Prologue
How to Never Miss Your Release Date
The most successful podcasts (and podcasters) never miss a release date.
Here are two options for you to make this happen for your podcast:
- Have a backup guest (or already-recorded backup episode) you can use in the event of a guest-related (or other) problem.
- Have the ability to do a solo episode, without a guest, and record something yourself.
Something you'll find helpful in keeping you out of trouble is to have backup of anything and everything you record. Here's a short video of what how I do this.
Note that remote interview options like Riverside continuously upload files to the cloud during recording, so this can save you should your computer crash or online connection go out, but it's still a good idea to run an external recorder, just to be sure. For this, I recommend the Zoom F3 as recording at 32-bit float will keep you from worrying about clipping and other common "bad audio" problems, letting you be present with your guest and focused on creating a great show, not just recording one.
For cloud backups, pCloud is a great option. You can set it to automatically backup your podcast audio files, so it's completely hands-off once you get it going.
Do you have a backup recording system? Share your thoughts here.
Podcaster Opportunities
Short Videos > Long Podcast Episodes?
Are short videos better than long podcast episodes? That answer is, "It depends."
I talked about the importance of getting to the point on your podcast in the previous issue of Big Podcast Insider.
People want what they want now.
And a short video or Tweet can provide this solution, a lot of the time.
But don't be fooled – a short video isn't a replacement for your podcast. But do consider short-form content when it comes to giving quick tips that are helpful and personal messages that can build rapport with listeners.
Have a short video example related to your podcast? Send me a link.
Podcast Marketing
The Trade-Up ... or How I Survived on $0.01 for 30 Days
This is a great example of people following you on a journey.
People love to follow a journey and this video is a great example of that. The "story" isn't new – a guy traded-up a paperclip for a house in 2005. Still, it's compelling and it works.
So ...
- You don't have to be innovative, just have a variation of a good idea.
- Take people along on the journey.
It will work with your podcast (over a series of episodes), a book, a blog (over a series of posts), or even Twitter.
Have you done something like this? Have an idea you want to run by me? Reach out to me.
Podcast Production
Stranger Things is Being Edited Retroactively by Netflix
Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers have openly discussed making tweaks to old episodes on Netflix. But where do we draw the line in the retconning of art?
It's a good question.
Personally, I think art is (or can be) always evolving. For example, if I see you doing something cool with an idea from my 101 podcast episode templates book, I'll add it as an example. In fact, I'm openly calling for people to send me examples in the first few pages.
I believe in tweaking things that no longer work. I've removed episodes with problem guests that I didn't know were a problem until their episodes were released. Both Beyonce and Lizzo recently changed lyrics to their songs. Steven Spielberg digitally edited out guns for the DVD version of E.T., making them walkie talkies, only to go back to guns in the Blu-ray version.
Art is never done. With this said, sometimes it's time to move on.
Where do you draw the line? Let me know.
Podcasting Deals
Time-Shifted Interviews? This Will Help!
A year ago, I participated in KCRW's "Radio Race" – a contest with the goal of producing an entire radio story in just 24-hours. You can listen to me talk about my Radio Race experience here.
This event has people from around the world, many communicating via Twitter as we all go through the process together. It was on Twitter that I met a radio producer in India, Shrikant Joshi.
Shrikant had a "time zone" problem. The event was US-based and started in the morning for us, but late at night for him. And with only 24 hours to complete it, he had to get started immediately.
The solution was a time-shifted interview – his questions were sent to a guest in the US before he went to bed, answers were recorded as he was sleeping, and he'd have the tape he needed by the time he woke up the next morning.
But would he? What if there was a problem with the recording? That was the risk. You can listen to Shikant talk about this (and more) here for more info on how everything went down.
Rumble Studio is a tool that can solve this problem. And, even if your guest is across town and easy to get to, it's still a very nice time-saver when it comes to getting quick answers on tape.
My video review is here and will give you some ideas of how you can use it.
I like this tool. At just $59, I think it's worth a punt.
Podcast Humor
Are Female Podcasters More Supportive Than Male Podcasters?
A little humor about a serious issue ...
Are female podcasters more supportive of each other than male podcasters? Share your thoughts here.
Podcast Monetization
Guests are Paying Up to $50,000 to Appear on Popular Podcasts
True story ... I had a college teacher who opened up for The Beatles on their first US tour.
How? He told me, "Our manager gave their manager a briefcase full of money."
That's one way to get somebody to pay attention to you! And some podcasters are open to this method when it comes to booking guests.
From the article ...
The top-earning show is Entrepreneurs on Fire, a daily program that highlights various businesses. John Lee Dumas, its host and creator, says he mostly receives guest inquiries through his website and currently charges $3500 for an appearance. Payment serves as a kind of filtering tool.
What kind of ROI would you have to have to pay $3500 to be on a podcast? Let me know via Twitter!
The Wrap Up
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My goal is to better empower podcasters to be more successful spreading their messages and make more money with their podcasts.
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