Month: February 2022

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podcast

570- Disruption vs Safety in podcasting — even being grumpy

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the theme of being a disrupter or non-conformist or illogical crusader vs. the safe thing to do in podcasting.

The inspiration for this episode came from the podcast micro-episode from Todd Henry in The Daily Creative. The episode based its topic on the theme of: “When you always choose the safest route you take the greatest risk of all: never knowing what you might be truly capable of accomplishing.” (From July 7, 2021). Thus, we speak about the conflict of accepting some risk and taking some chances vs. minimizing risk in making business decisions.

Evo Terra has been known as a “disrupter” in the area of creativity in podcasting and business.  His show of Podcast Pontifications outlines this in the changes he makes to his show and the topics he delivers with new ideas and suggestions for podcasters to make the entire area of podcasting better for everyone.

Evo has always promoted pushing the limit in your expectations and your delivery of solutions, seeking for new areas to improve your business and your podcasting experiences — and thus, to make your podcast more successful. So Evo’s “disruption” promotes more on the risk-taking, but he also cautions to have a back-up plan and exit strategy, as well as not putting all your cash and all your eggs in one basket. And any good entrepreneur and podcaster should always have an exit strategy or several back-up strategies, especially in this day and age of unknown futures for the media and the business environment.

One example of being a non-conformist and a “gentle” type of disrupter is the new show called Grumpy Old Bears that launched in later 2021. This disruption from the safer method of the cookie-cutter approach to podcasting was initiated more for fun (with the emphasis on humor and a cynical approach to the topics — and thus, the grumpiness), but in response to the woke-based lame-stream media and the cancel culture for those who did not agree with the radical left in their idiotic ideas and ideology. In fact, this called for even creating an alter-ego voice for the main character, Mr. Bear, who will lead the way in impatient grumpiness to make way for segues and for topic discussion and introduction.

The Grumpy Old Bear in podcasting

Thus, we hope that you can choose to consume the episodes of The Daily Creative, as most of the topics can be related to success in small business, startups and entrepreneurs. Likewise, we also suggest that you review the podcast shows of Evo Terra and his Podcast Pontifications show — for you will find the challenges that Evo gives us in his life-long mission (which is “to make podcasting better for us.”)

If you do, we sincerely wish that you find VALUE in the daily delivery of these topics (now covered in over 5 books by Todd Henry, as well), so that your business and your podcasts will be successful in meeting — and surpassing — your objectives for success.

We also hope that if you review the Grumpy Old Bears podcast show, you can get some humor out of it — as well as some education and even controversy which can make you think a bit and consider the lighter side of today’s stressful environment.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2021, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Todd Henry and Evo Terra and GrumpyOldBears.com. All rights reserved.

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podcast

569- What it really takes to be a PROFESSIONAL podcaster

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we examine some details in which a long-term podcaster and author of podcast books named Evo Terra delivers in his recent podcast episode of Podcast Pontifications.

In this episode from Evo Terra, we see that he defines a REAL PROFESSIONAL in terms of education, training, experience, diplomacy, communication, liaison skills, business skills and acumen, as well as organizational and leadership skills — and NOT just the ability to create a podcast show and publish some episodes that may be low quality or not.

As Evo states: “None of those examples will come as a surprise to you. We know that true professionals—doctors, musicians, writers, and yes, podcasters—all invest a significant amount of time and effort in the study of their craft. Because with very few exceptions, professionalism isn’t achieved by the piecemeal accumulation of surface-level tactics, tricks, and hacks.”  (And I understood the “hacks” to be the ability to follow a script or tutorial to learn how to podcast in a very short time, without regard to the back-end and business-end of being a real professionally skilled and experienced podcaster)

In Evo’s audio episode, he mentions in the title of one section that you, as a podcaster, must go “Beyond Podcasting 101.” From his point of view, it is important not just to know the how of your trade, but the WHY, and especially the overall history, audience, business and environment in the podosphere. As he mentions, “Hacks and borrowed skills will only get you so far.”

So you may call yourself a podcast consultant — even a professional — but without the experience, education, training and other skills learned about the TRADE of podcasting, you are still considered by Evo to be just a 90-minute wonder who learned how to create a podcast show and publish one episode from a tutorial (what can be construed to be a “hack.”)

The details the skills are noted in the part of Evo’s episode when he describes how you may know that you are truly a professional podcaster:

In podcasting, copywriting skills are a necessity. Episodes notes need to be written, as does the article that accompanies the episode on a website. Don’t forget the variations on social copy!

Oh, and those social shares will need some customized graphics. And the show itself needs compelling artwork to make it attractive to new listeners. Wait! The webpage for the episode will need graphics as well. Website? Oh, right! That website needs to be built out and maintained. And the show needs to be marketed so it grows. Don’t forget liaising with other podcasters. And someone needs to figure out the business plan so the show succeeds and your idea of being a professional podcaster actually becomes a going concern and how you put food on the table. That’s a sampling of what it takes to really be a professional podcaster. A few are able to master all of it on their own. More realize their own limitations and enlist the services of others. But even then, the podcaster has an understanding of all the pieces and can step in when necessary. Because it all has to be done.“

And finally, Evo states that learning from a mentor, a role-model or thought-leader (call him what you will), you can gain the wisdom that will in time give you the edge to call yourself a podcaster. And he does this by citing the old saying:

“If I see further than others, it’s because I stand on the shoulders of giants.”

What I see for a professional podcaster is one who aspires to become one of the GIANTS, upon whose shoulders I could stand, and from whose experience and charisma and knowledge I can soak up (like a sponge) and then deliver to others, as they will also stand upon my shoulders.

So, we hope that you can aspire to become a GIANT in the world of professional podcasters.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2021, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Evo Terra of Podcastpontifications.com. All rights reserved.

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568- Key ways to get your podcast discovered

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we dive into the ways that you can get your podcast discovered — especially from the words of wisdom delivered by Dave Jackson of The School of Podcasting.

These ways were published and described with a link in a post on The Podcast Business Journal recently. Dave is the author of the recently published book called Profit from Your Podcast.

Now, I have personally known Dave, and I have interviewed him in the past since 2007, and I have even hired him as a podcast consultant since then. His skill and acumen are well noted, as he is a member of the Podcasting Hall of Fame and has an award-winning podcast show of The School of Podcasting.com.

What Dave discusses for us in this post is the age-old problem of DISCOVERY. Since 2005, he has been giving hints, tips, tools and other recommendations for having your own podcast show do well in the area of discovery. This also relates to Dave’s internal mission in life today, which is to help you avoid making your podcast BORING.

So Dave gives some simple suggestions to help your podcast in the area of DISCOVERY in the podosphere:

  • Tell people to share the show — especially since word-of-mouth is one of the strongest means of promoting your podcast and letting others “discover” that your podcast has valuable content for them — and have a great call-to-action;
  • Be Down with other people’s podcast — “Do your homework and find other podcasts where you can deliver value to the audience.”
  • Apply to speak at all events — your presence in front of live audiences (and even virtual or online events) will help to grow your audience and introduce you to those who don’t know about you or your podcast;
  • Always be promoting — you should be a 24-hour marketing and promotion system for your own podcast show and emphasize the VALUE that you bring to your listeners;
  • Paid advertising where podcast listeners reside — a strong method, if you can afford it in your budget and target the right audience with the right ROI (i.e., return on investment) that gets you results.

Now, Dave gives examples and sample situations for each of his five suggestions. I strongly recommend that you run this checklist mentally and compare to see how it relates to your show, and whether or not you can get good results from this. For a few minutes of examining this checklist, a gem of good opportunity may come your way.

We hope that you will be better at DISCOVERY in the area of podcasting, and that your show’s audience can grow so that you can have a successful podcast.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2021, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Dave Jackson of schoolofpodcasting.com.

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podcast

611- BONUS episode — Vietnam Veterans Podcast interview 2022

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we deliver to you the interview that was published on 8 February 2022 by Mack Payne in his podcast show, VietnamVeteranNews.com.

Here is the audio player for the entire unedited podcast episode which contains the audio interview with Mack Payne posted on 8 February 2022 from VietnamVeteranNews.com: (it follows the web site image)

and here is the 44 minutes of audio in the interview with Mack Payne from his show:

So, in this episode, we deliver the interview which we talked about in episode 566 of this show, Podcast Reporter. We also deliver this audio interview for a bonus episode in the podcast show being created called The Real Academy of Life.

Hope you enjoy this, as it was a very stressful struggle for me to give an account of my experiences in Vietnam with another Vietnam veteran.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Mack Payne of VietnamVeteranNews.com. All rights reserved.

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608- Podcasting interviews with Dave Jackson — 15 years earlier

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter Show, we deliver to you some repurposed episodes where we interviewed the headmaster himself of the School of Podcasting show, Dave Jackson. And many of our listeners had heard that I did interview Dave in the early years of the podosphere, and they were interested in listening to him when he was a podcaster 15 years ago. And so, since I do have the license to repurpose this show (from my release form right before the interview), I want to let you listen to the original Dave Jackson in 2007 while attending and speaking at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo in Ontario, California.

The topics were: (1) forming your legal entity for your podcasting business — not legal advice, but just experiences; and (2) podcasting shows and conferences.

And Dave is also an author of blog posts, as well as books. His latest book is Profit from Your Podcasting (where you can currently get an personally autographed book from his site):

  • And so here is the audio episode from 2007 at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo with Dave Jackson — the focus is legal entities for entrepreneurs:
  • And here is another episode where I interviewed Dave Jackson at the Podcast and Portable Media Expo in 2007, where the topic includes podcamps and business shows:

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Now, I have been one of Dave’s clients in his schoolofpodcasting program for many years — and he had helped me set up 6 of my past 18 podcast shows and web sites. He also has been a good buddy and my respect for him pronounced a well-deserved recognition for him when he earned a podcast award for his show, as well as being inducted to the Podcasting Hall of Fame.

Currently, Dave works for libsyn.com in the area of support, and he also has several other podcast shows, where some of them are:

So, we hope that you can enjoy these podcast episodes when you hear about Dave Jackson and his past environments in his struggle to become a legal entity and also survive in the world of podcasting. He came to me because I strongly advocated forming a legal entity as a podcaster for business, as well as making yourself known in podcamps and other conferences and shows about podcasting.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Dave Jackson from schoolofpodcasting.com — interviews repurposed under signed release. All rights reserved.

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podcast

567- Podcast promotion services and their value

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss a recent post from Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting.com that deals with the value to the podcaster of podcast promotion services (and, of course, the value that he adds when he services you, as there is a call-to-action to use his services).

Ben Krueger

Now, as you know, I have known Ben since 2014 when he and I both shared an exhibit table at the first Podcast Movement conference in 2014. Ben has always delivered good content (and much of it in the form of free pdf files with some gems in them) and has been an advocate for working smartly and effectively to create a successful podcast show for your entrepreneurial business.

In this recent episode titled “Podcast Promotion Service (Guide for 2021),” Ben delivers some key points to educate the new and aspiring podcasters about podcast promotion services — including what they are and how to view them to decide if you should include them in your business workflow for your podcasting business.

In fact, the post from Ben has these sections with good content and explanations for each:

  • Where can I promote my podcast?
  • How do I get more podcast listeners?
  • What is a podcast promotion service?
  • What is the most popular podcast platform?
  • How do podcasts go viral?
  • How do I know if my podcast is doing well?

I would suggest that you go and examine this post with these sections to understand the nature of podcast promotion servicing, and then you can decide if such a service is right for your business, your podcast show and your workflow.

First, Ben explains what the service is:  “A podcast promotion service is designed to help you get your podcast heard by the largest number of listeners possible. Podcast promotion services will typically promote your show on different platforms to increase visibility and traffic, which can lead to more listeners and reviews.”

Besides publicizing the release of each episode and promoting it to the various audiences that you have targeted for your message, these services can add another vehicle besides WOMMA (i.e., word of mouth marketing and advertising) to allow your podcast to actually get some statistics that can give you results of your podcast distribution and see how far the word has been spread for your show.  This can help you to distribute and market your show.

Ben also focuses on Spotify and Google Podcasts as examples of some services, along with the strengths of each.

But there are others that are springing up every day. In fact, other Business Podcasters such as Adam Schaeuble of Podcast Business School will also direct you as a novice podcaster to his services, or that of others whom he trusts.

But regardless of which service provider you would consider, Ben also includes the call-to-action for his own services at cashflowpodcasting.com: “We can provide you with a broad range of data for you to see whether your podcast is performing well. Based on this data, we can make strategic improvements to your audio content to take things to the next level. If you’re looking for a podcast production service and a podcast promotion service, don’t hesitate to reach out!.”

So, we hope that this post can deliver some bit of education for you as a podcaster,  so that you can decide whether to include such services for your show and your business, in the quest for monetization. So we wish you the best in creating your podcast promotion services and using them to help make your podcast a success for you.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2021, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting.com. All rights reserved.

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podcast

605- Podcasting tools possibly overlooked by newer podcasters

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter show, we refer to an earlier post about podcasting tools that are often overlooked, especially by the new and aspiring podcasters. And this seems to be a further list, after which the wavve.co site had already listed some “dynamic tools.” This post titled “Seven Overlooked podcasting tools for new podcasters to consider” is located at wavve.co at the following URL:  wavve.co/overlooked-podcasting-tools-for-new-podcasters-to-consider/

So, for this brief episode, we give you the list of the seven major tools that are mentioned in the post in which newer podcasters may not have considered them necessary in order to create or improve their podcast shows, along with some suggestions:

  • Branding — including the visual aspects of your show, such as
    • Episode cover art
    • Show cover art
    • Logo
    • Font choices
    • Brand color palette
    • Image choices
  • File sharing
  • Collaborative Note-taking
  • Scheduling
  • Virtual Meeting (for hosting interviews or meetings)
  • Podcasting Analytics Tracking; and
  • Transcription

This article by Jeff Dolan, the CEO of wavve.co does provide a good moment of thought before launching with enthusiasm into the euphoric world of creating and publishing your first podcast show. So I would recommend that the beginners do review this and perform a bit more research to see which tools do provide the best solution for their own show and their environment.

Now, in my own experience as a podcaster, I had started in 2006 when there were virtually no tools at all in existence. And so I had to depend upon podcasting conferences to see what the latest announcements, demonstrations, exhibits and news were available about podcasting tools.

For instance, I used Noble Transcription Services (which are still available today) for my transcription requirements, since I did meet with the owners at the show and saw the results of their service during the early days of the Podcast and Portable Media Expo in Ontario, California. And from there, I did rely on podcamps, podcast conferences (like the Podcast and Portable Media Expo, New Media Expo), Podcast Movement and other shows where I could find out about the new products and possibly meet the owners and developers, as well as see live demos.

And there are other tools that you can explore in different podcast shows themselves about podcasting. One that I would highly recommend today is Ask the Podcast Coach with Dave Jackson and Jim Collison (recorded live every Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. Eastern time). Here, they show the latest tools, gadgets and solutions from different vendors — and they usually get some demo models or some results from using software tools in the video portion of their program. And for newer podcasters, this is a great resource outside of the conference programs.

So the development and promotion of podcast tools has definitely come a long way since the days of 2005, where pundit and podcaster and author, Paul Colligan, published his show called Weekly Podcast Tools Update (in which he would present micro-casts every week to highlight a podcast tool and thus save the podcaster time — so that the podcaster can get back to his workflow in podcasting).

So we hope that you can research easily which tools for podcasting would be the best for your show, and then you can improve your podcasts and be on the road to success in growing your show or increasing your revenue and meeting your objectives in podcasting.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and wavve.co and Paul Colligan and PodcastMovement.com. All rights reserved.