Prologue
The Flip - An Opportunity for You
Do you know how much it cost to broadcast via radio in the United States?
The FCC application fees are just the start – you also need a lot of expensive equipment. And this is assuming there's an available frequency for you to use.
Podcasting is just the opposite in a lot of ways. Free hosting via Anchor, free software to record yourself (Audacity), and a $70 mic and you're good to go – you don't need a lot of money and you don't need permission.
This is what I call "The Flip" – taking something done one way and hijacking it to make it work for you.
And it works with the content you produce too ...
What "The Flip" Looks Like
Negro Terror was a Memphis band. Their song, "Voice of Memphis", recently resurfaced due to the murder of Tyre Nichols.
If you didn't know any better, you'd probably take the song at face value – hard, fast, and in-your-face "punk" music.
But "Voice of Memphis" is actually a modified version of a song by one of the most popular "white power" bands ever. Negro Terror (there's also a story behind the band's name) took their song about hate and made it a song about empowerment in diversity.
An Opportunity for You
See something you don't like? Make it work for you – that's the foundation of "the flip." For example, I've seen more than a couple podcasters take negative reviews and turn them into selling points.
Here's an example of how a retail store did this.
Want more? I go deep on the audio edition.
Sponsor
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Podcaster Opportunities
15 Social Media Trends Smart Marketers Will Leverage In 2023
With so much consistent change, it can be hard to know the best way to market a business’s services or products on social media from year to year.
There are a lot of predictions when it comes to marketing online. Most of them don't happen. Still, I'm sharing this list with you to get you thinking about how to best use social media this year, because there may be some good opportunities for you here.
The 15 Social Media Predictions
- User Migration from Twitter to LinkedIn
- More Private Networks and AI-Enabled Content Creation
- Less Reliance on Major Platforms for Paid Ads
- More Unpolished Content and Personalized Interactions
- A Continuing Rise in Local Search
- Even More "Bite-Sized" Content Trends
- Rapid Growth of Open-Source AI Platforms
- Social Media Saturation
- More Companies Exploring TikTok
- Platform Changes That Have Long-Term Impacts
- More Open and Honest Communication on Social Media
- Problems Emerging on Certain Platforms
- More Third-Party Social Media Management
- A Renaissance of the Written Word
- Audience Expectations of Greater Transparency
See anything you think you can benefit from? I do. And I'll have more thoughts on the audio version of this newsletter. Until then, here is the original commentary to review.
If you've got a social media prediction that should be on the list, let me know via Twitter or Mastodon.
Podcast Marketing
Social Media (and Podcast) Imperfection
Meta (formerly known as Facebook) says you can undermine your social media by being too "perfect." And this statement can also apply to your podcast.
Personally, I think there is a fine line here. People want something real ... sort of.
The truth is, there's often a lot of polish that goes into "authentic" content. So don't think that any of these items means you'll be able to get away with releasing 100% raw tape – you still need to edit your podcast. And you need to be similarly when producing social media content as well.
Consider these content creation suggestions (which I've hijacked and repurposed for podcasting):
- Feature real people, such as clients and listeners, rather than actors.
- Embrace the preferred content formats of your listeners.
- Offer behind-the-scenes content to share what you are doing to create your "polished" work.
- Edit, but don't over edit.
- Be fun! Make people laugh.
I'll have more thoughts on the audio version of this newsletter. Until then, review the original list and let me know how you're doing these things to promote your podcast via Twitter or Mastodon.
Podcasting News
"Broken Twitter" is Here!
This is an opinion piece worth reading and the "broken Twitter" comment from the author, not me.
Personally, I'm not sure what's going on with Twitter right now. I still use Twitter, but am focusing just as much on Mastodon, because its certainly changed since Elon Musk took over. It definitely doesn't feel like it did previously.
Are you still using it? I'd love to hear your thoughts via Twitter ... or Mastodon!
Podcast Production
Why Smart Podcasters Always Edit Their Podcasts
Smart podcasters ALWAYS edit. And if you want people sharing your podcast on social media, editing is one way to make it happen (see #6 for why).
Why editing your podcast is a good idea:
- Editing your podcast helps to improve the overall quality and clarity of your content.
- Editing helps to improve the flow and pacing of your podcast, making your podcast more interesting to listeners.
- Filler words and background noise distract from your message.
- Editing allows you to fix any mistakes and inconsistencies in your content. (This will help you and your message to be taken more seriously.)
- Editing can be used to shorten your podcast, making it more easily consumable for listeners.
- Short/tight segments are easier for people to share.
Need help finding a good editor for your podcast? Talk to Steve Stewart as he's connected to hundreds of them and can help you find the right person for you.
Podcast Humor
Your Podcasting Resume
You're going to be found out sooner or later ...
Just to be clear ... this joke is about the mic, not the guy.
Classifieds
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The Wrap Up
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- Grow your podcast audience.
- Get people talking about your podcast.
- Make more money with your podcast.
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