Below the Line

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!

Podcasters report their top 3 podcasting tips - part 1

Is your client considering starting a podcast? The medium has been around for a few years now, so it's well past early adopter stage. That means expectations are high in terms of quality and content. I asked podcasters for their top three tips on putting together a podcast. Here are the responses I received -- some over achievers even provided four tips:

Top 3 tips on marketing your new podcast, from Mike McAllen of Meetings Podcast

1. Look into Trade Forums in your niche, build relationships and fans! Also a great place to find topics and interview subjects for your podcast.
2. Make alliances with other bloggers and podcasters in your niche. This will work to both shows/blogs benefits. Cross links and even inviting each other on each other shows.
3. Ask for comments, call in questions and e-mail questions and ANSWER them on the show. This will build fans! Also playing the recorded questions is a big plus to convert listeners to fans!

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from John Rarrick of Bullseye Productions

1. If you are producing a podcast for client or third party, take the time to first learn on your own dime, NOT the client’s. When we noticed that podcasts were going to be something that more people were going to want us to do, my partner and I started producing a show that we’d record on Saturday mornings when the phones weren’t ringing. At first, it was a production train-wreck. But over a few months, we blundered our way to first “acceptable”, and finally, “good” status. That show, by the way, which we didn’t even really mean for anyone to really hear, now has over 18,000 subscribers and a sponsor. Go figure.
2. Have realistic expectations for revenue. Some new podcasters think they should, in a just a few short weeks, be able to quit their day job and join the podcasting elite. Think again. This is still a new medium. Advertisers are still being made aware of what a podcast is. In these tough economic times, podcasters should present their shows as “low-cost options” to advertisers. Our rates for episode sponsors are rarely over $200.
3. Content is King. A boring show with great production value is not a recipe for success. We meet a lot of producers who are so obsessed with audio quality that they forget what the show was supposed to be about. Good content, as with any show (TV/Radio/Web) starts with good research and show prep. If you are interviewing an author and haven’t read the book, your listeners will know that in a second. Since most podcasts cater to a niche audience, staying informed on the subject matter is the key to getting new subscribers and keeping the ones you have.

Top 4 tips on marketing your podcast, from Scott Fineout, CEO of 607 Media

1. Make sure your Podcast is available through Apple's iTunes. You can do this by simply going to apple.com/itunes
2. Create a blog. This might be the single best way to establish yourself and be easily accessible. Many believe that these go hand and hand which is the influence behind blogtalkradio.com
3. Social networking sites are rapidly becoming a successful (and more affordable) option for companies of all sizes and industries. Simply starting a group on Facebook will allow you to e-mail members and let them know when updates or new shows occur. That is the beauty of Podcasting, you can connect to the host easier.
4. Build a network. You can do this by simply writing for different blogs, or being an occasional guest on a related Podcast.

Top 4 tips on podcasting, from Tom Johnson of I'd Rather be Writing

1. Best portable microphone: Zoom H4. Its versatility and sound quality is unmatched.
2. Best audio editing tools: Audacity, Soundsoap, and the Levelator.
3. Use Feedburner's podcasting settings to automatically-insert the correct iTunes specifications in your feed. (Feedburner makes it easy.)
4. Create a WordPress blog with the Audio One Pixel Out player to broadcast your podcast.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Nancy Munro, CEO of Knowledge Shift

1. You don’t need to invest a lot of money in hardware or software – we use the free Audacity software to record and edit all audio podcast.
2. Use an outline or script in order to produce a good product.
3. Use HipCast to convert MP3 files to RSS feeds for both audio and video.

You can also download their white paper on How to PodCast for Free.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Bob Knorpp of The BeanCast: A Marketing Podcast

1. Consistency – You can’t expect an audience to commit to you, if you don’t commit to them. When I started The BeanCast, I knew I would have to commit to being there on a set schedule (for me, it was every week) and busyness or vacations or me losing interest would never be an acceptable reason for not putting out a show.
2. Sound Quality — You would not believe how important having your show sound good is to the audience. A quick search of podcast comments on iTunes reveals it as one of the top factors in dropping a show, even if the content is well-regarded. Make an investment in a good condenser mic, get a small sound board and experiment in balancing bit rate with file size to find the optimal combination for you.
3. Have a Plan — This is addressed both at the overall show and the individual episodes. No successful podcaster completely wings it. For The BeanCast I had a clear understanding of the format of the show before I recorded episode one. I also roughly plan out each episode and provide detailed notes to participants, even though it’s an open roundtable. You have to be intentional with content. Rambling only gets you so far.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Darrin Guilbeau, President of Silicon Advantage

1. Normalize! Most audio software should have a function that will normalize your audio tracks. This will bring your audio levels to a more consistent and, surprise  - “normal” level for listening.
2. Trim! It is easy to look at the waveform and determine where long periods of silence are. Select the “flat line” areas that represent silence and cut them out. Especially look at the beginning and end of your files.
3. For voice-only podcasts, record in mono. This can reduce your file size potentially by one-half!

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from David Hooper of Music Business Radio

1. Make it sound professional. Hold your podcast to the same standards as you would something on broadcast radio. Just because you can release it to the world doesn't mean you should.
2. Provide bonus content that people can't get elsewhere. Special shows, behind the scenes, etc.
3. Promote via YouTube and other social media to further the relationship with fans.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from Nandini Shastry of Intellipodcast

1. Use an online service to create podcasts easily. The free Intellipodcast service allows you to record your podcast directly from a microphone connected to your PC or to upload an audio file if you want a more professional sound. The site also generates iTunes podcast XML files that you can submit to the iTunes Podcast directory and get your show into iTunes right away! You don’t have to write your own xml file.
2. Use a good microphone for the best sound quality. We recommend USB microphones like Samson audio C03U which is available from Amazon and many other places online for under $100. If you prefer a headset microphone, we recommend the Plantronics DSP500 which is also available online widely.
3. Use Audacity or other free programs to edit your sound files and add an interesting intro musical sequence and so forth. It’s the most widely used and easiest audio editing program on the internet.

Top 3 tips on podcasting, from John Shay, President/Founder of Headzup Entertainment

1. Collaborate. Find other sites that would be interested in adding your content to their site. Not only does collaboration improve your search engine standing by increasing the number of links that point back to your site, but it provides you a broader and deeper understanding of your audience.
2. Google. Your very first collaborative act should be to sign up as a Google adsense partner. Not only does it provide an early source of revenue it gives you a rapid introduction to how third-party widgets can be used to enhance your site. Furthermore, establishing an early record of interstate commerce will help establish and defend your trademark filings.
3. YouTube. Your second collaborative act should be to set up a YouTube channel. Even if your podcast is strictly audio recordings you can quickly convert those recordings into video using inexpensive authoring tools such as QuickTime Pro. YouTube will greatly expand your audience reach while at the same time set you on a path to become a YouTube partner channel. Coupled with your adsense partnership a YouTube partnership opens more doors to monetize your podcast, including mobile and third-party web sites.

Top 4 tips on podcasting, from Handyguy Brian of The Handyguys Podcast

1. Don't just podcast about anything. Narrow your focus, find your niche. Make sure you know you niche well and always podcast within that niche. The Handyguys Podcast only podcasts about Home Improvement topics.
2. Publish regularly. Pick a time/day and always publish at that time. For example, if you have a weekly podcast always publish it at the same time on your chosen day of the week. The Handyguys Podcast goes online every Thursday at 5PM.
3. Create subscribe buttons on your web page that are obvious to your site visitors. Tiny chicklets go un-noticed. Check out the cool subscribe buttons at The Handyguys Podcast.
4. Learn about meta data associated with your mp3 files. Be consistent in using and applying meta data. Make sure you have Album art.

I'll be back tomorrow with more tips!

Podcasting and emotional connections

Many marketers are still trying to figure out how podcasting can fit into their marketing mix. While the medium is evolving and changing, one thing that’s becoming evident is that people develop an emotional connection to podcasts.

The listener must make an active choice to consume the content. They must seek out the feed, subscribe to it and take that final step of listening to the content rather than anything else on their MP3 player or computer.

Passion:

Because many podcasts are about niche topics, the listener feels a bond with someone who they see as a kindred spirit; they feel a personal connection. Podcasting is a one-to-many communication that feels like a one-to-one communication.

Podcasters often incorporate listener comments, playing audio messages (like Podcast 411) or reading letters received from listeners (like the CBC Radio 3 podcast). This gives the shows a relatable quality; i.e. listeners feel that even if they personally have not contributed a comment, the possibility is there.

Anticipation:

Many people look forward to the next release of their favorite podcast, much like they would with a favorite TV show. For this reason, a regular release schedule is important.

Guilt:

People who have embraced podcasting often subscribe to multiple podcasts which could add up to several hours’ worth of content per week. There isn’t always time to listen to them all. A long list of un-played podcasts looms over some like an inbox full of unread e-mails.

A user may choose to skip an episode, sending it right to their recycle bin. But this too may cause feelings of guilt if the listener feels a personal connection to the podcaster.

Sadness:

Much like finishing a good book, there can be a tinge of sadness when a subscriber has no more new episodes to listen to. This effect may be amplified for people who subscribe after the podcast has been around for several episodes and listen to all of the episodes within a short period of time.

Although guilt and sadness may seem like negative emotions, in this case they stem from the strong degree of attachment a listener has to the show.

These emotional connections are important to marketers for a few reasons. First, podcasting may redefine cost per thousand valuations. Dedicated listeners with an emotional bond to a program are worth more than listeners with a casual interest in the topic.

Second, if you’re going to produce a podcast, remember the marketplace you’re in, i.e. don’t put out content with 60 seconds of legal jargon tagged onto the end (like Vanguard) and be sure to keep the dialogue from the host personal. There’s a difference between having professional production values and being over sanitized.

Finally, think about the kind of connection you want to create between your brand and your customers. That should be reflected in everything from the kind of content you choose, to the length of your podcast, to the intro music and of course to the voice of your brand – your host.

RSS is suffering from an image problem

Marketers, do you know what RSS is? If you don’t, you should. RSS is a technology that helps users consolidate content in one place. Customers can be notified every time their favourite web site has been updated, rather than having to manually check to see what’s new on each site. RSS has been around for a number of years, but it is becoming more widely used with blogs.

How does it work?

Customers subscribe to an RSS aggregator which either sends them an e-mail (through a compatible program such as Outlook), or compiles the posts on a web page such as My Yahoo!. Each time a blog or other site with RSS is updated, the customer will have instant access to the information.

So, what’s the problem?

Only 18% of bloggers offer RSS feeds and as of June last year and only 9% of internet users even knew what it was, according to a Pew Internet Report.

What could be the next step in opt-in communications has hit a brick wall in terms of user acceptance. I think it just sounds too complicated for most users: syndication, aggregator, feeds. To the average person, this does not sound really simple.

Furthermore, many podcasters are having to clarify that just because the terminology for getting a podcast is to “subscribe”, customers don’t have to pay for the content. “Subscribe” is a loaded term; this is what we get when technology people rather than marketers (or linguists) are creating the lexicon.

A lot of people in the blogosphere forget that most internet users just want to be consumers. They don’t want to have to take time to learn the technological jargon – unless they absolutely have to.

My view on user adoption of technology is that anything new needs to be so simple that anyone can learn to do it, or so essential that every one must learn to do it.

Why marketers should pay attention

RSS will either prove to be an essential technology, or a better evolution of RSS will come along that as marketers we should be aware of and understand. A new site or service that utilizes RSS as an enabling technology in an unexpected way may be the internet’s next big thing. Or some kid in his/her college dorm will dream up an even better way of pushing content out to users. Let’s just hope he gives it a better name.