Niche 16:40 Charlie's Original Call to Action 18:07 Having the Right Topics 22:11 Was it Hard To Try Again? 25:13 How Long Until You Saw Results? 26:57 How do you pick topics? 29:32 Interviewing Potential Clients 33:22 Did You Make Any Technology Mistakes 34:59 Most Memorable Feedback 39:55 W

As I continue (as a middle-aged white dude) to attempt to learn more about Black History, Culture, and issues, a friend of mine suggested I watch the TV show Black AF on Netflix as there is always a hidden history lesson.   (a writer and producer)  plays a television writer and producer (named Kenya Berris). In one episode the main character (who is a movie and television creator) is worried about giving feedback to a fellow black creator, and also is worried about what others might think about his films and content. In sone scene, Kenya meets Tyler Perry who might know from his movies feature Madea. This is a character played by Perry. She is a tough, elderly African-American woman. She 6'2" and 365 lbs. Diary of a Mad Black Woman—2005 Madea's Family Reunion—2006 Meet the Browns (cameo)—2008 Madea Goes to Jail—2009 I Can Do Bad All by Myself—2009 Madea's Big Happy Family—2011 Madea's Witness Protection—2012 A Madea Christmas—2013 Boo! A Madea Halloween—2016 Boo 2! A Madea Halloween—2017 A Madea Family Funera

It's to know what is working for your audience. Sure you can look at your downloads but there are other ways to look at engagement. Today in episode 738 I dig deeper. Website Traffic How many website visitors are you getting? You may be surprised that your top ten pages on your website are the same as the top ten episodes of your podcast? Why, you might have more keywords in your notes that attract google. People may be linking to your episode which can boost "Google Juice" (your rankings). WHAT ABOUT TRANSCRIPTS? I was listening to The Business of Podcasting a great podcast with Charlie Valher from Valher media (Charlie will be on this show in the future), and he was interview Stephan Spencer who is one THE SEO people on the planet. While we often say, "This person wrote the book on..." Stephen actually wrote the book on SEO (Search Engine Optimization) The Art of SEO. It's 994 pages. Here is what he had to say about transcripts: But the key thing here is you're creating something in an audio format and alth

The Zoom Podtrack P4 is coming out next month (from what I hear) and this appears to be a game-changer for those podcasting on a budget. Here are some of the features of the Zoom Podtrack P4: Zoom Podtrack P4 Podcast Recorder Four mic inputs with XLR connectors Four headphone outputs with individual volume control Gain control knobs and mute buttons for each input Phantom power for all XLR inputs Automatically prevent feedback from call audio using the Mix-Minus function Easily connect your phone using the TRRS connection Trigger sound effects using four assignable Sound Pads with 11preset sounds All input sources can be recorded on separate tracks 16-bit /44.1kHz audio WAV Records directly to SD, SDHC and SDXC cards up to 512 GB 2-input, 2-output USB audio interface Class-compliant mode for iOS compatibility Up to four hours of use with just two AA batteries or a USB power supply Can be powered via 2 AA Batteries Can be powered via USB or Zoom AD-17 AC Adapter Comparing the Podtrack P4 to the Rodecaster Pro

HOUSEKEEPING: My book, Profit Grom Your Podcast UPDATE. If you're asked to confirm your sale, please say yes. Podcasts are continuing to get more and more popular with millions of listeners worldwide. In some (few from what I've seen) cases, people with very popular or very niche shows can charge what some people call a "Guest Appearance Fee." While I understand that some of us are trying to at least pay for the cost of production with our podcasts, but there are some things to think about before you go charging people to be on your show. SUPPLY AND DEMAND I know some people were charging to be on your show (in some cases four figures) to be a guest. The law of supply and demand can be summarized as the smaller the supply for something the more your can charge as long as it has value (or perceived value). Why? Because you can't get it anyplace else. If you show has a HUGE audience and people are banging on your door to be on your show, this might indicate a high demand for people to be on your show. If your s

Patreon is having what appears to be some serious legal issues created by a loophole in their terms of services. Today I talk about seven different options each with their own strength.  Patreon Subscribestar Supercast Memberful MyLibsyn Podbean Buy Me a Coffee Ko-Fi Full Details, videos, and more at  www.schoolofpodcasting.com/735

There are those that are going to be surprised by today’s content. Why? Because I’m going to admit to making one of the biggest mistakes (if not THE biggest mistake) you can make in podcasting. This deals with your podcast feed. When you learn to shave, you have to learn how to hold the razor properly.  The Radio Analogy Let’s start with some analogies. Radio is broadcasted on a frequency. That frequency is then deciphered by a radio receiver, which turns it into music.  Podcasting is syndicated via your feed and is deciphered via an app. So you had DJ to Frequency to Radio. Now you have podcasters to feed to app. In radio, you had to make sure your radio tower was always operational. If the tower had an issue, you were no longer broadcasting, and your station went dead. With podcasting everything, I mean EVERYTHING is tied to your feed. Guard it with your life.  Change of Address Forms The other analogy I want to bring here is the change of address form. I’m going to be moving later this year, and when I am

Today we revisit the topic of Impostor Syndrome (something we talked about in episode 627), as you won't believe who has impostor syndrome (the whole, "Why would anyone listen to me???).  We also share what your favorite episode is and why (some pretty amazing answers thanks to all who participated).  Join the School of Podcasting Worry Free Worry about sounding bad or unprofessional? Worried about buying equipment you don't need? Worried you'll make all those common mistakes that podcasters make? Then quit worrying and join the School of Podcasting. You get step by steps tutorials, live group coaching, a private mastermind group, and priority email support. You also get a 30-day money-back guarantee (so you can join worry-free). see www.schoolofpodcasting.com/join Because of My Podcast - I Got to Interview Tony Danza Willam shares the hoops he had to jump through to get Tony Danza on his podcast. Listen to the episode at  https://unpro.podbean.com/e/ep-23-tony-danza-part-1/ Garth Brooks and Impostor Syndrome

Glenn "The Geek" Hebert and Jamie Jennings have been doing a ninety-minute daily show Horses in the Morning since 2010. If you listened to the show 24 hours a day it would take you 150 days to listen to all the episodes. That is a HUGE amount of work along with finding sponsors, booking over 6000 guests, facilitating contents and more. Today they share their secrets to longevity while keeping their sanity. Horses in the Morning is part of the Horse Radio Network. Quick Housekeeping 01:07 Answers for the Question of the Month 01:30 Vote For School of Podcasting at Podcastawards.com Surviving and Thriving After 2500 Episodes 06:54 How Did You Find Each Other 08:01 Shaping the Concept 10:54 What have you tried that didn't work? 12:29 6000 Guests Over the Years 16:10 Radio vs Podcasting 18:16 Handing Bad Days 20:43 How do you keep finding new content? 24:25 Because of My Podcast Story 25:58 Interacting With Patons 28:19 How Have You Gone This Long and Stayed Sane? 33:43 Glenn Knows Where the Episode is Going 34:4

I've been asked this questions in a few interviews. As there are no rules and you can do anything you want in a podcast, are there are any Podcasting Best Practices? Well as we all see podcasting through many different lenses I thought I would share my opinion on the best practices. Have a Topic You Are Passionate About, as in REALLY Passionate about.  Next week you will hear Jamie from Horses in the morning talk about her L O V E of horses. In the past I have said you need the passion that a sixteen year old boy has for getting his driver's license. WHY: Because when you first start out, it will be awkward, and you will still be getting comfortable behind the mic. You will have next to no audience and it is soul crushing to put that much work into something and have next to nobody listen to it. When you have that passion, you will talk about it even if nobody is listening.  Know Your Target Audience I know, "But Dave you just said I don't have an audience." I know, but who is the person that should love this

I hear so many podcasts that do interviews and they start their podcast by pulling a clip from the interview. Today we talk about why this may not be the best strategy. The interview snippet should build anticipation Piques the curiosity and makes them want to know more Some people pull clips that make people go WHAT WAS THAT? Many times these clips are long (I wouldn't make then any long than 10-15 seconds if not shorter) and just leave the listener confused.  ROLL THE CLIP If you think about it movies use trailers to motivate people to come see the movie. They also send the starts on talks shows who often have a clip of the show. When the hosts ask, "Does this need setup?" the answer is almost always yes. Some back story is needed to have the clip make sense. In some cases podcasters are creating a clip, placing it at the very beginning of the episode and there is no "setup" and the clip leads to confusion.  SPONSOR: Start Your Podcast Worry-Free at the School of Podcasting You're worried you'll sound stu

Today we hear stories of different people who have had doors open due to their podcast. Your podcast typically is not a business. It is a business card. Your podcast can be used to network with other people and companies, help you get employment, and help secure opportunities. Mentioned in This Episode Joe Rogan and he was interviewing John Stewart  Emly Prokop from the Story Behind Podcast getting a book deal Moxie LaBouche of the Your Brain on Facts got a Book Deal  My book comes out in August Profit From Your Podcast David Hooper got a radio show when he mentioned he could turn it in a podcast. Music Business Radio ( a program he still does and produces as a podcast along with Big Podcast, and Red Podcast). Dave shares this story as part of the bonus content for the audio version of this book BIG PODCAST. Audiolympics Podcast Talent Coach Erik's episode on Partnerships Podcast Review Show SPONSOR: FOCUSRITE Check out the interface selector tool that helps you pick the right model for you at their website.