Tag Archives: consistency

Podcast

Your Why and My Story – PTC322

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If you want to create a successful podcast, you need a strong “why”. If you don’t have a powerful reason for creating your show, it will feel like work trying to record it each week. This week, I will show you my “why” and share my story.

TRAINING

Before we start, I have a few great resources for you this week.

I am doing another free workshop for you. It is called “6 Ways To Make Money With Your Podcast”. If you want to make money with your podcast, this will help you develop your strategy.

In this workshop, we will develop ideas for your show. You will receive a workbook to give you a clear focus for your strategy.

Do you want to leverage your audience and authority in your niche to monetize your show?

Do you want to grow your audience to consistently produce your show and promote your content in just a few minutes a day?

On this training, you will discover …

  • How to transform your show into a successful podcast using your personality
  • Why some podcasts don’t make money and how to avoid these pitfalls
  • How to attract your ideal clients with your podcast
  • How to keep listeners coming back episode after episode to grow your audience
  • And much more

Get registered at www.podcasttalentcoach.com/growth.

LIBSYN

If you need a host for your audio, be careful of the free services. Companies that offer their service for free often have a difficult time making money. If they aren’t making money, they can’t stay in business very long.

If your hosting company closes their doors and goes away, your audio goes away as well. All of your work is down the drain. Find a solid company and pay for great service.

I am now an affiliate of Libsyn. My show has been hosted on Libsyn since it began back in 2013. They also have fantastic support to help you set up your feed and move your show if you need it.

You can get your first month free using the coupon code PTC at Libsyn.com.

PODCAST EDITING

If you are spending too much time editing and posting your podcast and not enough time trying to attract listeners or building a business around your show, I now have a team ready to takeover your editing.

There are three packages available. You can start with the basic service that includes simple editing, mixing and mastering. Or you can go all in with the premium service that handles YouTube video, promoting, SEO, timestamps, show notes, and more.

You can find all of the packages at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/editing.

WHY YOU NEED A WHY

To build your podcast audience, you need a strong “why”. Building an audience takes consistency. Consistency builds trust.

People are creatures of habit. They typically listen to your podcast on the same day each week. It is a habit.

When your listeners come for your show, you new episode better be there. If they come and you haven’t posted on schedule, your credibility begins to deteriorate. You said you would do something and you didn’t.

Getting into the studio and recording a new episode every week takes dedication. If your purpose isn’t well-defined, it can become a struggle to make yourself stick to the schedule.

When you have a burning desire to lose weight, going to the gym is much easier. The same is true with your podcast. When you have a true, devoted “why” and purpose, getting into the studio become easier.

Find your “why” somewhere in your story. How did you get here? Why are you passionate about your subject and niche?

MY STORY

My whole life I wanted to own my own business and be my own boss. I grew up with a single mom in a household that was probably in the low income bracket, but I never knew it.

Sure, we were challenged by money. We may have been broke at one time or another. But we were never poor. My mom never had that mentality.

Mom waited tables at night, cleaned houses during the day, and created amazing wedding cakes on the side. She did whatever it took to provide for us.

That is probably why I never knew how little money we had. It wasn’t until I had to fill out financial aid forms for college that I discovered our situation. The application required parental tax forms.

My mom’s tax return said she made $12,013 in the past year. Even in the 80s, $12k wasn’t a lot to live on.

She taught my brother and me the value of hard work. And I started early.

I was hustling Christmas cards door-to-door off the back of Boys Life magazine by the age of 10. When I was 12, I bought two cases of gum at a white elephant sale and sold it out of my school locker.

If there was a gig to be had, I was trying it. We held magic shows and homemade haunted houses for the kids in the neighborhood in our garage. I was throwing newspapers and babysitting.

When I was 15, I was doing magic shows for birthday parties. My sister-in-law was my agent booking me gigs. Her son was my first show.

ARCHITECTURE

By the time I was 12, I knew I wanted to be an architect and own my own firm. I loved being creative within a set of strict parameters. It was my creative and analytical sides working together.

I started taking classes and had my first job as a draftsman by 17. I was on my way.

College took me to the University of Nebraska to study architecture at one of the best schools in the country. However by the third year, I realized I was on the wrong path.

Computers had come in and taken over architecture. It lost the magic drafting had once held for me. My corporate ladder was leaning against the wrong wall.

THE NEW DOOR

Then one day, a new door opened for me. I discovered radio.

My brother was working part-time at a local radio station. The manager called to see if my brother could fill in for somebody, but my brother wasn’t home. I knew the manager from another job I held. He asked if I would be interested in some part-time hours at the station.

I was a broke college kid at the time. Extra money is always a good thing when you’re in college. So, I took the gig.

For my architecture degree, I needed a few electives. Like any good college student, I looked for the easy classes and found Broadcasting for the Non-Major. I was already working in radio. How hard could that class be?

One night in class, the manager of the campus station came into the room. He said he was looking for a music director for the station. No experience necessary. No need to be a journalism major.

I had always loved music and was a broke college kid. Extra money is always a good thing when you’re in college. So, I took the gig … and loved it.

That gig turned into a full-time opportunity at another local station. Soon, I was building a career in broadcasting.

I finished my architecture degree and stayed in radio. That first full-time job paid me $12,000 a year. Though it was the same money my mom was making, my parents thought I was crazy. We just paid for a degree in architecture and I was taking a radio job for $12k.

NOT ENOUGH

Though I was having a lot of fun, the credit card companies and the tax man were soon hunting me down. Turns out it is hard to make ends meet on $12k.

I picked up another job in a warehouse and a third job DJing weddings. Just like mom taught me, I did what I had to do to climb out of that hole.

Soon I was making $26,000. Then $36k. Then $46k. I paid my dues doing overnight radio, but it was paying off.

My goal was to eventually own my own radio station. My desire to own my own business and be my own boss was still there. It just looked a little different. I even got my Masters Degree in Business Administration to help make my dream come true.

I had a passion for creating great radio. Coaching the talent was my favorite part of the job. I learned all I could building amazing radio stations with great music, entertaining personalities and fun promotions. 

One time, we had half a dozen contestants spend a week in a truly haunted house doing various challenges to win a trip to the Grammy Awards.

Another contest we created involved putting 6 listeners in a van to travel across the country to New York City. Along the way, they would do various challenges in different cities and vote someone off the trip. That loser would get bussed back to town as the others continued along the journey. The winner got to see the Michael Jackson tribute concert in NYC.

One winter, we invited listeners to build sleds out of cardboard boxes and clear plastic tape. They could decorate the racer any way they would like. On Saturday, we brought everyone out to the ski park to race the boxes down the hill. The winner got a wad of cash.

The promotions and marketing plans we were creating were generating buzz in the market. This was my life and I loved it.

CHANGING OF THE GUARD

Until one day, radio became big business. With the passage of the telecom act in the late 80s, radio started to change over the next decade. Suddenly, the little guy was out and large corporations were in.

Big companies started buying all of the stations. Radio become homogenized. The little guys could no longer buy the good stations. It all started sounding the same.

This was no longer the dream I had. The creativity and entrepreneurial nature of radio had been sucked out. It was replaced with best practices and formulas.

PODCASTING

That’s when I discovered podcasting. The creativity returned. All of the freedom was back. We could one again entertain and control our own shows.

I finally started to really be myself and develop my own personal brand. Rather than being somebody others wanted me to be, I was allowed to be me.

Now, I have a thriving business helping others discover that same passion. I show podcasters how to create great content, grow an audience and build a business around their show without spending 30 years learning it like I did.

The magic is back and I’m spreading it as much as I can.

MY WHY

That is why I do this show every week. My “why” drives me to give you great content you can use each and every week. A burning desire makes it easy to get into the studio every week and produce this podcast.

Take 30 minutes this week and write your story. What is your true “why”? When you find it, your podcast content will start pouring out of you.

I would love to help you even more. Join me for my for my free workshop.

Sign up at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/growth.

It is a free workshop for you called “6 Ways To Make Money With Your Podcast”. If you want to make money with your podcast, this will help you develop your strategy.

In this workshop, we will develop ideas for your show. You will receive a workbook to help you develop a clear focus for your strategy.

If you want to leverage your audience and authority in your niche to monetize your show, and grow your audience and promote your content in just a few minutes a day, this workshop is for you.

Get registered at www.podcasttalentcoach.com/growth. I’ll see you there.

Have a great week.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

From ZERO to a Podcast a Week – Episode 172

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From Zero To A Podcast A Week – Episode 172

Copyright: dskdesign / 123RF Stock Photo

When you are trying to ramp up your podcast from nothing to consistently publishing a podcast a week, you need to develop a plan. That plan should contain a few critical steps.

To be successful, develop an overview of the show. Build a structural foundation that you can use for each episode. Review your show to get the best content. Finally, create a schedule to create your content every week.

In this episode, I will help you build that plan.

 

PODCASTERS’ SOCIETY

If you would like to surround yourself with podcasters and experts to help you along the path, Daniel J. Lewis’ Podcasters’ Society is open again at a discount for a short time. This is a fantastic community and resource that will help you take your podcast from average to amazing. You will find tools to improve your content, presentation, production, promotion, and profit.

Save on your registration by using my affiliate link.

https://podcasterssociety.com/erik/

It is much easier to succeed when you surround yourself with people who support you. Then, be consistent as you publish.

I am in a mastermind with 3 other guys. We support and help each other along our business journey. We also keep each other accountable.

Facebook groups and memberships are another great way to learn and be held accountable. I am an affiliate of Daniel J. Lewis’ Podcasters’ Society. It is a great membership site to help you develop your podcast and solve problems you encounter.

Podcasters’ Society has an amazing community of podcasters and experts to help you along. I am one of the experts participating in the group quite often.

In this episode, I am going to walk you through planning your entire podcasts from show development to review. This will help you create that consistency.

Then, I will tell you all about Podcasters’ Society and how that can help you as well. Just know, right now you can get a special rate using my discount code to save a ton.

Podcasters’ Society is typically $49/month, which would be $588/year if you paid monthly. Let me help you knock $159 off of that.

Daniel has already discounted the annual rate to $479/year. That is a savings of $109 over paying monthly. I have convinced him to give my listeners an additional discount of $50. That saves you $159 off the first year for a rate of $429 for the first year. On top of that, you get to keep the $479/year rate after your first year. This discount is only available until the end of August.

To get the $429 annual rate for your first year subscription, visit https://podcasterssociety.com/erik/.

If you choose the monthly option to try it out, you can save $15 off your first month. Instead of $49 for the first month, you will only pay $34. However, that rate returns to $49 in the second month. You will save much more using the annual savings.

Either way, find the savings here: https://podcasterssociety.com/erik/

 

DEVELOPING YOUR PLAN

So, let’s develop your show and take you from zero to a podcast a week. You must have a plan.

Your podcast won’t happen unless you schedule your work. Nothing gets done until it is scheduled.

We will develop an overview of the show. We will lay a structural foundation for each episode. I will teach you how to review your show to get the best content. Then, we will lay out a schedule to create your content every week.

Each of these steps comes straight out of my Podcast Talent Coach Worksheet library. You can access these worksheets for free by clicking here:

PODCAST TALENT COACH WORKSHEET LIBRARY

 

Show Focus Development Worksheet

  • What are you passionate about?
  • What are your unique qualities?
  • What topics occupy your conversations?
  • What do you like to do in your spare time?
  • Use these topics to define your show.
  • Develop a list of 50 episode topics to start.

 

Listener Development Worksheet

  • Who is your ideal listener?
  • What is his/her gender, age, marital status, employment status?
  • What does his/her family look like?
  • How about their schooling, income, and vehicle?
  • How do they occupy their time – magazines, tv, websites, podcasts?
  • Who are their heroes?
  • What are their wants, fears and needs?
  • What problem do they need solved – do they know?

 

Show Clock Worksheet

  • Used by radio shows
  • Develops consistency
  • Develop an outline for the show
  • Keeps you on track and on time

 

Show Prep Planning Worksheet

  • What interesting topics will you cover on this episode?
  • What do you hope to accomplish?
  • How will you treat each topic?
  • Create an outline using your clock.
  • Gather supporting information.

 

Show Review Worksheet

  • What did you hope to accomplish and did you succeed?
  • How did you make the audience care?
  • Where were the “oh wow” moments?
  • Where were the surprises?
  • What powerful words jumped out of the episode?
  • What was memorable?
  • What could have been better?
  • How did you include the listener?
  • What stories did you tell?
  • What did you reveal about yourself?
  • Where were the vivid details?
  • What crutches need to be removed?
  • What will make the next episode better?

 

Develop a Schedule

  • What days of the week do you have available to devote to the project?
  • Break it into parts.
  • Brainstorm show topics.
  • Complete to 60-second blog plan. (Get it here.)
  • Write show outline.
  • Record and edit the show.
  • Publish.
  • Market.

 

Surround Yourself With Support

  • Resource Library
  • Webinars – Promo Strategy, Podcast Reviews, Audio Mastering, Podcast Profit Q&A – 64 now and adding nearly every week.
  • Tutorials – Music, Photos, Opt-Ins, Mails – 32 as of now
  • Courses – Zoom H6 for Podcasters, Simple Guide to Recording Interviews and Conversations on Skype, plus many more
  • Tools & Discounts
  • Forums
  • You can requests resources you’d like to see developed
  • Slack community and real-time chat
  • Learn and be part of the community

 

If you would like to join me in Podcasters’ Society, do it before the end of August. Your membership is typically $49/month, which would be $588/year if you paid monthly. Let me help you knock $159 off of that.

JOIN PODCASTERS’ SOCIETY HERE

Daniel has already discounted the annual rate to $479/year. That is a savings of $109. I have convinced him to give my listeners an additional discount of $50. That saves you $159 off the first year for a rate of $429 for the first year. On top of that, you get to keep the $479/year rate after your first year.

To get the $429 annual rate for your first year subscription, visit https://podcasterssociety.com/erik/. This offer ends on Aug. 31, 2017.

Even if you do not take me up on the Podcasters’ Society offer, download the FREE worksheet library and begin developing your content plan this week. By developing the foundation for consistency, you will go from zero to a podcast a week in no time.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Creating Consistency – My Podcast Workflow – Episode 166

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Creating Consistency – My Podcast Workflow – Episode 166

Podcast Workflow
Creating consistency with content using a podcast workflow

How do you find time to record your podcast? Consistency is an important part of building an audience. This week, I thought I would share my podcast workflow to help you create more consistency with your show.

Before we begin, I want to share with you two things.

First, I launched a Facebook group last week for podcast interviews. If you conduct interviews on your podcast, join our group here:

[PODCAST TALENT COACH INTERVIEWING FACEBOOK GROUP]

We are helping each other find great guests and become better interviewers.

Next, I received a great e-mail from one of my coaching clients. This shows the power of taking action.

Erik,

I’m listening to the episode on how to get guests while driving home last night. As u go thru each tip, I say “yeah yeah yeah” until u said those magic words “make the ask short and offer something of value to the guest” and it was like a lightening bolt.

I pulled off on the side of the road and messaged a top-of-the-food-chain guest I’ve been chasing w no results for a while ,,,,,, and said, “Hey I have an opportunity to highlight your vision (something I know he is pushing) and if u can give me a 30 second sound bite I can record it and put it out.”

It worked. I got the clip today and a commitment for an interview As I reflect on it, I’ve been trying to impress him w how good my podcast is instead of figuring out what he needed so I could offer that thing of value.

One of your most important messages is of being a servant of guests and listeners and giving the something. Thanks Erik.

Rick Sizemore

VR Workforce Studio

Regardless of the information and training I provide you, none of it will matter unless you actually put it to work.

That is why I love working with Rick and his co-host Anne. When I make recommendations to them in our coaching sessions, they put the suggestions into effect and see results. They do the work. I’m so proud of them.

If you would like information on my coaching services, get details here.

[PODCAST TALENT COACH COACHING SERVICES]

Now, let’s talk about your podcast workflow and consistency.

Many podcasters will post episodes consistently. Then life will get in the way causing them to miss a few. They will then get back on track.

When this inconsistency happens, they will often reach out to me wondering why they cannot get their downloads to grow.

Listening is a habit. Help your listeners to develop that habit.

THE BENCHMARK

Have you ever listened to a radio show where they do a bit at the same time every day? You know you are on time on the way to work if you hear the game or joke or trivia question when you are at the corner of 16th and Broadway.

In news radio, the network news typically airs right at the top of the hour. These stations sometimes do “traffic on the tens”, where they air the traffic report every ten minutes at ten past, twenty after, etc. Morning shows on music stations might play their contest every morning at 7:20, creating consistency on the show. The station might do a lunchtime feature playing nothing by 80s music.

In radio, we call these a benchmark. The definition of a benchmark is a standard or point of reference against which things can be compared or assessed. When the radio feature happens at the same time each day, that is the point of reference for the show.

The benchmark tells listeners they are in the right spot at the right time. It becomes a habit, because listeners are listening at the same time each day. The feature provides stability and consistency in the life of your listener.

Your show can do the same thing when you are consistent. Listeners may not listen every Tuesday at 6pm when you post. However, they might listen every Thursday at 7am on their way to work, because they know a new episode is there when they tune in. When you don’t publish, the promise and habit are broken.

To create consistency, I have found focus is critical. My podcast is the center of all I do. If I do not create the podcast episode, nothing else matters. Therefore, I have scheduled a specific time each week to record the podcast. I built my podcast workflow to streamline the process. If it doesn’t get scheduled, it doesn’t happen.

You should do the same thing. Schedule the time. Build your podcast workflow. Make it happen.

There is another step that helps me create consistency. I batch my recording. Each time I go into the studio, I record three episodes. This step also helps me work ahead just in case life gets in the way.

I use the podcast time during the weeks I am not recording to write the outlines for new episodes.

Let’s go over my podcast workflow for each episode. This will help you plan your episodes and schedule your time to record. Most of all, a plan will help you create consistency with your show and a habit for your listener.

A good rule of thumb is one hour of preparation for every hour of show. That involves gathering your information and outlining it for the show.

Once your show is recorded, you will probably spend another hour or two posting it and promoting it. If you want traffic, you need to spend most of your time promoting and marketing your content.

MY PODCAST WORKFLOW

  1. 60-second blog content plan
  2. Show prep planning worksheet
  3. Write the outline
  4. Topic development worksheet
  5. Develop the lead magnet
  6. Write the show notes
  7. Set up my studio
  8. Record the episode
  9. Edit the episode
  10. Add the ID3 tags
  11. Post the show to Libsyn
  12. Create the cover art for the episode using 123RF.com and Canva
  13. Post the show to my website
  14. Add the appropriate links
  15. Send out a broadcast to my list
  16. Share on Facebook and Twitter

If you wish to create more engagement and increase downloads with your podcast, begin focusing on consistency. Schedule your podcasts. Create a podcast workflow. Then, begin to market your show as much as you can.

Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Podcast

Is This Causing You To Lose Podcast Listeners? – Episode 111

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Is This Causing You To Lose Podcast Listeners – Episode 111

There are two elements of your podcast that will help you create podcast engagement with your listeners and keep them coming back for more.

Focus and consistency.

Impress your listeners by making one big splash. Then, do it so consistently that your listener comes to expect it.

FOCUS

Focus on the one thing you do best. When you try to be all things to all people, you fade into the wallpaper. Those with focused intensity stand out.

Be great at something. People will take notice.

Rather than being consistently good with your podcast, be occasionally great.

Your listener will remember one big thing from your show. They will not remember every detail, every comment or every e-mail answer. They will remember that one thing you did. Each show, try to make one big splash that will be memorable.

Swing for the fence.

Many know the great Babe Ruth as one of the greatest home run hitters in baseball. Many also know that Ruth struck out roughly twice as often as the league average. He struck out 1,330 times.

Babe set out to do something exciting. He wanted to be memorable. Sometimes, that meant striking out.

People don’t remember all of the singles Babe hit. Even though he is 2nd all-time with his on-base percentage of .474, nobody talks about all the times Ruth got on base. He had 1,517 singles and 506 doubles to his 714 home runs. That is nearly twice as many singles as homers. Doubles and home runs were just about equal.
Why do people remember all of the home runs? Because they were exciting.

Babe was occasionally great. He was great often enough to be memorable.

You don’t have to set records. Simply make your podcast occasionally great. Nobody remembers your strikeouts. Don’t worry about them. When you finally hit the home run, people will remember.

Every now and then, swing for the fence.

When you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing.

Focus your topic on what you know best. Be opinionated. Be passionate. Pick a side. Be unique.

CONSISTENT

Once you have focus, add consistency.

When you try to discuss an industry in general, your audience won’t know what to expect when they visit your show.

Stick to your focus. Simply find new ways to communicate it.

Let’s take Dave Ramsey for example. During the opening of “The Dave Ramsey Show”, Dave says, “Where debt is dumb, cash is king, and the paid-off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW as the status symbol of choice.”

Dave’s show is a personal finance show. Moreover, it is a show about getting out of debt. Dave helps people find ways to pay off their debt and become financially stable.

“The Dave Ramsey Show” doesn’t discuss particular stocks or mutual funds. Dave doesn’t discuss how to go about investing other than simply suggesting you sock away 15 percent of your income for retirement and then some for college.

On his show, Dave recommends 7 basic steps to financial security. He has been doing a show on these 7 steps for over 20 years. Every show, everyday, every call. It’s all about these 7 steps in some way or another.

When you tune into “The Dave Ramsey Show”, you know what you will get. Dave is focused. He is consistent with his focus on a daily basis.

Now, if Dave talked about the benefits of real estate investing on one show and the pitfalls of no-load mutual funds on another, you would never know what to expect. You wouldn’t know what the show would be about on any particular day.

There are times where Dave will focus a particular hour on entrepreneurs. Even these shows are centered around the 7 steps. He helps businesses launch and operate debt free.

The focus of “The Dave Ramsey Show” is consistent, but not predictable.

When you listen, you cannot predict the questions. However, the answers are consistent.

Give your podcast focus. Consistently deliver on that focus. Your audience will find comfort in the known. These two elements will help you build podcast engagement and a solid foundation on which to build your audience.

 

Here is a link to the FREE show review I mentioned. Yes, it is free. No, there are no strings attached. However, there are a few criteria you need to meet. See if you qualify:

COMPLIMENTARY COACHING
I’d love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Erik@PodcastTalentCoach.com.

You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.