https://podcastfasttrack.com/ If you’ve ever wondered how technical and complicated it is to get a podcast setup - I’ve recorded this episode to simply say (and demonstrate) - not very. Seriously. I think anyone with half a brain and can follow instructions can easily set up their own podcast, begin recording, post it on the internet, get it submitted to the directories and be LIVE within a week. It’s not a promise because it depends on you, but I’m confident it can and does happen. In fact, I’m...
Jun 13, 2017•41 min•Ep. 68
https://podcastfasttrack.com/ You want to grow your podcast. I want to grow My podcast(s). There’s no question that we all want to reach a broader audience. That’s part of why we podcast in the first place - we have something to share that we believe will help people. So… there are always new things to learn when it comes to promotion, marketing, building an audience, and so forth and such and such. BUT - BUT - BUT - there are some things that I BET you have not considered when it comes to growi...
Jun 05, 2017•33 min•Ep. 67
https://podcastfasttrack.com/ Podcast production gets easier as you do it more. Naturally, right? That’s at least part of the reason I thought it might be helpful for YOU, the listener, to hear from a couple of guys who, between the two of us (and our teams), probably have our hands on over 100 episodes per week. We’ve learned a few things about podcast production (much of it the hard way) and would love it if you did NOT repeat our mistakes. Funny stuff happens during podcast production. Here’s...
May 29, 2017•53 min•Ep. 66
https://podcastfasttrack.com/ It is hard to stay encouraged in any pursuit in life - simply because discouraging things come up against your efforts. I’ve found podcasting to be that way - IN SPADES! There seem to be so many things - from the rest of life to the technology hurdles - that make it hard to stay consistent and encouraged when it comes to keeping your show alive and the vision you first had for it front and center. That’s why I invited a podcasting veteran to be on the show today. An...
May 23, 2017•42 min•Ep. 64
http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com The better your connections with your listeners - the better your connection with the EXACT people who can propel your podcast and brand forward. Just think about the way people feel connected to Apple or Southwest Airlines, or Tom’s Shoes - those things don’t happen by accident. And YOU have the opportunity to make it EASIER and MORE CONVENIENT for your listening audience to connect with you… and I’m going to tell you a way that you can do it, on this episode of ...
May 08, 2017•30 min•Ep. 62
http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com One of the reasons we do interviews at all is because we want the value a great conversation can bring to our show. But there’s both an art and a skill to pulling it off. I’ve learned - through a lot of mistakes and by watching others - that there are some very practical things you can do in order to turn the odds of having great conversations with your guests in your favor. That’s what this episode of Podcastification is all about - my lessons-learned. [2:21] Why...
May 01, 2017•24 min•Ep. 61
http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com In the last episode of Podcastification I gave you my best tips on getting that ideal podcast guest to say “Yes” to your invitation to be your show. Today I’m going to take you to the next step. What do you do once a guest has agreed to be on your show? Are there things you can do to help them prepare, make the most of the opportunity, and get the best recording possible? Is the Pope Catholic? On this episode we’ll be covering a TON of helpful things you can do to...
Apr 24, 2017•33 min•Ep. 60
http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com What is the best way to reach out to influencers and guests you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to be on your podcast? In this series I’m going to walk you through everything from reaching out to guests to the practical parts of how you get the conversation scheduled, what you can do to make it easy for them to say “Yes” to you, and the promotion and follow-up that needs to happen all along the way. If you want to reach out to influencers effectively, I suggest you ta...
Apr 17, 2017•34 min•Ep. 59
www.Podcastification.com Podcast statistics can be one of two things - incredibly intimidating or incredibly intoxicating. Which is it for you? Since there’s so much ignorance and plain old misinformation out there about stats for your podcast I thought I’d invite Rob Walch, V.P. of Podcaster Relations at Libsyn (affiliate) to be on the podcast to tell us the TRUTH about stats. In this conversation we talk about download numbers, what they mean and where they come from, how they impact your iTun...
Apr 10, 2017•52 min•Ep. 58
HTTP://WWW.PODCASTFASTTRACK.COM If you do an interview-based podcast you know the headache of booking qualified podcast guests. The internet (and the world, for that matter) is a very big place. How do you find, connect with, and book the people who your audience will benefit from the most? On this episode, I’m going to tell you how I recommend my clients do this - and I’m going to explain WHY I do. In the end, it’s up to YOU to provide the best content you can to your podcast listeners, and thi...
Mar 28, 2017•14 min•Ep. 57
Do you record interviews with guests for your podcast? Have you ever run into a situation where something goes wrong with the connection? Skype crashes. The voice of your guest is delayed. Every other word is a stuttering nightmare. It’s not uncommon and it’s not something you can always correct. But there are things you can do ahead of time to make the likelihood of technical problems less when you record interviews. That’s what this quick-and-to-the-point episode of Podcastification is all abo...
Mar 20, 2017•11 min•Ep. 56
We all love our podcasts. But there are aspects of producing them that we HATE (or at least don’t love as much). One of those for many people is the AMOUNT OF TIME it takes to do the actual audio production - from recording through uploading to their media host. On this episode of Podcastification I’m going to teach you how I use what I call a Podcast Template to make my audio recording and editing process even faster - saving me as much as 4 and half hours per year! [2:17] What do I MEAN by a p...
Mar 13, 2017•24 min•Ep. 55
http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com It’s becoming more and more common that people need to figure out how they can do podcasting on the go. I can hear Willie singing it now… On the road again, I just can’t wait to get on the road again, the life I love is making podcasts with my friends, I can’t wait to get on the road again! But recording your podcast away from your normal studio is a bit trickier than it may sound at first. You’re going to need some way to get a reliably consistent sound recording...
Mar 09, 2017•18 min•Ep. 54
If you are finally able and willing to take the plunge and hire a podcast editor to handle the editing and production of your show - HOLD ON A MINUTE! You don’t want to rush into it without knowing some of the pitfalls that can come with any new working relationship - and there are a few that are unique to the relationship you establish with a podcast editor that could throw you for a loop if you’re not careful. 6 tips to help you interact with your podcast editor EFFECTIVELY. SO…On this episode...
Feb 28, 2017•27 min•Ep. 53
If you are at the point that you’re considering a podcast editing service, there are many things you need to keep in mind to ensure that you find the RIGHT service to fit your needs. I’ve been running a podcast editing service since early 2013 and know that most people discover what I’m about to share with you - the hard way! But I don’t want that for you. I want you to find the podcast editing service that is a perfect fit for the things you need. Why wouldn’t I just tell you to hire me? A coup...
Feb 21, 2017•22 min•Ep. 52
Every podcaster wants BIG podcast download numbers. I mean, we hear about amazing accomplishments when it comes to downloads - like Mark Maron’s episode with President Obama, or the most recent episode of Dan Carlin’s “ Hardcore History ” that got 1 million downloads in 24 hours - and let’s admit it. We’re a bit jealous. OK, not a bit. A LOT jealous. But podcast download numbers are not all created equal. When you hear about a show like Hardcore History that accomplishes such an amazing and impr...
Feb 13, 2017•10 min•Ep. 51
If you haven’t noticed there are LOTS of podcast editing services popping up these days. And no wonder - there are more than 1000 new podcasts being added to iTunes every day! But the reality of more services popping up often brings up the question of whether you really should be doing audio editing at all on your podcast. It’s not a simple issue, but I’m going to tackle it - from my perspective as a podcast editor and show notes creator - on this episode of Podcastification. Should you hire som...
Feb 06, 2017•10 min•Ep. 50
The best social media apps in the online space had better watch out. There’s a fairly new app on the scene that has integrated a TON of great features into its interface. It’s called eClincher and you need to know about it. (affiliate link) What I love most about eClincher is that it enables you to reshare your older content - think podcast episodes from long ago - and keep it in front of the people who follow you on social media. And if you follow some great social media practices such as engag...
Jan 17, 2017•25 min•Ep. 49
If you want to stand out from the crowd as a podcaster, you’re going to have to up your game. I don’t care how professional or expert you are in what you do as a business, if you want to grow your podcast audience you’ve got to give your potential listeners more reasons to listen to your show above all the others in your niche. Make YOUR needle stand out from the haystack You’ve really got to start thinking differently about getting your podcast heard. It’s no longer a “record it and they will l...
Jan 04, 2017•19 min•Ep. 48
If the enthusiasm for your podcast is lagging because you are getting stuck in the rut of podcast show notes creation, I feel your pain. Show notes are definitely one of the less enjoyable aspects of putting together a complete production of a show. But it doesn’t have to be such a painful thing - there are ways you can make the process smoother, easier, and more efficient. DC Podfest and the Triple Power of Killer Show Notes I was recently asked to speak at DC Podfest and the topic I chose was,...
Dec 06, 2016•43 min•Ep. 47
Building relationships with other podcasters is a very cool thing. I’ve experienced it online for a long time with people in various groups I’m a part of. But there’s something even COOLER about meeting people in person and sharing the love of podcasting together. I was invited to speak at the recent DC Podfest (about the Triple Power of Killer Show Notes - I’ll share that presentation in an upcoming episode). And just being at the event made building relationships so much easier. The conversati...
Nov 29, 2016•55 min•Ep. 46
The all important SUBSCRIBE BUTTON. It’s one of the most overlooked things podcasters leave off of their websites. Me included. On this episode I’m responding to a listener comment on the blog. In all honesty, she was very kind in what she said, but didn’t shy away from taking me to task. What was she concerned about? It was the SUBSCRIBE BUTTONS on my own website. She pointed out that on my own website I only provide one subscribe option for my listeners - and it’s the iTunes subscription butto...
Sep 13, 2016•5 min•Ep. 45
Podcast subscribers are important people to us podcasters. They are the ones who make the show possible - I mean, very few of us would be doing a podcast at all if we knew that absolutely ZERO people were listening to our shows. Right? Because we all want to get more listeners we should be continually asking ourselves questions about how to go about getting in front of our ideal audience and how to get them to subscribe. One of the questions I often get from clients about getting more subscriber...
Aug 03, 2016•6 min•Ep. 44
Libsyn has been around for a very long time… since 2004 to be exact - and has carved out it’s own massive space in the podcast industry. Hosting and delivering media files for some of the most popular and lucrative podcasts in history like Mark Maron , The Nerdist , and Dan Carlin’s Hard Core History , Libsyn is definitely the big dog in the media hosting backyard! I’ve known about Libsyn for a long time. Heck, I’ve worked with the Libsyn interface for over 3 years now since about 90% of my clie...
Jul 26, 2016•59 min•Ep. 43
Interview Valet is a pretty cool service... Tom Schwab and company are working hard to help people with a... Book to promote A business to run A course to launch A story to tell Get exposure through being a guest on podcasts where the audience is the EXACT people the person is trying to reach. On this episode you're going to hear from Tom about how Interview Valet works. We talk about: The basics of what Interview Valet is How it works for podcast guests The monthly pricing for the service How i...
Jul 19, 2016•16 min•Ep. 42
I'm talking today with Tim from Ringer. Ringr is one of the first apps available to do recordings native from each side of a distance conversation, but until now it's only been available as a smart phone or smart device app. But no more. Ringr is now available in a desktop version, which is very cool because that makes it possible now for podcasters or broadcasters of any stripe to record a distance conversation with the ability to include their entire recording "chain" - their own mic, their ow...
Jun 01, 2016•14 min•Ep. 41
There are only so many ways you can MONETIZE your podcast... and my guest today is part of a team that is brainstorming and creating a new way to do it, including the integration of your media host into the monetization act . Today I'm chatting with Matt Basta of www.Pinecast.com and he's going to tell us about all the bells and whistles of their podcasting platform in a way that enables you to "Focus on podcasts not funding." (That's their tagline, by the way). On this episode we're going step ...
May 31, 2016•18 min•Ep. 40
If you do interview or conversation style podcast episodes, you know the pain and trouble that can come from trying to wrangle up a new guest every single episode. Andrew Allemann felt that same pain and decided to do something about it. In the spirit of Help A Reporter Out , Andrew has put together www.PodcastGuests.com (affiliate link) - a simple and easy way for you to submit your podcast and yourself to an online directory to receive offers for podcast appearances and to make your podcasting...
May 03, 2016•19 min•Ep. 39
As you can tell, I am a huge fan of great audio recording solutions... and there are more and more apps coming out that are so helpful in getting those long distance recordings down with almost flawless sound quality. Technology marches on. This episode covers yet another of those recently developed apps that's proving to be super helpful for the podcast community. I'm talking today with Josh from Zencastr - in my opinion one of the cleanest and easiest to use apps that is out there. On this epi...
Mar 16, 2016•26 min•Ep. 37
http://www.PodcastFastTrack.com/moreshows Is it a good idea to publish more than one podcast show at the same time? Should you produce multiple podcast shows at once? To some of you the idea sounds really exciting. To others, you think I'm crazy even to ask the question. Maybe "crazy" is the right word, because... I have to admit that this particular episode of the podcast is purely a selfish endeavor. That's because I've been considering starting a second podcast or maybe even a third. I've got...
Feb 23, 2016•17 min•Ep. 36
