Prologue
Get the Tape!
You never forget your first episode, even though sometimes it's so bad you wish you could!
But sometimes those first episodes are great ...
A lot of people in the podcasting community know of Dan Miller. Messages about him have been all over social media this week.
I met Dan in 2005 when I brought him into the studio to talk about his book, 48 Days to the Work You Love. He was one of the first ten people I interviewed for Music Business Radio and the first who wasn't in the music business. But I felt his message was important for musicians.
I also brought him in because I knew he could talk (and cover for me). I was still new to long-form hosting and wanted to make sure I could get through the hour-long episode without any problems.
Dan passed this week after recently finding out he had advanced pancreatic cancer.
One day you're here, the next day you're not. But "the tape" lives on ...
Get the tape! Seriously, call somebody you've been meaning to interview right now and make it happen.
Need an intro? Let me know via Mastodon, Bluesky, or Threads and I'll see what I can do!
Sponsor
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Podcaster Opportunities
How to Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile
Have you ever visited "the old neighborhood" after a few years of being away and found everybody had left? That's Twitter—it's almost worthless now.
People in the podcasting community are moving to LinkedIn ...
If you're looking to make the most of it, check out this list of profile examples. These will give you some ideas of ways you can modify your profile page for maximum impact.
Related ...
If you're already active on LinkedIn, you may be aware of Top Voices badges. It's fairly easy to get a Community Top Voices badge, if you're willing to answer a few questions on one of LinkedIn's collaborative articles (For example, Top Podcasting Voice).
Is pursuing the "community" badge worth the time? It wasn't worth it for me. I'll share more thoughts in the audio edition of this newsletter.
Podcast Marketing
4 Types of Influencers (and Trust)
You will find this info on the four types of everyday influencers helpful.
Who (and what) people trust:
- Friends, family, and coworkers - 91% of survey respondents trust their friends and family for advice or ideas on products
- Ratings and reviews - 52% have “some” trust in them.
- Employees as influencers - 58% say they trust the advice they receive online or in-store from brand employees “some”
- Online communities - Consumers aged 18-24 are the most likely to trust online communities “a lot”
Not so much ...
- Celebrity influencers
- Influencers who specialize in a subject area - 33% said they didn’t trust this group “at all”
This is a great opportunity for podcasters and one of the reasons companies invest money in podcast sponsorship. If you'd like help making this happen for your podcast, check out Big Podcast AMP.
Podcast Hosting Skills
How to Overcome the Fear of Failure
Seth Godin discusses the concept of genius in this video and how it's not limited to a select few, but exists within all individuals.
Yes, even you.
But there's a problem—associated fear is deeply ingrained in our DNA and shows up even when there's no real danger. For example, giving a presentation or speaking in public.
And sometimes even podcasting.
How can you showcase your genius work if you're scared?
He says there are two ways:
- Dancing with the fear and viewing it as a compass that indicates we're onto something important, acknowledging that what we're doing might not work.
- "Unlimied Bowling"
Wut?!
Think of a game of bowling, where you pay by the frame and need to score points to win. That doesn't allow you the time and space to take risks, so you play it safe, rather than try shots that "might not work."
With podcasting, we basically have "unlimited bowling" when it comes to tape and studio time.
Embrace this. If you mess up, take a breath and start over again—you can fix your mistake in the edit. And nobody has to know about your "failure."
More thoughts in the audio edition of this newsletter ...
Podcasting Tools
RE20 Shock Mount Mod
An Electro-Voice RE20 mic is $449 and that's just the mic. The "official" shockmount, model 309A is another $109!
This price puts this great mic out of budget for a lot of people.
Is this alternative a good solution?
Whether you've got an RE20 or something else, I think this is worth a watch. If nothing else, it will get you thinking about how you can modify your gear to make it work for you.
Podcast Humor
Snowed In (and Podcasting)
We've had a lot of rain this week, which is a nice break from the EIGHT DAYS of subfreezing temperatures that kept me iced in for all of last week.
But on a positive note, I had plenty of time to get online and buy new microphones!
I kid, I kid.
But if you are looking for a new mic, here's a hint ... especially if you're looking for anything by Shure.
Shure is one of the largest microphone manufactures in the world and makes the most popular microphone in the world, the Shure SM58. The SM58 is also the most counterfeited microphone in the world.
Always buy from an authorized dealer! Like this one.
Also ... Find a permanent place for your podcasting stuff! :)
More thoughts on both these things in the audio edition of this newsletter ...
Classifieds
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Riverside - Remote Recording Studio
Riverside records high-quality audio (and video) directly from your browser. No special equipment is needed and connecting with your guest is as simple as sending a web link!
You can try Riverside free (no credit card is needed) and, if you like it, save 15% on any paid plan by using the coupon code BIGPODCAST.
The Wrap Up
When you're ready, here's how I can help you even more ...
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