Prologue
How World Class Radio Shows (and Podcasts) Get Made
You may not know the name Terry Gross, but you've heard her voice. She radio show she hosts (and produces) for NPR, Fresh Air, is heard on hundreds of stations each week.
I just released a three-part interview with one of her producers, Patty McMahon, who shares the "behind-the-scenes" of producing Fresh Air with me, including stories of Terry Gross' infamous interviews with Gene Simmons and Bill O'Reilly. There's some great stuff for you about how to do better edits, how to get better guests, and how to have longevity in audio production.
Part 1 - Producing Fresh Air and Working with Terry Gross
Part 2 - Gene Simmons vs. Terry Gross
Part 3 - Podcasting vs. Radio Production
In this issue of Big Podcast Insider, I've got some things to help you "do better" when it comes to your podcast. For one, something to help you get clear on your message and let people know what you do – it's a quick video with an easy-to-follow formula. I've also got some thoughts on how to build a big audience, using the "small" audience you already have. And "automated" episode notes ...
FREE BOOK UPDATE: Last week, I mentioned my upcoming book about packaging your podcast in a way that will attract listeners and how I've got an opportunity for you to get it free. Rather than make this process complicated, let's do this – if you're on this list, you'll get notification about how to get the book free. So make sure you open Big Podcast Insider to keep updated.
More details soon. Right now, I'm looking at a June release as I've decided to do an audiobook version as well. Podcasters don't read, you know. :)
Podcast Marketing
Make Your Podcast "Stick"
Why do some podcasts survive and others die? This guy has the answer ...
I saw him speak a few years ago. He's great at breaking down complex messages and making them as clear as possible – the exact thing you need to be able to do in order to have a successful podcast.
This short (under four minutes) video help you:
- get more listeners via laser-focused targeting
- increase listener engagement and longevity via laser-focused content
- get more guests to say "yes" to your podcast
How? It's all about having a clear message ...
No One is Listening …Yet.
Every comic, musician, writer, artist, and podcaster starts with zero audience. And sometimes even popular creators find themselves playing to an empty room.
A few years ago, I went to see an artist play to about 300 people in a 2500-seat room.
They moved everybody from the balconies down to the floor and moved people from the side of the floor into the center.
The artist was pissed. And he let people know.
"My last show had 27,000 people," he said from the stage.
I felt embarrassed for him, not because the audience was small, but because he missed a great opportunity to connect with the 300 people who were right in front of him, arguable his biggest fans, in a very special and intimate way.
Think about this as you're building your podcast audience. Take advantage of the intimacy you have.
This guy could have said, "My last show had 27,000 people. I'm thankful we have a smaller crowd tonight, because it's going to let us really connect in an intimate way. You can't do that with a huge audience."
That would have made everybody who was there feel special.
Those 300 people would have gone home and told their friends, "I was part of the most amazing show. I got to see [SUPERSTAR NAME] in front of only 300 people."
But that didn't happen, because this dude was too busy acting like a baby and crying about who wasn't there.
I know it's difficult at times to put in the required energy to make a "great" podcast when you feel nobody is listening, but that's exactly what it takes to bring more and more people into what you're doing.
You show up for them and they'll show up for you.
Podcasting Q&A
Thinking of pausing your podcast? Read this ...
It's easy to get excited about a new podcast. But what happens after a few months (or years), when the "new podcast shine" has faded?
Sometimes it's good to take a break.
But how do you do this when you have listeners who are expecting new episodes from you? Or have paid subscriptions to your podcast and other content?
This letter from Emily Atkin, who went though these very things, is something to review and put in your swipe file. She went from a weekly publication to daily, then decided to take a break. And this is how she let her audience know.
You will also want to look at the comments at the bottom. How listeners (and readers) react to breaks is often a lot different from how we think they will.
If you're in need of a break from your podcast, I'd love to know more about where you are and how you're handling it for future articles. This is something every podcaster goes through and I think it's an important topic to discuss publicly. Reach out to me via Twitter.
Podcasting Tools
Automated "Episode Notes" for Your Podcast?
Meetgeek will automatically record, transcribe, and summarize highlights of your podcast (or online meeting). At least that's the promise.
It's not bad. It automatically connects to Zoom sessions and gives you both a transcript as well as a summary of highlights. You can also upload standard audio files (if you record your podcast on something other than Zoom) and it will transcribe and analyze those.
It's a one-time payment of $59 – worth it for the transcription alone, in my opinion. The other tools weren't as helpful to me, although they're fun to look at. For example, it gives you a "word cloud" image for every recording you do, which is great for social media posts.
Take a look. and let me know what you think.
The Wrap Up
The Wrap Up
My goal is to better empower podcasters to be more successful spreading their messages and make more money with their podcasts.
I'd love it if you'll help me spread the word about this newsletter by sending your podcasting friends to bigpodcast.com/newsletter.