Podcasters report their top 3 podcasting tips - part 2

Here are the rest of the top tips on podcasting that I received from podcasters. Part 1 was posted yesterday.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Andy Abramson Co-Host of KenRadio’s World Technology Roundup and Ken Rutkowski, WebCast Pioneer and Host of KenRadio’s World Technology Roundup

1. Record with a very good microphone. The old adage of “Garbage In, Garbage Out” applies. We like the mics that are part of the BLUE family, like SNOWBALL. They seem to have the right dynamic range and seem to reduce echo and background noise quite well.
2. Be topical and timely. No one wants to hear things they are likely to already know. By providing insight, talking to an audience about what they need to know you build a loyal and repeat following.
3. Promote. Make it easy for people to remember your podcast’s name. Make the name reflective of the topic. If you’re going to talk about cars, work the word “cars” into the title. If you’re talking about Pets, make sure that’s in the name  as well. Get a URL for the podcast and forward it to where you host the site. Make sure you also populate the many podcast directories and the iPod Podcast directory with information. Upload the podcast to as many sites as possible that handle aggregation.

Top 3 podcasting tips from Lillian "Creator" Cauldwell of Passionate Internet Voices Talk Radio, Inc.

1. Know what you're going to say and say it cleanly, pronounce each vowel and consonant.  Don't read.  The listeners will know.
2. Use a LANE phone.  Do not use portables or cell phones.  They break up and the listeners won't hear you.
3. Speak up in a loud voice.  Draw your breath from your diaphragm.  Otherwise, the listeners won't hear you when using either a microphone or a telephone.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Stacy Karacostas, Practical Marketing Expert From Success Stream

1. Getting started, especially when it involves wading through tons of technology options, can be really tough. That’s why I highly recommend using www.utterli.com. Once you’ve set up your account you can record your podcasts from any phone and they’ll automatically post to the utterli network, your blog, your Website, and anywhere else you specify. Love it!
2. If you’re going to record your podcasts from a telephone, try to use a landline instead of a cell phone. The audio quality is much better.
3. Script out your podcasts before recording them so you know exactly what you want to say, but don’t necessarily read your script word for word. Instead be friendly and conversational. Then use your script as an additional article you can post on your blog or elsewhere online.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Ian Griffin of Executive Communications

1. No matter what technology you use, realize that content is king. Make your podcasts interesting, informative and even controversial to give listeners a reason to download them.
2. Carry a digital tape recorder (I use the Olympus DS-330) and a spare set of AAA batteries with you everywhere. You never know when you’ll meet someone you can interview for your next podcast.
3. If you are interviewing someone in a location with a lot of background noise, set the digital recorder on ‘Dictation’ mode if it has an option for that. Hold the recorder or microphone close to the person’s mouth and you’ll be surprised how clear it can sound.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from David Burckhard, V.P. of Operations for National Podcasting System

1. We talk to business managers who want to produce one, two or three podcasts and "see if things work out." Don't even begin a podcasting campaign unless you commit to a regular series of podcasts on a continuing bases that will draw, inform and retain an audience over time.
2. Podcasts are not and should not be advertisements. No one will continue downloading podcasts if they believe you're only try to sell them something. Inform, educate and engage with your audience. Give them valuable and compelling information and they will be loyal listeners and viewers.
3. Respect your audience's time and they will reward you with a regular following. Make a limited set of current and relevant points. Initially, aim for business audio podcasts in the 10 - 15 minute range and adjust duration according to feedback. Keep video podcasts under 5 to 6 minutes. Any longer and your points become diluted.

Top 4 tips on podcasting from David Bridle of the Thoughts on Leadership podcast

1. Get a great media host. I use Hipcast.com.  They deliver your content and setup the feed for you, also get your feed iTunes ready
2. Use Wordpress for your blog/podcast page.  Easy to set up, and search engines love it.
3. Use feedburner to get your podcast out to all corners of the internet.
4. Another quick tip for video podcasts; publish to as many online video websites as possible, youtube, viddler, vimeo etc.  More options for the user the better.

David added: "Neither Mac nor PC are better for creating podcasts. They can both do the job, it is more down to the creative thinking of the podcast creator."

Top 3 tips on podcastins, from Joseph Vella of Vella Interactive, LLC

1. Use a digital recorder - roland edirol, zoom h4, sony digital recorders with a mic (either stereo or shot gun)
2. Mac is best and apps such as soundtrack pro, garageband are great post-production tools
3. Understand how to create the podcast feed (XML) - feeder is a great app to build your feed

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Isa "GlitterGirl" Isaacs, founder of Temple of Poi

1. Use Wordpress and the "Podcasting" Plugin with it to start your podcast. It is free, easy to use, integrates directly into your blog and streamlines everything by integrating the blog and podcast together.
2. Flip cameras make it easy to film, edit and get video content on line fast without being a video editing expert and their high definition cameras are a steal at $230.
3. Trust that you have enough innovation to constantly generate new content and give value to your community. It's a surefire way of ensuring loyalty.This includes giving away recordings of actual sessions run with other people and getting permission from those people to post the sessions on the internet.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Bevin Branlandingham, of FemmeCast: The Queer Fat Femme Podcast Guide to Life

1. My tips for podcasting are to learn how to record in a way that mitigates sound echos and ambient noise as much as possible. I've learned my little iriver 800 recorder (had to buy it on ebay because it's discontinued but records cd quality sound with no need for external equipment and is smaller than 2 fingers) is great, and when I want great sound quality I try to record on a towel or a pillow to keep echoes out.
2. Further, I think anyone interested in starting a podcast should pick a topic they are totally excited about. And it's way more fun to have other people involved in the process, so I have several correspondents who contribute and a friend who does my editing.
3. Submitting to itunes is really self-explanatory and it really takes not time at all. Feedburner.com provides great feed tools absolutely free.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Derek Ross of the RaceRemote™ Motorsports Media Network

1. Use the Levelator Software to easily adjust sound levels - and make the recording sound better: And the price is right! - No Charge
2. For portable easy recording with a phone system - use Pamela with Skype
3. Third tip and maybe the most important - is just be yourself. There is already enough "over produced" content out there that is "painful" to listen to.

Top 4 tips on podcasting, from Jarrod Skeggs, V.P. Sales and Marketing for Digital Design Solutions

1. Get a MacBook or MacBook Pro, Rode Podcaster Mic or Blue Snowball, and an iPhone. With these three tools you are prepared to capture and produce a podcast just about anywhere anytime. No additional software or equipment required.
2. At a minimum, we recommend doing an enhanced podcast. An Enhanced podcast is one that includes audio tracks along with graphics and hot links so that folks are stimulated not just audibly but visually too; also they have the opportunity to take action by clicking on the hot links. Remember that most podcasts are consumed on a desktop or notebook computer, not a personal media device, iPod, or iPhone. (Although I believe this trend will move to mobile devices rapidly over the next year or two).
3. If you follow step 1 above, it's fairly easy utilize some good intro, outro, and transition music bumpers cause GarageBand comes with thousands of them. Use these to make your podcast sounds professional and standout. Without a doubt, podcasting is about quality content, but if that quality content is packaged right, the consumers experience is so much better that they are far more likely to continue listening to your podcast.
4. Keep your podcast to 10 minutes or less. 5 to 8 minutes is optimal. You've got to have really, really, really good quality content to keep a listener on the hook for more than 10 minutes. If you have more than 10 minutes worth of information to share, divide it up into multiple podcasts. This will keep folks coming back to hear the conclusion.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Jeff Glasson, Director of Social Media & Technology for PerkettPR, Inc.

1. Pick a topic you are passionate about: Be sure your podcast focuses on a topic that you are passionate about. While there’s a level of fun and excitement in producing a podcast, in the end its still quite a bit of work. Selecting a topic that you are truly passionate about will help you stay on track when you feel like quitting.
2. Focus on the content, not the equipment: There is virtually no limit on how much money you can spend on gear for podcasting. Regardless of how much you spend on trying to sound good, listeners will tune you out if your content offering is poor. A $30 Noise-cancelling headset from Plantronics and a free copy of Audacity (Mac/PC) is more than enough to get you going.
3. Consider doing a live podcast: If your podcast will include guests in remote locations, are not technically savvy or you would like to have a more interactive experience with your show then consider doing a live podcast with the blogtalkradio.com or talkshoe.com platforms. These services eliminate equipment related hassles by allowing you to conduct your podcast over the telephone. They also allow for audience participation by simulating a radio station type environment where you can bring callers in and out of the conversation. All live shows are recorded and made available for future listening.

If you have any more podcasting tips, please leave a comment!