Podcast Talent Coach

Top 12 Takeaways From NMX – Episode 087   Before we jump in this week, can I ask a quick favor? If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach Podcast, can you please take two minutes to do so and leave a review? It will help us get exposed to new podcasters and grow our community. Thanks a million. CLICK HERE.   New Media Expo 2015 wrapped up in Las Vegas last week. What an amazing event.   As Director of the Podcasting Track at NMX, Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting put together an amazing line up of talent.   Though the sessions were packed full of great information, the relationships created at these events make it more than just a learning opportunity. I had the chance to connect with great people I have known for a bit. Here are just a few:   Dave Jackson – School of Podcasting Rem Lavictoire – Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Daniel J. Lewis – The Audacity To Podcast Bill Conrad – New Media Gold   I also had the chance to meet a few new people and connect with those I have only known over e-mail

What Is Your Why? - Episode 086   What is your “why”? Why do you do what you do?   WORK ON YOUR BUSINESS I've been doing a lot of work on my business over the past few weeks. In “The E-Myth Revisited”, author Michael Gerber talks about moving your business forward by spending more time working on your business rather than in it.   That is exactly what I've been doing lately. Am I going down the right path?   I thought you and I could review my progress with the hope that it will help you with your process.   We all face the little voice inside our head telling us we are not good enough. Whether we have been doing this for six months or six years, we all need a little confidence boost every now and then. It is only natural.   I will be speaking at New Media Expo in a week. (Last week to save $100 HERE.) My review of my business was inspired by NMX. I want to be sure things are in place to make the most of the opportunity.   As I have stepped back to look at the big picture, I have been reviewing a few great bo

7 Ways To Improve Your Podcast This Week – Episode 085   There are many ways to improve your podcast. This week, I have 7 ways for you that should be pretty easy to implement.   To help you in various ways, I have selected 7 different areas for improvement. You will feel the need to make different improvements at different times. The different areas should help.   Start with the one suggestion that interests you most. Then, work your way though the remaining tips.   Improve Your Audio The easiest way to improve your audio is to begin using a pop filter. This is a simple screen that goes over or in front of your microphone.   A pop filter prevents puffs of air from attacking your mic as you speak. You can find inexpensive pop filters online. You can also make your own out of nylons and a wire clothes hanger.   To cut down echo, record in a smaller room. In the past, I've used a large closet. Not only does the small room cut down the bounce of the sound waves, the clothes hanging around you will cut down on any

How To Develop A Show Clock – Episode 084   The purpose of a show clock is to provide a consistent framework for your content. By using a framework, you do not need to reinvent the wheel for every show. You simply plug in your great content into the clock.   Using a clock and being prepared does not mean you need to be less creative. In fact, it allows you to focus on creativity rather than the length of your episode. You get to design within the framework.   You can see examples of a show clock by watching the evening news. A typical newscast may follow of framework of top story, weather headline, general news, full weather, sports, and a kicker story.   Late night shows will use something like a monologue, funny skit, benchmark (like letter bag), big guest, second guest, and musical guest.   QUESTIONS TO START As you begin to develop your show clock, there are a few questions you need to determine for the layout of the show.   What is it that you want to include in each episode of your show?   What is the g

The Real Reason People Listen To Your Podcast - Episode 083   Why do people listen to your podcast? Why would anyone spend the time to listen to your show? Have you ever paused to give that question some consideration? Why do people spend time with audio at any given point in time?   THE REASONS There are two primary reasons people listen to audio. Companionship and dreams. It is human nature to desire companionship. People do not want to be alone. Whether they are driving, jogging, biking, mowing or doing something else by themselves, they want to do it with someone else. Audio serves the role of companion.   DREAMS The other reason people spend time with podcasts is to dream. People want to live vicariously through your dreams, stories, challenges and successes. They want to enjoy your success without needing to suffer the pain of your failures. Tell stories to help fulfill the desire of your listener to dream. People dream about having a different (and usually better) life. They want to experience those th

Five Ways To Use Social Media To Drive Engagement – Episode 082   Using social media to drive our businesses is nothing new. However, there are a million different philosophies about how to properly use the platforms.   At the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville recently, social media was the topic of quite a few panels, presentations and discussions. I gathered some facts and quite a few tips and tricks for you to use.   There is quite the difference between Facebook and Twitter. Many see the two platforms as similar and equally important. That could not be further from the truth.   83% of people use Facebook everyday. 17% use Pinterest. 12% use Instagram and only 8% use Twitter on a daily basis.   Facebook is personal. The platform is used to connect with family and friends to share life. This is often the first thing people do when they wake up in the morning.   Twitter is interesting, real time communication. The platform allows you to interact with others. Twitter is a discussion when used effectively.  

Create Results Without A Big List – Episode 081   This week I am at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee. It has been an amazing week so far. I am learning so much about audience engagement and am looking forward to sharing it with you in the coming weeks.   A few years ago, I saw an amazing presentation that debunked the 80/20 principle.   The 80/20 principle proposes that 80% of your results is created by 20% of your efforts. This could be 80% of sales from 20% of customers. It could also be 80% of success attributed to 20% of efforts.   This particular session focused on a study done in 2008 by Catalina Marketing that found that 80% of your results are driven by 2.5% of your efforts. Specifically, it found that 80% of sales at large companies like Coca Cola are driven by 2.5% of their customers. You can find the entire study here.   The study really proved that consumers no longer strive to be part of the crowd, but rather seek products that reflect their personal preferences, needs and lifest

6 Ways To Score The Big Interview - Episode 080   Many podcasters conduct interviews as part of their show. If you fit that category, and you are like most of us, you probably struggle to convince those top shelf names to make an appearance on your show.   What is the trick? How do you land that big guest for your podcast?   Let's face it. Asking a busy, successful entrepreneur to give up an hour of their time to give you an interview is a tough ask. Their time is money. How can your podcast be more valuable than their other options?   Here are six useful tips to help land those big names.     FIND THE INTRODUCTION Find people that know your prospect. See if they will introduce you.   Just the other day, a radio colleague came to me seeking an interview with Taylor Swift. I have interviewed her a couple times. He knew I was able to make an introduction for him.   Use the same process to help yourself.   THE GATEKEEPER'S FRIEND There are times when big names have people that run their schedule. This could be a

How To Turn Overwhelm Into Focused Power – Episode 079   This week, I received an e-mail from Cynthia Davis from CynthiaDavis.net and her podcast “Home Front”. She is finding herself overwhelmed by everything she hopes to accomplish with her podcast. In this episode, I offer a few suggestions to defeat that overwhelming feeling and find focus in her work.   Here is the e-mail ...   I am still struggling on the bottom rung of the ladder and have no idea how to implement everything you suggest without having staff to help with this effort.   It's my own fault because I could spend more time on this than I do, but I am at my maximum capacity with all the other responsibilities I have to juggle.   I have been doing the podcast for over two years, but it's not growing. In fact, the e-mail list I have used to make people aware of a new podcast coming out has been shrinking. I wish my show would grow organically and that my super-fans would promote it, but that's simply not happening.   The only conclusion I can com

52 Tips To Attract Podcast Traffic Here are 52 ways to engage your audience, attract them to visit your website and draw them to your podcast. When you shine the spotlight on your listener, they will tell others about it. When engagement is easy for your listener with a clear benefit, traffic and engagement will increase.     Get all 52 ideas here: www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/traffic.html     Network with shows in the same genre. Help people meet. Create community. Use the phrase, “Next time you'll hear ...” Get interviewed on other shows. Make your artwork standout. Write great show notes that your audience can use with links. Create business cards that promote the show instead of your phone number. Create a contest and give something away on our show. Leave feed back for other shows.   Get all 52 ideas here: www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/traffic.html     I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.   Y

5 Questions To Find Your Focus – PTC Episode 077   What are you passionate about? - You will find it much easier to create content on a regular basis if you are discussing something that stirs your passion.   What are your unique qualities? - Your unique qualities will separate you from the other podcasts in your niche.   What topics tend to occupy your conversations? - If you find it easy to often discuss a topic in conversation, you will find it easy to discuss it regularly on your podcast.   What do you like to do in your spare time? - Your passions usually occupy your spare time. If you find those things that occupy your spare time, you may have a solid topic for your podcast.   What topics do people ask you about most? - If people are asking you about particular topics, that is usually a good signal there is a problem there along with some interest.     I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.   You can find my po

Who Else Wants A Unique Brand? – PTC Episode 076 A memorable brand that becomes a household name. It is like the Holy Grail. So many companies strive for it, but so few achieve it. Why is that? A brand is a type of product manufactured by a particular company under a particular name, a brand name, a particular identity or image regarded as an asset, or a particular type or kind of something. But, when we think of a brand, we think of so much more. There is so much more emotion in a powerful brand. Under those definitions, Honda is a brand. However, it is a much different brand than Harley Davidson. Star Trek is a brand, although a much different brand than Battlestar Galactica. Oprah is a brand. I don't think anyone would equal Oprah's brand to that of Sally Jessy Raphael. Each of those iconic brands were available at the same time their counterpart was making a name for themselve. Yet, the iconic brands became huge, powerful, valuable names. That's not to say the other brands were not familiar or valuable. T

Seven Things Your Guest Won't Tell You (And How It Can Save Your Interview) – Episode 075   If you conduct interviews on your podcast, a solid reputation as an interviewer is critical to the health of your show. Your guests will share information about you and your show. Today, I would like to share with you seven things your guest will not tell you. In the long run, these tips could save your interview and podcast.   Our world of Podcasting is not that big. There is a good chance the big players in your niche know each other. Your reputation will typically precede your interview request. Work to make it great.   As podcasting continues to grow, booking services will become more and more prominent. These are people that work as the liaison between podcasts and guests. Agents like this are wide spread in radio. They are just beginning to get used in podcasting.   (Find guest resources HERE.)   Your reputation to these individuals will be critical if you hope to continue to attract great guests.   When you send

Here Is A Quick Way To Make Them Care – Episode 074   Making your listener care is the only way to get them to listen and more importantly come back again. I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “what’s in it for me?” Your audience will be asking this very question every time they tune into your podcast. Your introduction better tell your listener exactly how your topic will affect them. You need to hook them right at the beginning with an intriguing introduction. If you don’t hook them early, they will be gone in search of something more captivating. When your audience knows what is in it for them, they begin to care.   Lead with an intriguing introduction. Start your podcast with the benefit right up front. Hook them early. This is true for your podcast in general as well as each individual topic. Your intriguing introduction should hook your audience, let them know exactly what to expect, and allow them to enjoy the story. What do you hope your audience will take away from this particular discussion? Your introd

How To Take The Headache Out Of Show Planning – Episode 073   Where is your podcast going in 2015?   If you don't know where you are going, how will you know if you get there. So many shows discuss goals around this time of year. It is only natural with a new year comes reflection. This is a perfect time to assess your previous year and decide what you want the next twelve months to look like. A goal is a simply a dream with a deadline. What are you dreams for the next year? If you don’t have a map & destination, you’ll only wander. You'll never get anywhere. Let's be specific and set some deadlines. You and I discuss goals quite often. We talk about having an objective for each episode. What is it that you want your listener to take away from each episode. Once you answer that questions, you will know where to take your content in that episode. We also need to answer that question on a larger scale. What is the purpose of your show? How are you helping people? How do you serve your listeners? Once you cr

THE IMPORTANT TRUST INGREDIENT – Episode 072 You and I have often discussed the ingredients necessary to create powerful business relationships. People do business with those they know, like and trust. How do we create that important trust ingredient? In order to develop trust, we need to build consistent structure with our podcasts. Structure is necessary to build consistency and trust with your fans. The audience expects specific elements each time they listen to your show. They expect your style to be consistent. Your audience expects the host to be the same for each show. You must deliver to that expectation to build trust with your fans. This trust is where podcast monetization begins.   TRUST DESTROYED In a matter of one meal, lack of consistency destroyed my trust in one of my favorite restaurants. My family and I went out to a steakhouse for a family meal. This was a restaurant that we visited frequently. In middle America, steak is a frequent meal. At this particular restaurant, my favorite steak is

Episode 071 – Occasionally Great Podcast   How do you create a show that people remember? My theory is simple. If you want word-of-mouth do things worth talking about.   That particular phrase is one I learned from Seth Godin. However, I learned that theory years and years ago.   Learning From Radio When I started in radio 25 years ago, my goal was to make every break a home run. Creating a show that creates buzz appears to be a daunting task.   A typical radio show is four hours. With an average of four talk breaks or bits an hour, a daily show would include sixteen bits a show. At three minutes a bit for a morning show, we talking about 48 minutes of material. That would roughly equal to an average podcast.   After a few years in radio, I realized that creating sixteen different pieces of content that are stellar and buzz-worthy is nearly impossible on a regular basis. It is also unnecessary. Your listener will not remember all sixteen things you do on the show this week.   People remember one big thing. Cr

Episode 070 – Podcast Interview Resources   Two e-mails came in recently that might help you with your content. This week I would like to share a few podcast interview resources, to help you create better podcast interviews. We will also review the benefits of an outside perspective.   The first e-mail comes from Josh.   Hi Erik, Really enjoying the show. Question. I've been interviewed on many different podcasts and I'm amazed how often I'm asked identical questions to those asked of every other guest that appears on their show. I understand as podcasters, there's always so much work to do. The research required and creating unique questions can be a scheduling challenge - but this feels so lazy to me to just rely on a one-size-fits-all approach. When I think of some of the best interviewers I know, I can't imagine they would *ever* do this. In addition to your podcast, coaching, and resources, are there any books you would recommend for how to be an awesome interviewer? I'd love to recommend them to many of

Thankful Podcast – Episode 069   We celebrated Thanksgiving here in the United States last week. It is a wonderful time of year when we step back and give thanks for all we have. This week, I would like to share a few things for which I am thankful with the hope that I might help you discover some inspiration. Three years ago, I began my journey to help podcasters refine their art. I was not sure where I was headed. I only knew that I wanted to follow my passion. Podcasting wasn't my original passion. It was architecture. From the time I was 12, I knew I wanted to be an architect. Through middle school and high school, my classes led me down that path. While getting my college degree in architecture, after working two years as a draftsman, I found my way into radio. The architecture degree required a few electives. My younger brother worked at a radio station and also with me as a disc jockey. I thought radio sounded like an entertaining elective. The class was Broadcasting For The Non-Major. The class led me

Why Pay For Feedback – Episode 068   Why would you ever pay for feedback? Can't you get that for free from most of your fans/listeners/family?   I was reading the comments on a blog post the other. As a disclaimer, I rarely do this. Most trolls that comment on blog posts do so anonymously. They are rarely knowledgable about the subject. And they typically offer little constructive criticism.   We discussed the trolls in episode 051 “Why I Ignore Podcast Critics”.   This particular blog post was in reference to a colleague. The commenter questioned why anyone would ever pay for feedback (coaching) when they could get plenty of it for free.   This misguided individual obviously doesn't understand the value of coaching.   Believing your listener can give you quality feedback on your podcast is like believing David Ortiz, home run leader of the Boston Red Sox, can get feedback on his hitting from the guy with a Bud Light in his hand sitting three rows up behind the on deck circle. Is Tiger Woods getting advice on