Tag: Ben Krueger

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622- Podcast Services may be a smart option

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the post made by podcaster Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting.com in which he describes his ideas for the BEST podcasting services.

Ben Krueger

The link to this post that describes the BEST PODCAST SERVICES for 2022 is in this content.

In this post, Ben starts with describing some of the criteria for services that gives them strong quality — such as saving time for the podcaster. Then he promotes his idea of the three OPTIONS for podcast services:

In a nutshell, there are three options out there to help you get your podcast up and running and keep your episodes on track:

  1. “Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Solutions. With budget-friendly do-it-yourself options, you’ll get SOME help from outside sources, but you’re essentially making your podcast happen on your own. These include things like software, courses, and coaches that allow you to handle the heavy lifting but offer guidance to make sure you’re on the right track.
  2. Done-For-You (DFY) Services. As the name implies, these services have developed done-for-you systems to handle podcast setup, audio editing, show notes writing, publishing services, etc. Of course, how many tasks they take on will vary with pricing and the organization.
  3. Podcast Managers. A podcast manager is in charge of planning, running, managing, and implementing your show. Essentially, this is someone (or multiple people) you hire as the point person for making your podcast happen and ensuring everything runs smoothly for your releases.”

Then Ben goes into the category of DYI SOLUTIONS, including the software, as well as training courses and coaching scenarios.

Then Ben goes into DFY SOLUTIONS, which could be “done for you” by a professional podcast consultant or other resource such as a podcast production service. And here, Ben examines the financial decision elements in selecting the best solution for you — including the cost-effective, mid-range and high-end options to suit your budget.

All of these take into account the relationship with the PODCAST AGENCY. And after that, he spends more time in describing the PODCAST MANAGER. And here, he spends a bit of time recommending the important elements of both contractors and team members — and he gives you this tip:  “Pro Tip: Whatever solution you decide is right for you, we strongly recommend that you make sure there’s a quality review process of some kind to review your completed show and episodes before they publish. “

And finally, in reviewing other value-added services, he adds some comments on BOOKING SERVICES (to have you as a GUEST on another podcast or securing GUEST INTERVIEWEES for your podcast). He mentions Interview Valet as a service with Tom Schwab (whom we have interviewed on this podcast since 2015) with these final suggestions:  “This can go two different ways. Either you want to get booked as an expert on a series of other podcasts, or you want a systematic way of having interview guests booked for your own show. “

And, of course, Ben finishes his post by promoting his own services for podcasting (see cashflowpodcasting.com) and how he can help podcasters improve their show for success.

Note: I have known Ben since 2014, when we shared a booth at the first Podcast Movement conference in Dallas. I have followed him and do recommend him for his detailed resources — and you may want to investigate him and his offerings to help you and your podcast show. Also, I, myself have been a podcast consultant during the last 16 years and have offered, promoted and delivered podcast services for others who did not want to learn the details of podcasting, but preferred to subcontract this out to others — and I always had my proof-of-concept that always succeeded in gaining the trust and commitment of clients. What I usually did was offer to get an interview they conducted (if they wanted to have an interview show, for example) and then do the editing and audio improvement on the file, as well as adding the title, the music and the INTRO and OUTRO for a suggested final mp3. And then I would send it back to the client under a contract that specified the minimum number of episodes and each one at a single price for the final deliverables.

So, at this time, I would strongly suggest that you review your options for improving your podcast shows by examining whether or not you should consider the use of podcast services. In many areas, you may find that your time is your most valuable resource that can be put to use more effectively than spending time and effort in completing the tasks for workflow in creating the podcast final audio episode.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting.com. All rights reserved.

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621- Tips on conducting a Podcast interview

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter show, we discuss a post from podcaster Ben Krueger on conducting a podcast interview. This content came from a July, 2022, post from his blog and site called cashflowpodcasting.com.

Now, I have known Ben since 2014, when he and I shared a booth at the very first Podcast Movement conference in Dallas, Texas. Since then, I have listened to his episodes and advice, as well as having ordered some of his offerings and downloaded and reviewed some of his helpful FREE PDFs for podcasters.

Ben Krueger

In his July, 2022, post, Ben titles the content with “How to conduct a great interview.” He then elaborates on the requirements for a good podcast interview, but also gives his value in how to conduct the interview to deliver the best VALUE to your listeners. He tries to boil it down to the simple status in his statement:  “Fundamentally, there are two things that really matter when you’re interviewing people:

1. You are having a natural, connecting conversation with another human being.

2. You are responsible for finding the answers to the questions that your audience has.”

In fact, the main topics of his post are the following:

  • Focus on stories and emotions;
  • Suggestions and examples on “How to interview someone for a podcast;”
  • He refers to details in a post about O. Winfrey titled “How to Interview Someone For A Podcast.” And that is, as he states, “because she goes into the emotion and the stories.”

Ben, of course, offers both his FREE BOOK and his membership site of cashflowpodcasting.com where you can get his roadmap. He is always good about reminding his viewers, listeners and readers about his services and offers and offerings to help them improve — and many of them free.

Thus, if you are interested in reviewing your strategies and procedures and workflow in the area of interviewing others for podcast episodes, then I would highly encourage you to see what Ben has to offer in the way of friendly advice — especially when he has been labeled as a good resource for podcast interviews. Since Ben is specialized in the area of business podcasting, this may be a feather in your cap to help you succeed more in the area of interviewing key guests to help your podcast shows grow and become more successful.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting. All rights reserved.

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599- Tips on how to structure a Podcast

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter Show, we review the topic of structuring your podcast and episodes. This theme was discussed in December of 2021 by Ben Krueger, a podcaster and consultant with his show, Cashflowpodcasting.com in his email content with the title “How to structure a podcast.”

Now, as you may know, the REAL objective of a podcast show and its episodes is to provide value to your listeners and audience. As Ben Krueger states in this post, “you should aim to cram as much value in the shortest possible time.”

Ben Krueger

In addition to ending the podcast episode at a shorter time (which may be the right time), one key areas of discussion by Ben deals with the preparation required for quality content (in addition to good audio). As Ben states:  “If you’re eager to record a new podcast episode, it can be tempting to just get behind the microphone and start. This is one of the easiest ways to hamper an episode’s potential. Structuring your podcast episodes can increase the value of your content and help listeners to find what they’re looking for. Before you begin recording, a little bit of preparation can make all the difference.”

Now, after this mention, Ben goes into detail into the following areas of tips for structuring your podcast:

  • “Why is it important to structure a podcast?
  • How do you write a script for a podcast?
  • What are the key components of a podcast?
  • How do you create an outline for a podcast?
  • How do you structure a podcast interview?”

As is stated, scripting your podcast and creating key components by writing an outline can be great ingredients for preparing VALUE for your listeners and customers.

We hope that you, as a podcaster, can improve the quality and value of your show by structuring your podcast better — and we hope that you can get some value from this post from Ben Krueger.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Ben Krueger. All rights reserved.

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594- Ben Krueger on Podcast Procrastination

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we consider an article by Ben Krueger (podcaster and creator of cashflowpodcasting.com) in which he ponders the reasons why potential podcasters delay in getting started — in fact, he titles it “The One thing stopping you from starting your podcast.”

Now, you could consider this a type of procrastination from getting your feet wet in the podosphere as an aspiring podcaster.

And as we delve more deeply into this article, there is food for thought that someone who would like to podcast should really know what he may be missing out on by not starting. And we would ask ourselves the same question — what is the one big reason why anyone who wants to podcast would hesitate?

In the article, Ben describes the dilemma and the lost potential of communicating with a good audience and telling your own story and delivering your own message:

“The biggest thing that gets in the way of podcasting dreams is the desire to do it right. And it’s not surprising if you think about it. Industry advocates and leaders have become successful because when they decide to do something, they make sure they do it well.

They make the effort to create high-quality work, use a strategy that gets results, and make the most of their time so they can focus on what they’re best at. This drive to do it right is key to their success in other things, and podcasting is no different.

The problem is that because they are so focused on this, their podcast becomes the project they think about for months—if not years—before they’re ready to commit. In my experience, this is usually due to three main issues that must be addressed before these would-be podcasters feel ready.”

And so Ben describes these main issues for aspiring podcasters and their procrastination:

  • Issue number 1:  the excuse or reason is “I don’t have the time.”
  • Issue number 2:  Being intimidated by the tech in podcasting;
  • Issue number 3:  The desire for success (and the resulting fear of failure to meet expectations).

Now, in my past, I have taught Personal Productivity (aka “time management”) courses to professionals. There is always some proven method to be able to be more productive (about 25 per cent for many people) with their time. In fact, when I taught the course, the objective was “to accomplish more in less time with better quality and to reduce stress.”

As Ben addresses in the article, getting help with software, or with virtual assistants, can free up time for you to be able to engage in the podosphere and get some good results. Obviously, his call to action is to hire a professional who can assist in helping you get started (like himself). And I have no problem with this, as I myself did hire Dave Jackson of The School of Podcasting to help me get my podcasts launched (even after I had taken self-study courses in starting a podcast show and creating and publishing an episode).

And, of course, if you have the money and want to get a pro to do it all for you, the hiring of help is the ideal way — even though most of the aspiring podcasters cannot afford it:  “The third and best option is to hire a full-service podcast production agency that takes care of the strategy, as well as all the time-consuming and technical stuff so that all you have to do is show up and hit record.”

I highly recommend that you, as an aspiring podcaster, should review the contents of this article so that you can really get past the excuses of “no time” or “no tech savvy” to get yourself into the podosphere — especially since most of us cannot go with the third alternative, which is to hire a full-blown studio to do it all for you. And although this is one alternative that can be provided by Ben Krueger, your budgets may have a warning for you from proceeding down the full-blown studio setup.

Yes, it may take some time and some self education, as well as a minor investment in training materials, as well as the tech devices and software. But once you get past the learning curve, you will find out how satisfying it can be to prepare, produce, publish and promote your own show and episodes.

As Ben summarizes, the HELP you need is something which you must explore, investigate, analyze and plan for stepping into the podosphere: “The moral of the story? Get help at whatever level is appropriate so that your time and effort are maximized for success…Instead of trying to figure out all the tech on your own, there’s a much simpler and more effective way: Ask for recommendations, and keep it simple…Starting a podcast can be time-efficient, simple and rewarding — if you let it.”

In fact, Ben recommends one of his resources to start with, as it is a free key piece of advice:  “(A great place to start is to download our free book, which breaks down our proven 5-step process for starting and managing a podcast…)”

In his book, Die Empty, Todd Henry (a podcaster and author) also mentions that a graveyard is the biggest container of lost ideas and valuable projects that never got started. Thus, Ben, in a similar manner, suggests that you NOT let procrastination of getting into the podosphere be one of your tragedies that were never realized in life.

Thus, we hope that you will find the time and get the training and education and put together a realistic plan to engage in the podosphere and have a successful podcast.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2021, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Ben Kreuger and Todd Henry. All rights reserved.

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593- Starting a Podcast or not — some questions

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the theme of starting a podcast — especially in 2022. This theme came to me from a post by  Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting.com. Then the opposite viewpoint was proposed in a later post from another podcaster titled “Why you shouldn’t start a podcast.”

So, in this episode, we briefly discuss the main topics of both related themes to starting a podcast.

STARTING A PODCAST IN 2022 vs NOT DOING SO

Suggestions for starting a podcast in 2022

First, from Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting.com, we get the encouragement and details of starting a podcast show and episodes in his earlier post. Now, as I have mentioned before in earlier episodes on this show, I have great respect for Ben for the deliverables he creates and the recommendations that he gives to the new and aspiring podcasters.

Ben Krueger

And in this post, he gives to us his philosophy that determines the timing of podcast show creation:  “Timing is critical to succeeding in anything. Podcasting is no different. The timing of launching your podcast can make a BIG difference in its initial success. ** So the question is, what’s the BEST time to launch a podcast? **”

And he gives the short answer to the aspiring business podcaster who is filled with emotion, passion and energy for starting a podcast: “It comes down to where you’re at in the development of your business.”

What Ben delivers are some key bullets that outline the timing of podcast show creation:

  1. “You have an established service/offer that sells, and gets clients results

  2. You already have some audience to start with (client list, email list, social following, personal network in the industry, etc)

  3. You’re ready to start scaling.”

And then Ben gives an example of a client and stories of those who have gone through the process and have become successful. And, of course, Ben delivers his own call-to-action for his own program to help podcasters get started: “Learn more about how we help leaders launch podcasts and request a free consultation call here:
https://cashflowpodcasting.com/services/podcast-launch-program/ “

He continues to describe the program: “The Podcast Launch Program includes everything you need to develop your podcast idea, plan and outline it, design and record your first episodes, produce them and launch your show to the world.”

And Ben then goes on to describe the major components, tasks and milestones that an aspiring podcaster can go through:

  • Strategic planning;
  • Podcast coaching;
  • Branding creation;
  • Setup and submission;
  • Launch and promotion;
  • Production and marketing.

I would strongly encourage aspiring podcasters to review these types of programs, especially from Ben, to see if they can help you to achieve success in your business podcast while you may be in the planning stages. I think you will be pleased from what you can learn and what the results of your show will deliver.

DON’T START A PODCAST — IF THE SHOE DOESN’T FIT

The other side of the coin is the recommendation NOT to start a podcast, with the following topics that you also need to review before jumping into the podosphere with both feet:
  • Am I doing this for my ego or an audience?
  • How to set yourself up for podcasting success;
  • Do I really know what I am getting myself into?
  • Steps to release a podcast episode;
  • Am I doing this because I think this is a way to make money?
  • Am I doing this because I think I should?
  • Coming up with a great podcast idea.
  • When do you know if podcasting is right for you?

And each of these sections provide a few sentences on the thoughts espoused in each topic, especially in awareness of the “loneliness of the long-distance podcaster”:

“If the answer to “Why do you want to start a podcast?” is anything other than ‘Because I’ve got amazing content that will educate/inspire/entertain and I desperately want to get it into people’s ears” then think twice. Podcasting is a big commitment with absolutely no guarantee of success. The people who have been successful are those who consistently create valuable and engaging content that appeals directly to their ideal listener. If you’re passionate about every episode you’ll be happy to keep going even when no one is listening.”

As usual, I would recommend doing a cost-benefit analysis of the pros and the cons of launching your own podcast. And now you should include not only the labor and EFFORT and TIME that podcasting requires (and you can get that from other successful podcasters who can tell you the truth about the 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 ratio of time required per minute of finished audio) — but also of the FINANCIAL requirements that can only increase. Remember that many podcasters make a quick estimate of costs, which later turn out to be less than required, and the budgets may grow quickly and become sore points for the podcaster.

Whatever your decision — to start a podcast in 2022 or to avoid podcasting altogether — I hope that you will make the best decision for yourself, your business and your future success.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Ben Krueger and Rachel Corbett. All rights reserved.

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590- Ideas for setting up your Podcast studio

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss an earlier post by Ben Krueger, a podcaster at cashflowpodcasting.com,  in which he posts the text by Adam Crookes in which the latter addresses the age-old topic of podcast studios. He gives some recommendations on how to set up a podcast studio as potential ideas.

Now, as I have stated many times before in this show, I do respect and admire the value that is delivered by Ben Krueger, as I have known him and interviewed him since the time I personally shared a booth with him the exhibit hall of the very first Podcast Movement conference in Dallas in 2014. So I thought that this would be a great topic to explore once more and get his perspective. However, I got some words from a guest post from Adam Crookes. And my perspective of the post follows after a brief summary of the article.

Summary of the Post

Now, for those interested in creating your own studio, the article gives you thoughts about what is required as food for thought:

  • Estimating the costs of setting up a studio;
  • What is required for the studio?
  • How do you set up a studio in your home? And the post then gives you a list of items and tasks required for your in-home studio:
    • Here’s a list of equipment you should consider for your podcast studio:
      • “Computer
      • USB or XLR microphone
      • Audio interface
      • Mixer
      • Windscreen or pop filter
      • Microphone stand
      • Headphones
      • Acoustic treatments”
  • Then the post delves into the question about whether or not you can start your podcast shows with just your phone;
  • And finally, what is addressed is the age-old question about whether a podcast show is worth it to both you and your audience;
  • Then the article suddenly jumps into the subject of the necessity of headphones when starting a podcast;
  • And then a key question ends the post by asking if it is free to start a podcast on Spotify.

For these questions, I feel that this article, written by Adam Crookes, leaves out a lot of other key questions and statements that a new or aspiring podcaster needs to investigate before setting up a studio. One of these would be testimonials from those who have successfully set one up and are currently podcasting and reaching their success in their objectives at the time. Another would be the time it takes for a podcast studio to be written off or get a good ROI for your business, should you be creating a business podcast.

All in all, I find that this post does little in awakening a coherent target of your mind to investigate fully what is involved in setting up your podcast studio (other than the equipment and physical preparation of your home studio). I know that Ben Krueger would have addressed this topic with more research, more details, and with some personal and third-person experiences of successful podcasters who have set up their own studios and are showing great results from it — or experiences that did not see the studio succeed in the business.

One item you may want to explore is the Podcasting Business School site, where the main theme is to treat your podcast like a habit, but to grow it like a business. Within the 200 episodes so far, the podcaster did cite a few minutes on building a home studio for podcasting.

For myself, I have been a podcaster who has done remote reporting with adequate tools for the past 16 years, as well as have had a “podcast studio” (or a place where I record my podcasts with guests or by going solo) in several sites, from California to Texas in inbetween (including hotel rooms when I have been traveling and in transit). I will address the key areas that I propose for a studio in a later episode, as I will share with you my experiences for doing so.

Thank you for your attention.

Copyright (c) 2022, Matrix Solutions Corporation and michaelandmike.com and Ben Krueger and Adam Crookes . All rights reserved.

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585- Tips for increasing Podcast listeners

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss a past post by Ben Krueger, podcaster for cashflowpodcasting.com, that deals with the 16-year-old topic of “How to increase podcast listeners.”

Now, I have known Ben Krueger personally since I had shared a booth with him in the exhibit hall of the very first Podcast Movement conference in Dallas, Texas, in 2014. And I do respect Ben in what he posts and his suggestions for improving your podcasting careers — but mainly for new and aspiring podcasters.

Ben Krueger

Now, in this post, Ben answers the question of how a podcaster can increase the listeners to his podcast show. And Ben provides for us this evergreen topic in this post.

Now, the age-old question of how to increase listeners has been addressed from a myriad of podcasters, including the “old faithful” of experienced podcasters — from Dave Jackson, Rob Walch, Paul Colligan, Daniel J Lewis, Todd Cochrane and others. In fact, I, myself had given seminars and courses and classes in person at various conferences and podcamps in the past 16 years to address this topic. So, in my opinion, there may be some new items to address recent areas of the podosphere with new tools — but, all in all, this question has been beaten up totally, although it is a question still for podcasters everywhere. And Ben gives this post the attention it deserves, lest we forget all the hints of increasing your listener base.

Now, Ben summarizes the key elements for podcast listener increases at the beginning of his post with the objectives and understanding that podcasters must have when analyzing podcast listenership:  “If you want to get more podcast listeners, you should start by focusing on creating content for a clearly niche and then building out a marketing strategy. This marketing strategy will ensure those who can extract value from your content are fully aware of its existence. To know how to increase podcast listeners, you must understand where your target audience is spending their time.”

So, in this post, Ben then addresses these topics, with details for each one of  these areas:

  • Where can I promote my podcast?
  • How can I then promote my business podcast show?
  • How can my podcast make money (including advertising)?
  • How do podcasts go viral?
  • How many listeners are good for a podcast?
  • What is good podcast growth? (Remember: “Podcast growth is the scale at which your audience continues to expand over time.”)
  • How do I make my podcast successful?
  • Why do podcasts fail?

And the summary of action items can be rolled up into the words of wisdom by Ben at the end of his post: “With the right approach, attracting new listeners to your podcast can be remarkably easy. It’s all about experimentation and testing different marketing channels to see what forms of marketing resonate with your target audience.”

So you have to be willing to test your actions in podcasting and publication — as well as the beginning steps of planning, marketing, promoting and creating episodes in your show that PROVIDE VALUE to the listeners.

So we hope that the topics and the details for these ideas can fill in some of the gaps and try to answer some questions and ideas you may have about growing and increasing your numbers of listeners to your show, and thus help your podcast show to be more successful in those areas.

Thank you for your attention.

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

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582- Recording a Podcast episode on Skype

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the theme that is over 15 years old — that of using Skype to record a podcast episode.

This theme brought back very old memories for myself, as I had been using Skype since 2006. And it was included in the post delivered by Ben Krueger at cashflowpodcasting.com. Now, since I have personally known Ben since 2014 and trusted him with coming up for podcasters with value deliverables and suggestions, I was interested to see about this older method of doing remote interviews and capturing audio.

My own podcasting history with Skype

Since 2005, I have been involved with the podosphere, and for over 16 years, I have been a podcaster with many of my shows including the format of remote interviews — and most of them using Skype.

My experience with the earlier versions of Skype was very dismal — it took quite a few hours to get the configuration right so that it worked. And there was an application program that provided for capturing and creating the audio for recorded interviews — PowerGramo (which is no longer available). And like other competitors at the time, one configuration of PowerGramo allowed for each of the 2 podcasters on the remote interview to be recorded on a separate track. This was wonderful and allowed slight synchronization and slight editing to get the tracks ready to save and add other content (like music and intros, etc.). Of course, this was a paid application (one-time charge) and it proved very reliable.

And the benefit was that I could also pay for an additional service from Skype called “Skype-out” — this allowed me to “dial” into analog phones or cell phones in addition to “dialing” into another Skype user via the internet. Thus, when doing an interview with someone who considered himself “low tech,” my interviewee would not have to deal with Skype (if the interviewee did not have it installed and configured for his use). This was a great benefit, as I could schedule and conduct interviews over the telephone without any problem (except using software like early versions of Izotope or Levelator  (as well as other software like Auphonic) to try and correct problems with the audio).

And finally, there was another configuration of Skype for the reverse, called Skype-In. However, for my own situation, I was the main initiator for an interview, and I did not require this at all.

But when Skype was acquired by Microsoft, my old application that worked as a Skype add-on (which was PowerGramo) no longer worked at all — and PowerGramo soon was retired after that. And then the configuring of Microsoft’s Skype became such a jumble of “electronic spaghetti” that I gave up in frustration in using my “old faithful” combination of Skype and PowerGramo. Instead, I sought out and sparingly used other applications like Evaer, etc., to do remote recordings and capturing the interviewee’s audio — but it was really not a good substitute for the PowerGramo app (RIP). And so I reverted back to my trusted double-ender method to record podcasts, even though I had to deal most of the work for both editing, finalizing mp3 files and synchronization to create the golden mp3 file.

And to this day, I have relied on the double-ender for interviews — which basically limits my current interviews to other podcasters.

Ben Krueger on recording a podcast on Skype

In the 2021 post by Ben Krueger, the theme of using Skype is discussed in detail by Ben with his declaration that he would “be breaking down everything you need to know about how to record a podcast on Skype.”

In addition to having a properly configured Skype program on your PC, you will need to have properly configured call-recording software to create an audio file from the interview or discussion (remember, I had used the older program, PowerGramo, as my call-recording software). Ben gives examples with Ecamm Call Recorder and also  GarageBand, Audition, or Audacity. He also mentioned  Piezo by Rogue Amoeba. He also mentions Audio Hijack.

He continues “If you have a PC, you will want to use the professional version of Pamela for Skype.”

Also, the topic of using Zoom comes up when trying to record a podcast by using the in-built recording feature. And then he highlights a tip for creating video: “Even though you may not see an immediate use for the video content, you should record it regardless. Further down the line, you may want to leverage the video content from your recordings on platforms like YouTube and Instagram.”

So these tips may be good for you to try to prepare remote interviewing, and Skype may or may not be the best choice for you as a podcaster. If you want to try Skype for remote audio capture, then I would suggest that you consume this post with all the details that Ben gives you.

And remember that a double-ender is still a great solution when you are interviewing a remote podcaster. It may seem like more work. But the creation of your audio file, downloading your interviewee’s audio file, synchronizing both tracks of audio, adding your music, intros, outros, and other content (like bumpers, etc.) may well be worth it — for you can form a good workflow for you to have a great-sounding interview of episode with your co-host.

I will continue to rely on my double-enders and only use Evaer as remote recording software when needed to capture the remote interviewee when the double-ender is really not an option.

I hope that you, as a podcaster, can decide if Skype is for you, along with all the other options mentioned above. Whatever the case, I wish you success in creating a smooth workflow that works for YOU, and that your remote interview or co-host episodes will add to your success for your show.

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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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

565- Podcast transcription services — view from experience

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In this episode of The Podcast Reporter, we discuss the theme of podcast transcription services for your show. This theme was brought up again earlier by Ben Krueger of cashflowpodcasting.com. Thus, in this episode, we not only review Ben’s points as he reveals them, but we also add my own experiences with transcription services since 2007.

Ben Krueger

Initially, we look at Ben’s idea in his post titled “Podcast transcription service — why do you need one?”

As Ben discussed, “you should consider transcribing your podcast episodes into long-form blog content. Many fail to recognize the value of presenting content in a variety of different forms . . .”

And from a marketing strategy perspective, Ben elaborates on the following questions about podcast transcription services:

  • 1. Why should you use a podcast transcription service?  [and a key answer to this, as explained in the detail, is: “The most obvious reason why you might want to use a podcast transcription service is to deliver content that appeals to those who prefer reading over listening.”
  • 2. How much does it cost to transcribe a podcast?
  • 3. Where can I get a transcript of a podcast?
  • 4. What can a podcast transcript be used for?
  • 5. How do I transcribe a podcast myself?

Also, as Ben states in his post, the benefit of transcribed content can add to the reach of your audience:  “Podcast transcription services are a great way to reach an even wider audience, as they can deliver the audio content in text form.”

And Ben continues with detail for each of the sections he presents in his post about transcription services.

Now, for this podcaster, I have used transcription services for my shows since late 2006 and all through 2007 to 2011, up to the time when I had over 15 podcast shows in production all at the same time. And I used them initially for my flagship podcast at that time, The Struggling Entrepreneur — and then I also used them for minor shows when it made sense to promote my shows in products, offerings, offers and get some SEO benefits from them. I also printed some and offered them in writing within media kits that I had produced and delivered strategically at Podcast conferences and business shows.

The company I had used was Noble Transcription Service, which was in the California area and which I had encountered in a booth at one of the first Podcast conferences (i.e., Podcast and Portable Media Expo in Ontario, California).

This firm delivered on one of their biggest strengths:  “100% Human Transcription for Accuracy, Clarity, and to Understand Nuance.”

Now, I had tried automated transcription blogs, sites, offerings and other products — and none of them delivered prompt and accurate transcriptions of my posts or interviews. However, Noble Transcription Services excelled in speedy delivery and perfect transcripts delivered electronically in pdf format, as well as word processing formats (for my later editing). And they made sure that the human corrections and perfection were included. This was much better both from a QUALITY point of view, as well as a PRICE-PERFORMANCE viewpoint. In short, my opinion was that they delivered the best deal than any automated or other competitive offering or product around at the time.

And, as you can read from Ben’s post, the BENEFITS of having transcriptions of your episodes in your shows can deliver favorable results for your business and your podcasts across your marketing channels:

  • “Transcripts can be turned into long-form blog content.
  • Extracts of transcripts can be used as copy for social media posts.
  • Transcripts can form the basis of email newsletters.
  • Transcripts can be used in e-books other long-form mediums.”

However, as a podcaster, you need to do an analysis of the COST and PRICE of transcripts — for they do not come freely. There is a cost in time, effort, quality control, review,  nurturing, updating, checking feedback and management — and this is in addition to the financial cost in dollars that you have to include in your plans and budgets, as well.

And with some of the competitors in podcast production nowadays, you can see that transcription services of some kind (many of them near poor quality with a lot of mistakes from automated or AI-type support to produce them) may be included with your podcast production support provider. But my opinion is caveat emptor. In other words, you may lose valuable time, effort and money in choosing a service that may not suit your needs or deliver poor quality results from your expectations.

And, as usual, Ben suggests what the cost may be to you as a podcaster and he delivers a call-to-action to his firm for getting a proven transcription service for your podcast. And this is part of his offer to you as a podcaster.

Thus, regardless of your decision to use and publish transcriptions of your episodes and shows, we hope that you will find a good transcription service that will deliver the speed, quality and price-performance that will support your business and podcast, and which will help to make you successful.

Thank you for your attention.

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