In this episode, you get the first session from my most recent Podcast Profits Bootcamp. Here, we help you discover why we podcast. Then, we help you incorporate that “why” into your podcast content.
I had a client tell me, “If we are able to generate leads, that is awesome. If we are helping change people’s lives, and they are reaching out to us, that would be a success. Becoming a resource is the goal.”
SUCCESS
What does success look like to you? Have you determined your passion?
Your podcast allows you to leave your mark on the world. You can spread your message and make an impact if that is your desire.
Before you can reach that goal, you need to define that goal.
Making money with your podcast isn’t enough. You need to develop a deeper desire. A deep, meaningful goal will motivate you to get in the studio every week and record an episode.
If you haven’t defined that meaningful purpose, finding the motivation to sustain a consistent podcast will be difficult.
During this episode, we will help you find your “why”.
Then, we will help you incorporate that “why” into your podcast content.
It is important to provide your audience with a little of your story and the reason you create your content in each episode. This allows your audience relationship develop. Your listener gets to know who you are.
RELATIONSHIPS
On each episode, include a bit of your why and your story. This is how your listeners get to know, like and trust you. This is how relationships are built.
Next week, we will talk about reviewing your episode to reach your goals and get better.
If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.
To grow your audience and monetize your podcast, you need to build relationships. People do business with those they know, like and trust. That is the definition of relationship.
Today, I want to show you how stories help you build those relationships.
BOOTCAMP
Before we jump into it, I want to invite you to a powerful event that will help you build your podcast monetization strategy.
So many times, we go to webinars hoping to learn something only to find out it is a big sales pitch. We might walk away with one or two ideas after an hour. But we are really only there for the sale.
You have a chance to join me for a 6-hour Podcast Profits Bootcamp where I will put you through the entire process to build your podcast monetization strategy.
During this event, we will build a few ways to monetize your show that are perfect for you. This isn’t one size fits all. It is specific to your show.
You will get a workbook that will help you stay on track as we develop your strategy. During the bootcamp, we walk through the workbook step-by-step.
We will start with your foundation to ensure you are building on solid ground. Then, we will develop your purpose. I’ll show you why most podcasts don’t make money, so you can avoid those pitfalls.
Many people think ads and sponsorships are the way to make money with your show. That is a myth. It is the worst way. Sponsorships require a very large audience and a lot of sales time. Ads also have a revenue ceiling.
I’ll show you a better way during the Podcast Profits Bootcamp. I won’t just show you, we will build it together. We will discuss the various ways you can monetize your show, so you can pick the strategy that is right for you.
Finally, you will have plenty of time to ask me questions to refine your strategy.
This is so much more than a webinar or workshop. It is a bootcamp where we will actually get things done.
Where most webinars last an hour, this is a 6-hour, all day event.
REGISTER
Registration for the Podcast Profits Bootcamp will be $197 for the 6-hour bootcamp, your workbook and your monetization strategy for your show.
Right now, you can enroll for $97 if you act fast. This fast action deal is good until Tuesday, October 19th at Midnight. Enroll now at a great deal and secure your spot. After Tuesday, the price goes to $197 and I’ll start promoting it heavily.
If you are ready to build your podcast monetization strategy, the Podcast Profits Bootcamp is for you. You’ve spent enough time attending empty webinars and trying to find sponsors. Now is the time to build a real strategy.
Let’s sweeten the deal for you a little more. If you enroll in the Podcast Profits Bootcamp, I will give you my Powerful Podcast Interviews course as my gift.
Powerful interviews are a great way to grow your audience and monetize your show. This course shows you how to leverage your interviews to engage your audience.
In this course, we talk about why we interview, the essential elements of creating unique interviews, the powerful interview questions and how to ask those questions in a way that will engage both your guest and audience. You get it as my gift with your enrollment.
Let’s get you registered for the Podcast Profits Bootcamp. Jump in right now at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/bootcamp. Save when you register by Tuesday.
FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH TRUST
Now, let’s talk about how you build trust and use it to grow your show and business.
People do business with those they know, like and trust. That is the definition of relationship. This is where friendship begins.
Think about your best friend. How much do you know about that person?
Do you know where they grew up? How about where they went to school? Do you know what they like to eat or something about their unique interests? There are things they haven’t told anyone but you.
That’s how friendships are formed. You probably weren’t there when they were growing up in their gradeschool neighborhood. But, they told you all about it.
Their embarrasing high school stories may not have included you. But, they told you all about it.
The stories go on and on. Your best friend tells you everything. You weren’t there to experience all of the events, but you heard about them.
That is the power of story. Friends share with friends.
Friendships are built by revealing things about yourself. When you reveal things, you show trust. The more you share stories with your listener, the more you build relationships.
The first is your Provocative Point. My radio coach would always ask, “What do you want the audience to laugh at, marvel at or better understand?” That is your Provocative Point.
This is the goal of your story. Make your audience feel something.
Next, you need an Intriguing introduction. This should include your Provocative Point. Tell people where we are going. Nobody wants to get on a bus when they don’t know where it is headed.
When you start with your Provocative Point, your listeners can enjoy the journey. They can enjoy the details.
That is the third element … your Vivid details. When you include vivid details, your story become more believable. Your story stirs emotion. You transport your listener to your specific time and place. The details create images in the theater of the mind.
Finally, end your story with a Powerful Conclusion. Put a period at the end of your story. This should be a quick restatement of your Intriguing Introduction, just like a great speech.
STORY EXAMPLES
Let’s review an example of how story works in your podcast.
Mike Van Pelt is one of my clients. He gave me permission to share these examples from his True Man Podcast. You can find his amazing show at www.TrueManPodcast.com.
His podcast is designed for men who feel stuck in some aspect of their life.
Do you feel you’ve lost control of your goals or the ability to move in a new direction? Do you feel like you are navigating life’s journey on your own when you could really use a guide and a roadmap? That is what the True Man Podcast is all about.
These stories come from Episode 16 The Comeback. This episode is all about writing your comeback story.
When you tell stories, put your listener in the moment. Stir emotions and make them feel something.
STORY ONE
In the first story, Mike talks about his story. He talks about discovering what it means to be a parent. However, he doesn’t put me in the moment.
This story is not very specific. There are not many details. Give it a listen.
(first story)
There are a lot of generalities in this story. He didn’t put me in the moment.
Mike needs to tell me when he decided it was time to go back to school. Put me in that conversation.
Mike tells me he was talking to his kids about the importance of school. He comes to the realization that he was being hipocritical. Put me in that moment.
Where were you? What were you doing? Mike stirs some great emotions. He tells me about being embarrassed. When does the pivot happen?
I want Mike to get to the point where he says, “Then one day I discovered …” or “That’s when … happened.”
Where is the pivot in the story where we see the transformation happen? Put me in that one place and time.
STORY TWO
The second story gets a little closer. Mike talks with his co-host Paul about the starting a men’s group. Here is story two.
(second story)
This story gets a little closer. They meet Friday mornings. The meetings are in Paul’s office. It is 7a. It is Mike and group of guys.
In this story, I am starting to be present in the room. Use those vivid details.
What does the office look like? Where is the pivot point in that story? The story is a little closer to a great story, but not quite where we need to be.
STORY THREE
The third story is much better. This is a story about a specific retreat.
In this story, we are very specific with the details. As you listen to this story, notice how vivid the details become.
As Mike tells the story, you are put right there in the moment. You can see the surroundings. You can feel the emotion of what he is going through. Take a listen to the specific details in this story.
(third story)
I love the specifics in this story. Mike uses all of the senses.
And, check out the details.
They go up to Virginia a couple years ago.
It was very powerful to be around 300-400 guys and spend the weekend in the mountains.
They got to enjoy a focus on God.
It was Saturday morning.
Michael Thompson walked in on Saturday morning.
He was going to play 3 songs.
The second song was by Josh Groban.
These details are very specific. It is one specific point in time.
The first story was very generic. It could have been anywhere at any time.
In this third story, we are talking about one specific Saturday morning, up in the mountains, when he experiences one specific song.
This is what I’m talking about when I talk about putting me in one moment in time. That’s what brings the stories to life and makes them powerful.
Details and senses make the story real and believable. It also builds that relationship with your audience by revealing things about yourself. Mike is building trust with his audience by trusting them with his vulnerability.
PROVOCATIVE POINT
At the end Mike says, “That song took me out. I was almost on my knees. Because I didn’t know that God loved me that intimately. And I didn’t know I could love him back that intimately.”
This statement is the provocative point. It is what Mike wants the listener to better understand. This is where the story should start.
He could have started the story with, “There was one day when I finally realized that I could love God so intimately.” With this intriguing introduction, we know where we are going.
The intriguing introduction could be followed by the story of being at a retreat one Saturday morning. We were up in the mountains with 327 other men.
This is like seeing the trailer for the movie. We know the premise of the story. Now, we get to enjoy the details.
Use stories in your podcast, and you will begin building powerful friendships with your listeners. This is how you build know, like and trust to monetize your podcast.
JOIN US
If you are ready to build your podcast monetization strategy, come join us for the Podcast Profits Bootcamp. You’ve spent enough time attending empty webinars and trying to find sponsors. Now is the time to build a real strategy.
Registration for the Podcast Profits Bootcamp will be $197 for the 6-hour bootcamp, your workbook and your monetization strategy for your show.
Right now, you can enroll for $97 if you act fast. This fast action deal is good until Tuesday, October 19th at Midnight. Enroll now at a great deal and secure your spot. After Tuesday, the price goes to $197 when I’ll start promoting it.
It is scary to put yourself out there and be vulnerable. But, it is also powerful. When you are working to build engagement with your audience, you need to be a bit vulnerable. That’s what makes you lovable.
BOOTCAMP
Before we jump into it, I want to give you a little update on the project I’m working on.
Last week I mentioned that I am putting together a workshop where I will take your hand and walk you through every step of the way to your goals.
You’ve given me a ton of great feedback, and I really appreciate it. So much feedback that I’m still going through all of it to determine exactly what you need and what the workshop will do for you.
It will take me another week or two to get it all put together. I can’t thank you enough for all of the responses to the survey.
This workshop will be something where we actually get work done. I don’t want to create just another empty webinar like you find everywhere else. I want to create a full day event that will help you get the work done. That’s why it’s a workshop. We will actually do the work together.
Once all of the feedback is reviewed, I’ll put it all together for you. Thanks for being patient. It is coming.
Now, let’s talk about building engagement, being vulnerable and attracting your ideal clients so you can make more money with your podcast.
THE PROFIT
You’ve heard the saying. People do business with those they know, like and trust.
I was watching an episode of Streets of Dreams with Marcus Lemonis the other night. You might know him from the CNBC television show The Profit.
On the episode, Marcus was researching the diamond district in New York City. It is a one-block stretch of 47th Streen in Manhattan between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. This block is one of the primary centers of the global diamond industry.
As Marcus was talking pricing with the jewelers, he asked about appraisal. How do you know the diamond is actually worth the asking price?
The jeweler said, “You just have to trust me.”
Now, this bracelet Marcus was buying had an asking price of $30k or $35k. This guy just wanted Marcus to trust him.
Even as they looked through that little magnifying glass at the perfection of the diamond, the jeweler told Marcus that most people have no idea what they are looking at. They have no idea how to price a diamond. You need a trained eye.
The same is true when you get your car serviced. You just need to trust the mechanic when he tells you that your car needs new brakes or the seal on your header is cracked. I have no idea what good and bad brakes look like.
THE TRUST
The sale is all about the trust. Your potential client needs to trust that you are telling the truth. However, they also need to trust that your solution will work for them, that they can actually do it and that it delivers the results you promise.
Many people want to learn the art of the close. Closing the deal is only about 10% of the sales process. Building rapport is the majority of the journey.
Trust is the primary reason you need to build rapport with your potential clients. They need to believe what you are telling them.
If you are simply talking about the features of your stuff and how much it costs, you’ve already lost your prospect.
Build a relationship with your future client before you ever discuss your solution.
To build that friendship, you need to be open and honest. You need to be vulnerable.
Trust your guest with some of your stories and flaws. Put yourself out there.
When you do, the Law of Reciprocity will kick in. The Law of Reciprocity basically states that when people receive something from someone else, the receiver feels compelled to return the favor.
If you are vulnerable and trust your prospect by using your stories and flaws, they will feel compelled to trust you in return. It isn’t that quick. The trust grows over time.
MANIPULATION
Some people think using the Law of Reciprocity is just simply manipulating their prospective clients. It is the opposite.
Think of your past relationships. Did you instantly tell the other person all of your secrets the first time you met them? Of course not.
As they told you a few things, you told them a few things. Over time, you learned just how much you could trust that other person.
There is a “right” time to be vulnerable and reveal things in a relationship. That time comes when the trust level is high enough. The give and take builds each time you share something and they share in return. Being vulnerable builds trust.
Now, are you manipulating the other person? Of course not. You are simply building a relationship.
Putting yourself out there is a great way to grow your relationships and attract more of your perfect clients.
GLIMMER LEARNING
Today, I’ve invited a special guest on the show to talk about your presentation and putting yourself out there. How can you be authentic and engaging with your audience and prospective clients?
Lisa Hannigan is the Founder of Glimmer Learning LLC, a company specializing in virtual engagement training and coaching for speakers. She helps them increase the impact of their message and maximize results.
Lisa is a certified Master Trainer and Virtual Facilitator. She offers her almost two decades of experience, along with tools and techniques to her clients and teaches them how to deliver high-impact, engaging presentations that inspire and connect every time they speak.
If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.
Events are a great way to grow your audience. However, you need a strategy.
Many of us go to great events and collect a lot of great information and meet a lot of great people. We then return home to our to do lists and do nothing.
The notes and names go in a drawer in the desk and we take no action. We have good intentions. We just have other priorities.
In order to get the most out of your events, have a plan.
To help, grab my Building Relationships At Events worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/events. This will give you the full strategy to use events to grow your audience.
STRATEGY
When developing your strategy, you need to consider your actions before, during and after the event. Your actions need to be focused and deliberate.
Before the event, you need to plan your attack. Lay out your goals and tools.
During the gathering, you have limited time. Use every minute you have in ways that help you grow.
After the event, tie up the loose ends. This is where the real work takes place.
Let’s look at each of these phases.
BEFORE EVENTS
Before events, it is all about planning. You need to have a goal and purpose.
Do your research. Research the attendees that fit your goal before the event. Find the individuals you’re hoping to meet (and impress).
Dress to impress. As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression. Don’t blow it.
DURING EVENTS
When you arrive, use your time wisely. Make the most of every opportunity.
Have questions ready for every session you attend for the open Q&A at the end.
Don’t spread yourself too thin. Don’t work the room. Focus on quality vs. quantity. Join in the conversation.
When you meet people, consider their network. Can you help each other make connections? Be a connector. How can you help them?
Listen first, then speak. Ask a lot of questions.
“Who are you?”
“What do you podcast about?”
“How did you get into that?”
“If someone wanted to get into that niche, where would they begin?”
“I’ve enjoyed our conversation. How can we stay in touch?”
Swap business cards to stay in touch. Be sure you don’t use your business cards as spam by giving a card to every person you meet. Give them with a purpose.
Take notes about each meeting. Write on their business card.
AFTER EVENTS
The real results come from your actions after events. This is where the real work takes place.
Follow up is critical. Reach out to each person you’ve met while you are on the trip home. Don’t let this valuable time slip away. Make an impression.
Have a purpose to reach out. Focus on helping them. This is not a time to sell.
Use this sample script: “I enjoyed our conversation at ____. Your story about _____ was fascinating/intriguing/hilarious. Would you be willing to discuss ____/be on my podcast to promote your _____/tell me more about ______.”
LIVE VS. VIRTUAL
Many live events are coming back. Pick and choose the right gatherings and conferences that will help you meet the right people.
Find people who are already talking to the audience you want to attract.
While live events return, continue to work the online events. Many online events will continue to operate, because they are convenient and come with lower costs. Again, find the events that will make the biggest impact in your growth.
WORKSHEET
To help you grow and develop your strategy, grab my Building Relationships At Events worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/events. This worksheet lays out the entire strategy you can use events to grow your audience.
If you don’t have a mentor who can take your hand and walk you every step of the way, go to www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/apply, click the button and apply to have a chat with me. We will develop your plan and see how I can help and support you to achieve your podcast goals.
There are three legs to the podcast stool if you are trying to grow your audience. Those are programming, promotion and personality.
Personality is critical to keep your listeners coming back episode after episode. Your personality is what makes you magnetic.
In order to grow your podcast, you need to retain the current listeners you already have. It will do you no good simply bringing in new listeners if your current listeners are leaving. Your show won’t grow.
Building a relationship with your audience will keep them coming back. You build that relationship through the stories that you tell and through your personality. This is how your listeners get to know, like and trust you.
CO-HOSTS
Dave Jackson and I do the Podcast Review Show together. Each episode we invite a podcaster on the show for a critique of the entire business from content to website to revenue opportunities.
Being part of a two-person show highlights the importance of a defined personality. If there are multiple hosts on the show, you each need to have a lane. Your personalities should compliment each other.
If the two co-hosts on a podcast are cut from the same cloth, one isn’t necessary. A discussion between two people with the same opinions on everything isn’t a very compelling conversation.
There are four steps to develop your personality.
Most of these tips apply if you are a solo podcaster or only have guests on your show just as much as they apply to shows with multiple hosts.
DEFINE EACH ROLE
Your first step is to define your role. Describe the persona you want to project on your show. Describe how you want to be perceived by your audience.
Most importantly, be yourself. Don’t try to be something or someone you are not.
List as many of your personality characteristics as you can.
If you have a co-host, select your partner carefully. If you are the same, one of you isn’t necessary.
You then need to determine what each is expected to bring to the show. Define your duties, so there is no animosity or confusion.
PERSONALITY FOUNDATION
Once you have an exhaustive list, select three to five that you would like as your foundation. These three to five personality traits should be those that you would like to represent your brand.
Many think an over-the-top personality is necessary to get noticed. You don’t need to be like Gary Vaynerchuk or Howard Stern or Tony Robbins to be a big personality. There are plenty of other styles.
You could be warm like Dr. Phil, funny like Jimmy Fallon or tell-it-like it is like Dave Ramsey. Your personality could be energetic like Russel Brunson or motivate like Brendon Burchard or optimistic like Dan Miller.
The fun part is you get to decide. Again, be yourself.
BE PRESENT
Now that you have decided on your primary traits, focus on these. Make sure they are present in each episode.
Let your personality traits come out through the stories that you tell.
Start with the point you want to make or the lesson you want to teach. Next, find a story that will highlight that point or lesson. Finally, include a little of your personality in that story.
Remember, a little goes a long way. You don’t want to be the person that tries to make everything funny. You don’t want to be up in the face of your listener with everything. Just add a little here and there as role work.
In order for your audience to appreciate your personality, it must be contrasted with other complimentary traits. When you yell at your kids for everything, they eventually stop listening. Players stop paying attention to coaches who scream about everything.
On the other hand, if a typically mild mannered coach blows up about a blown play or a parent who is normally nurturing suddenly explodes over bad grades, they are taken seriously. Timing is everything.
If you are naturally funny, let it shine when the time is right. Your show doesn’t need to be a comedy routine. It simply needs to be funny when the time is right if that is your personality.
TAKES TIME
Finally, give it time to develop. Do consistent role work episode after episode and let your personality develop.
This will not happen overnight. Your listeners don’t develop a relationship with you after two episodes. Give it time.
Add personality to each episode. Over time, your listeners will get to know who you are and what you are all about.
This is where true friendships develop.
In order to be sure your personality comes out in each episode, plan your show before you begin. If you are already creating content, it is never too late to start. Start planning today and let it shine.
Whether you are looking to grow your audience or build a business around your podcast, there are few things as powerful as podcast partners.
Partners create a win-win situation where both sides benefit. You simply need to walk into the relationship seeking to help the other side win. Find the right people and you will be reaching your goals faster than ever.
COLLABORATE
I’m excited to once again be part of the legendary, virtual, live event called COLLABORATE. It is happening once again!
You’re going to love this event. It is a cutting-edge, results-oriented experience. It was created by the amazing team at JV Insider Circle (JVIC), who also brought you the annual JV Experience (JVX) Summit, which is the world’s #1 joint venture summit.
In order to design the ultimate event, the JVIC team analyzed mountains of feedback and gigabytes of successful collaborative partnerships generated among attendees from their many past events, both live and virtual.
The result is COLLABORATE. It is an event with everything the revered JVX Summit has to offer, but supercharged!
During this 3-day live online event you will connect with hundreds of top coaches, entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, program leaders & owners of podcasts, radio shows, and other live or virtual events, who are all interested in promoting your podcast, products & programs. This is where you find real podcast partners.
You will have the opportunity to join the many Networking Circles and meet industry leaders & influencers from around the world. These are 20 minute breakout session with about 8 experts where you introduce yourself and see if you are a good fit.
If networking events make you uncomfortable, there is no worry. Iman Aghay will teach you exactly how to introduce yourself and how to describe what would make a good partner for you.
Your pitch is 2 minutes and you refine it in each circle of 8 people. There is no pressure. You don’t need to awkwardly walk up to anyone to strike up a conversation. It is all right there is a small Zoom meeting.
I met about 120 people at my first Collaborate. Of those, 40 were potential partners who fit what I do. At the last one, I was much more particular with whom I wanted to partner. I still found 20.
As you can tell, I am a huge fan of this event. That is why I have attended multiple times and became an affiliate. It did amazing things for my growth.
How powerful would that be for you?
During the event, you will get feedback and hone your pitches in front of small groups and live coaches. This will help you ensure your message is on target.
You will learn valuable knowledge and proven practical tools from guest speakers during the event. This is just a small part of the 3 days. You spend most of the time networking with others in a way that is step-by-step for you.
Get one-on-one coaching help to find more collaborating partners to promote your podcast, products & programs. You get 2 coaching sessions to ensure your partner pitch is fine-tuned.
GET IN NOW
You get it all for $47. Where else can you get this kind of powerful event where you can meet so many potential partners? Don’t miss this epic supercharged event!
Let’s talk about what collaboration can do for you.
PODCAST PARTNERS POWER
We already talked about how you can help each other. Find new potential partners and ask, “How can I support you?” Ask often enough and you will create some incredible relationships.
Create a calendar to properly promote each of you partners. Before you begin filling your calendar with partners, lay in your own promotions. Know exactly when you want to attract clients or launch your courses. Block out that time on the calendar. Then, fill it with partners.
There four big ways podcast partners can help you reach your goals.
PODCAST PARTNERS PROMOTE
Interview swaps
Promo swaps
Newsletter swaps
Facebook Live swaps
Social shares
PROMOTE PRODUCT, SERVICE, COURSE
Launch
Mentions
Highlights
Bonus offer
CONTRIBUTOR
Course contributor
Episode contributor
Email content
COLLABORATION
Connections
Ideas
Inspiration
FIND PODCAST PARTNERS
Come join me at COLLABORATE. You’re going to love this event. It is truly a results-oriented experience. If you want to supercharge your relationships and find podcast partners, this will be the best $47 you spend all year.
During this 3-day live online event you will connect with hundreds of top coaches, entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, program leaders & owners of podcasts, radio shows, and other live or virtual events, who are all interested in promoting your podcast, products & programs. This is where you find real podcast partners.
Do you have a funnel framework built around your podcast? Your show provides you a huge opportunity to make a powerful connection with your audience. But, the whole process of a funnel can be confusing.
As we go through this, I want to give you a free resource. For a limited time, you can get a free account for life to GrooveFunnels.
This includes GroovePages, which is a powerful funnel builder. You also get full access to GrooveSell and GrooveAffiliate. All 3 are free for life if you sign up now.
Let’s get rid of some of the confusion around funnels.
WHAT IS A FUNNEL
A purchase funnel is best viewed as a customer’s journey with you. First, they become familiar with you. The listeners then decide if they like you and trust you. Then, they might decide to buy something from you. Finally, they decide to go all in with your high end product.
In 1898, Elias St. Elmo Lewis created a model highlighting the stages of a customer’s relationship with a business. This model can be used with your podcast as well.
St. Elmo Lewis called it the “AIDA” model. It describes 4 stages every prospect encounters as they take the journey. “AIDA” stands for:
Awareness
Interest
Desire
Action
At the Awareness stage, prospects become aware that they have a problem and that a solution exists.
The prospect then becomes interested in a few products or services as the potential solution for them.
The next step is desire. This is where the prospect evaluates a particular solution.
Finally, they take action and decide whether or not to buy.
A conversion funnel is similar to a purchase funnel. Conversion funnel is the term used to describe the course a consumer follows online.
Both of these are described as a funnel, because fewer and fewer people make it to each stage. For instance, at the desire stage a portion of the prospects will decide your solution isn’t right for them. Therefore, fewer people move to the next step of the funnel.
YOUR PODCAST
So, how can you build a funnel with your podcast?
First, you need to get in front of new potential listeners as we’ve been discussing the past few weeks. This is phase 1 of Awareness. This is how people get to know you exist.
Next, your podcast demonstrates what you know and what you’re all about. This is phase 2 for you. This is where people decide if you are right for them.
Phase 3 is desire. You create desire by offering them additional help. Show them what you do and then how they can get more of this.
In phase 3 you would offer them a free resource in exchange for their name and e-mail address. This could be a report, checklist, or some other piece of value. You talk about it on your show and encourage them to take the next step in the funnel.
This free resource is typically referred to as a lead magnet. It is designed to attract leads for you. If you want a list of 21 lead magnet ideas, get it at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/21lead. No e-mail address required. Just head over and download it for free.
To complete step 3, you need a landing page builder and a way to deliver your free resource. This is what resources like ClickFunnels, LeadPages and GroovePages will do for you. ClickFunnels and LeadPages will cost you a monthly fee. Or, you can get GroovePages free for life at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/funnel.
GroovePages is a full page and funnel builder. This will allow you to build brand websites with full navigation. With GroovePages, you can sell your products with 1-click upsells. You even get custom domains, free bandwidth and hosting. It comes with free upsells, downsells and order bumps to help boost your sales.
BUILD THE RELATIONSHIP
You now have their e-mail address and a way to communicate with them on a regular basis. You can continue to build the relationship using the great content on your podcast and the value you provide in your e-mail.
If they love what you’ve given them for free, they may take that next step with Action. That is phase 4. This is where they buy what you’re selling. This could be your e-book, course, product, service or something else.
This is where resources like SamCart, Shopify and GrooveSell come into play. Again, you can pay a monthly fee for SamCart or Shopify. Or, you can get GrooveSell for free for life at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/funnel.
GrooveSell is a complete and robust shopping cart and affiliate program. It is content delivery made easy. You also get great analytics and data.
GrooveAffiliate gives you a complete affiliate system. This allows you to connect with others where you help each other sell the other’s stuff for an affiliate commission.
Even if you don’t have anything to sell, you can sell affiliate products and make money. There is GrooveAffiliate Marketplace to help you find and sell products from other experts and make money. Just like I do here with this GrooveFunnels affiliate link. If people buy from GrooveFunnels, I make an affiliate commission.
These tools are free for a limited time. Eventually, it will be $99 per month. If you get in now, you get free lifetime accounts to GroovePages, GrooveSell and GrooveAffiliate. No credit card required ever.
This is how you use your podcast to move your prospects through your funnel. Now, you can add additional layers. But get these pieces to get started for free.
GROOVEFUNNELS
This GrooveFunnels opportunity allows you to get a free account for life. GroovePages is an incredibly powerful funnel builder. You also get full access to GrooveSell and GrooveAffiliate. It is free for life.
Now, if you would like to upgrade, you can get lifetime access to the entire GrooveFunnels suite. This is an amazing opportunity. It includes GrooveMail, GrooveMember, GrooveVideo, GrooveKart, GrooveWebinar, GrooveCalendar and so much more.
You can get the upgrade for a one-time payment and never pay a monthly fee. It is just rolling out with a big launch. Buy it now before it converts to a monthly payment and get lifetime access to all of these tools to build your business. Visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/funnelupgrade.
GrooveMail is a powerful, automated, behavioral-based email marketing system based on tagging. This allows you to send e-mail to all of those fans who gave you their e-mail address for your great resource. This is similar to ActiveCampaign or Aweber without the monthly fees.
You can build a membership site with GrooveMember. This would be like Kajabi. Except you aren’t paying the monthly fee when you buy GrooveFunnels outright.
Vimeo is a great tool to host videos for your marketing and courses. You can also do that with GrooveVideo. It is powerful video marketing built right into the platform.
Are you paying monthly for Zoom or GoToWebinar? You can save that fee. GrooveWebinar is a live webinar platform built right into GrooveFunnels.
EverWebinar allows you to create evergreen webinars. It too comes with a monthly fee. You can save that money by using GrooveEvergreen. It is an automated webinar system and it is included.
OTHER FEATURES
How do you schedule your meetings? If you are like me, you’ve probably been using something like Calendly. Well, GrooveCalendar is part of GrooveFunnels. It is a powerful scheduling system built right in.
There is also GrooveStream. Similar to StreamYard, it will allow you to live stream. You get help desk software with GrooveDesk, a survey feature with GrooveSurvey and a social proof widget with GrooveProof.
Now understand, they are still building out some of these features. Still putting the finishing touches on them. A few are still in beta. But they are all coming.
You can buy it now before it converts to a monthly payment. Get lifetime access to all of these tools to build your business. Visit www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/funnelupgrade.
If you added up all of the monthly payments you would be making for all of these third party applications, you would be spending over $17,000 per year.
There are few things that will move any project forward faster than partnerships. When you connect and collaborate with people in your niche, you can help each other learn new things, find new audiences, and attract new clients.
When I first launched Podcast Talent Coach, I connected with Dave Jackson at School of Podcasting. In fact, Dave reached out to me. I wasn’t aware of the power of podcast partnerships yet.
Dave helped me get things moving in the right direction. We worked together to help each other grow. That was 8 years ago and the partnership continues today.
One of the best events I ever attended helped me connect with an amazing number of partners.
It is a great collaboration event that will supercharge your growth. I’ll tell you more about it in a minute.
Let me tell you about this event I was part of about 6 weeks ago. It was called the JV Experience. Almost 400 experts came together to connect and help each other grow through partnerships.
Due to COVID-19, the whole event was virtual and online. It was a 3-day weekend. Instead of spending a weekend at a conference hotel somewhere, we spent the weekend on Zoom.
During the event, we learned a ton. If we were in the hotel conference room, we would spend the breaks out in the hallway connecting with potential partners. The problem with the hotel scenario happens when you’re an introvert. It is easy to use the restroom, check your e-mail and be invisible.
Online, the situation was much different. During the breaks, we were placed into breakout sessions with about half a dozen other experts. We each took 2 minutes to introduce ourselves and what partnerships we were seeking.
During the weekend, I met about 80 of the 400 experts in the breakout rooms. Of those 80, half made sense for a further discussion and possible partnership. I spent the next two weeks reaching out and having conversations.
Those conversations led to some great partnerships that turned into joint ventures, podcast guests and business opportunities.
It all stemmed from one amazing event. It is crazy how a few of the right partners can explode your projects.
5 WAYS TO PARTNERSHIPS
If you really want to grow your show and your mailing list, even build that business around your podcast, find 5 podcasters in you niche that could make great partners.
Here are five ways to help each other.
CROWDSOURCE
Create a crowdsource episode with experts. Find a question that will help your listeners.
Ask each of the five podcasters to answer the question. Combine them into an episode. Then, ask each of the experts to share the show.
COMMENT
All podcasts like comments and reviews. Leave a comment on or review for 5 shows in your niche that compliment your show. If you teach courses, find someone that teaches memberships. If you teach healthy eating, find someone who teaches healthy gardening.
Begin to create the relationship with the hosts. Get on their radar. Once you begin the conversation, take the next step.
HELP
Reach out to those five people and ask, “How might we help each other.” You are not looking to simply have them promote you. Find ways you can help each other. Create a true partnership.
You can create great synergy when you ask, “What are you working on and how might I support you?” Help them connect with experts you know. Turn them onto resources you use. Spread the word about their latest product.
Give and give again. The support will eventually come back to you. Just start making the connections.
SWAP
When you have a relationship built, offer to swap newsletter mentions. You could send the link to their lead magnet to your e-mail list. They could do the same for you.
You also might consider swapping interviews. Have a discussion around a topic and both of you use the same conversation for your episodes to promote the other. Find ways to help each other grow.
FUN CHALLENGE
The last idea is a bit crazy and fun. Challenge a peer in your niche to something fun. This could be a challenge to see who can get the most Facebook friends in a month. Or, who can get the most comments on an episode in four weeks.
There are a few things the challenge should include.
Make the challenge fun. If it is serious, it won’t attract as much attention.
It should incorporate the listeners. You want your audience to have a vested interest in the challenge. Get them to follow along.
Make it last around four weeks. You want to give it time to gain some attention and word-of-mouth. Create a storyline around it that lasts 3 or 4 episodes. Make sure it is public, so your listeners can follow the progress on each show.
Finally, there should be something at stake. Maybe the loser has to e-mail their list promoting the winner. Or the loser has to do a Facebook live video wearing a t-shirt promoting the winner. Something that gets noticed.
MORE NOTICE
There are many other ways to partner. You could participate in summits, giveaways, live events, podcasts, YouTube interviews, Facebook lives and many other things.
Now, you could spend time searching for other experts that can help you grow, finding them one by one. You’re not sure if they are looking for partners. It is unclear what they have to offer. Will they actually do the work to promote you?
Rather than spending all of that time and energy, you could participate in an event just like I did. And you can get into this one for a crazy deal.
COLLABORATE
I would like to introduce you to a new, live, virtual event called COLLABORATE. I’m so excited about it because it’s a cutting-edge, results-oriented event created by the amazing event team at JV Insider Circle (JVIC). This is the same team who also created the annual JV Experience (JVX) Summit that I attended and made such great connections. JVX is the world’s #1 joint venture summit.
In order to design the ultimate event, the JVIC team analyzed mountains of feedback and gigabytes of successful collaborative partnerships that was generated amongst attendees from their many past events, both live and virtual. The result is COLLABORATE, an event with everything the revered JVX Summit has to offer, but supercharged on a whole new level! This is gonna be great.
COLLABORATE is a live virtual event where you get to connect with hundreds of top entrepreneurs, coaches, authors, speakers, program leaders along with producers of podcasts, radio shows and live & virtual events from around the world.
These people are all interested in creating alliances with you and promoting your products & programs. On top of that, you’ll learn valuable, actionable knowledge. You will get tools and the support you need to catapult your business into the next stratosphere.
The inaugural COLLABORATE event is designed by the innovative events team who also created the world’s #1 joint venture event, JVX SUMMIT.
The connections I made at the JVX were priceless. I connected with 40 potential partners in my niche alone. It was an amazing and very productive weekend.
389 people from around the world attended their last virtual event. If you would like to create amazing partnerships, don’t miss this event. Get your ticket now!
WHAT YOU GET
Here is what you can expect:
Networking Circles. This is where you can connect with industry leaders, experts & influencers from around the world to create your partnerships.
Hot Or Not. This is an opportunity to test your products or programs by getting IMMEDIATE feedback from 100’s of coaches & experts! It is like a focus group on steroids.
Niche Circles. In these small groups, you can get feedback to hone your pitches & messages in front of live coaches.
Knowledge Sessions. You will learn valuable knowledge and gain actionable tools from guest speakers during the event.
JV Shark Attack. This is just a lot of fun and a great way to learn. You have a chance to have your products & programs promoted by key industry leaders if you’re selected. If you are not JV ready yet, this is a great way to learn by watching other people pitch their joint venture opportunities.
Special Exercises. There will be uniquely designed exercises to help you connect with partners and build your business.
Special Activities. You will participate in one-of-a-kind activities created to give your business a mega boost.
There is also much more. There are more sessions & activities being developed between now and the event.
MAKE CONNECTIONS
COLLABORATE is more than just another live online networking event. It is a connecting event.
Not only will you have plenty of connecting time, you will be guided through fun exercises and activities to make sure your products or programs are sizzling hot with clearly communicated benefits and all the factors to make them winners.
Nothing is being left to chance when it comes to helping you walk away with the best joint venture partners. You’ll come away with a full list of powerful alliances and industry influencers ready to promote your products or programs just like I did, even if you’ve struggled with this in the past.
Here is the best part … you can get the whole weekend for just $47. How crazy is that?
Imagine what one partner could do for your podcast. Would that be worth $47? And I connected with 40 at the last one without even knowing what I was doing.
I CAN’T WAIT
I was bummed that I would need to wait an entire year before I could do it again. They got so much great feedback on the connection circles from that event that they are creating Collaborate as a way to help people connect even further. It is going to be amazing.
If you want to connect with hundreds of top entrepreneurs, coaches, authors, speakers, and program leaders along with producers of podcasts, radio shows and live & virtual events from around the world, don’t miss Collaborate.
Please be aware that links in this post and on this site may be affiliate links. I could earn a commission should you choose to make a purchase. However, I only recommend things I trust and that I believe are valuable.
A mastermind group can be very powerful for your podcast. If you bring a powerful group of people together, the collective mind can create big things.
NAPOLEON HILL
Napoleon Hill first coined the phrase in 1925 in his book the Law Of Success. He expanded on the idea in his 1937 book Think And Grow Rich.
Here is an excerpt from Think and Grow Rich where Hill explains the concept …
The “Master Mind” may be defined as: “Coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
No individual may have great power without availing himself of the “Master Mind.”
The two characteristics of the Master Mind principle, one of which is economic in nature, and the other psychic.
The economic feature is obvious. Economic advantages may be created by any person who surrounds himself with the advice, counsel, and personal cooperation of a group of men who are willing to lend him wholehearted aid, in a spirit of PERFECT HARMONY.
This form of cooperative alliance has been the basis of nearly every great fortune. Your understanding of this great truth may definitely determine your financial status.
The psychic phase of the Master Mind principle is much more abstract, much more difficult to comprehend, because it has reference to the spiritual forces with which the human race, as a whole, is not well acquainted.
You may catch a significant suggestion from this statement: “No two minds ever come together without, thereby, creating a third, invisible, intangible force which may be likened to a third mind.”
Many people have used Hill’s mastermind concept to create great things. The book goes into the idea in greater detail. Today, I want to give you four specific ways a mastermind can supercharge your podcast.
MENTAL
Like minded people who understand you
Think bigger
Support
Energy and motivation
Impostor Syndrome into confidence
Habits
Focus and clarity
Power of helping others
RELATIONSHIPS
Connections
Create an instant network and extend your current network
Exclusive community
New friendships
GROWTH
Collaboration
Shared goals to improve
Pushed and challenged
Honest feedback
Work through problems out loud
Progress
KNOWLEDGE
More ideas from more contributors for variety solutions
Different opinions
New & better perspective
Insights
Brainstorming
Been there, done that experience
Shared resources
Specific knowledge of others
NOT ALL EQUAL
Not all masterminds are the same. A powerful mastermind needs a leader. This is someone you respect who can hold all members accountable.
A good mastermind also needs structure. Members need to agree when to meet, how to meet and why to meet.
The group requires respect, trust and a desire to contribute. Without a common purpose, it will be difficult for the group to succeed.
A successful mastermind also requires all members to have skin in the game. Every member needs to have incentive to show up and be present every single time. If members have nothing to lose, the effort will be less than optimal.
The mastermind also needs commitment with a timeline, so separation isn’t awkward. There will always come a time when it is time to separate. Plan for it at the beginning.
JOIN US
I am combining my coaching with the power of a mastermind into the Podcast Grad School Mastermind. This will be a small group of 8 podcasters with common goals helping each other succeed.
It will include a weekly call where we all come together. These calls will include 30 minutes of teaching to empower you with new knowledge. That will be followed by a hot seat for each member to work through your challenges with group contribution.
You will also be a member of a private group to allow you to collaborate between calls.
As a member of the Podcast Grad School Mastermind, you will get a bi-weekly one-on-one laser coaching call. You and I will get on a call every other week to personally help you with your goals.
This group will help you demonstrate your authority and market your business through your podcast in order to get more clients.
To get you the attention and accountability you need and deserve, the group will be limited to 8 people.
You need to be a good fit for the group. A podcast should be part of your content marketing. You need to be open-minded and willing to accept constructive feedback with the goal to improve. As an ideal member you should also have a desire to use your podcast to drive your business while helping others do the same.
We are all looking to grow our audience. Who doesn’t want more podcast audience growth? You need a strategy and multiple ideas.
MULTIPLE STREAMS
Multiple streams of income help grow your revenue. Those streams also protect you from any one source going away. If all of your revenue comes from one source, you are at risk of losing most of your revenue if that source disappears.
The same is true with your audience growth. If all of your new listeners are coming from the same source, your growth dries up if that source goes away.
Finding ways to get in front of new audiences is a great way to grow your show. A podcast with a similar audience is ripe for collaboration.
LARRY THE CABLE GUY
I was on a free strategy call the other night with a podcaster. We were discussing how she could use a podcast to promote her books and speaking opportunities.
A podcast is a great way to promote your services and demonstrate your authority.
We talked about her concept, and we realized she didn’t really want to do all of the work to create a podcast from scratch. She really wanted to get a jump start by partnering with an established brand.
That brought to mind Larry the Cable Guy. Back in the early 90s, Dan Whitney was getting his start in stand up before he became better known as Larry the Cable Guy.
If you check out YouTube, you can find stand up routines by Dan. His career was just like every struggling comedian until he found his unique bit and partners to help him grow it.
One of my radio buddies was friends with Dan. Chris and Dan were both coming up through the comedy circuit as Chris was getting into radio.
Dan would call into Chris’ radio show and do his “Larry the Cable Guy” bit. It was commentary on society and hilarious.
This turned into Larry doing the same bit on stations across the country. By being featured on many radio shows, Larry’s comedy career took off.
Larry didn’t need to create his own radio show. He just found established partners who could help him jump start his career.
FIND A PARTNER
As I was talking to this podcaster, and we realized she didn’t want to start from scratch, I told her the story of Larry the Cable Guy. She has a friend who would let her do a feature on his show each week. This is a perfect way to get started.
When Cliff Ravenscraft was doing the Podcast Answerman Podcast, Erik Fisher would do a technology segment on the show each week. Erik now has BeyondTheToDoList.com. Finding a podcast partner is a great way to create audience growth.
BENEFITS
There are a few benefits of using a partner for audience growth.
Somebody else creates the bulk of the content
No need to edit. You can just show up, record and be done
It is a jumpstart. You start a few rungs up the ladder
You get in front of a whole new audience
DRAWBACKS
There are also a few drawbacks of this strategy
You don’t control the entire content of the show
Somebody else’s platform gets the benefit from promotion
You don’t control the promotion of the show
You don’t control the brand and image of the show
AUDIENCE GROWTH STEPS
If you want to try this approach, three steps.
Find someone with an audience you’d like to attract
Determine how the main host will benefit from your feature
Create a simple agreement in writing, including how often, how long, when you record, compensation (plug your site, etc), how the agreement ends, what happens if one party doesn’t live up to the agreement.
FREE RESOURCE
If you would like 75 ways to drive engagement with your podcast, visit PodcastTalentCoach.com/increasedownloads. These ideas will help you create audience growth for your podcast.
Your podcast allows you a great opportunity to demonstrate your authority while talking about a topic that you love. If you structure the focus of your show properly, your podcast can be an amazing tool to drive your business and generate revenue.
OSCAR’S PODCAST
When Oscar Trimboli came to me for coaching, he had the desire to strengthen the connection between his podcast and his consulting business.
Season one of his podcast consisted of interviews. He was headed into season two and wanted this season to be more about teaching his five levels of listening.
Oscar Trimboli is a mentor, leadership coach, speaker, author and podcaster. His podcast and book are both entitled “Deep Listening – Impact Beyond Words“.
OSCAR’S BUSINESS
Oscar Trimboli has 30 years experience in bringing out the best in senior executives and next generation leaders.
Leaders seek Oscar’s help when they feel frustrated with their organizations’ results and their own performance. They’re drowning in information and feel stressed, time poor and swamped by their day-to-day workload.
Past beliefs, assumptions and decisions are no longer serving these leaders. They need a different way to think, a fresh perspective, renewed focus and energy.
Leaders that work with Oscar say they soon learn to think with laser-sharp focus and clarity. They become more self-aware and experience greater personal alignment with who they really are. With that awareness, these leaders gain a clear perspective, deeper understanding and a true grasp of their purpose and legacy.
Clients say Oscar quickly takes them from feeling disoriented and confused, to feeling energized and ready to create their legacy.
THE PODCAST & BUSINESS CONNECTION
As Oscar and I worked together, our challenge was to bring that power and authority to Oscar’s podcast.
Our goal was to create engagement with his audience and demonstrate his authority in the space. Over time, this would help him grow his consultancy.
In order to reach Oscar’s goals, he needed to start asking for feedback in order to get feedback. This would help drive engagement.
Oscar also created a Facebook group to begin building community for each level of listening and interact with his audience.
To build his authority in his space, I suggested that Oscar interject himself more into the episodes, so listeners get to know him.
PODCAST EVALUATION
In this episode, we review examples of what Oscar is doing today on his show to connect with his potential clients. We look at specific clips of his show where he in incorporating, explaining and promoting his business within his content.
Oscar Trimboli is now the author of 3 books. He also offers the “Deep Listening – Impact Beyond Words” playing cards set that helps improve your skills as a listener.
Over the last 7 years, Oscar has coached, mentored and advised people in a wide range of roles from founders, CEOs and CFOs to a variety of other leadership roles in financial services, technology, professional services, education and not for profits.
He has been asked to speak to leadership teams and their organizations about the importance of clarity to create change, how to embrace the digital economy and the role values play in the achievement of your purpose.
People who have worked with Oscar have a few things in common. They want to bring alignment to their work and life.
Once they have personal congruence, they very quickly accelerate their business and personal impact. Their energy and passions are now focused and they feel alive rather than distracted and frustrated. As a result, they achieve high impact outcomes aligned to their passions.
His podcast is now focused on the same material. He demonstrates his authority in and mastery of the space. This allows potential clients to experience what his coaching, mentoring and consulting is all about.
YOUR BUSINESS
If you would like some guidance refining the focus of your show and creating a plan to build a business around your podcast, grab my free show focus worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/focus.
This worksheet will help you gain some focus on your goal and strategy. It will help you start with the end in mind and then work backward into your content.
As Thanksgiving approaches in the U.S., Black Friday and Cyber Monday are coming. Along with it come big sales and great deals. It is a great opportunity to grow your show.
But does it really need to be a special day like Black Friday or Cyber Monday in order to grow your business and podcast?
On this episode, you will get 7 ways to build relationships, grow your audience and build your business.
When you are done with the episode and you are ready to take action and build your plan, sign up for your FREE podcast strategy call with me at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching.
Thanksgiving in the United States is a day of the year when we pause to give thanks to those treasures in our lives. Whether you are celebrating in America or just working another day somewhere else in the world, I would like to thank you for all you have done for me by simply being part of this community. Thank you.
GROW
This week, I would like to share with you 7 Thanksgiving concepts to drive your podcast and business any day of the year.
1. New Relationships
Take a few minutes today to plant the seeds of new relationships. Reach out to five people you do not know, and thank them for what you have learned from them.
2. Old Relationships
Next, take a few minutes to strengthen the relationships you have already built. Reach out to five people you know, and thank them for enriching your life.
3. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done
Use a day off to plan the next 12 months. Thanksgiving is a great time to look forward.
4. Great Offers
Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring great deals. This is especially true in the online world. It seems everyone has a great deal.
Just as with goals, the calendar shouldn’t dictate your strategy. It doesn’t need to be the day after Thanksgiving in order to make a great offer to your tribe.
5. Fill Your Heart
Take pause and ponder all of the things in your life for which you are thankful. Fill your heart. Be grateful.
6. Walk Away Wednesday
We need to take time away from the “to do” list and devote it to a bit of housekeeping. This is a concept I learned from radio great Mike McVay.
Mike created “Walk Away Wednesday” for radio program directors. It was a day to get away from the radio station and just listen. We would listen to everything to ensure it had a purpose. The goal was to review the radio station from top to bottom.
7. Give
Pretty simple. Help someone. As Zig Ziglar always said, “You can have anything you want as long as you help enough other people get what they want.”
It is true. Giving does something to us. Giving makes us more attractive as a person. Serve people.
THANKS
Take time this week to put a few of these concepts to use with your podcast and business. You never know what good things might come your way in the next year.
Thank you for being part of this community. I truly value the time you give me every week. My hope is that you find value and some useful nugget in the content I provide in each episode.
When I talk with podcasters about their goals, many tell me they would like to make money with their podcast. Some tell me they want this to be their only job. Others tell me they would like to earn enough to cover the expenses. When we talk about the “how”, podcasters often tell me they would like to pursue a podcast sponsor for the show.
If you would like my help creating revenue streams with your podcast, you can get my free list of 6 Ways To Make Money With A Free Podcast at PodcastTalentCoach.com/makemoney.
PROBLEMS WITH THE SPONSOR
The commercial on a podcast is the idea that comes to mind most frequently. However, there are a few issues with commercials on your show.
First, many people are turning away from traditional radio and to podcasts to get away from the long commercial breaks. Listeners are tired of interruption marketing that really doesn’t pertain to them and sells products and services that do not interest them.
Another issue with advertising on your show is your limited inventory. How much advertising can you possibly put into a show? There is a ceiling with regard to the revenue you could earn.
Commercials on your show also turns your show into a commodity. Advertising converts your listeners into price. How many listeners do you have? Let’s put that into the formula and figure out the price for your commercials.
You don’t want to be a commodity. You have something special to offer. Don’t let advertising turn your show into something similar to salt or gasoline or cotton balls.
As we have discussed before, sponsorships are a tough sell. Most traditional buyers want to buy podcast ads just like they buy radio ads. They simply are not the same.
With broadcasting, the ads are reaching a broad audience. Therefore, only a small portion of that audience will be interested in the product advertised.
With a podcast, the entire audience has an interest in common. If the product or service advertised is a good fit, it should be of interest to most of the audience. Therefore, you should be able to charge more for those ads than a traditional radio commercial.
STACK THE VALUE
I recently worked with a client on a very successful proposal. He had the opportunity to pitch a large governmental agency on sponsoring his show. His podcast reaches the exact audience they were trying to reach. The fit was ideal. He priced the sponsorship with regard to value and effectiveness rather than cost per listener.
When you approach potential clients, make your sponsorships more than commercials on the show. Sell them a whole package. Go beyond the simple sponsor commercial. Give them something more and make it special.
You can convert your sponsorship into a marketing partnership by adding other features that only you can provide.
Add them to your website
Include them in your newsletter
Showcase them on the show with an interview
Share them on social media
Create affiliate programs to promote their goods or services
MAKE IT SPECIAL
Make the commercials special. Keep in mind when you do the commercials within the show, make your ads unique and entertaining. Your ads should be just as entertaining and informative as your content.
Sponsorship is just one way to create revenue with your show. There are many others. You can find my list of 6 Ways To Make Money With A Free Podcast at PodcastTalentCoach.com/makemoney.
When you want your listeners to stick around and listen to what you have to say, you need to give them a compelling reason. Your listener needs to anticipate what is to come later in the show. You need to excite them. You need to tease them. Create anticipation.
Dave Jackson of School of Podcasting and I were coaching a podcaster on an episode of the Podcast Review Show the other night. At the end of the episode we were reviewing, the host said, “In the next few weeks, we will be interviewing great guests like A, B and C.”
I told him it was great that he was enticing people to come back to future episodes. However, he wasn’t really creating any excitement about those shows. Do any of those guests give a piece of content you cannot get anywhere else? Let’s tease that.
MORE THAN PROMOTING
If I say, “Next week, we will be interviewing Dave Jackson”, I do very little to create any anticipation for you. It is just another interview.
If I say, “Next week when we talk to Dave Jackson of School of Podcasting, he is going to give you the one trick he uses to land the really big interviews for his show and it works 92% of the time”, that creates some anticipation for the episode. A true tease creates intrigue and a little excitement. It makes your listener ask, “I wonder what it is.”
Anticipation is a key feature to storytelling. Your story should build just like a good plot builds in a movie. You need to make your audience anticipate the content that is on the way.
Your story is similar to a vacation you are planning to take. The fantastic anticipation for the trip is almost as pleasurable as the trip itself. You can’t wait for the trip to arrive. You want your listener to feel the same way about your story.
When your listener can’t wait for the story to arrive, you have created some great content with an powerful tease. Your listeners will get more enjoyment from your show when they get the tease payoff more often. The pleasure of the “oh wow” factor will be increased. The joy of anticipation will keep your audience coming back for more.
EFFECTIVE TEASE
There are three steps to creating an effective tease.
#1 – Intrigue me.
When you promote content that is coming up later in the show, you must give your audience an intriguing reason to stick around. It isn’t enough to simply say, “A great story about this weekend is coming up.” Few will stick around for the payoff. The tease lacks stickiness. It doesn’t hook the listener.
A creative tease produces anticipation. Instead, use something like, “You’re never gonna believe what I found in the attic this past weekend. My world is about to take a wild turn.” With that statement, your imagination begins to work.
What could it be? A wasp nest? An antique? A structural problem with the house? Imagination is the magic of a creative tease. Stir the imagination of your audience to truly engage them with your content.
When possible, intrigue by incorporating the listeners world. “This weekend, I discovered a way to save $100 a month on my grocery bill by changing one thing in the way we shop. I’ll tell you how you can do it too.” It answers “what’s in it for me” for your listener.
#2 – Give them 80%.
To create an effective tease, give your listener 80% of the story while leaving out the most important 20%. It is similar to giving the setup for a joke without providing the punch line. Lead your listener right up to the line, but make them wait to step over.
The key to an effective tease is to withhold the most important 20%. Let’s use our previous example of the attic weekend. I could say, “You’re not gonna believe it, but I found a $25,000 antique painting in the attic this weekend. I’ll tell you what’s on it coming up.”
This is a perfect example of withholding the wrong 20%. Who cares who is on it. If it’s worth $25,000, it could be a painting of the sky. It wouldn’t matter to me. I’d only be asking where I could sell it.
$25,000 is the most exciting piece of information in the entire story. That is the piece that I need to withhold to create some excitement. To properly tease, I need to say, “In the attic this weekend, I found an antique painting of Napoleon. You’re never gonna believe how much it is worth.” You are more likely to stick around to see if I can retire on my winnings when I set it up in this fashion.
Make it impossible to search online.
You want your listener to keep listening for the payoff to your set up. If I can simply search on Google for the answer to your tease, there is no reason to keep listening. I can just look it up and be done with it.
#3 – You need to get creative to make your tease unsearchable.
Let’s say I have a story about Joe Celebrity getting drunk at High Profile Bar in Las Vegas over the weekend where he got arrested for assault. I could say, “Another movie star got arrested this weekend after he got in a fight with a customer at High Profile Bar in Las Vegas. I’ll tell you who it is coming up.”
Celebrity name is part of the correct 20% I’m withholding. However, I can look this story up on Google in a heartbeat. If I search “Arrest High Profile Bar Las Vegas”, the chances are good that I will find the story in the first few search results. The tease isn’t effective. It is too easy to search.
To make the tease more powerful, make it impossible to search. “Another bar fight over the weekend landed another celebrity in jail. The story is coming up.” This tease makes it much more difficult to search. If you entered “celebrity bar fight weekend” in Google, 70 million results show up. It will be much easier to wait for my payoff than to begin searching 70 million Google entries.
RELATIONSHIPS
The three steps to powerful teases will help you begin to engage your audience on the way to building powerful relationships. Use the three steps in your show recap to entice people to listen to the episode. Then, use them again during the introduction of the show to get listeners to enjoy the entire recording.
You’ve worked hard to create your content. A lot of effort has been exerted on your part while writing and recording your show. Make your content intriguing by using these three steps in the art of the tease.
When you use the art of the tease, your listeners will spend more time with your show. The increased frequency of the tease payoffs will help your audience enjoy your content more. When your show is more entertaining, it becomes more engaging. When you truly engage your audience with your content, you can begin building powerful relationships. That’s where trust and influence with your listener begins.
Are you like most podcasters? Are you trying to find ways to increase downloads of your show?
I am building something that will help you increase your downloads, build your engagement and create some revenue with your podcast. I’m putting the finishing touches on it. It should be ready for you soon.
Part of this project will help you develop ideas. You can use these ideas every day to increase your downloads.
In the meantime, get my full list of 75 Ways To Drive Engagement With Your Podcast.
Tease upcoming topics on future episodes. This will help listeners find other episodes that might be of interest.
Ask for reviews and make it benefit your listener. Listeners don’t do much for you. However, reviews teach your audience to respond and engage. Recognize them on the show.
Everything interesting is about people. Find the angle for your content. Tell stories about others that relate to the content.
Ask listeners what you should ask your next interview guest. This will get your audience invested in the show. Acknowledge who submitted the questions.
Highlight a new resource each week. Then tell the resource creator about it. This helps listeners. You also may get some free publicity if the creator acknowledges your mention to her audience.
Promote your website with a benefit. Create instant gratification. “Sign up for my newsletter” is no real benefit. “Get a tip each week” is a benefit. If you are promoting your website, make sure you promote the benefit as well.
Have listeners submit a tip of the week. This gets listeners invested in the show. When you acknowledge their idea, tip or submission, they feel rewarded. They may also tell others.
Get the full list of 75 Ways To Drive Engagement With Your Podcast.
Have you noticed a lot of the business interview podcasts sound the same? We are hearing the same guests answer the same questions time and time again. How do you become unique in this sea of sameness? Story.
Story and storytelling can transform your podcast. Your personal experiences and stories make you unique. No one has experienced the things you have experienced in the same way you have. If you want to stand out from every other podcast, share your personal story during your show.
People do business with other people they know, like and trust. Your stories create that knowledge. That is where true friendships begin.
Friendship is developed through self-revelation. How much do you know about your best friend? You probably know almost everything. Is it because you were there for all of it? No. It is probably because they have told you the story of all of it.
Stories help define your character and personality. If you want your listener to get to know you, share those personal connections. Connect, motivate and inspire your audience with your stories.
Don’t fit in, stand out.
Your personal experiences are the only way to make the content your own. Great songwriters do it. Great filmmakers do it. Share your stories and stand out.
Was Walt Disneya great story writer? No. He didn’t write any of his big movies. Cinderellawas derived from a story written in 7 BC. Even the first literary European version was published in Italy in 1634.
Walt Disney was a great storyteller. Learn how to entertain through story.
ENGAGEMENT
In podcasting, you cannot afford to be boring. Interest in your story never remains constant. Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.
To create engagement, tell great stories. Keep the interest of your listener rising.
Date your listeners. You need to earn the privilege of talking to people who want to be talked to and selling things to people who want to be sold to. To earn that privilege, you need to build friendship.
Great friendships are developed through self revelation. When you share your personal thoughts and feelings with an individual through stories, you begin to create a bond with that person. It is life enrichment. Making our lives better through friendship is the reason we do not live is seclusion.
Over time, sharing stories will begin to build trust with your listener. Your stories share your values and beliefs. People learn what you value and believe.
Practice becoming a great storyteller.
GREAT STORYTELLERS
Great storytellers have the courage to listen to themselves. Hear and have courage to record your personal connections to the events happening around you.
When you use your podcast to create friendships, you are asking people to spend time with your every week. People share time with others that they like. They are asking themselves, “Would I enjoy taking a one-hour car ride with this person every week?”
People listen to audio while they drive, run and workout so they are not alone. They use the audio as companionship. Let your listener get to know you.
Your stories will also let others live vicariously through you. Your listener can enjoy your story of struggle and success without enduring the hard work and pain. Let them enjoy your stories.
ELEMENTS OF A GREAT STORY
There are four essential elements of a great story.
Engaging introduction
Reveal the details
Powerful Resolution
What else?
ENGAGING INTRODUCTION
Give them a reason to care. What do you want the audience to feel? Your stories make you human. Will it be humorous, compelling or tragic. My talent coach Bill McMahon would always ask, “What do you hope to make the audience laugh at, marvel at or better understand?”
Your listener can experience various emotions through your stories. You could elicit joy, sympathy, empathy, anger, tragedy, tenderness, humor, rage, patriotism or many others. Emotions make that personal connection to your story.
Pull your listener into the story. Your engaging introduction is a roadmap. It should be a solid headline that tells your listener exactly where your story will go. “Tell me if I’m gonna go to Hell for this …”
REVEAL THE DETAILS
Details are more believable than generalities. Your details will make your story come to life.
When you develop your details, use all 5 senses. Draw the picture in the mind’s eye of your listener. Make the story come to life. Put your listener right there in the moment. This is theater of the mind.
Your details reveal specifics about your thoughts, beliefs and character.
RESOLUTION
Your resolution should be a powerful reframing of introduction. Your will know when you reach your conclusion when you have successfully achieved the emotional goal set at the beginning. What did you hope to make your audience laugh at, marvel at or better understand? When you’ve achieved that goal, get to the resolution.
WHAT ELSE?
Asking “What Else” will transform your show. Let your story lead to something bigger. Maybe you turn your story into a discussion on Facebook. Maybe your story leads into an interview. What else can you do with it? Create some great entertainment.
HOW YOU CAN BE A STORYTELLER
What do you want to make your listener feel?
What is the engaging set up?
How will it be revealed in the story with vivid details?
What is the resolution?
What else can you do with it?
You can find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
What is the purpose of your lead magnet? Did you create your lead magnet just to get an e-mail or launch your funnel?
The real purpose of your lead magnet is to create a relationship.
A lead magnet is something of value you give to a person in exchange for the contact information. This allows you to begin fostering a relationship with that individual.
When you download this worksheet, you will notice that it fits the 7 primary characteristics of a solid lead magnet.
The worksheet also contains a few examples of what a lead magnet should NOT be, such as a long e-book. Extensive material like an e-book or long video course takes too long to consume. Your audience is looking for quick results.
Be generous and give to your audience. Help them succeed. Lead magnets help you do just that. You are giving your resources and knowledge. This will help you begin to build a strong relationship with your listeners.
If with every action you expect something in return, your audience will sense it.
Let the law of reciprocity happen naturally. Some will take action. Others will not. Appreciate what you have. Help as many as you can.
PURPOSE
Your lead magnet should do five things.
1. Help your listener solve a known problem.
2. Be consumable in five minutes or less.
3. Begin creating your relationship.
4. Gain their e-mail address – sometimes.
5. Demonstrate your expertise.
Create a few lead magnets for your audience. Some will work. Others will not. Keep trying until you find one that clicks with your listeners.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
“Oh, if only I had better sound quality, my downloads would surely go up.”
Wrong.
It isn’t your mic or sound quality holding you back. It is your content, personality and originality.
It seems the conversations about the “right” mic have increased quite a bit lately.
Should you use a dynamic, condenser or ribbon mic? Is a USB mic or XLR mic best?
When spending money on a mic, is it smartest to get an ATR2100, EV RE20 or the Heil PR40? Why do so many dislike the Blue Yeti?
The truth … it doesn’t really matter. The only people who care what mic you are using are podcasters and audiophiles. Your audience doesn’t know the difference between an ATR and a VCR.
If your content is great, people will listen to average audio.
Russell Brunson will occasionally record his podcast in his car on the way to the office. His show “The Marketing Secrets Podcast” was formerly called “Marketing In Your Car.” His listeners don’t complain about the audio quality, because the content is great.
Gary Vaynerchuk records video in the backseat of an Uber. He posts those videos to social media. Then, he uses the audio for his podcast. Are people upset about the sound of passing cars or that he is using the built-in mic on his phone? Nope. The content is great.
If you want more downloads and better engagement, focus on creating better content, a stronger personality and more originality.
Here are six ways you can do just that.
1. Stand for something – Have an opinion
2. Stand against something else
3. Have a personality
4. Don’t be “on fire” – Cut your own path
5. Connect
6. Lead
If you would like help shaping your show, improving your content, defining your personality and being more original, we should chat. Take me up on my offer of a FREE podcast strategy session.
I was working with a client the other day and he was having a tough time structuring his stories in order to make them as powerful as possible.
To make your story strong, start with the end in mind. Lead with the punchline. Make your point right up front. If you wander into your story, it will be difficult to capture the attention of the audience.
Then, follow the powerful introduction with great details.
My client is originally from Bangladesh. He was telling a story of growing up in his village. There was a homeless guy in his village who had a lot of personality.
The guy was a really lovable guy. Everyone in the village would help him.
Eventually they had to cut off the help. The village thought the guy was just free-loading and doing nothing to help himself.
One day, my client was walking back to the village with his dad and brother. They saw a crowd of villagers are attacking the homeless man. Everyone was chanting “thief”. Apparently, the guy was being punished due to custom of handling thieves.
Two years later, my client was living in US. Living with his uncle, aunt & cousin. The cousin was the reason he and his brother didn’t feel homesick.
They boys went to a toy store. As they were leaving, security guard stops them because the cousin had shoplifted. The boys thought the guards were going to put their hands on cousin.
This was all due to what had happened in their village back in Bangladesh. They stepped in to intervene. The guards said they were just going to tell his mother.
THE POINT
The point of the story was events will hold different meaning to different people due to their background and culture. You should learn to understand before you judge.
However, this was the exact structure he used for his story. The entire time he was telling the story, I was wondering where he was going.
What do we want people to take away from this story? Start with the end in mind.
Storytelling can transform your podcast.
People do business with people they know, like and trust. Stories help you develop that knowledge, likability and trust.
Your stories define you and will touch many more people. The stories you tell and the details you include reveal many things about you. That begins to develop that like and trust.
It can be a bit scary to reveal things about yourself on your podcast. Develop the ability to recognize your unique thoughts and the courage to reveal them on your show.
MY COACHES
Two radio coaches have influenced me greatly over the years. They each have similar views on storytelling.
Radio consultant Randy Lane says use stories to “make it human by making it humorous, compelling or tragic”.
Radio talent coach Bill McMahon suggest you decide what you hope to make your audience “Laugh at, marvel at or better understand.” He calls it the provocative point.
How do you want your audience to feel after hearing your story? Frame that feeling in your engaging introduction. Decide what you hope to reveal about yourself with the story. Start there.
My client’s provocative point was that we should aim to be more understanding rather than judging. Things have different meanings in different cultures due to the person’s upbringing.
Start with your provocative point and then add details in the story that help support it.
Stories help you connect, motivate and inspire.
After you have defined your provocative point, there are four parts to the storytelling structure.
ENGAGING INTRODUCTION
This pulls your listener right into the story. Your introduction should tell your listener exactly where the story is headed. It should include your provocative point. Nobody wants to go on a trip when they don’t know where they are going. Let them enjoy the journey.
VIVID DETAILS
How will your emotion be revealed in the story? Use vivid details to make your story come to life in the theater of the mind.
What is the boundary between painting the picture and being too detailed?
Still moving the story forward.
POWERFUL CONCLUSION
Wrap up the story with a reframing of your engaging introduction.
WHAT ELSE?
Asking “What Else” will transform your show. Don’t let the story simply end and fade away. Turn it into something powerful.
“What Else” can we do with a compelling story? You could create a video, continue the conversation on social media, follow up with listener input in the following episode or various other things. Let your story lead to something bigger.
Ask “what else can we do” and see where it leads.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
Are you like me? Have you said that to yourself more than once? Things could have been so much easier.
I’m like most podcasters. I wanted to make money with my podcast. It sounded so easy.
As I was building Podcast Talent Coach, I had always heard about the concept of the product suite. It sounded great. Create a suite of products along with multiple streams of income. You then have money coming from every direction.
That’s where my journey started. I created my Podcast Talent Coach workbook. I was also working to create my course, my speaking platform, my coaching and my live events. It was going to be the ultimate product suite around my expertise.
How many streams did I have launched after 3 years? One.
Yep. Only one.
And it didn’t get much better.
How many did I have launched after 7 years? Two.
Two streams after seven years. It sure wasn’t happening as fast as the experts made it sound.
What happened? Where was my traction?
Now that I look back using what I now know, I realize I didn’t get things up and running until I learned how to focus on the single task at hand.
It was all about focus.
As Confucius said, “The man who chases two rabbits catches neither.”
Once I focused on the single, most important thing until completion, my momentum multiplied exponentially. It was crazy.
Focus helped me reach my goals so much faster.
Now, I have a plan in place to launch 4 more streams. But, all in due time. And all one at a time.
Had I learned to focus from the start, it would have saved me so much time, energy and pain.
Take time to find the idea that is right for you. Look for the low-hanging fruit. What is the easiest idea to select that you could get launched quickly without a big investment of time?
Dan Miller from “48 Days To The Work You Love” tells the story of selling his original version of his book in a 3-ring binder. He took orders, printed them at a copy shop and mailed the binder to the customer. He got proof of concept and launched. It wasn’t perfect. But, it was done.
Pick one idea and go. You won’t know until you try.
If you want help refining your strategy, take advantage of my FREE podcast strategy session.
There is no hard sell during the call. We talk about you, your podcast and your goals. We create a plan. At the end, if we work well together, I’ll ask if you would like my help with the plan.
That’s it. That is the whole pitch. If you are comfortable executing it on your own, we are all good. If you’d like my help, we can talk about how that would look.
I just hope to help you learn the lessons I learned the hard way without putting you through the time, effort and pain.
You have probably heard the saying, you can spend money or your can spend time. Do you want to go through the process with trial and error, or would you like to take the fast path?
I was on a coaching call with James the other day. He is struggling with the process of creating his podcast. He feels it consumes a lot of time during the week that he would rather be dedicating to his business.
As we talked about his process, we realized he touches his podcast many times throughout the week. This includes developing the topic, researching the idea, creating his outline with the Show Prep Planning Worksheet [ Click here to download], finding time to record, editing the show, creating the show notes, publishing the show, and marketing the podcast.
James and I developed a plan where he would batch a bit of his work. Rather than spending time every week developing topics, James began using a content planner. He now has topics for the next 12 weeks planned out. He now just needs to create the episodes. There is one big chunk of his week back.
How can you batch part of your process? Maybe you can record a few episodes at a time to save on studio set up time. Maybe you can publish a few at a time and schedule them to be released according to the plan and save time there.
Find areas of your process that you can refine. Just because everybody does it one way doesn’t mean you need to follow along.
If you would like help with your process like James, give the FREE Podcast Strategy Session a try. You can find the info at podcasttalentcoach.com/coaching.
Does the thought of selling make your palms sweaty? Do you get that pit in your stomach? There is a way to ask for the sale even if you are a horrible salesperson. You can close the deal without having to be pushy or use a hard close.
Zig Ziglarhad many great quotes. One of my favorites is, “You can have anything you want in life just as long as you help enough other people get what they want in life.” How true that is.
It is also the key to great sales.
GIVE
As you turn your information into engaging entertainment with your podcast, keep in mind that helping people is part of the foundation of a strong relationship. If you take, take, take, your relationship won’t last long. If you are there to give and help, you will develop friends for life.
Ziglar is a great example of helping people. His speeches always offer great tips to improve your life, sales or attitude. The organization bearing his name also has great books, CDs and other products they sell. However, most of Zig’s time was spent on helping others. There is a lot of free Ziglar information available. He consistently helped others and eventually the sales come.
I have learned a lot about sales through my 30 years in radio. Our stations have created my great campaigns for clients.
The successful sales process at our radio stations always began with a customer needs analysis. Rather than simply selling them commercials, we set out to determine their goals. Then, we would create a campaign to help them succeed.
Many clients would come to us to help market their business. When we would ask what they hoped to accomplish, they would say things like “make more sales” or “get more people in the door”.
We would then dive deeper to really determine the client’s pain and how we could best help them overcome those issues.
It wasn’t about selling commercials. It was about helping our clients achieve their goals.
THE SALE
There are four essential steps present and necessary in every sale. The four steps must be followed in order for the sale of everything. If one step is skipped, it will derail the entire sales process.
The four steps in the sales process are qualify, rapport, educate and close.
Your podcast is always selling something. It could simply be your ideas. You could also be selling an actual product. You are most likely selling your listener the idea of listening again. Be sure you follow the four steps.
QUALIFY
First, you qualify your prospect. Are you right for them and are they right for you? Accept that your show, product and service will not be perfect for everyone. However, it will just right for a few.
The qualification step will probably occur in the description of your show. If your show is about gardening, you probably will have a difficult time attracting someone not interested in gardening. They are not a qualified “buyer”.
RAPPORT
The “rapport” step is where you are building the trust. You are creating a relationship where your listener truly believes you are there to help them.
When you get your listener to tune into the show, you begin building rapport from the start. Help your audience where you can.
EDUCATE
Next, educate your listener. Explain what problems are solved by your “product”. Explain the importance of solving those problems. Explain how you have succeeded in that process in the past. Describe the transformation. Help your listener solve their problems.
Most podcasters have very little issue with the first three steps. The heartburn comes with step number four … closing the deal.
How do you ask for the sale without feeling like a slimy salesperson? How can you close the deal without the pressure of the hard sell and the discomfort that comes along with it.
THE CLOSE
If you have completed the first three steps successfully, the close should be easy. It should handle itself.
If you have truly helped your prospect to this point and clearly explained the steps to the transformation, your prospect should be ready to buy.
The first three steps have found a qualified “buyer”, developed a relationship with that individual, and explained to your listener how you can help them. If the close is difficult, you have probably made a shortcut through one of the steps. Make sure each step is fully executed.
SELLING
Marketer Joe Polishsaid great marketing gets people properly positioned, so they are pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you (or act on your call-to-action). Great marketing therefore makes selling easy and unnecessarily.
If you have truly engaged your listener and created that strong relationship we’ve been discussing, the selling should take care of itself.
Selling becomes difficult when you are trying to get your listener interested. Selling before your listener is motivated is a challenge. Trying to sell to a listener that isn’t qualified is hard work. If your listener isn’t predisposed to taking action, you will need to sell hard.
When you have taken the time to build the relationship, your listener will be pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you. They will be ready to buy.
Selling, in terms of convincing your listener to buy, will be unnecessary. Your marketing and engaging relationship will have them ready for your call-to-action.
When I have a FREE podcast strategy call with a podcaster, we talk about their goals. We also talk about the pain and struggles they have encountered attempting to reach those goals.
Once we have determined the destination and figured out where they pain is, we then develop a plan to reach those goals. I have showed them the transformation. They can envision what is possible.
If I feel I can help them achieve those goals, meaning I have qualified them as a potential client, I simply ask, “Would you like some help making it happen?”
If I have built rapport with them and educated them during the call, they will feel I am the right person to help them reach their goals. If I failed in some point along that path, they will tell me no.
Regardless of whether you use me or not, it is my commitment to help 1,000 podcasters this year learn to leverage their podcast. It has been my experience through my 30 years in radio that your content is much more powerful when it is relationship-based. During our 30-minute call, I hope to teach you a few ways to reach your goals.
HELP FOR YOU
I want to help 1,000 podcasters reach their goals. These FREE podcast strategy sessions are part of that journey.
When you seek to serve first, selling becomes much easier. It literally takes care of itself. Give it a try.
If you would like a FREE podcast strategy session, get the details at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. Let’s see what we can do.
You have tried to make money with your podcast, but nothing seems to be working. You have searched the internet and see many with the same question. Many people ask, but few have any real concrete answers.
The gurus make it sound so easy. Launch a podcast, create a course, sell it to your audience and vacation in the Bahamas while working your four-hour workweek. What else could there be?
There are a few reasons you are not making money with your podcast. Your audience size probably isn’t one of those reasons.
You don’t have anything to sell
When podcasters contact me for coaching, our first step is a FREE podcast strategy session. During that call, we define goals and the strategy to achieve those goals.
Podcasters will tell me they want to drive engagement and increase downloads. It could be they want to improve their interviewing skills. I might hear, “How can I streamline my workflow?”
Though the questions vary, one seems to consistently come up. “How can I make money with my podcast?” I ask, “What are you selling?”
I will usually get, “Well, I thought about sponsorships. I am working on building a course. I have a book in the works.”
“Can your listeners currently give you money for anything?”
The conversation is quiet. And there lies the problem.
If you are not making money with your podcast, it may be because you have nothing to sell. Yes, a donation button might get you a few nice gestures. It usually won’t pay the bills longterm.
Find one thing you can create that will really serve your ideal listener. This could be coaching, a course, a workshop, or something else that will add value. Ask your audience what they need. Then, focus on one thing until you sell it.
Don’t make it too complicated. Test the idea until is sells. Then, ramp up. Either way, make it valuable and available as soon as you can.
You are not asking for the sale
“Yeah, Erik. I have a course for sale. Nobody is buying it.”
Have you told anyone about it?
One of my buddies has a great course available. I had known him for six months before I knew anything about it.
One day, I asked him why he doesn’t talk about it on the show. He told me, “It has been available for over a year. Everyone knows about it already. I don’t want my listeners to think I am only here to sell them stuff.”
I get it that you don’t want to be high pressure sales. However, if they don’t know you have something for sale, how do you expect them to buy it?
About six months ago, I sent out a survey. One of the questions was, “Why haven’t you taken advantage of my free Podcast Strategy Session?” One respondent said, “I didn’t know it existed.”
Now, I reference my free coaching session in nearly every show. It is incorporated into my content. But there will always be someone who doesn’t know it is available.
If you want to make money with your podcast, you need to ask for the sale.
You don’t seek to help first
You may not be making money with your podcast, because you are not seeking to help your audience before you try to sell them.
If you are concerned about talking about your product or service too much, make sure you are actually serving your listener. Have a good heart. Help your listeners succeed.
When you are offering something of value to your listener that will truly help them overcome some pain or benefit in some way, the guilt of selling should go away. It transforms from selling to helping. Your listener is simply giving you the value of money for the value of your solution.
Let’s say your car won’t start. You take it to the mechanic to fix it. He puts a new starter in it for a reasonable price. Do you feel like he put the hard sell on you to get you to buy a new starter? No. He fixed your car and solved your transportation problem.
Approach your show with the heart of a teacher. Help your listeners win. When your product or service is a tool to facilitate that success, you won’t come across as the hard sell. You will be just the help they are looking for.
Haven’t uncovered the true pain
It is much easier to “not sell” when you are solving a pain rather than offering a benefit. There is a saying that “more people buy aspirin than vitamins.” People are more willing to pay to get out of pain than experience a pleasure.
When you are solving that pain, you need to ensure you have uncovered the true pain.
For instance, someone might say they would like to learn how to start a business. If you explore their goals, you might discover she is really looking for independence from the 9-to-5 grind in order to have more control of her life.
A little more examination might reveal that she has two kids and would really like the time to homeschool them. A business that allows her to control her time would help her spend time with her kids.
How to start a business looks like the pain on the surface. Spending more time with her children is really the true pain. By knowing this, you can better frame your content, products and services. You may sell the same thing while the marketing of the thing changes to fit the pain.
Haven’t explained the benefit and transformation
You may not be making money with your podcast, because your listeners don’t want or value what you are selling.
This doesn’t mean what you sell is not good. It means that listeners don’t fully understand the benefit of your stuff or the transformation they will experience by using your product or service.
People do not buy products and services. They buy what the products and services can do for them. They are not buying the flour, sugar and frosting. They are buying the joy of eating the cake and celebrating their event.
People are not buying your service. They are buying the transformation they will experience. A person does not buy the privilege of attending a gym. They buy the weight loss transformation they will experience.
Where do you take your listeners? Make sure you can clearly explain it to them.
You haven’t established trust
Once you have explained the transformation, be sure your listeners believe you. A reason you may not be making money with your podcast is the lack of trust.
People do business with those they know, like and trust. Be consistent in delivering on your promises over time to build trust with your listeners.
This will not be an overnight process. It will take time. Serve them well every chance you get. Eventually, you will earn their trust. They will believe you can help them. They will get to the point of doing business with you.
If you cannot figure out why you are not making money with your podcast, check these six areas. Make sure you actually have something to sell. Ask for the sale. Always seek to serve first. Uncover the true pain. Be sure you are clearly explaining the transformation. Finally, work to establish trust over time.
If you would like my help defining your goals and determining the area where your revenue plan is struggling, let’s chat. Sign up for my FREE podcast strategy session at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. Let’s see what we can do.
We all want more downloads and more engagement for our podcast. If you’re not growing, you are shrinking. But where does that engagement begin?
There are many theories on engagement. Many work. It is usually about style. However, one principle holds true. If you want more engagement, you need to ask for more engagement.
In sales, if you want your customer to buy, you need to ask for the sale. In podcasting, if you want your listener to do something, you need to ask them to engage.
Before you can ask for engagement, you need to define what you want your listener to do after the episode is over.
We talked last week about defining your target listener. Use that target listener definition as a filter for your content. Then, decide what you want your listeners to do with your content.
Just the other day, I heard a podcast host answering a listener question about a website. The host said, “Click on the ‘FAQ’ tab. I’m not sure if it is above or below the video.” Now, let’s think about this answer. Before the show began, the host knew he was going to answer this specific question. He knew the steps to take in order to solve the listener’s problem. In preparing, he apparently stopped there.
Instead of taking notes and knowing the exact details regarding the answer, he just freestyled and sounded uninformed. In doing so, he sounded like he wasn’t quite sure of the answer. It would have taken him 2 minutes to pull up the website before he began to record and jot down a few notes regarding the answer.
Listen to a podcast like “48 Days To The Work You Love” by Dan Miller. In the show open, Dan lays out the exact e-mail questions he will answer. He has all of the information at his fingertips for each detail he intends to give. He doesn’t stumble. He doesn’t guess. Dan knows exactly what he is going to deliver. He is prepared and sticks to his plan.
That is what I mean when I say “be prepared”. Get the details down. Stumbling makes you sound unsure of your answer. Nailing the details will give you credibility and make you sound like the expert you are.
SHOW PLANNING
Before you are able to create unique content, you need to properly prepare for the show.
You must know where you’re going before you can actually get there. That statement is true with a road trip and it is also true with your podcast. When you set out to record a show, you must have goals in mind. Once you’ve determined what you hope to accomplish, you can then decide how you will make it happen.
So many podcasters seem to record their show less than fully prepared. I hear hosts often search for details that should be right at their fingertips. There is no reason to lack the proper information while you are doing your show. If you’ve fully prepared for your podcast, the information should be right in front of you.
There are five key steps to properly preparing for your show. Taking these five steps each time you record will give your show focus, make your show more entertaining, and create stronger relationships with your listeners. These steps will also make you sound more professional.
If you have ever fought the impostor syndrome, being more prepared will help you win that battle.
The impostor syndrome, or impostor phenomenon, is the psychological phenomemon in which people are unable to internalize their accomplishments. Despite external evidence that proves they are deserving and successful, those that suffer from impostor syndrome do not feel they deserve the success. These people believe their success came about not because of skill or expertise, but more because of luck or manipulation.
Students sometimes face this phenomenon in college when they tell themselves they really don’t belong in such an esteemed university and others may soon discover the fraud.
It is common for us all to experience the impostor syndrome to some extent. The phenomenom is roughly the opposite of your ego. Your ego is telling you that you are the best around and people should admire everything you’ve done. Your internal impostor is then telling you that you have no authority to be doing this. You are a fake and a fraud with no credibility. The only reason you are in this position according to your internal impostor is because nobody has yet discovered the truth.
Both your ego and impostor exist within you. Learning how to manage both is a challenge. Being well prepared for your show and having the confidence to stick to the plan will help you win that battle.
Here are the five steps to adequately prepare for your podcast.
YOUR GOAL
Overall, what do you hope to accomplish with this particular show? Define the call to action you hope to make your listeners take. Here, you are defining the ultimate purpose of this specific show.
The purpose of this particular episode may be more focused than the overall goal for the podcast as a whole. If the general goal for your podcast is to teach people to coach lacrosse, the goal of the show today might be to discuss the power of Double-Goal Coaching. The goal today is a subset of the goal for the podcast overall.
Your call-to-action of your show could be many things. It could be teaching your audience in order to build relationships, sales of your product, visiting your website, supporting your cause, joining your club or simply listening again. Know what you hope to accomplish before you begin the journey.
Knowing the goal for your show will help you develop a filter for your subject matter and topics. When each topic passes through this goal filter, you will be able to determine if the topic should be part of the show and how to best handle the content. Your show filter helps keep the show focused. You cannot build your filter until you first know the goal of your show.
Let’s take the “School of Podcasting” podcast with Dave Jackson for example. Dave is focused on helping people launch podcasts. He wants to help as many people as possible get up and running with their own show. Therefore, everything Dave does on his show is centered around that goal. His content goes through that show filter.
Dave also reviews podcasts. Reviewing shows isn’t part of launching shows. Dave has a completely separate podcast called the “Podcast Review Show” that I co-host with him. Where “School of Podcasting” is focused on launching, “Podcast Review Show” is focused on improving. Both shows have their own unique filter for the content.
The goal you develop for your show will build a focus for your podcast. When your show has focus, people know what to expect. Consistency is developed with your content. You also build confidence to fight your inner impostor when you consistently reach that goal each and every show.
STRUCTURE DEFINES TOPICS
Once you have developed the goal for your podcast and a goal for this particular episode, you need to determine which topics you hope to discuss today.
Topics come in many different forms. A podcast will sometimes focus on one topic for the entire show. Sometimes a podcast will have an overall theme while handling a few different topics under the umbrella of that theme. There are podcasts that answer various listener questions during the show. Others interview guests. And yet, some podcasts combine many styles into one show. How you approach your show is completely up to you. That is one thing that makes podcasting so great. You are in control.
Your show should have a structure that you follow for each episode. Your structure is a rough guideline that can easily be followed by your listeners. You might start the show with your show open and a quick overview of the episode. You could then include some news about your business and the industry in general. A short guest interview could be next followed by listener e-mail questions. Finally, you could end with a recap and contact information. Each week, you simply plug in new content to each segment.
On the other hand, your show may only be an interview each week. It could be very focused and streamlined. You get to decide.
Once you have built the structure for your show, you can easily determine which topics will fill each particular episode. You can look at the structure in the example above and know exactly what you need. To record today’s show, I would need my show open, my outline, a list of news headlines, my recorded interview, and a list of e-mail questions and supporting answers.
Many people forget to bring the answers to the questions. Have your answers outlined to ensure you have any supporting material you need to appropriately answer the questions. When you try to answer the questions off the cuff, you will inevitably forget some important facts. It is best to make some notes before you begin recording. That takes us to the next step.
STRATEGY FOR EACH TOPIC
When developing your strategy, you need to determine how you will address each topic. Whether you are presenting information, answering questions or interviewing guests, there are many ways to address each topic. You do not need to do it the same way every other podcast does it. Be unique. Find the way that will stand out.
If you are interviewing, do you need to ask the same questions that every other podcast asks? What if you play a game with each guest called “The Hat of Forbidden Questions”. It’s a hat filled with crazy questions. You simply reach in the hat, pull out a question and ask whatever is on the card. It is completely different than every other podcast. It will also get unique answers while engaging your guest in a unique manner.
Here is a tip many people forget. This is show business. You could play “The Hat of Forbidden Questions” and never even have a hat. You could have a list of crazy questions for your guest written out and simply pretend to reach into a hat. This is show business. You are here to entertain.
Do you think the actors in “Seinfeld” or “The Sopranos” ad lib their lines? Of course not. Do you find it less entertaining when they follow the script? Of course not. There is no reason you cannot add a little show biz to your show.
Just be sure to always be true to the show. If you are going to pretend there is a hat, you MUST ALWAYS pretend there is a hat. Giving up the showbiz secret will ruin everything. On the other hand, you could really have a hat and have a ton of fun with it.
Determine how you will approach each topic. Will you play audio examples? Will you play voice messages from your listeners? Are you going to read e-mail? Maybe there is a guest contributor. Determine each approach before the show begins.
OUTLINE
Once you’ve created the show topics and the strategy for each topic, you need to create an outline for the show that includes each topic.
An outlines serves two primary purposes. First, you can use this outline in your show open. It will give the audience an idea of the content in the show today. Second, the outline will keep you focused during your show. The outline will help you determine where you are going and serve as a reminder of how you plan to approach each topic.
Your outline should be detailed, but not scripted. Include the important facts and notes on your outline. You will want this information at your fingertips during your show. When you begin telling a story and you don’t have the specifics right in front of you, the story gets off course and you lose momentum.
Build the outline with enough content to help you get through the information, but not so much that your show becomes scripted. You simply need to write down enough information to remind you where you are going. It is the map you are following. Road maps don’t show every detail of every building along the route. They simply draw a line to represent a road. You get the idea and end up at your destination. The same is true with your outline.
Do not write a script. Tell stories instead of reading them. If you sound like you are reading your information, you will sound stale and boring. Engage with your audience by telling stories. Make the stories come to life by using great words and inflection in your voice. You won’t get that energy, excitement and engagement when you read a script.
THE DETAILS
The final step before recording your show is gathering your details and supporting information. This includes the facts, figures, details and other elements will you need for each topic. Gather all of the information you need before the show begins.
Look over your outline to ensure you have each piece of supporting content. Make sure you have the facts to your stories. Gather the audio elements you plan to include. Round up any e-mails you plan to address. You do not want to waste the time of your audience while you search through your inbox trying to find that one great question you hoped to include during the show today. Be prepared.
If names are important to the story, jot them down. If dates or a timeline is a critical part of the tale, make note of it. I hear shows go astray quite often when the host cannot remember the web address for their story. The often say something like, “Hold on, I’ll find it here.” You then hear them tapping on their computer while searching Google to get the address. If they knew they were going to approach this topic with this particular story, the web address should have been part of the outline. Be prepared.
I recently heard a podcast trying to remember the web address for one of their topics. The host couldn’t come up with it. He paused recording the show, found the address and then started recording again. This is perfectly acceptable. Sometimes you don’t realize you need a piece of information until you are well into the story.
The issue I have with the way he handled the situation is how he addressed it during the show.
He said something like, “There is a website that will help you with this. It is … uh. Oh, what it is. It is something like WebAddress.com or something. Oh, I can’t remember right now. It’s a great web site. Ok, I just paused the recording and found it. It is GoodWebAddress and it gives you everything you need.” The “Ok, I just paused the recording and found it” line came out of nowhere. Listening to the show, I couldn’t tell he stopped recording and started again. The context was completely out of whack. The listener heard no pause. The subject matter simply started again in another place.
Now, he didn’t say those words exactly. I am paraphrasing. I am also keeping his name and podcast out of it, because I don’t want to embarrass him or disparage his show. This is simply to make a point. His show is great. More importantly, I don’t have his permission to name him or his show.
With a few creative edits in post production, you would never have known he didn’t have the information in front of him. It is show business. This is about your credibility. You are trying to build trust with your audience. If you look unprepared, you look amateur. Sure, reveal your flaws during your show. But, don’t look like you are unsure of your content.
In post production, he could have edited the content to say, “There is a website that will help you with all of this. (edit) The website is GoodWebAddress. It gives you everything you need.” No need to look unprepared. Take two minutes to make it sound professional.
Get all information in front of you that you will need to record your show. Force yourself to stick to your outline of your content. When you start following tangents that are not on the outline, you get into territory for which you haven’t prepared and have no supporting information. You then fight to get back on track.
Build your reputation, trust and credibility by being a prepared, professional podcaster every time. Even if you are only doing it as a hobby, you need people to trust you in order to bring them back episode after episode. Your supporting information right in front of you before the show begins will help you sound knowledgeable and prepared.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
[PODCAST BRAND]What Is Your Superpower? – Episode 210
Develop your unique position
Have you defined and developed your superpower? If you want your podcast brand to stand out from others and be the podcaster that comes to mind first when thinking of your niche, you need to have a superpower. It is what makes you different.
I was in a strategy sessionwith a podcaster the other day. We were discussing his podcast and how he will stand out from the crowd.
Aaron has a new podcast that is all about building your online brand. Sales is his background. He had a successful sales career and is now making the pivot to online business.
The podcast will allow listeners to follow Aaron’s journey as he makes the transition. Listeners will get to learn from his success and failures as he pivots. It will be a fun show.
In the next month, he will use his one-way ticket to Europe to visit his sister and decide where his journey takes him. Aaron will become a true nomad entrepreneur with a freedom lifestyle that will allow him to live anywhere he would like.
Just search Apple Podcasts. There are many podcasts about online business and personal brand. How can Aaron stand out from the hundreds of other shows with a unique podcast brand?
It is all about his superpower. He has an amazing career in traditional sales. He can transfer those skills to online business. He is a millennial. On top of that, he will be living a traveling lifestyle that will allow listeners to live vicariously through him.
His stories of travel is probably Aaron’s biggest superpower. You don’t know what will happen next. Where is he in the world? What is he encountering? Do people around the world know him? This all creates some anticipation, unknown, and a sense of uncertainty. What will happen next? This has the makings of a great podcast. Definitely unique.
What is your superpower? How do you develop it into a powerful, podcast brand?
BE MEMORABLE
If you want to keep your listener coming back show after show, you need to make them remember to come back. You need to remain top-of-mind for your listener. That is the purpose of audience engagement. Make your listener remember you for something specific about your show.
As you build your show and podcast brand, make it about one thing. Find one particular thing that will be remembered. If you try to be all things to all people, you will water down the show. Everything will be nice. However, isn’t usually truly memorable. You will get lost in the millions of messages your listener receives on a daily basis.
Find one point that you can make amazing. Take it over the top. Make it the “goodbye” scene in “Titanic”. Make it the “I am your father” scene in “Empire Strikes Back”between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Your particular point could be the point where you assure your caller that everything will be ok. It could be the fantastic story of your brush with celebrity. It is your show. Find the magic.
Stir emotion. Make it amazing. Bring your listener back. Be memorable.
YOUR MENTAL FILE DRAWER
There is one file in your listener’s mind that you occupy. Your podcast brand can’t occupy multiple files. You must pick one. Define that file and do all you can to support that image. That is the essence of your podcast brand.
Where does McDonald’s fit in your brain file? McDonald’s is probably the “Fast Hamburgers” file? Does it also fill the “Milkshake File”? Probably not. Sure, they serve milkshakes. However, that file is probably occupied by your favorite ice cream shop.
Where would Cheetos fit in your brain file? It would go in the “Lip Balm” file, right? Of course not. However, Frito-Lay launched Cheetos Lip Balmin 2005. It failed miserably, because Cheetos occupies the “Cheesy Puffed Snack” file in your brain.
Your podcast brand can only occupy one file. Pick the one image your brand can own? Define your brand.
Do not try to be all things to all people. What is the one thing for which your brand can be known? What is your file?
YOUR STYLE
Create everything you do in your own style. You can only stand out among all other shows when you create your own unique style. You must then make sure everything you do is consistent with that style.
Many new broadcasters try to emulate the style of their hero or mentor. They attempt to imitate the styles they hear from other broadcasters. Unfortunately, copying doesn’t create a unique style. Copying typically creates a watered-down version of some other style. When creating your content, be yourself and find your own style.
Some of the greatest broadcasters didn’t start the ascension to the top until they abandoned the attempts to broadcast in the style they thought others desired and began being true to themselves.
Oprah Winfrey quit trying to be a traditional news anchor. She also quit doing the typical tabloid, daytime talk show. When she began to create the show she always desired, she went to the top of the game.
Howard Stern began as a radio DJ sounding like every other radio DJ. He was playing the records and spouting the lines written by management while going nowhere. When Stern decided he was going to do radio his way, he began to make a name for himself. He also went to the top.
Rush Limbaugh followed a very similar path. He had a cheesy radio name. He followed the format designed by somebody else. Limbaugh made every attempt to fulfill the typical radio DJ stereotype. He also got fired again and again. When he decided to broadcast in his style and true to his beliefs, he began his rise to the top.
Adam Corolla made his climb when he took full control over his style and show. He was climbing the DJ ladder in Los Angeles. Corolla had some decent television work. He then decided to create his own show in his own style via podcast. That began his rise as one of the biggest podcasters in the world.
All of these broadcasters made the decision to stop copying others. They all created shows that were true to their style.
They each also stay true to their style in everything they do. You will never hear Rush sound like Howard. You’ll never mistake something Oprah says as something Adam might say. Being true to their style isn’t something that takes conscious effort. It comes easy to each of them, because it is true to who they are as people.
Be true to yourself. It will make it easy to create everything you do in your style.
I would love the opportunity to help you build your podcast brand. Check out the video at podcasttalentcoach.com/coaching and see what it can do for you. The strategy session is absolutely free. Be one of the 1,000 podcasters I help over the next year. Let’s lay out your plan.
How To Increase Your Podcast Downloads – Episode 209
Increase Your Podcast Downloads
Most of us want to grow our audience, increase podcast downloads and become more influential in our niche. I recently conducted a survey asking about your biggest challenges with regard to your podcast. The most frequent response revolved around ways to increase podcast downloads.
If you were to list your top three struggles with your show, would one hurdle you list be getting more listeners and engagement?
A few weeks ago, I created a download challenge for a small group of people. For the few that took action, the results were impressive.
When podcasters reach out to me for their free strategy session, I ask them how I might help with their podcast. Promoting the show, gaining listeners and increasing podcast downloads is most always part of the answer.
You are not alone. We all want a bigger audience. Whether you have 100 listeners or 10,000 listeners, I’m sure you would like a few more.
Before we jump into the ideas and a couple case studies, I’d like to invite you to take me up on my offer to you of a free podcast strategy session. It is my goal to directly help 1,000 podcasters reach their goals in 2019.
You and I will get on the phone and discuss your podcast, your challenges and your goals. Let’s create a clear plan of action to help you get where you want to go in 2019 with your podcast and business. It’s free. What do you have to lose?
This isn’t a big sales pitch in disguise. I’ll help you create a plan. At the end of the call, if you want information on how I might help you with that plan, we can discuss it then. If not, no problem.
Will you be one of my 1,000 over the next year? Go watch the video at PodcastTalentCoach.com/coaching. I’d love to talk with you.
THE TRUTH
Let’s start with a few truths.
First, you are not alone. Growing your audience to increase podcast downloads is usually somewhere in our goals regardless of the length of time we have been podcasting. We are all in this together.
Next, it will not happen overnight. Your podcast growth will take time. If you take consistent action over time, the number grows. Keep your head down and do the work required.
You also need to realize that the average podcast episode gets about 214 downloads per episode. That is the median number according to Rob Walch over at Libsyn. Only 20% of all podcast get over 2,000 downloads after they have been out for a month. Therefore, don’t sweat your numbers. Most people are lying to you.
Finally, it is simple, but not easy. As you will see, the concepts are simple to understand. Being disciplined enough to do the work is not as easy as it sounds. We’ll help.
CONSISTENCY
In the episode where I introduced the download challenge, we talked about creating habits. It takes consistent action to build an audience.
In 1960, Dr. Maxwell Maltz said it takes patients “a minimum of about 21 days for an old image to dissolve and a new one to jell.” Dr. Maltz published that theory and his thoughts on behavior change in a book called Psycho-Cybernetics.
As with many quotes, over the years it was taken out of context. The stat was eventually quoted as, “It takes 21 days to form a new habit,” leaving out the important “minimum”.
A new studyby colleagues at University College London and published in the European Journal of Social Psychology says it takes an average of 66 days to form a new habit.
That is why consistency and accountability are important. If you want people to remember your brand, it takes frequency to the target.
6 STEPS
In our download challenge, our goal was to hold each other accountable and take daily action. Let’s run down the six steps we used to increase podcast downloads.
1. ENGAGE
As we went through the month, we wanted to reach out and engage in our niche on a daily basis. We saw results. Spend 15 minutes a day being active and present online. Leave feedback for other shows. Everybody loves attention.
The best way to grow your network is by making contact with others. Start by commenting on podcasts, blogs and discussions of influencers.
Don’t simply be a lurker, reading all the other posts. Get involved. Take action. A small “congratulations” or other acknowledgement is just fine.
You want to be seen as someone who gets things done. By taking action and engaging with others, you send the message that you are active.
2. NETWORK
Next, network with other shows in the same genre. Help each other. Other influencers in your niche probably have similar goals.
Find people in your niche who compliment what you do. Team up to help each other grow. Look for ways to share each other’s content.
3. HELP OTHERS
Help other people. This help is intended for your listeners. Be seen as someone with the answers, or at least someone who knows where to get the answers.
Do Facebook Live “ask me anything” sessions. Prove that you are willing to help them achieve their goals. Give them direction.
If you become the go-to resource who knows where to find the answers, you become the authority in your space.
4. BE SOCIAL
Use social media to spread your message. Be active on Facebook & Twitter. Don’t simply lurk around. Post positive comments and be helpful.
Consistently interact with others on social media. Avoid always asking and taking. Offer to help. Don’t simply look around. Get involved. Be active.
5. FIND GROUPS
Get involved in online groups. Find people who are interested in your niche and start getting involved.
Groups are a great place to find like-minded people. If you want to create brand awareness, these groups are a great place to start.
Again, be active. It does you very little good to be a member of a group if you are not going to actually participate. Members won’t know you are there unless you speak up.
6. BE CONSISTENT
You need to be consistent if you want to build brand awareness. This involves interacting online on a daily basis.
CASE STUDIES
So, how did it all work? I would like to highlight three members of the download challenge. These will help you see the power of consistent engagement.
This podcast isn’t for the meek. I’ll tell you that right now. That’s what I love about it. Andy and Ray are two military veterans who talk about Warhammer 40K and other table top games. They talk a lot of trash and have a lot of fun.
Andy and Ray are about 64 episodes in. They know exactly who listens to their show. Looking at their website, you will know as well.
When Andy started in the group, he was hoping to grow his audience by 10%.
At the end of the month, Andy was up 46% by taking consistent action.
Andy says, “It works if you work it.” He told me, “Between myself and my co-host, we engage with our community everyday. We like to invite our listeners to feel like they are part of the group and we encourage engagement and they respond. We reward the engagement by sharing much of it on the show. We also belong to many other groups in the related community and are seen as influencers in some of those groups. Its just a part of our everyday business.”
His growth was four times what he had hoped. It all came down to being present and active every day.
April and Tim have only been doing the show for a few months. They have just over 30 episodes published. They have seen over 3,500 movies together and love talking about films.
Since the podcast is new, Tim wanted to see a big increase with the download challenge. He wanted to see his podcast downloads grow by 30%, which equated to about 125 downloads for the month.
The pair took daily action. They got involved and saw their downloads increase by not 30% but 61%. Their podcast received an increase of 226 downloads. Nearly twice the 125 goal.
Tim says, “We had great results. It really works.”
When I asked him about taking action, Tim said, “I’ve taken action every day. I joined two Movie groups on Facebook and have been commenting on them both. Also, in Instagram someone created a Group Message of about 40 movie people and we have been talking movies daily. Still have not hooked up with other movie podcast yet. Just have not had the time (bad excuse) but it’s on the list to do.”
The key is daily action. Tim only did half of what he had planned and nearly doubled his downloads. Be present and active.
One of our other members reported that his podcast downloads actually decreased over the course of the month. He said the results were not as good as he had hoped.
We dug in a little bit. I asked him if he was active daily. He said, “Not often enough. I haven’t built that habit muscle very well yet. And I’ve been pretty scattered.”
That is the tough part. Easy to understand. Difficult to execute. Consistent action is tough when you are doing it alone.
Consistent action is like going to the gym. You go for a few days and stop. You start again for a little longer and stop again. Eventually, as long as you keep going back, it becomes a habit. You have to keep at it.
When you are going to the gym, it is easier to do it on a regular basis if you are going with an accountability partner. You make sure each other is going regularly. You can’t let your partner down.
It is the same with your consistent action with your podcast. If you have someone there holding you accountable, it makes it much easier.
That is part of Podcast Talent Coach coaching. We talk every week. I hold you accountable to the plan. We make sure you are consistent with your actions.
It is tough to do it alone. I get that. You are not alone. You have many other things going on in life and business. Take focused action on a regular basis to reach your goals.
Check out the video at podcasttalentcoach.com/coachingand see what it can do for you. The strategy session is absolutely free. Be one of the 1,000 podcasters I help over the next year. Let’s lay out your plan.
Your Podcast Just Destroyed Your Credibility – Episode 208
Use your podcast to build credibility, authority & trust
Your podcast is an amazing tool to build your authority in your space. The content and teaching your provide on your show lets your listener get to know, like and trust you. Be careful. Don’t let your podcast destroy your credibility. Use it to build authority with careful selection of content and editing.
It happened in all of about thirty seconds. The reading of one e-mail and her credibility was shot.
I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts. The host will occasionally answer e-mail questions from listeners. This particular show was no different.
Until this fateful e-mail came along.
I’m changing the names here to protect all involved.
She says, “This next e-mail is from Ivan in Waterloo, Iowa”. It wasn’t really Waterloo, but some similar small town. The e-mail author also had a unique name.
She continued on with the e-mail. It appeared Ivan works in his family business. His parents expect him to eventually take over the shop. However, Ivan has no interest in continuing on with this line of work. He as other aspirations. He was asking for advice with regard to telling his parents.
At the end of the e-mail, he says, “Please keep this anonymous.”
Ivan is obviously concerned that his parents would find out before he had the chance to discuss it with them.
The host says, “Well, I didn’t do a very good job of that, did I?”
WHAT?!?!?!
The host said something to the effect of, “Let’s just hope mom and dad won’t hear this podcast.”
How could any host just let that slide?
On the surface, she just let Ivan down. But it goes so much deeper than that. The comment completely destroyed her credibility. There are six major issues with letting that disclosure remain part of the show.
6 BIG PROBLEMS
1. Ivan No Longer Trusts The Host
Ivan just revealed a deep, personal issue to the host. It is a conflict he has between his loyalty to his parents and his own dreams. The problem has obviously created some turmoil in Ivan’s life. Why else would he be e-mailing for help?
The seriousness of the situation is obvious when he asks for anonymity. He surely doesn’t want his parents to be aware of his dilemma until he can explain it on his own terms. If he didn’t have that concern, he wouldn’t have asked to keep his name secret.
By revealing Ivan’s name, the host just shattered any trust she had built with him. Her credibility is shot. Ivan feels betrayed. He can no longer trust that the host will have his best interest at heart. Everything the host has worked to build was just shattered with Ivan.
2. How Many Customers Will The Host Actually Lose?
It is difficult to determine how far-reaching the host’s act will be. When it comes to word-of-mouth, there are as many theories as there are marketers. All agree that an upset customer will tell far more about their experience than a pleased fan.
Pete Blackshaw’s book “Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000: Running a Business In Today’s Consumer-Driven World” describes the danger of upsetting clients. The power of social media has allowed upset people to spread the word much, much faster. In today’s connected world, word spreads faster than ever.
It is obvious to see how the host may lose Ivan as a client. Under the surface, the damage to her credibility could be much worse. By the time the damage to the overall business is known, it will be far too late.
3. Ivan’s Parents Are Not The Host’s Only Concern
There is probably a slim chance that Ivan’s parents will hear the podcast. Podcasts are still a niche medium. Unless Ivan turned his parents onto the podcast, mom and dad probably did not stumble across this one particular episode among the hundreds of thousands of podcasts available.
This show doesn’t need to be heard first person by Ivan’s parents to be damaging.
Maybe somebody else in Waterloo, who knows Ivan’s parents, heard the podcast. It is possible somebody in the same industry familiar with mom and dad heard the show. Word can travel to the business owners in many ways.
The show lives forever on the internet. It isn’t hard to imagine the show eventually finding its way into the hands of Ivan’s parents. Simply assuming they won’t hear the show is ignoring reality.
4. Others Will Have Second Thoughts
Those who heard the show will think twice before they e-mail the host regarding a sensitive subject. If the host was flippant with respect to Ivan’s identity, why would any listener think he or she would be treated differently? Most listeners of the show will find it hard to trust the host with their information.
5. Where Can I Trust You
If I can’t trust you with an e-mail, how can I trust you with my business? On the surface, the anonymity of the e-mail seemed inconsequential. Considering how the action affects the other areas of the business, it is easy to see how this becomes a much bigger issue.
People do business with people they can trust. If it appears you do not have your client’s best interest at heart, it is quite likely they will be looking for a new supplier. Trust is everything.
As is often said, it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and minutes to ruin it. An action like this offers quite a blow to the host’s reputation. Rebuilding it will take a long time. The damage to the business could be serious.
6. Edit
This entire issue could have been avoided if the host had simply edited the audio. That is the saddest part of this entire mess. Had she taken the time to edit the intro of the e-mail, the trust would have never been tarnished.
The show wasn’t live. There was no live studio audience. There was no reason the audio couldn’t be changed after the fact.
I realize the podcast is not the primary function of the host’s business. The show is just a part of the overall marketing plan. The host does the podcast once a week as a way to continue to spread the message. That does not excuse the issue.
If the host cannot be trusted with a minor issue like podcast content, she cannot expected to be trusted with larger pieces of business.
As you move forward with your podcast, remember that your show will exist for quite some time. Be careful with the content you choose to include. In most every case, you do not get hurt by what you leave out. Be completely confident with your content before you post your show.
Be sure you do not damage your reputation by one lapse in judgement. Your entire show and corresponding business is built on that trust. Protect your trust with everything you have.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
How To Define Your Ideal Target Listener For Your Podcast – Episode 207
How To Create Your Ideal Target Listener
So many people talk about creating your avatar or ideal target listener. They talk about why to do it. Rarely do they explain how to do it. That is what I want to talk about today.
When I ask people to tell me about their target listener, they usually tell me they are targeting business owners, salespeople, dog lovers or some other generic group. They say things like, “My show is for everyone who likes hockey.”
ONE PERSON
Your podcast is for people, not groups. You are talking to a single person, not an industry. If you want to make your show exciting, relevant and meaningful for your audience, talk to one individual. You will be surprised how your connection with your audience improves.
There is a reason we create one, well-defined, target individual. We want to be specific in your stories. Specifics are more believable than generalities. Stories make connections. Connections make relationships.
STORIES
All the great philosophers teach through stories. They have for generations.
Zig Ziglar was a master at using specifics. When he would bring a red pump out on stage and talk about not giving up too early, you would just anticipate water streaming from the pump. You knew the pump wasn’t connected to anything. It was a prop. Yet, you were fixated on that pump waiting for the water.
After you define your ideal client, you will be able to shape and mold your content to be specific for that listener.
When I coach clients, we typically start with the Listener Development Worksheet. We can then use that ideal listener as a filter for our content.
As you create your content each week for your show, you can ask, “What would this one listener like to know about this particular subject?”
Think of the person who is most likely to buy from you. Think of the one person who exemplifies your best customer who buys everything you sell. We want to create our content specifically for that person. When your listener feels like you are speaking directly to them, the listener is more likely to act upon on your call-to-action.
Many times people complete the Listener Development Worksheet only to find their avatar looks exactly like a current client. When that happens for you, get a photo of that person. Hang it where you record your podcast. Then, talk to her every time your record. What does she need to know to take the next logical step in her process? How can you help her?
GET SPECIFIC
Dig deep into the profile of your ideal listener. Age, gender, income, profession and location are only the surface. Dig deeper.
Determine what content your ideal listener already consumes. This will help you understand his interests. Figure out what websites she visits, where he spends his free time, with whom she associates and how she spends her discretionary income.
Many people fear they will leave people out if they are not broad in the scope of their content. When you define these things and shape your content through this filter, you make a much deeper connection with your ideal listener.
THE BIG FOUR
If you want more confidence in your content, the final four questions on the worksheet are the most important. These questions help you get into the head of your ideal target listener to determine what they really, really desire.
What is his greatest want? What does he want more than anything?
Making more money is NOT his want. What the money allows him to do is the want. Maybe it is spending more time with his kids. Maybe is it more time to knit. Maybe it is the resources to travel.
What is her greatest need? Need is much different than want. She may want to be admired by her children. She needs the tools to help her do that.
What is your ideal target listener’s greatest fear? People want help to overcome their fears.
What problem does he need solved? People buy aspirin more than vitamins. People will pay money to have their problems solved. Some studies show that people will pay up to six times more to have their problem solved than they would to gain a benefit. This is where your business can thrive.
The only way to determine this is to talk to your audience. Ask them.
The FREE podcast strategy sessionis no sales pitch in disguise. We just talk about your show, create a strategy and see how we work together. I will give you info about my coaching only if you really want it.
Either way, the FREE podcast strategy sessionis designed to help you create a strategy for your podcast and get you headed in the right direction.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
In working with a new client the other day, he wanted to build his audience. He had a few dozen listeners and wanted to know how to build it to a few thousand. I explained the best way to grow was to put in the work.
There are three activities you can do regularly that will get you in front of potential listeners and grow your audience. You can build your e-mail list, participate in Facebook groups and appear as a guest on other podcasts. Whichever you choose, you need to put in the work.
I know many podcasters don’t want to hear it. Why can’t I be huge today with a big audience? Look at all these other kids who launched and became the overnight success.
Overnight success is usually a farce. Most overnight successes put in years of work before they became the overnight success.
If a podcast has 100 episodes, they have been doing it for about 2 years if they are producing the show once a week.
To reach your goals and grow your audience, put your head down and do the work. If you work to get better every episode, and you are active in the communities within your niche, you will grow. It just takes time.
My son is an ice hockey goalie. He started playing hockey when he was 6. He began playing goalie when he was 8.
Because he started a year later than the other kids, he was always the odd man out. His small size has also been a hurdle to overcome. Through the years, he never got a shot at the top travel team. He just wasn’t part of that tight knit group that typically forms in youth sports.
Year after year, he attended goalie camps and clinics working with various goalie coaches. He put in the work and kept learning and continued doing. I told him he just needed to continue to work toward his goals.
He is now 14. It has been 6 years of hard work.
This is the first year he really broke through. This year, he will be the goalie for the JV team as a freshman.
If you want it and work for it, success will come. Put in the work.
SCHEDULE IT
To build your audience, create a schedule for yourself and your activity. Set aside time each day to participate in online groups. Set a goal and work toward it consistently.
Work to build your e-mail list, so you can communicate with your tribe often.
Finally, find ways to appear on other shows. Work to get your name out there.
If you work consistently, your audience will grow over time.
Would you like my help with it? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
Getting The Sale vs. Building The Relationship – Episode 198
How to focus for long-term success and lifetime value
Are you focusing on the sale or are you focusing on the building the relationship with your client?
I am often asked how to make money with a podcast. The short answer is easy – have something to sell. The longer answer is build a relationship with your audience that includes trust, and cultivate that relationship over a long period of time. That is what we are going to discuss today.
RADIO RELATIONSHIPS
While in radio, I programmed in many different formats. Top 40, country, alternative, adult contemporary, classic hits. There have been many.
As a program director, I would be responsible for everything that came out of the speakers. The music, on-air personalities, contests, promotions, imaging, commercial production and anything else you heard was under my direction.
While programming country and top 40 stations, I would often be asked about the differences between the two genres. Garth Brooks and Thomas Rhett couldn’t be more different than Usher and Katy Perry. The differences don’t simply lie in the music. They way they handle their relationships are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
The relationship an artist has with a program director at a radio station has a great deal to do with the longevity of the career of that artist, because the program director determines what music gets heard on the radio. It is just like any business. If you want your product displayed prominently in the store, you need to have a solid relationship with the storekeeper.
In the country format, the artist works hard to develop the relationship with radio. Many country artists are working to build a career that will span decades.
Garth Brooks had his first hit in 1989 and still has hits on the radio today, though it is more of a comeback. Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban and Blake Shelton all began two decades ago. Even New Artist of the Year nominees like LOCASH have been around for 10 years.
Country artists will put in the time and effort today in order to have a career for years. They will make radio visits at the beginning of their career just to meet the station staff and play a few songs. We have had Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift, Eric Church and many others at the station for a visit. That is how they start their careers.
Artists on the top 40 side are a complete different story. The career lifespan of a top 40 artists is usually less than a decade. It is rarely longer than an album or two. Many have a hit and never release an album.
With such a short career on the radio, top 40 artists need to get it while they can. They have meteoric rise and fall just as fast. They have very little interest in building a relationship, because the longevity of their careers don’t give them time to do so.
It is interesting to wonder if the career of the top 40 artist would be lengthened if they worked on the relationship. It may not extend their life on Top 40 radio. However, it may keep them in favor in some of the adult formats.
Let me give you a few examples of the differences between working on the relationship and focusing on getting paid.
Please don’t think I’m special. In telling these stories, I’m not dropping names trying to make you think I’m important or I think a lot of myself. Artists do this for many radio program directors. That is how they create their relationships.
THE COUNTRY RELATIONSHIP
First, the country side of things. Blake Shelton is everything you think he would be. Fantastic guy.
Blake Shelton had been a television judge on NBC’s musical talent show The Voice for a few seasons when I headed backstage to meet him for the second time. I had briefly met him at an industry party a couple years before this.
On this particular hot, sweaty, summer day, Blake was headlining the Country Stampede near Manhattan, Kansas. This is a multi-day, outdoor music festival that involves tens of thousands of people camping, drinking and enjoying some of their favorite country bands.
Prior to Blake’s set, he was scheduled to do a meet-and-greet with a bunch of fans and radio listeners from around the area. It would last about 20 minutes under a hot tent meeting fans, taking photos and signing autographs before he went onstage to perform for 90 minutes.
I was out front-of-house chatting with my rep from the record company. He said, “I want to take you back to say ‘hi’ to Blake before he goes on.”
The two of us head back to Blake’s bus and rap on the door. Blake comes out, give us both a big “how ya doin’?”, and we get to talking. We talk about everything. He tells us about the drama with The Voice judging. He tells us about working on the new album, his relationship and his love of this part of the country (he’s from Oklahoma).
We are chatting for about 10 minutes or so when I notice his road manager beginning to linger around and checking his watch. I know Blake still has to do the meet-and-greet and then hit the stage on time. I don’t want to be the guy to hold him up.
In order to keep him on time, I say, “Well, we’ll get out of your hair and let you get at it.”
Blake says, “What, you’re leavin’ already?”
I said, “Well, this guy looks like he has a few things for you, and I think you have a little something to do after this.”
“Ok,” he says. “Thanks for comin’ by. Hope you enjoy the show.”
He is awesome. Always gracious and shows appreciation that we came to the show. I have met him a few other times backstage and it is always the same. He is a class act always building the relationship.
THE TOP 40 DOLLAR
On the top 40 side of things, radio people are usually treated just like everyone else. Sometimes, it isn’t even that good.
Usher is a great example of “get it while I can”.
Usher was playing Kansas City. He was also doing a meet-and-greet prior to his show. I was allowed to accompany our few station winners backstage to meet him prior to the show.
Our winners to added to winners from various other stations, plus fan club members, friends and family. There must have been 60 or 70 people in this group.
The entire group was led backstage to a small meeting room. We all packed in and then grouped by classification. Fan club winners were first. They were followed by radio winners. Finally, friends and family wrapped up the end.
After we waited in the room for 10 or 15 minutes, a large gentleman came into the room wearing a shirt that I’m pretty sure was a size or two too small. His arms alone were stressing the stitching.
I am assuming this guy was a personal assistant or bodyguard for Usher. Not sure. He didn’t take time for warm greetings and salutations. He had a radio to communicate with others, so I figured he was important somehow.
He says, “Can I have your attention? Here’s how this is gonna work. I need you all to form a single-file line along that wall. In a few minutes, Usher is going to come through this door. He is going to stand right here. When you get to the front of the line, you will hand your bags to this lady to hold and your camera to this gentleman right here. He will take your picture with Usher. He will give your phone to the lady with your bags. You will collect your belongings and step into the hallway where we have pre-signed 8x10s for you. Usher will not sign anything in line. Please do not ask.”
The bodyguard guys then says, “When Usher comes into the room. Do NOT take any photos of him. Put your cameras down. This gentleman is the only person who should be taking photos. If you DO take photos of him, your camera will be confiscated, your tickets will be taken and you will be escorted out of the building and not allowed to see the show. Any questions? Good. Usher will be here in just a few minutes.”
When we did get to the front of the line, I followed the directions as we were told. Usher stood there with his hands folded in front of him and sunglasses on. He didn’t say a single word or shake my hand. I smiled for my photo, collected my belongings and went about my business.
That was the only time I ever met Usher. He hasn’t had a hit on Top 40 radio for quite some time. That’s the way it is with top 40. Get paid while you can.
Brad Paisley invited me and my kids onstage during a show. I have been on Zac Brown’s tour bus. Katy Perry wasn’t meeting people. Beyonce stayed on her bus until it was showtime and went straight back to her bus when it was over … and I was the one putting on the concert. There was not even a thank you.
Top 40 artists are looking to get paid now, because they aren’t sure how long their careers will last. Top 40 artists that were on the radio ten years ago are rarely heard from today.
Country artists are working to develop the relationship for a long-term career. They realize they could easily still be on the radio twenty years from now.
With regard to your podcast and online business, are you working to generate the sale and get rich quick? Or, are you working to develop a long-term relationship where you might make less now, but the lifetime value of the relationship could be worth many times more?
Take your time. Build your tribe methodically over time and cherish each relationship. Make each member of your tribe feel special. The stronger the foundation, the longer the house will stand.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
How many actions do you have in your call-to-action?
Dave Jackson and I do a show together called “The Podcast Review Show“. On each episode, a podcaster joins us to have his or her podcast reviewed. Pretty self-explanatory.
In nearly every episode we review, we need to get the host to focus their call-to-action. Podcasters tend to give their listeners a laundry list of things to do at the end of the show. Little do they realize, this list is actually hurting more than it is helping.
THE TO DO LIST
Let me give you an example.
In a recent interview, we reached the end of this particular podcast. The host closed with these requests:
E-mail us your events
Take our survey
Call the comment line
Join us on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram
Check out our Forum
Get our free app
Use our Amazon affiliate link
Give us interview guest suggestions
Visit our blog
Get voiceovers using our affiliate link
Check out the YouTube show
Follow us on Twitter (again)
Check out the website of our favorite non-profit
Did you count? Twelve … if you only count the double Twitter once.
Of those twelve, how many can you remember? How many will you actually do?
You can probably name a few of the easy ones. You will probably do zero. The list is just overwhelming. There are too many. Where do you start?
Here is the most important thing to realize. Their goal was to get people to come back and listen again. That is the one thing they told us they wanted their listener to do. Listen again.
Of the twelve, how many said “listen again”? Zero. They didn’t even tell us to subscribe or come back next week for some great piece of content.
Instead, they are asking us to use their affiliate link for voiceovers and visit the non-profit website. This isn’t even a podcast about podcasting. It is a podcast about outdoor activities. Why do I need a voiceover talent?
THE DECISION PROBLEM
Studies show when people are offered too many choices they will tend to make no choice rather than risk being wrong.
You are already asking your listener to make a decision to take action. By loading up the list with options, you are now asking your listener to make another choice of which action. More options mean more opportunities to choose to do nothing.
Have you ever been driving and you notice a pothole coming up. It is right there in your lane even with your driver’s side front tire. A slight shift to the left or right will cause you to completely miss hitting it.
All you need to do to miss the pothole is move the steering wheel one direction or the other. Pick one. Either one will work. Just move the wheel.
Suddenly, bam. You hit the pothole straight on. You froze and didn’t make a decision either way.
Why is that?
Either direction would have worked. But, your brain froze. You were too concerned about picking the best solution. Rather, you were more concerned about not picking the wrong solution. Your fear of being wrong delayed your action to being no action at all.
Why risk this with your listener? Don’t give them a choice. Pick the one thing you want them to do and make that your call-to-action. Don’t make them risk being wrong.
To create an effective call-to-action within your show, you need to stay focused on the task at hand. What is the one thing you want your listener to do at the end of your show?
MEASURE SUCCESS
How do we measure success? Measure what counts.
If we are trying to get our audience to do something by using a call-to-action (listen again, buy our product, visit our website, support our cause), measuring our call-to-action determines our success. Measure what counts.
When you create your podcast, you should measure your success not by the number of listeners or downloads, but by conversions to whatever you want them to do.
Let’s say your goal is to get people to visit the store on your website. If you have 1,000 people listening to your show, but you only get 2 of them to act and actually visit the site, you really haven’t been successful.
However, if you only have 200 listeners, but 100 love everything you do and visit your site regularly, I would consider that a success. Having 1,000 listeners may sound better than 200. By closer evaluation, I would much rather have 100 fans than 2.
In this study, shoppers of an upscale grocery store were given a choice to sample high quality jams. One group was offered 24 kinds. The second group was offered 6.
Of the customers who passed the table with an extensive selection of 24 jams, 60% stopped. Of the customers who passed the limited selection of 6 jams, only 40% stopped. On the surface, it would seem more options equals more success.
As you dig into the numbers you see that of those who stopped, those at the extensive selection sampled on average 1.5 jams and those at the limited selection sampled 1.38 jams. Not much variation there.
The big difference comes in buying. Of those who stopped at the extensive selection, only 3% made a purchase. In contrast, 30% of those at the limited selection made a purchase. That is a difference of 4 buyers compared to 31.
Consumers exposed to a limited number of choices proved considerably more likely to make a purchase than those initially exposed to a larger set of options.
Now, which should you be measuring? The number of people who stop at your store, or the number of people who actually make a purchase?
Do you want to count the number of downloads your podcast is receiving or the conversion into action? Here is a hint … just because people download your episode doesn’t mean they are listening.
Don’t get fooled by measuring the incorrect statistic. Measure what counts. Measure your call to action.
Do you want to know how to create an effective call-to-action and then measure it?
LET THEM BUY
You need to remember that people love to buy. They hate to be sold to. How many times have you said, “Let’s go get a used car salesman to sell me a car”? Probably not many.
“Let’s go see if the shoe salesman can sell me a pair of shoes.”. That probably doesn’t happen either.
You want to buy stuff you enjoy. Therefore, you need to create some desire with your call-to-action.
Your first step is to provide value. Give your listener something they can use. Make your content valuable. Then, make your call-to-action connect with the valuable content you just delivered.
Next, before you make your call-to-action, start with the “why”. Why is this content important? What will your call-to-action do for your listener? What is in it for them?
Then, intrigue your listener. Create some anticipation and curiosity. Make it exciting for them.
Finally, make sure you only have one measurable call-to-action.
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.
The most common challenge I hear podcasters facing is growing their audience. We all want to drive our podcast downloads and grow our audience. This week, I have 9 things you can do this week to steadily gain more podcast downloads.
There was a presentation at Podcast Movement 2017 called “How People Really Listen To Podcasts”. This study showed two primary ways people find new podcasts. Most respondents in the study (60%) said they find new podcasts from social media. Friends was the next biggest way (57%) people discover new shows to try. Both of these traffic sources come from word-of-mouth.
What are you doing to get others to talk about your podcast?
If you want to grow your podcast downloads, you need to get in front of other people and then get those people to talk about your show.
1. Grow your Facebook following.
As of the fourth quarter of 2017, Facebook had 2.2 billion monthly active users. As of September 2017, Instagram had reached 800 million monthly active users. As of the fourth quarter of 2017, the Twitter averaged at 330 million monthly active users.
Facebook is currently by far the largest social media platform. Find ways to be present on Facebook and grow your following.
2. Comment on other social posts to be seen.
This is the Law of Reciprocity. Give to others and they will feel compelled to give in return.
I am in 19 Facebook groups for podcasting and business. I am frequently in those groups looking for ways to help other people.
Find groups you can join where you can offer help and answer questions.
3. Ask your friends to share.
You never know who might know somebody.
Dave Jackson and I do the Podcast Review Show. We are joined on the show by a podcaster who receives joint coaching from us.
On the episode we recorded the other night, Lionel from A Modelers Life podcast. It is a show for and about model railroaders.
Dave wondered how big the niche could be. Lionel told him that you would be surprised who could be model railroaders. That’s when I told Dave that I was into model railroading back in the day. My dad got me into it when I was a kid.
You never know who might be interested in your niche.
4. Ask your guests to share.
Guests are your most powerful resource. Using the circle of influence of your guest has the potential to grow your audience exponentially.
Make it easy for your guest to share your podcast. Write the Facebook post for the episode on which they appear. Do most of the work for them and allow them to make edits if they wish.
5. Be a guest on other shows. Make an invitation easy.
Are you willing to be on other podcasts? Have you told anyone?
Make it easy to find you and invite you to appear. Put a link on your site. This could be on the contact page or a stand-alone invite page.
6. Write guest columns in publications or on websites.
My relationship with Dave Jackson at School of Podcasting began after he discovered a few articles I wrote for the New Media Expo site back when that event was still happening.
7. Ask your audience.
Your audience loves you. Let them help you.
You never know who is listening to your show. A small ask could gain huge growth in your podcast downloads.
One of my favorite shows we would do each year on the radio was during Christmas. We would ask listeners to call in with gifts they were having difficulty finding. Then, we would ask other listeners to call in if they could help.
We just served as the liaison between those that needed and those that had the knowledge. Everybody felt good after that show. Most people want to help.
8. Ask others in your niche to recommend your show.
Make it worth their while.
Help each other. Again, this is the law of reciprocity.
What do your counterparts need? How can you help them?
If you are helping others, karma will bring it around to you eventually.
9. Host meet-ups and have your listeners bring friends.
If ten people attend the first one, and you have each of them bring a friend next time, you double your group.
Texas country artist Aaron Watson came to town to perform. He is an artist that can attract large crowds in Texas. However, he was quite unknown in our city.
When he was on stage, Aaron said he completely understood that the audience wouldn’t be nearly the size here as it was in Texas. But, he would continue to come as long as the audience continued to bring their friends.
Aaron told the audience if there were 100 people in the crowd that night, and he gave a great show so each person would bring a friend next time, he would eventually have large crowds here as well. He understood the power of leveraging his audience.
BASICS
Use these 9 ways to grow your podcast downloads this week. When you distill it down, it is basically three basic concepts.
1. Help people.
2. Make it easy to share your stuff.
3. Make it worth their while – what is in it for them?
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
How To Land Your First Podcast Guest – Episode 186
Copyright : Sergiy Tryapitsyn
Interview podcasts are quite popular. Having a guest provide their knowledge is a great way to create content for your show with less work on your part. So, where can you find guests? More importantly, if you are just launching your show, how can you land your first podcast guest?
What is the trick? How do you land that big podcast guest?
Let’s face it. Asking a busy, successful entrepreneurs 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?
Finding and landing guests are two different tasks. You first find the guest. Then, you work to convince them to be on your show.
Let’s take this in two steps.
FIND THE PODCAST GUEST
Before you go fishing for guests, you need to determine what you hope to accomplish on this particular episode. You need to set a goal.
If you are hoping to lay the foundation for your affiliate program, we need to find guests that support that affiliate content. If you hope to demonstrate your mastery of a subject, we need to find guests that show your expertise by association.
Once you have determined your goal and subject matter for your episode, you need to make a list of possible guests that support that topic. These people could include …
People in your contacts in the same niche
Authors who have books out or coming out on the topic
Entrepreneurs who have created products around the information
Journalists who write about the subject matter
People who teach the subject
Experts who work in the niche
Take five minutes and brainstorm a list of people. When you brainstorm, don’t allow the crazy ideas to stop you. Write down every idea. Let the crazy ideas inspire the brilliant possibilities.
Once you have a solid list of 15 to 20 names, rank them. Start with the best podcast guest first.
LAND THE PODCAST GUEST
Now, let’s figure out how we get these great guests on your show.
Remember, you may not succeed in your first attempt to land these guests. It is probable that the really big names will not accept your first request. Don’t let that stop you.
Work to create a relationship. Keep at it until they agree to be on your show.
Here are six useful tips to help land those big names.
1. FIND THE INTRODUCTION
Find people that know your prospect. See if they will introduce you.
A radio colleague once 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. I couldn’t land him the interview, but I could put in a good word for him.
Use the same process to help yourself.
2. THE GATEKEEPER’S FRIEND
There are times when big names have people that run their schedule. This could be a personal assistant. It might be a booking agent. You need to make friends with these people.
In the music business, I always go through the record label. I need to create a strong relationship with that person in order to be at the top of the list when interview opportunities come about.
When the big stars do radio interviews, they typically perform about 15 to 20 in a day. There are typically 150 radio stations in the format that create the music charts. Not all 150 stations will get an interview. I need to create the relationship that will keep me at the top of the list to get the interviews when the opportunity comes along.
3. WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
To score a guest interview for your podcast, you need to begin by explaining how the interview will benefit your prospective guest. The fact that your audience will love it has no bearing. It really doesn’t matter to your guest if your show or your audience will benefit from the guest’s appearance.
When your podcast guest makes the decision whether to appear on your show, they will only consider how the appearance will benefit them personally.
Lolo was a young 11-year-old girl. Her wish was to see Taylor Swift in concert. She was getting tickets for Christmas. However, when Taylor came to town, Lolo was in the hospital fighting for her life. She was in Children’s Hospital fighting leukemia.
I passed along Lolo’s wish to Taylor’s record label. It wasn’t only the story that got Taylor. I know she loves giving back in very special ways. The Taylor Swift tour was coming through town for two days. I knew there would be some down time the day of the second show.
I made it as easy as possible for Taylor to make Lolo’s dreams come true. That is exactly what happened. You can see the story HERE.
What is in it for your podcast guest? Make it easy.
4. SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’VE GOT
Provide your prospects some examples of your great work. If you have endorsements, share those as well.
This is great when you have an endorsement from somebody your prospective guest knows and trusts.
If you can show your prospective guest that you are a professional with experience by showing them samples of your previous interviews, you will make them more comfortable saying yes to your request. Create a 90-second highlight reel of your show to provide as a sample.
5. SIZE ISN’T THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS
Many podcast hosts use their audience size to lure guests. If you have a reasonable audience size, surely use it to your advantage. However, don’t stop there. You may be overlooking many other ways you could benefit your guest.
You could offer to give your guest exposure on your website. You may have visitors to your site that do not listen to the show. Promote your guest on the site with a link to their content. This will be an additional benefit.
Mention your guest and interview in your blog. Again, your guest will be reaching additional audience. You are helping them spread their message beyond your podcast.
Offer to promote the interview and your guest’s information to your mailing list. You may have many people that receive your newsletter who may never listen to your podcast. By including a link to your guests website in your mailing, your guest will reach additional people. Take credit for that.
Your audience for any one of these avenues may be small. However, when you combine the benefit of each distribution method, your proposal for the interview will be more appealing to your guest. Use every audience you have to your advantage.
6. DON’T TRIP OVER THE NAMES YOU DROP
Play to your podcast guest’s ego by dropping a few names. If you have had other notable guests on your show in the past, let your guest know. Tell your prospective guest they will be among good company. They will feel more comfortable saying yes to your request.
We were booking our annual acoustic concert after country duo Brooks & Dunn broke up. The year prior, Kix Brooks played this charity show for us and did a fantastic job.
Ronnie Dunn, the other half of the duo, had a new album out. We submitted a request to have him play the show. In that request, we made sure to mention that his partner played the show the year before.
Not only did Ronnie Dunn play our acoustic show, he played it fully plugged in with his entire band. That was one of our best shows ever.
It is amazing what a little associated peer pressure can do for you.
If you conduct interviews as part of your podcast, use these six steps to land the bigger names. It will not happen overnight. However, consistent fishing with this better bait will surely land you some larger fish.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
When a listener hits play on your podcast, how can you get them to listen to the end? Or, at least past that critical first few minutes of engagement?
HOW LONG DO THEY STAY?
When a listener hits play on your podcast, how long do they stay?
Studies show about 47% of those that consume podcasts listen to the end of the episode.
Roughly 23% of listeners say they listen until they are bored.
Studies also show the biggest drop off of those who do not listen to the end comes in the first five minutes of the show.
This means a quarter of your listeners to any episode get out before you are five minutes into the show.
Think about how you consume podcasts. Where are you and what are you doing when you listen?
Put yourself in the shoes of your listeners. What are they doing? Have you asked them?
When I listen to my favorite podcasts, I am typically driving. During the summer, I listen to a lot of podcasts while I am mowing the lawn. This allows me a lot of time to try new shows.
New podcasts don’t get a lot of my time. I fall into that five-minute group. If the content and host hasn’t really pulled me in, I am off looking for something else.
How can we keep listeners around for the entire episode? How do we create quick engagement?
When I attended Podcast Movement 2017 in Anaheim, there were a few session that discussed this very subject. Podcast Movement is a fantastic opportunity to not only learn more about our podcast industry, but networking and masterminding with so many other podcasters is priceless.
There were many great sessions at PM17. I actually teamed up with two other podcasters in my Mastermind to divide and conquer. We each took notes in separate sessions and then swapped when it was all over.
One of the sessions was “Why Public Radio Excels At Podcasting”. Public radio has created some amazingly successful podcasts such as “Serial“, “How I Built This“, “TED Radio Hour” and more.
How are they so successful?
START STRONG
First, you need to start strong. Create quick engagement.
The biggest drop off your podcast experiences is in the first 5 minutes. You simply cannot catch up to a bad opening.
Create that intriguing introduction like we talk about when storytelling. You learned it in speech class. Find that hook, and lead with the headline.
You cannot spend the first five minutes of your show with mindless chit-chat. The content must be powerful.
Talking about the weather or the thing you have to sell will not deliver content that will create engagement and make your listener want more.
CREATE FOMO
What makes a great introduction? An intriguing introduction creates some anticipation. Tease your audience with what is coming up on the show.
A powerful tease is more than simply promoting the content coming up. “Today, we are going to discuss the pros and cons of e-mail marketing” does nothing to create anticipation.
Sell the sizzle, not simply the ingredients.
“Today, I’m going to give you the five headlines that received by far my best open rates over the past year” creates some intrigue. Listeners begin to experience the fear of missing out if they don’t listen to get all five.
DELIVER GREAT CONTENT
After you start strong, you then need to continue to be great.
Just because a large group drops off in the first five minutes doesn’t mean you will not lose listeners throughout the show. Therefore, you need to re-engage your listeners every two to five minutes to slow the drop off. Find ways to catch their attention again.
During the entire episode, you need to always be great. You cannot fill for time’s sake. The fact that you always do a 30-minute show doesn’t give you permission to tread water and fill with less-than-stellar content. Be great the entire show. It is continuous engagement.
A great aspect of podcasting is the freedom of time. You have no clock determining how long you need to talk or when you need to wrap up. As radio coach Valerie Gellar says, “There is no such thing as too long, only too boring.”
If you want people to listen to the end of your episode, you need to be more entertaining than anything else they could be doing right now. Your competition for their attention isn’t simply other podcasts. Your competition is all other entertainment they could be consuming right now.
Are you more entertaining than the radio, or audiobook or conversation they could be having? It must be if you want them to stay.
Learn how to create an intriguing introduction. A powerful opening is your only hope to get your listeners past that 5-minute drop off.
Create engagement. Start strong. Stay strong.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
Our goal with our podcast is to create meaningful relationships with our listeners. Powerful, profitable relationships.
People do business with those they know, like and trust. That is the definition of a relationship. The best way to create meaningful relationships is to use engaging content.
One of the best ways to create content that is engaging is to use stories. Tell stories.
Stories reveal who we are and what we value by the pieces of ourselves we reveal within those stories. This is how your listeners get to know and like you. Your stories tell your audience why they should trust you.
TELL STORIES THAT REVEAL
What did you reveal about yourself on your podcast this week?
My radio coach taught me that from self-revelation comes friendship. Can you think of a true friend that you know very little about? Friendship becomes stronger the more you share with each other.
How can you use the stories you tell to solidify your brand and strengthen your relationships?
Today, I want to teach you about three other areas of storytelling that can help transform your podcast into powerful, engaging entertainment.
How can details elicit fantastic imagery in the theater of the mind of your listener?
How can the words you use become memorable?
How can you create anticipation that will hook your listeners and make them listen to the end?
VIVID DETAILS
When you tell stories on your podcast, you reveal things about yourself. Vivid details are critical elements of great storytelling.
Details are more believable than generalities.
Details reveal specifics about your thoughts, beliefs and character.
Details put your listener in the moment helping them envision your story in their mind.
How can details elicit fantastic imagery in the theater of the mind of your listener?
My wife and daughter are big fans of the Harry Potter book series. They read all of the books long before the movies hit the theaters.
Have you ever read a book and then seen the movie? The experience isn’t quite the same, is it? My wife and daughter have that issue with Harry Potter.
The movie doesn’t include every part of the book. More importantly, the scenes in the movie didn’t look like the images in their head. They would tell me, “That wasn’t what I thought the room would look like.” My daughter would say, “I didn’t picture the professor like like.”
That is the wonderful thing about audio. Everyone sees their own personal, mental images in their own way. Those differences add to the enjoyment and entertainment of the story. Each listener can enjoy the unspoken details in their own way. The listener is not at the mercy of the interpretation of a movie director.
Coaches often use stories to inspire their team. I’ve done it myself with teams I have coached in hockey, baseball, and lacrosse.
Growing up, I played a few sports. I competed in baseball, ice hockey and bowling. I was a national champion in bowling. That is something no one can ever take from me. It is pretty cool. That is exactly what I told the hockey team I coach as we were headed into the state championship game. Win and you will always be a champion.
My bowling championship came when I was a freshman in high school. I was in a child-adult doubles tournament with my dad. We had won the various stages at the local house, city, district, and state levels. That got us to the national tournament where one team from each state competed.
After three series of the national tournament, which are 3 games each, we were in the lead going into head-to-head competition.
The head-to-head finals put the fifth place team against the fourth place team for one game. The winner of that would play the third place team. That winner would play number two. Finally, we would face that winner in one game for the championship.
We got to the last frame of the final game. It was close the entire time. When the last pins fell, we won by 3 pins. The championship was ours, because we did the little things right. When we knew we could not get all 3 pins in a split, we would get the two. When we didn’t strike, we focused on the spare. Step-by-step we won.
As my players on that high school hockey team sat there before the championship game, I told them that story. They were preparing to face a team who had only lost two games over the past two seasons. One of those games was to our team the night before. Winning a second game in a row against this level of competition was a very challenging task.
That group of boys dominated the game from start to finish by doing the little things right all night long. They won the races to the puck, finished their checks, and didn’t give up when bad passes didn’t connect. When the final buzzer sounded, they became state champions. Once a champion, always a champion.
The details make your stories intriguing and believable.
Tell great stories. Use vivid details. What will you reveal on your podcast this week?
MEMORABLE WORDS
American children’s author Dr. Seuss (Theodor “Ted” Seuss Geisel) was more interested in telling a good story than he was in telling a true story. He often exaggerated. He always used wonderful, colorful words.
The good story approach is even described in his biography at www.Seussville.com. Dr. Seuss and his wife were unable to have children.
“To silence friends who bragged about their own children, Ted liked to boast of the achievements of their imaginary daughter, Chrysanthemum-Pearl. … He included her on Christmas cards, along with Norval, Wally, Wickersham, Miggles, Boo-Boo, Thnud, and other purely fictional children. For a photograph used on one year’s Christmas card, Geisel even invited in half a dozen neighborhood kids to pose as his and Helen’s children. The card reads, ‘All of us over at Our House / Wish all of you over at / Your House / A very Merry Christmas,’ and is signed ‘Helen and Ted Geisel and the kiddies.'”
Part of the magic that was Seuss was created by the words he used. Oftentimes, he used words he created himself, like whisper-ma-phone, fiffer-feffer-feff, and schloppity-schlopp. His words were memorable and unique. His words have sounds that catch your attention.
If you want to catch the attention of your audience, use great words like Dr. Seuss. You don’t need to create your own vocabulary. Simply use words that stir emotion. Your words do not need to be long, flamboyant words. They simply need to be emotional.
Betraying. Jubilant. Downtrodden. Passionate. Unmovable. Use words that paint pictures.
Great storytellers use delightful details created by fabulous words.
Use delightful details.
“It was a muggy, hot lunchtime. We had ducked into the cool, dark shade of the woods where the sun was barely visible through the dense leaves. My eyes hadn’t yet adjusted to the leave-covered path when I lost my footing near the edge of an embankment. I ended up landing on my hip, a fall that was sure to leave a strawberry, rolling head-over-feet down the fairly steep, 10-foot drop where I promptly landed on my butt in the muddy mess below. My legs were completely covered in mud as if I had been rolling in it for hours.”
With the delightful details of that story, you can almost feel yourself in the woods. You can see the muddy mess in your mind. You can smell the thick, wooded area. Details help your listener experience the story rather than just hearing it.
Capture the attention of your listener by putting your listener in the moment. Always include delightful details in your story. Use fabulous words that paint pictures. Grab attention like Dr. Seuss.
CREATE ANTICIPATION
Anticipation is a key feature to storytelling. Your story should build just like a good plot builds in a movie. You need to make your audience anticipate the content that is on the way.
Remember when you were planning a vacation? The fantastic anticipation for the trip is almost as pleasurable as the trip itself. You can’t wait for the trip to arrive.
You want your listener to feel the same way about your content. When they can’t wait for the story to arrive, you have created some great content.
Teasing is the art of creating anticipation for your audience to entice them to stick around for the payoff to your setup. It is a critical element of your show. Teasing helps create momentum for your podcast.
When you promote parts of the show that are coming up, you must creatively tease your audience. You must give them a reason to stick around. It isn’t enough to simply say, “A great story about this weekend is coming up.” Few will stick around for the payoff. Tease. Create anticipation. Instead, use something like, “You’re never gonna believe what I found in the attic this past weekend.”
Television news does a wonderful job at teasing. Create anticipation. Tease me.
Tell stories including these three essential elements.
Use details to elicit fantastic imagery in the theater of the mind of your listener.
Use memorable words
Use stories to create anticipation that will hook your listeners and make them listen to the end
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
How do I get more listeners? How do I grow podcast traffic? How do I create more engagement. How do I get more people to my website?
I hear those question quite often. It is a battle every marketer faces. How do I bring more customers in the door?
I knew the subject was a hot topic, because I see discussions everywhere. How many product launches have you seen that promise to teach you how to get more traffic?
HOW TO FAIL
In 1962, Time Magazine called David Ogilvy “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry.” David Ogilvy is quoted as saying, “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.” Be careful what you wish for.
If we use the premise that great marketing simply makes a bad product fail faster, we first must make your product great. Then we can bring people to the party.
We are going to take a look at both steps to this process.
GREAT CONTENT
Let’s make your content engaging and memorable before we invite your prospects to the show. If you create a unique experience, your engagement will be much more effective when people come to the party.
When I first started programming radio stations, I failed. We didn’t win, because I didn’t create a unique, memorable experience for our listeners.
We were playing the best music at the time. Our on-air talent was solid and experienced. The station was at all of the concerts and bar events. We were checking all of the boxes that made great marketing.
There was only one problem. The content between the songs wasn’t entertaining. It was simply content.
When you listened to that station, there was no fear of missing out. We weren’t doing anything unique that you couldn’t get somewhere else. It was very pedestrian.
Fast forward 4 years when I was creating another brand new station. This time, we were going head-to-head with a radio station that had been in the market for 20 years. We had our work cut out for us. But this time, we would be unique and end up at number one.
The other station had been around forever and was very arrogant. They didn’t respect their listeners. They played average music. They were too lazy to be on the streets at the right events. Listeners couldn’t get on the air. The station also sounded old.
Our strategy with this station was to create a radio experience that made the listener feel like they had ownership in our station.
As we created the experience between the records, listeners would introduce our new music, so it sounded like friends turning other friends on to new music.
Our contests were centered around listener experiences. This allowed listeners to live vicariously through their friends.
Listeners hosted our countdown shows and gave shoutouts to their friends on the air all the time. The station truly felt like the listeners had input and control.
And it worked. After launching the station, we were number one in the market in 12 months. We did it by becoming unique.
Let’s discuss how you can become unique. Then, let’s discuss a few organic ways to get more listeners.
BECOME UNIQUE
Start by creating your own style. Be you.
Don’t try to be somebody else. You are best at being you. Nobody can copy you or do it better than you can.
Create your own show structure. There are enough knockoffs. Just because every other podcast does the “lightning round” doesn’t mean you need to do a round as well.
Highlight your sense of humor. Why do your friends hang out with you? Let those characteristics come out on your show.
Tell stories that define your character. Telling stories will allow your listeners to get to know, like and trust you.
Discuss topics that interest you. You become interesting by being interested.
Remove the clichés from your dialogue. Words become clichés, because they are used too much.
Here is the definition of cliché: a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse.
Clichés are words that have lost their originality. How can you be unique if you have lost your originality?
If you want to sound unique and original, replace your clichés with something fresh.
Avoid these top business clichés:
Thinking outside of the box
Win-win situation
Giving 110%
Best Practices
Synergy
Paradigm Shift
Low-hanging fruit
Push the envelope
Take it to the next level
A leading provider of…
When you use the same phrases used by everyone else, you become vanilla and unoriginal.
If you want to be unique, grab a thesaurus and find some new words.
BE MEMORABLE
What can you do on the show this week that hasn’t been done before?
Listen to Dave Jackson on his 400th episode of “School of Podcasting” where he was hi jacked by the Binky & The Wiz morning show. You won’t hear that on any other show.
Some loved it. Some hated it. Everyone that heard it remembered that episode.
Removing every flaw and sterilizing your show will not make it memorable.
Be audacious. Be adventuresome. Be creative. Be boisterous … sometimes. Be tender other times.
Do everything in a way that only you can do it.
Brainstorm until you have something exciting.
SELL THE SIZZLE
People do not buy products. They buy what the product can do for them.
You don’t go to a restaurant to buy a steak. You go the restaurant, because you’re hungry and want one of your favorite dishes. You want that tender piece of meat that you can cut with a butter knife. The one that will just melt in your mouth, because it is the best steak around. It is cooked perfectly.
You are not rushing into the restaurant because the cow was corn-fed and aged to perfection. Who cares. Those are attributes, not benefits.
Does it taste great? Will it fill me up? Does it remind me of the great family dinners we used to have when I was a kid? I’m in. Those are the benefits.
Sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Apple does this really well. When you hear a commercial for Apple, it is about the experience and why they do what they do.
Other computer companies tell you all about the features. Their dual-core processors and RAM. I don’t even know what that means. I just want to be cool like my friends with the iPhone Ten or X or whatever it is.
MARKETING FOLLOWS PRODUCT
Now that we have a great product, how to we get more listeners?
Sure you could buy all of those expensive products or a bunch of Facebook ads. I’m sure they work.
There is an easier way. And, it is free.
Get more listeners by getting involved.
How many podcasts do you listen to that beg you to get involved with the show? Email us. Leave us a voicemail. Post on our Facebook page. Find us on Twitter. Don’t forget that we have a Speakpipe link on the website. Use a carrier pigeon. There are a million ways. Everyone wants engagement.
When you reach out and engage with others, they include you on the show. This does two things.
First, it puts you in front of the audience of that podcast. That could bring a new audience to your show.
Second, through the Law of Reciprocity, the host of the show may be more inclined to engage with your show. A little thank you gesture. What goes around comes around.
Reciprocity in social psychology refers to responding to a positive action with another positive action, rewarding kind actions. When you do something nice for someone, they feel inclined to do something nice for you in return.
Gary Vaynerchuk spends an great deal of time discussing this in his book “Crush It“. It is a great book that I highly recommend.
Gary basically says, “Put your stuff out there. Then, go engage with everyone else.” Be seen. Meet people where THEY live.
Then, be patient.
You won’t get 100,000 listeners immediately. Grow slowly. Adjust and get it right as you progress. Build the foundation.
As Gary says, “Do it again, and again, and again, and again.” Keep engaging. They will come. It only takes your time.
Schedule 30 minutes a day to interact with your audience where they are. You will eventually build the traffic you desire and get more listeners.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Do you want to create better podcast stories? Start with the end in mind. Then, start with the end.
Start with the end? It sounds crazy, I know. Let me explain.
Stories do great things for your podcast and business.
When you tell stories, your audience gets to know details about you and your life. That’s how friendships are born. Your listeners discover you have things in common. They realize you have been through similar struggles. Maybe you’re from the same area or visited a common destination.
After multiple stories, listeners begin to feel like they know you. That is when the magic happens.
Stories help you build trust. And as it is with all business, people do business with those they know, like and trust. People don’t do business with companies. They do business with people. Trust is the essence of relationships and business.
CHARACTER
Better podcast stories define your character.
I’m not simply talking about your integrity. By character, I mean all of the attributes that create you, as in character in a play.
The purpose of your show is to attract an audience. Whether you want to monetize that relationship, encourage a call-to-action, or simply create an following for your ideas, creating the audience is where you begin.
The stories you choose to tell reveal how open you are to others. Your openness is a sign of trust. Trust is a big piece of a relationship. Reveal things about yourself through your stories, and you’ll begin to build trust with your listener.
The details you include tell your listener what you value. If the listener feels you value things they too value, you solidify the relationship. People like to hang out with similar people. If your values are opposite of your listener, you may also attract them. It is like a love/hate relationship. They may dislike it, but they continue to listen. This often happens when talking politics.
What you find entertaining will be evident by the stories you tell. Since people like other people who have similar tastes, revealing those things you find entertaining will also build the relationship.
Stories also have the power to demonstrate your vulnerability. Stories can show that you are a real person. Your listener will see you as approachable. They also may begin to see you as a friend. That is when true relationships begin to form.
Next time you watch a late night talk show, notice how the great, memorable interviews contain great stories. Interviews that focus on facts and information rarely cut through. Those guests come off more as a lecturer than as a friend. The guests that tell stories appear more personal, warm and friendly. Their stories reveal things and help you feel like you know them personally. Take note next time you watch.
Foster a relationship with your listener by revealing things about yourself through stories. Stories will define your character.
MY STORIES WERE HORRIBLE
In the past, my stories were horrible. I struggled to hold the attention of people while I was telling a story. I couldn’t figure out why they would fade half way through the tale.
One day, in a coaching session with my radio coach, it hit me. The person listening had no idea where I was going.
The stories I was telling sounded like ramblings with no real purpose or destination.
My coach basically told me to open with the punchline. I thought he was crazy. If people knew the punchline, why listen to the story. That made no sense.
He explained that opening with the point of the story was similar to telling your passenger where you are going on your journey. Nobody wants to sit next to you in a car wondering where they are going to end up and when they are going to get there. They want to enjoy the journey.
I began opening my tales with the point of the story. Right up front, I revealed the whole purpose of the story to create better podcast stories. My opening began serving as a bit of a headline.
“I can’t figure out why people can’t signal their turn before they are actually in the turn lane.”
“My dog got sick and had my up 4 times last night.”
“If you want more traffic, you need to be more traffic for others first.”
Opening with an intriguing introduction will also provide a framework for the story. You will know exactly where you are going and what details are necessary to get there. This helps shorten your story while including only the important parts.
In addition to the intriguing introduction, there are three other elements to better podcast stories. After you open with the intriguing introduction, provide wonderful, vivid details while telling the story. Close with a powerful conclusion. Ask yourself, “What’s next?”
THEATER OF THE MIND
Create theater of the mind by using vivid details.
The use of active language will stir the imagination of your listener and help you connect to your audience. Put the listener in the moment. Make the listener see the action you are describing.
“I’m walking in the bustling restaurant and shaking off the cold without even watching where I’m walking.” That is active language. In your mind, you can see me walking in.
Sure, your restaurant may be different from my restaurant. That difference is what makes theater of the mind great. You see it the way you think it fits best for you. Your scene doesn’t need to match my scene in order for the story to make sense. It is your theater.
Active language connects each listener to the story in his or her own way. It will create strong audience engagement. Active language during storytelling is a powerful tool you can use while you’re building your podcast.
Create a great podcast brand. To create better podcast stories, create theater of the mind.
THE FIRST EXIT
Take the first exit.
When you are discussing a topic, take the first opportunity to get out of the bit or interview question. You will keep your audience engaged. You will maintain the momentum of the show. You will also avoid repeating yourself and becoming boring. Take the first exit.
There are clues in your show that let you know you’ve missed the opportunity to end the bit. When you find yourself saying things like “as I said”, “like I was saying”, or “as we’ve discussed”, you have missed your exit. Those phrases are simply additional ways to say, “let me repeat this again”. Once you have reached that point, you are stating your introduction point again. This should be your conclusion. Move on to the next discussion.
If you miss the exit, you begin retracing your steps. You begin offering information you’ve already provided. You listener then begins thinking of other things, because they have heard this part before. I got it. Let’s move on.
Only you will know when you’ve offered enough information to make your point. Once you hit that point, keep the show moving. Get to the next topic. Keep your audience engaged. Take the first exit.
To create better podcast stories, conclude your story by simply reframing your intriguing introduction.
ASK “WHAT’S NEXT?”
Include a call to action.
If you want to make money with your podcast, you must include a call to action. It seems logical. However, many podcasters believe, “If I build it, they will come.” It simply doesn’t happen that way.
Odd as it may sound, your podcast probably isn’t your product. Unless you are charging for your podcast, your show is only the marketing vehicle for some other product. Most podcasts are free. The show itself isn’t generating revenue. You need to create another product you can sell.
In his book “Free: The Future of a Radical Price”, Chris Anderson lists many ways to create revenue using the power of free. Many of these can be used to generate revenue from your podcast.
Some think access to the audience can be sold to advertisers as if it were traditional broadcasting. Unfortunately, audiences are not typically large enough for this model. Listeners also do not expect the traditional twelve minutes of commercials within their favorite podcast hour. Advertising is a very difficult path to revenue.
To generate revenue with your podcast, you need to create something else to sell.
You could make money by making your podcast a small portion of a larger show, which is available to paid members only. The free podcast becomes marketing for the member content.
You could turn your knowledge of some “how to” subject into a book, e-book, study course or other product. Your podcast could be the “why” behind your philosophy. The show would then promote the “how” that your listener will learn when they purchase the product.
There are many other ideas described in Anderson’s book. You could give away the product while charging for the service, such as consulting or coaching. Give away the content while making money referring people to retailers.
Rather than traditional advertising, you could give away the content while charging advertisers to be featured in it, similar to The Home Shopping Network. You could even take a cut of sales. You could podcast generic advice while selling specific, customized advice.
There are fifty ideas in the book. To make money with your podcast, I suggest you give the book (or at least that section) a read.
If you build it, they may come. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean you will become instantly wealthy. You need to create something to sell. You need to tell your listener to buy. Then, you need to show them the way. If you desire to make money with your podcast, make sure your podcast includes the call to action.
Build trust with your audience by telling better podcast stories. Start at the end. Create great theater of the mind. Use a powerful conclusion. Then, give them something to do when it is over. Implement a strong call-to-action.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
This week, I wanted to review your favorite podcast events. I put out the call for suggestions. Most replies that I received said, “Erik, I haven’t attended any podcast events.”
That’s a shame. There are quite a few great gatherings that can really help you grow.
BENEFITTING FROM PODCAST EVENTS
There were a few suggestions. I also received an e-mail from Cynthia, who was really dejected after attending a conference.
Dear Erik,
I actually attended the National Religious Broadcasters Convention twice hoping to find a way to boost my show and possibly find a radio station that would want to pick it up.
Sadly, I spent a lot of money, but didn’t feel I was able to justify the expense. I was looking for people who were interested in helping me, but all I met were people looking for people who could enrich themselves.
It wasn’t a total waste because some of the sessions were informative and educational. However, I didn’t have one contact that materialized into anything lasting. I may have found some guests, but they were just “one time guests”.
I appreciate your ideas of how to have a real conversation with others for a lasting impact. Podcasting can feel very lonely. I don’t have a team working with me.
There will always be people who want to have us buy their services, but there’s not much to buy until we have a funding stream.
When you attend podcast events, I think you need to approach it differently. Seek to give. Seek to help. What you send out will return to you.
Cynthia, it is time for some tough love.
You say you were “looking for people who were interested in helping me, but all I met were people looking for people who could enrich themselves.” You mention that you “didn’t have one contact that materialized into anything lasting. I may have found some guests, but they were just ‘one time guests'”.
Rarely do people go to events wondering, “Hmm. Who can I help today.” That means you can stand out and be unique by asking that very question.
You can have a real conversation with others for lasting impact by seeking to help them. Talk about them. Discover their struggles. Where you can you help them succeed.
The theory of reciprocity will naturally take effect. People will be more open to helping you if you first help them.
However, don’t expect reciprocity. Let it happen organically, and don’t be upset if it doesn’t. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.
MY UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP
Being in radio for nearly 30 years, I have attended many, many conferences. I have attended conferences for radio, podcast events, hockey coaching symposiums and others. The opportunity to learn and grow excites me.
My first conference came when I was in college. As the Music Director of the college radio station (and a member of a rap group), I attended the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City put on by the College Music Journal.
It was the summer of 1989. October 26th at the Vista Hotel in New York City at the foot of the World Trade Center.
George Clinton and Ice-T were the keynote speakers. I had a great chat with Ice-T in the lobby of the hotel.
One of my most bizarre relationships began at the CMJ Music Marathon that year.
Each night during the conference, there would be music showcases all around town. Most were free with your conference pass.
Doc and I grabbed a cab and went to NYU to see a hip-hop show. Doc was the other half of my rap duo. Yep. True story.
On the bill that night were quite a few artists. Third Bass, Black Sheep, Young Black Teenagers and others performed. Heavy D. was in the audience checking out the show. The Geto Boys even tried to get up on stage at the end of the show before the sound guy cut their mics.
Third Bass was made up of MC Serch, Prime Minister Pete Nice and DJ Richie Rich. Third Bass was also notable as one of the first, successful, interracial hip-hop groups.
“Pop Goes The Weasel” was the biggest single of Third Bass’ career. They also had a minor hit with “The Gas Face” from “The Cactus Album“. It was their first album, which the group had just released a month after this concert.
On my show on the college station, I had been playing Third Bass for a few months by this time. Their first single was a tune called “Steppin’ To The A.M.” It sampled Pink Floyd’s “Time“. I played the tune a lot on the radio at a time when rap and hip-hop were not part of the mainstream. This was 1989. My airplay helped the song climbed to #5 on the U.S. Rap Chart in some small way.
Jump ahead 17 years to 2006. By this time I was the Program Director of a Top 40 radio station. Third Bass had broken up for a second time 6 years earlier. MC Serch had left his job as a morning radio host to work full-time at Serchlite Music, a promotion company he ran.
Serch was calling radio stations to talk to Program Directors and trying to convince them to play particular singles. I happen to be one of his weekly calls.
During our first call, Serch tells me my name sounds familiar. Johnson isn’t the most unique name, so I figure he is just trying to be friendly. He asks where I have worked in the past, that maybe our paths had crossed before.
Unlike many in the business, my radio career had not taken me all over the country. I had worked in Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska at this point in my career. That is what I told Serch.
We got to talking about my start at the college station in Lincoln. I told him I started one of the first shows dedicated to rap and hip-hop in the state.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
That is when it happened.
Serch said, “That’s it! You were a huge supporter for us back then!”
I said, “Oh, yeah. I played the crud out of ‘Steppin’ To The A.M.’ I loved that record.”
That’s when Serch said, “Yeah, you did. We thanked you in the credits of that album for all of your support.”
What!?! I’m in the liner notes? How did I not know this?
I said, “Are you kidding me? I didn’t know that.”
“You bet,” he told me. “You were a big part of getting us off the ground.”
That night, I went home and got out my “Cactus Album” CD. Sure enough, there I was in the liner notes.
I had made a connection and difference at that conference 17 years earlier and hadn’t even realized it.
And that’s my point. When you are at conferences or podcast events, you never know what might happen or who you might meet. The meeting may not mean anyting at the time. It may not make a difference in the next decade. However, it may just change somebody’s life in ways you never intended.
When you are at a gathering, seek to give and help first. It will all come back around.
Cynthia did say, “It wasn’t a total waste because some of the sessions were informative and educational.” So, where can you find podcast events to make meaningful connections?
SOME OF THE TOP PODCAST EVENTS
Many people who responded to my ask haven’t attended any podcast events. This is a list I have gathered from a few of the best podcasting minds in the industry. I have attended a few of these. I also received recommendations from Dave Jackson at School of Podcasting and Daniel J. Lewis at The Audacity To Podcast and Podcasters’ Society.
Ticket prices and info for these podcast events are as accurate as I could find as of this date. All are subject to change and the accuracy is not guaranteed by any means. Please visit the site for complete details, as they change quite often.
“We’ve formatted PM17 to cater to anyone who is currently involved with, or looking to get into, podcasting and the podcast industry. With the help of over 120 speakers from the best podcasts and the most successful podcast networks and companies, taking part in over 80 different sessions, we try our best to have all our podcasting bases covered.
Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in their choice of over 80 breakout sessions and panels, including sessions on the Technical Track, Creators Track, Business Track, Industry Track, and more!”
“Hivio brings together more than 100 of the most influential people in audio and media for two days of candid, unscripted conversation. Amazing thought-leaders and provocative presentations. No boring panels. No celebrity keynoters.
Media strategist and researcher Mark Ramsey and Slacker’s Jaime Solis host a ‘hive’ of smart people and amazing speakers to see, discuss, and develop big ideas and rising trends in on-demand, radio, content, social, mobile, and technology that will shake up all audio entertainment and information platforms.”
“Podfest Multimedia Expo is the conference for podcasters, digital influencers and changemakers who want to grow their brand and audience and maximize their income.
Conference tracks include monetization, audience building, multimedia, and technical. Plus keynote speakers and social opportunities.”
“We have partnered with one of the coolest event spaces in DC again! The third annual,DC PodFest will be back at The Wonderbread Factory Event Space to bring you an incredible, passionate podcasting event! You can call it a conference if you want to! We think of it as an independent podcast intensive for podcasters and podcast fanatics. We will focus on the business, creativity, and influence of podcasting in various ways throughout the two days. Prepare to be engaged, entertained, and productive. We like to think of it as a family reunion with the family you haven’t met yet. Oh, and everyone in this particular family, has a microphone!
You can feel good about coming to DC PodFest too! Fifty percent of our ticket sales benefit Youth For Understanding’s Intercultural Exchange Programs!”
“Mid-Atlantic Podcast started (December 2014) as a Facebook group for podcasters who live in the Mid-Atlantic States (North Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut). The idea was to bring podcasters together for meet ups, Google Hangouts and eventually grow into conferences. After seeing the interest to have a podcast (exclusive) conference in the northeast, Joe Pardo jumped on the opportunity to make it happen.
Mid-Atlantic Podcast Conference (MAPCON) is an extension of Joe Pardo’s passion to host amazing events with great people.”
“The only all-woman podcasting festival on the planet, Werk It presents workshops, demonstrations, mentoring sessions and NSFW conversations about working in audio and digital media. Plus: Networking opportunities, cocktail parties, and live podcast tapings at The Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown Los Angeles!
New this year: Podcast Bootcamp. This one-day course will be taught by the top women in our field. It is designed for entry-level or early-career audio producers, as well as women who work in media or other related fields and are now moving into the podcast realm.
Werk It is a production of WNYC Studios, the beautiful people behind Radiolab, Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, 2 Dope Queens, Note to Self, Snap Judgment, Sooo Many White Guys, Here’s the Thing, the New Yorker Radio Hour, On the Media, Only Human and more.”
“Podcast Cruise 2017 will combine some of the world’s top podcast personalities with an elite group of attendees as they join forces to discuss emerging strategies, latest trends, and best practices that will help you create, grow, and monetize your podcast. Space is limited!
Podcast Cruise will depart from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on February 11, 2017, and return on February 16, 2017. Registration is limited to the first 40 attendees to ensure they get the full benefits of this exclusive gathering.
The podcast conference includes two full days of elite level training and masterminding, including keynote speeches, panel discussion, small group roundtables, and more.”
The next cruise is not yet scheduled.
There are also many local and regional groups that meet. Google podcast events for your area. Look for meet-ups. Get out to one of these great events.
In the episode last week, we discussed the best way to make connections at podcast events. Most of the suggestions focus on seeking first to help.
As Zig Ziglar always said, “You can have anything you want in life as long as you help enough other people get what they want.”
Help people. Serve. That is where your next relationship will begin when you attend your next podcast event.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
Building relationships is critical when it comes to growing your podcast or business. Whether you need interview guests on your show, business peers to help brainstorm ideas, or joint venture partners to help launch your products, connections are the foundation of all we do. One of the best ways to move your podcast and business forward is to build relationships at events.
Last week, we discussed the steps involved in creating new relationships. This week, we will focus solely on how to build relationships at events. With Podcast Movement coming in August, now is a perfect time to begin planning. (Use the coupon code sop10 to save 10% through School of Podcasting)
When I attended New Media Expo a few years ago, I developed a specific plan to be most effective over those three days. That plan included rekindling current relationships with longtime friends, strengthening relationships with casual acquaintances and developing new connections with other key individuals.
There simply wasn’t enough time to be able to meet everyone at New Media Expo. Therefore, I needed to be sure I met the right people. It is all about purpose and focus.
There are three phases when you build relationships at events. The process includes planning before the event, acting during the event, and following up after the event. Let’s look at all 3.
1. PLANNING
Have a goal/purpose.
Do your research. Research the attendees that fit your goal before the event. Find the individuals you’re hoping to meet (and impress).
Dress to impress.
Bring business cards.
2. AT THE EVENT
Have questions ready for every session you attend for the open Q&A at the end.
Don’t spread yourself too thin. Don’t work the room. Focus on quality vs. quantity.
Don’t be afraid to join in the conversation.
Treat people like friends.
Consider their network – can you help each other make connections? Be a connector.
How can you help them?
Be yourself.
Have conversations.
Make an effective introduction – I am _(name)_, I help _(niche)_ do _(attribute/skill)_ so that _(benefit)_.
Listen first, then speak.
Ask a lot of questions.
Who are you?
What do you podcast about?
How did you get into that?
If someone wanted to get into that niche, where would they begin?
I’ve enjoyed our conversation. How can we stay in touch?
Swap business cards to stay in touch. Be sure you don’t use your business cards as spam by giving a card to every person you meet. Give them with a purpose.
Discuss commonalities.
Be specific.
Get to the point.
Don’t be a product-pusher. Seek to help.
Take notes about each meeting. Write on their business card.
Be friendly – smile, open posture, great handshake, show sincerity and interest and focus on how people feel when they’re with you.
Do not, under any circumstances, ditch a conversation partner for someone more “important.” Give your full attention.
3. FOLLOW UP
Follow up is critical. Reach out to them on the trip home. Have a purpose to reach out. Use this sample script:
I enjoyed our conversation at _______. Your story about ___________ was fascinating/intriguing/hilarious. Would you be willing to discuss _________/be on my podcast to promote your ___________/tell me more about _________.
Focus on helping them. This is not a time to sell.
Use these three phases to build new relationships at events you attend. Let these be thought starters. I would love to hear what other relationship tactics you use at events. Post in the comments below.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
In the recent weeks, I have really found a new energy. My productivity has increased in both my podcast and business. I believe this is all due to new relationships I have created in the mastermind I recently joined.
These three guys are in online business, but completely different niches than me. They hold me accountable and push me to succeed. It has been a great experience.
Over the next few episodes, we will dive deep into the process of creating new relationships.
This week, I want to help you develop new relationships. Though I have found the experience very helpful, your new connections do not need to include a mastermind.
In the next episode, we will discuss making connections at events.
The third episode of the series will involve masterminds and a list of listeners’ favorite podcasting events.
If you are interested in getting connected to like-minded people in a mastermind, e-mail me. I’ll try to connect as many as I can. Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com
NEW RELATIONSHIPS
Let’s talk about the five steps to create new relationships.
1. Find New Relationships
Get involved with Facebook groups by answering questions
Join podcast memberships, like Podcasters Society (of which I am a mentor) and School of Podcasting (led by Dave Jackson, with whom I occasionally partner)
Network at conferences
Ask your interview guests
E-mail hosts of complimentary podcasts that are not in the Top 10 or “On Fire”
Invite your listeners to chat and ask them
Interact on blog posts
Form a mastermind with people from other industries, both in person and online
Ask your vendors or suppliers
Connect with your customers
2. Make Contact
Introduce yourself with “I help _(niche)_ do _(talent)_ so that _(benefit)_.”
Send an e-mail with, “I find your business/podcast/product interesting. I would like to learn more about it and see if there are ways we might help each other. Would you have 30 minutes for a phone call?”
3. Find Ways To Help Each Other
Use the abundance mentality. There isn’t one pie that needs to be divided between everyone. There is a flame that can be shared an unlimited number of times. That is the power of an idea.
4. Stay In Contact And Give
If it isn’t on your calendar, it will not happen
Find reasons to make contact with your new friend, and schedule that contact
Share useful articles
Share affiliate opportunities
Wish them happy birthday
Ask if they are attending conferences you are attending
Interact in their groups – Everyone is looking for engagement
5. Create mastermind groups
When you find the right 3 or 4 people, create a mastermind group
Find people with different backgrounds and perspectives
Why do we create a podcast avatar or ideal listener?
One of the Podcast Talent Coach worksheets available to your for free is the Listener Development Worksheet. This tool will help you develop your podcast avatar to make your show more powerful and create more engagement.
When you get that worksheet, this episode takes that tool to the next step. Why should we create our podcast avatar and how do we actually answer the questions on the worksheet?
I really started understanding target listener when I read a study by Arbitron (the radio ratings service) and Joint Communications (a radio consulting firm). The study was called “What Women Want: Five Secrets To Better Ratings”.
This study really got into the differences between men and women. The interviews revealed the reasons women spend time with radio. The reasons were very radio-centric and don’t really apply to you.
What is relevant is the differences between the genders. When I realized there were variances between listeners, I understood the importance of really defining the ideal listener. Who is that one, ideal person we hope to attract to our content?
When we began developing the ideal listener, we learned the more we focused on the ideal listener, the more our overall audience grew. This even included the listeners that didn’t necessarily fit the ideal mold.
Our content became better focused and relevant. It was a turning point for me.
It clicked. Let’s have a conversation.
People want to feel part of the discussion and not like they are sitting in a lecture.
How do you create the conversation atmosphere on your podcast?
First, download the Listener Development Worksheet at PodcastTalentCoach.com to create your podcast avatar. Then, follow these three steps.
1. Treat your audience as an audience of one
2. Talk to me, not at me
3. Let your listener live vicariously through you
AUDIENCE OF ONE
As you are creating your podcast, treat your audience like you are talking to each person individually. Talk specifically to your podcast avatar. This is critical when creating a trusting relationship with your audience.
I hear many shows address their audience as a group with comments like “hello everyone” or “hey guys”. Each person in your audience is listening to you as an individual. Audio is a very personal medium. Many times, they are listening with headphones. It is just you and her. Talk to her just like that.
Addressing a crowd on the radio began when radio began. As radio was just being created, station owners needed content to broadcast. Radio programming began with rebroadcasting live, theater events. The person on the stage would address the crowd as “ladies and gentleman”.
As radio progressed, live audiences were eliminated. However, people on the radio continued to address the audience as a group. It was fitting. The family still gathered around the radio before television was introduced to the family room. An on-air personality could address the audience as a group and be justified in doing so.
Radio then became a personal medium. The television replaced the radio as family entertainment. In-car and headphones became the preferred method of radio listening. Each listener was now creating images and visions in his or her own head that were unique to their imagination. Their thoughts were different from those of any other listener. The conversation was now between the person on the air and the individual listening.
Unfortunately, radio personalities continued to address the listener as a group. “It has always been done this way.” The disconnect began.
THE PODCAST MISTAKE
Podcasts are even more individualistic than radio. Most people select a podcast because of their own tastes. Groupthink does not play a factor as it would to select a movie or television show for the family. It is one person listening on their own to a show that interests them.
If you are talking to your listener as if they are in a group, using plural terms like everyone and you guys and you all, your listener will wonder who you are addressing. They will think, “You guys? I’m listening by myself. Who are you talking to?” In the end, they will not follow your call-to-action, because they will think someone else in your “group” will handle it. Talk to an audience of one and build that relationship with each listener individually.
Nobody like to be lectured to. Data and facts get dull & boring. Engage by being conversational. Tell stories. This is a converstaion, not a lecture
TALK TO ME, NOT AT ME
When you are podcasting, talk “to” your listener. Don’t talk “at” her. You are not announcing. You are having a personal conversation and building a relationship.
Podcasting is an intimate conversation with one person (your podcast avatar). The conversation is typically one person speaking into a microphone addressing another single individual. There may sometimes be hundreds of thousands of people listening.
However, they are all listening by themselves. Even in an automobile with others listening via communal speakers, the members of the audience are listening by themselves in their own head. Each listener is developing their own unique, mental images.
Have a conversation directly with that individual. Put your listener in the moment. Avoid addressing the group. Instead of using “hello everyone”, use “hi, how are you?” Make her feel like you are talking directly to her. It will make your podcast relationship much stronger.
CAN I BE YOU?
Vicarious. Voyerism. Eavesdropping.
Those are three main reasons people listen to your podcast. Tell stories to help fulfill those desires.
People dream about having a different (and usually better) life. They want to experience those things others are experiencing. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. People crave living the lives of others.
Your listeners want to live vicariously through you. They want to experience your success. They wish they had the courage to do the things you have done. Your fans want to be you in some way or another.
Voyerism is a reason many people watch the shows they watch, listen to the stories they hear, or read the books they read. They want to experience the lives of others.
People eavesdrop on the conversations of others for the very same reasons. They can experience the life of others without the risk of faliure. Eavesdropping doesn’t take the courage that it takes to actually live the life.
INCORPORATE STORIES
By telling great stories about your experiences, you help your audience fulfill the desire to live vicariously through you. If your show contains audio of your feats and experiences, you allow your audience to become the voyers they desire. When you interview people on your show, you allow your listener to eavesdrop on your conversation.
When you simply lecture as the content of your show, you fail to help your listener experience any of those three desires. Find new ways to deliver your material to your audience. You will make those important connections that turn into friendships. Those relationships will foster loyalty to your show. Your tribe will follow you wherever you go. That’s a powerful thing.
Tell stories of self-revelation. See where it takes you. You’ll be surprised how many people wish they could be you.
HOW DO I GET THE INFO?
So, where do we get the podcast avatar info?
I received that very question from Alessandro.
Hi Erik, thanks for your awesome podcast. I have one question for you You define your avatar with a bunch of well-crafted questions, but where do you get the data to answer them? Is it hard data you have got from your following (if any)? Is it just a fruit of your imagination? Is it a mix of both? How much of the avatar is based on hard data, and how much is a projection of yourself defining it? Thanks and keep up the awesome work! -Alessandro
Great question! It is actually a little bit of both. It will evolve over time.
Step 1
If you are just starting out, you need to create your ideal customer (podcast avatar) out of your imagination. Who would you like your ideal customer to be? Start there.
Who do you want?
Who will listen and get involved
Who will be best served by your content
Who will buy your stuff
Step 2
Once you begin to get some feedback from your audience, refine your target with that information.
Who is posting in your comments
Who is sending your e-mail
Who is asking for more information
Step 3
Finally, when you have an audience of decent size, survey them.
It does not need to be a formal survey.
One of strongest is an e-mail often used that simply says “where can I help you?”
To get specific demographic info, you will need a formal survey. Ask questions that will help you know and serve them better. Do not ask questions that will not give you info you can use and will only waste the time of your listener.
Overall, you want your podcast avatar to represent that individual that in most engaged with your show and likely to take action when you make that request.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Are you looking for more listeners? Are you trying to build your list? Do you have a product you are trying to sell? How is it going creating that engagement?
Are you actually asking your listener to do exactly that? Why would they join your list or get your lead magnet or buy your product of you don’t ask?
Let’s figure out how to get your listeners to act.
That was the year I attended Dan O’Day’s PD Grad School. It was a unique conference for radio program directors. One of my favorite conferences every year. I’m bummed that it isn’t around any longer.
Dan would get some of the best minds as speakers. His guests were not only radio thought leaders, Dan would guests in the worlds of branding, marketing, online and research. The conference was amazing.
As I sat in that hotel ballroom with 100 other radio programmers over ten years ago, BJ flipped the way I thought about branding and marketing.
For ten years, I had been selling the great features of my station. We were more entertaining. We had your favorite music. We had the best contest. We had longer music sweeps and fewer commercials. And, we were telling our listeners all about it
Then, BJ showed a video his company produced. It featured Bob out on the sidewalk in front of the office building. Bob was wearing a sandwich board that was simply a huge photo of himself. We was telling everyone that passed by about his attributes. And … he was doing it with a bullhorn.
It was classic. At the very end, the video stated, “People are more interested in themselves than they are about you. That is why ads that work are more like mirrors than bullhorns.”
It is ten years later and we hear it a lot. Make your marketing outward-facing. Focus on your target listener. Sell the benefits of your product rather than the features.
There are many ways to say it. But BJ was the first that really opened my eyes to it.
When you are creating your call-to-action, make it a mirror. Focus on the needs of your avatar. That ideal listener. What do you want them to feel? What problem are you solving for her? What benefit are you delivering?
SELLING IS EASY
Great marketing makes selling easy and unnecessary. That is according to Joe Polish.
As we discuss this, think of selling as simply getting your listener to take a particular action.
Each issue of Success magazine is accompanied by an interview CD. On one particular disc, Success publisher Darren Hardy was talking with Joe when he made that very statement.
You may not be selling in the traditional sense of products or services in exchange for money. However, you are making a call-to-action within your podcast. It may be selling for money. It may also be inviting your listener to come again, asking him to visit your website, requesting that she join your mailing list, inspiring him to get involved with a cause or any other action. It all involves selling yourself.
Polish’s statement was bold. As he went on to explain himself, Polish made perfect sense. In fact, his comments were very similar to the marketing and branding information we’ve been discussing with regard to your podcast.
We have discussed the call-to-action in previous episodes of Podcast Talent Coach. We simply need to determine what we hope to accomplish with our podcast episode before we begin recording.
In summary, Polish said great marketing gets people properly positioned, so they are pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you (or act on your call-to-action). Great marketing therefore makes selling easy and unnecessarily.
If you have truly engaged your listener and created that strong relationship we’ve been discussing, the selling should take care of itself. Selling becomes difficult when you are trying to get your listener interested. Selling before your listener is motivated is a challenge. Trying to sell to a listener that isn’t qualified is hard work. If your listener isn’t predisposed to taking action, you will need to sell hard.
Building relationships with your podcast involves telling great stories. Revealing things about yourself through stories makes you real. Your listeners get to know and like you. As you continue to help them over time, you build the trust they seek.
When you have taken the time to build the relationship, your listener will be pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you. They will be ready to buy. Selling, in terms of convincing your listener to buy, will be unnecessary. Your marketing and engaging relationship will have them ready for your call-to-action.
Do the hard work up front to make selling easy.
SHOUTING WILL NOT HELP YOU
So, how do we build that relationship? We go back to the bullhorn video by BJ Bueno. We focus on our listener rather than ourselves.
You can’t shout your way into a person’s trust circle. They only way to gain trust is to add value. Give them something they can use. Building trust is the foundation of revenue generation for your podcast.
As you build trusting relationships with your podcast, continue to ask yourself, “How am I helping my listener?” Continue to give, and the trust will develop over time.
When you begin every discussion with your product, needs or wants, people will tune you out. You will begin to sound (and be treated) like advertisements for used cars. Shouting doesn’t work. Your listener won’t care and will rarely return.
Serve first, many times over. Then and only then can you effectively sell.
Shows like the “Dave Ramsey Show”, “48 Days To The Work You Love” and “Smart Passive Income” are all designed to help their listeners first. Sure, they all have products to sell as the end result. However, they never begin with their product. The discussions on these shows always begin with the listener’s needs in mind first.
As you prepare for your show, find great ways to help. Your help may come in the form of entertainment. You may serve as companionship for your podcast listener. Help them find other forms of companionship as well. If your podcast is only one hour per week, there are 167 more hours in the week that aren’t occupied by your show. Your listeners will surely need more companionship to fill a few of those hours. Help your audience fill those hours, too.
Are you building trust, or are you shouting?
ASK FOR THE SALE
After you’ve done the hard work building the relationship, don’t forget to ask for the sale.
One afternoon last week, I stopped by the quickie mart to get something to drink. As I waited in line at the cash register, the gentlemen in front of me set his purchase on the counter.
Among his items was a 2-liter bottle of soda. The bottle of soda was $1.69. The clerk said, “Did you know these are on sale two for $2? You can grab another and save yourself some money.”
The customers responds with, “Looks like I need to grab another bottle.”
By simply asking for the sale, the clerk doubled the purchase. The customer also benefitted by saving some money.
In fact, everyone wins in this transaction. The store is paying the clerk an hourly wage whether he sells one bottle of soda or 100. The cost of the clerk’s time to the store remains constant. Wages are the biggest expense to the store when figuring cost of goods sold. Therefore, by adding another bottle of soda to the purchase, even at the lower price, the store makes more money also.
It all happened because the clerk asked for the sale.
This week, review your show to ensure you are building those relationships.
Start with the listener instead of your product or service
Determine how you are going to help your listener with this episode
Put a strong call-to-action at the end of the episode
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
When you want your listeners to stick around and listen to what you have to say, you need to give them a compelling reason. Your listener needs to anticipate what is to come later in the show. You need to excite them. You need to tease them.
Anticipation is a key feature to storytelling. Your story should build just like a good plot builds in a movie. You need to make your audience anticipate the content that is on the way.
Your story is similar to a vacation you are planning to take. The fantastic anticipation for the trip is almost as pleasurable as the trip itself. You can’t wait for the trip to arrive. You want your listener to feel the same way about your story.
When your listener can’t wait for the story to arrive, you have created some great content with a powerful tease. Your listeners will get more enjoyment from your show when they get the tease payoff more often. The pleasure of the “oh wow” factor will be increased. The joy of anticipation will keep your audience coming back for more.
There are three steps to creating an effective tease.
#1 – Intrigue Me
When you promote content that is coming up later in the show, you must give your audience an intriguing reason to stick around. It isn’t enough to simply say, “A great story about this weekend is coming up.” Few will stick around for the payoff. The tease lacks stickiness. It doesn’t hook the listener.
#2 – Give Them 80%
To create an effective tease, give your listener 80% of the story while leaving out the most important 20%. It is similar to giving the setup for a joke without providing the punch line. Lead your listener right up to the line, but make them wait to step over.
#3 – Make Your Tease Unsearchable
Make it impossible to search online.
You want your listener to keep listening for the payoff to your set up. If I can simply search on Google for the answer to your tease, there is no reason to keep listening. I can just look it up and be done with it.
The three steps to powerful teases will help you begin to engage your audience on the way to building powerful relationships. Use the three steps in your show recap to entice people to listen to the episode. Then, use them again during the introduction of the show to get listeners to enjoy the entire recording.
You’ve worked hard to create your content. A lot of effort has been exerted on your part while writing and recording your show. Make your content intriguing by using these three steps in the art of the tease.
When you use the art of the tease, your listeners will spend more time with your show. The increased frequency of the tease payoffs will help your audience enjoy your content more. When your show is more entertaining, it becomes more engaging. When you truly engage your audience with your content, you can begin building powerful relationships. That’s where trust and influence with your listener begins.
Next week, I will teach you how to critique your podcast on your own. You will learn how to find areas to improve and steps to take to make your show stronger.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Essential Elements of Powerful Storytelling – Episode 129
WHY STORYTELLING
Have you noticed a lot of interview podcasts in your niche sound the same? We are hearing the same guests answer the same questions time and time again. How do you become unique in this sea of sameness?
Storytelling can transform your podcast.
THE POWER
Stories let your audience get to know, like and trust you. These are critical elements in any business relationship.
Out of stories come knowledge and friendship. Great storytellers create fans. Your stories help define you, your character and your personality.
Stories also touch many more people. The appeal of stories is nearly universal.
When you reveal things about yourself through stories, you begin to connect with, motivate and inspire your listeners.
Don’t fit in, stand out.
Personal experiences are the only way to make the content your own. No other podcaster can recreate your stories the way you can. Your stories are unique to you.
STORYTELLERS ARE EVERYWHERE
There are examples of great storytellers throughout everyday life.
Great teachers and speakers are usually great storytellers. You can see examples of this in the bible and in fables that have been passed down through generations. Storytelling is also used by great speakers such as Zig Ziglar.
ENGAGEMENT
In podcasting, you cannot afford to be boring. Interest in your story never remains constant. When you tell a story, interest is either rising or falling.
Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.
Have you ever sat through a long, monotonous story that never seems to end? Interest is definitely falling with these stories. Keep your plot moving.
CREATE TRUST
Date your listeners.
The privilege of talking to people who want to be talked to and selling things to people who want to be sold to is earned over time. Work to build friendships.
After consistently building the friendship, you will earn the privilege to talk to your audience.
Practice becoming a great storyteller. You will soon be developing friendships.
BECOME A GREAT STORYTELLER
To become a great storyteller, listen to yourself. Hear your thoughts. Have courage to record your personal connections.
Once you have recorded your thoughts, reveal those thoughts through great stories.
Think of your podcast as a friendship. Ask yourself, “Would I enjoy taking a one-hour car ride with this person every week?” Your listener is asking the same thing. They are deciding to spend quality time with you just like they do with friends.
Stories allow others to live vicariously through you. They can experience the highs without putting in the work. Listeners can experience the lows without suffering the pain.
Friendships develop over time. They create trust. Friendship comes from self revelation. This is where your stories become powerful.
Next week, we will cover the elements of great stories and what you can learn from Walt Disney, one of the greatest storytellers of our time.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
In a previous episode of Podcast Talent Coach, I shared 7 ways to drive listeners away from your show. One of the main points suggested you treat every listener as if they are new to the show. We need to continually feed the funnel.
Joshua Liston from The Deadly Arnold podcast was checking out my back catalog when he stumbled across this particular episode. He took exception to one of this particular suggestion.
THANKS
I must say that I do appreciate Joshua for a few reasons. One, he took the time to comment on the episode. Two, he was listening to my back catalog. Finally, he provided some great thought starters for a few solid episodes. I truly appreciate Joshua allowing me to use his comments to help others learn. That is what this community is all about.
In that episode, I suggested one way you drive listeners away is being the podcaster who assumes listeners have heard the show before.
POWERFUL INTRO
If you’re not explaining your podcast purpose each and every show, it will be difficult for new listeners to understand the show. Your audience will feel like they are joining a conversation in the middle. They will be lost.
In this episode, we review an episode that Josh mentions to see how they do these things.
I have selected one of the podcasts Joshua mentions with less of a national platform. Rather than tell you the name, we just jump in to see if the intro pulls you into the episode.
As we discuss the introduction and care for new listeners, please do not interpret this as something you should do at the expense of your current fans.
Sure, the content of your show must be great to keep listeners around. That is simply the price of admission. To get people to subscribe, create great content. That should go without saying.
In order to keep people engaged, you need to make them feel like they are part of the club. This is especially true for new listeners.
If you’re not explaining your podcast purpose each and every show, it will be difficult for new listeners to understand the show. Your audience will feel like they are joining a conversation in the middle. They will be lost.
SHOW REVIEW
In the episode of Back To Work that I review, the hosts do a few things to make new listeners feel included.
They use each other’s name often. This helps us get to know the voice.
We find out Merlin is 40-something and has a daughter. By sharing his life, his listeners get to know him.
Merlin refers to the same five books quite often. Though he is obviously well-read, these books seem to have been very influential on him.
Merlin knows a bit about Hollywood and the process of making movies. We learn this by his discussion of the four quadrant theory.
Merlin is a Democrat.
Merlin is confident and has little fear of speaking in front of large crowds. Dan admires that quality.
IS THE INTRO NECESSARY
On the other hand, there is no introduction to the show. I listened as a casual listener and had no idea what this show was about. There was nothing to suck me into the episode.
Merlin’s 355,000 Twitter followers along with his writings in magazines like Wired, Popular Science and MacWorld probably go a long way in driving listeners to the podcast.
Since the average podcast has roughly 170 downloads per episode, those podcasters cannot assume listeners will stick around if there is no clear benefit.
So many podcasters want to play the part before they are the part. It is similar to living like a billionaire before you are a billionaire. You cannot buy the Porsche, mansion and private plane until you make the money. You cannot act like a podcaster with 100,000 downloads until you earn the attention.
Make everyone feel welcome, supply your listeners with great content, and make your material unique. Then, watch your subscribers grow.
Focus On Current Or New Podcast Listener? – Episode 126
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Photo Copyright : Eduardo Huelin/123rf.com
In a previous episode of Podcast Talent Coach, I shared 7 ways to drive listeners away from your show. We work so hard to gain listeners. Why would we ever drive them away.
But … should you focus on the current or new podcast listener?
Joshua Liston from The Deadly Arnold podcast was checking out my back catalog when he stumbled across this particular episode. He took exception to one of the 7 ways I mentioned.
In the episode, I suggested one way you drive listeners away is being the podcaster who assumes listeners have heard the show before.
If you’re not explaining your podcast purpose each and every show, it will be difficult for new listeners to understand the show. Your audience will feel like they are joining a conversation in the middle. They will be lost.
Have you ever felt left out of a conversation due to inside jokes. Two other people are chuckling about something, and you have no idea why. “Oh, it’s an inside joke” they say. Why aren’t you important enough to be in on the joke? Why is it inside only to them? Those situations are a bit offensive. You’re not included.
When you are not explaining your podcast, you are not allowing your listener to understand the nuances of your show. They won’t feel like part of the club. Your listener will not feel important or that you care about them. It is quite possible they will leave.
The opening of your podcast should explain the purpose of your podcast and let your listeners know exactly what to expect as if this is the first time they have ever heard the show. We discussed this in the past two episodes when we reviewed the importance of a strong introduction.
A well-crafted introduction serves two purposes.
First, it tells the brand new listener who is hearing the show for the very first time exactly what to expect from the show. You know exactly what is coming your way, even if you have never seen the show before.
Second, those that have heard the show before are confident that they are in the right place. Those regular listeners will find comfort in the opening of the show they hear each time they tune in. Fans will also feel like they are “in the know”. This is similar to singing the theme song of your favorite sitcom. As soon as you hear the first few notes of the theme song, you know you’re on the right channel. Your show intro should elicit the same response.
As you create your show open, treat it as if every listener is saying, “Hey, I’m new here. What’s going on?” You’ll make everyone comfortable as the show begins.
Here are Josh’s comments on the subject:
I must stress that I do disagree with your ideas around “making new listeners feel welcome in every episode”.
Personally I think Podcasters focus too much on their new audience and far too little on those already listening (which is where the majority of engagements and downloads come from for most podcasters). Those same things that you suggest make new/new listeners feel left out (in-jokes, personal references, etc) are the very things that make a longtime listener feel even more part of something special, and exclusive.
If you reference great podcasts that have stood the test of time “Back to Work” “Joe Rogan Exp” “Roderick on the Line” “Nerdist” “Hardcore History” “FOFOP & TOFOP” “Monday Morning Podcast” “Welcome to Night Vale” “We Are Alive” “The Dollop” “99% Invisible” “This American Life.” they make little to no intentional effort to morph their shows personality/language/individuality to entice new listeners to stay – they work incredibly hard in embracing their longtime listeners and fans though!
I can see how your ideas applies to a more transient audience like those of commercial radio stations where listeners are after the content within the content (music, news, score-lines, financial data etc) but for personality driven podcasting I think this falls purely into speculative theory.
-Joshua C. Liston
The Deadly Arnold BraveryByTheDay.com
In this episode, I offer my assessment of Joshua’s position.
Sure, the content of your show must be great to keep listeners around. That is simply the price of admission. To get people to subscribe, create great content. That should go without saying.
In order to keep people engaged, you need to make them feel like they are part of the club. This is especially true for new listeners.
If you’re not explaining your podcast purpose each and every show, it will be difficult for new listeners to understand the show. Your audience will feel like they are joining a conversation in the middle. They will be lost.
Should you focus on the current or new podcast listener? The answer is both.
Make everyone feel welcome, supply your listeners with great content, and make your material unique. Then, watch your subscribers grow.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
Episode 125 – Are You Losing Listeners? (Pitfalls Disrupting Podcast Traffic)
In a previous episode of Podcast Talent Coach, I shared 7 ways to drive listeners away from your show. We work so hard to gain listeners and podcast traffic. Why would we ever drive them away.
Joshua Liston from The Deadly Arnold podcast was checking out my back catalog when he stumbled across this particular episode. He took exception to one of the 7 ways I mentioned.
In the episode, I suggested one way you drive listeners away is being the podcaster who assumes listeners have heard the show before.
You work so hard to attract listeners to your podcast. Growing the audience is a constant challenge for most podcasters. You do all you can to bring more people to the party.
In this episode, we discuss the 7 ways you could be driving listeners away.
In the episode next week, I will dissect one of the episodes suggested by Joshua and demonstrate how successful podcasters eliminate these traps.
There are seven common mistakes podcasters make that drive listeners away. Here is a brief overview of each. See if you recognize these within your show.
THE PODCASTER WHO TALKS AT YOU
Great podcasters are not announcers. Great podcasters are conversationalists. If you can have a conversation with someone you cannot see nor hear, you have the ability to create a great podcast.
Instead of talking at me, talk to me and with me. Let’s have a conversation. You won’t be able to hear my responses. However, how many times have you found yourself talking back to the radio or podcast host? When the listener is responding out loud, you know the host has the ability to be conversational even when the other party isn’t present.
Be personal and talk to your listener, not at her.
THE PODCASTER THAT WASTES YOUR TIME
The wider the focus of your podcast, the better chance your topic will not interest me. It sounds counterintuitive. If you want more listeners, you need to narrowly focus your topic.
When you are too broad, your listener doesn’t know what to expect from your show.
Instead, pick a niche. Make it a tight focus. Pick the segment of your topic that you most enjoy and really focus there.
Focus is powerful. When you are focused, your audience knows exactly what to expect. Your focus builds loyalty, because you aren’t attracting listeners who have no interest in your niche. Since the niche is only focused on the slice of information that that interests your listener, your audience will almost always feel like you are delivering great content. You’ll never be wasting their time.
THE PODCASTER THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU CARE
When you only deliver the what, the listener has no real reason to care. You are only providing information. Facts are lifeless. You must provide the why before you can provide the what. The “why” makes your listener care.
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.
When your audience knows what is in it for them, they begin to care. Making your listener care is the only way to get them to listen and more importantly come back again.
Provide the “why” early in the podcast. Make them care.
THE PODCASTER THAT DOES NOT GET YOU INVOLVED
A podcast that is only focused on the host quickly becomes a very lonely podcast. “Enough about me, let’s talk about me.” Listeners surely won’t stick around for that very long. If listeners are not involved, they feel like the host doesn’t care about them.
Make your listener the star. It is your show. You know where it is going. When listeners are involved in your show, it is always your job to lead your guest and make them the star.
Get your listener involved wherever you can. Provide opportunities for listeners to interact with you. Even if you receive very little feedback, the opportunity to do so will send the message to your listeners that you care. The opportunity for involvement goes a long way.
THE PODCASTER THAT DOESN’T HELP OTHERS
Focus on helping others.
Zig Ziglar had many great quotes. One of my favorites is, “You can have anything you want in life just as long as you help enough other people get what they want in life.” How true that is.
As you turn your information into engaging entertainment with your podcast, keep in mind that helping people is part of the foundation of a strong relationship. If you take, take, take, your relationship won’t last long. If you are there to give and help, you will develop friends for life.
Get what you want out of life. Focus on helping others.
THE PODCASTER THAT TRIES TOO HARD TO BE FUNNY
Many podcasters painstakingly try to be funny. Jokes are never funny when the joke teller tries too hard. The forced punchline is uncomfortable. The timing is off. He will lead with something like, “This is funny” or “Here’s a good one” or “You’ll love this”. If I’m going to love it, do you really need to tell me? Won’t I know I love it once you tell me?
The good news is you don’t have to be funny. Stop trying so hard. The funny will come. You are focused on the wrong thing.
Funny follows fun.
THE PODCASTER WHO ASSUMES LISTENERS HAVE HEARD THE SHOW BEFORE
If you’re not explaining your podcast purpose each and every show, it will be difficult for new listeners to understand the show. Your audience will feel like they are joining a conversation in the middle. They will be lost.
Have you ever felt left out of a conversation due to inside jokes. Two other people are chuckling about something, and you have no idea why. “Oh, it’s an inside joke” they say. Why aren’t you important enough to be in on the joke? Why is it inside only to them? Those situations are a bit offensive. You’re not included.
When you are not explaining your podcast, you are not allowing your listener to understand the nuances of your show. They won’t feel like part of the club. Your listener will not feel important or that you care about them. It is quite possible they will leave.
A well-crafted introduction serves two purposes.
First, it tells the brand new listener who is hearing the show for the very first time exactly what to expect from the show.
Second, those that have heard the show before are confident that they are in the right place.
As you create your show open, treat it as if every listener is saying, “Hey, I’m new here. What’s going on?” You’ll make everyone comfortable as the show begins.
Next week, we will review a podcast suggested by Joshua to learn how these ideas are put to use in the real world to attract listeners and drive podcast traffic.
As I mentioned in this episode …
There is a big difference between marketing to men and marketing to women. The book “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” by John Gray, Ph. D. discussed in great detail the communication and relationship differences between men and women. These differences are critical in marketing. They are also important elements to your podcast strategy.
When I have discussed this in the past, I have been labeled a chauvinist. I’ve been called narrow minded. People have said I am simply promoting the stereotypes.
Let me first say these are generalities. Stereotypes are called stereotypes for a reason.
Please understand that I am speaking in generalities. I understand these statements won’t hold true for every person. These points are are simply how most men and women react in common situations as demonstrated through various research studies and many published books.
The definition of stereotype is “a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group”. There are times when the stereotypical case will not hold true for a specific situation. There is always an exception to the rule. Most of the time, these generalities will be the case.
Today, we are going to cover five major differences between men and women that you need to consider when marketing to the different genders. Keep these differences in mind when you are shaping your podcast content.
These differences also reinforce the importance of defining your target listener. You can find my Listener Development Worksheet to help you define your avatar or target listener online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.
THINKING
In a broad sense, men tend to think very linearly. Women usually think very spatially. To be effective communicating with each gender, you must understand these differences. You must also select one to target. The same message will have difficulty reaching both genders effectively.
When handling tasks, men tend to be single-minded and focused on one goal, while women usually multitask well.
The tendency to focus on one task or many creates another interesting difference between men and women. Because they tend to multitask and focus on multiple items simultaneously, women do not seem to tire of activities as quickly as men. When men focus on one thing only, they will become bored with that particular item before a woman. Men will want to move on to the next thing. Therefore, men tend to like new and different.
Men tend to appreciate change more than women. Women will tolerate repetition much more than men, because they are not as focused on one item at a time. It may also take more messages in different ways to effectively reach and influence a woman.
Men and women also differ in the way they remember things and events. Again, men are linear. Women are spatial.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Men and women also take different approaches in the way they solve problems. Because men think linearly, men focus on the solution. Men try to determine what steps are needed to reach a successful outcome.
COMMUNICATING
Men typically view communication and problems solving as a way to show their strength and power. Men typically see things as a competition. It is a linear approach. They seek validation by solving problems.
Women use communication and problem solving for much different purposes. Women use both as a way to strengthen the relationship. Women seek understanding when tackling a problem.
RELATIONSHIPS
Men and women also handle relationship problems differently. Just like problems in any other area of life, men typically seek the solution (linear) while women tend to use problems to strengthen the relationship (spatial). Understand these differences as you build your relationship with your audience.
MEMORIES
When men remember events, they tend to remember in a linear fashion. They will remember events in sequence as one thing happened, then the next and finally the last. It is a sequential time line.
Women typically remember events in a very spatial way. The memories will be more centered around relationships, people involved and the experience.
These differences between men and women will play an important role as you define your target audience. Will your communication be spatial or linear? This is something you’ll need to decide before you can move forward to create the structure and content of your show.
Gender is only one characteristic of your target audience. There are many others to consider. Just as if you were describing one individual person, gender would only be one characteristic of that person.
Remember, these are generalities. True is most situations. There is always an exception to the rule. You can send all the hate mail you would like. Or, you can get to work assessing your approach to ensure you are reaching your audience in the best way possible.
If you are like me, and many others in the online space, you struggle with pricing. You don’t want it to be too low and leave money on the table. On the other hand, you don’t want it to be too high and not make any sales.
So, where do you set the price?
Pricing is tricky. There is a lot of art to setting your price. Most is trial and error.
There really is no “correct” price. Price is determined by supply and demand. The price of anything is that point where a seller is willing and able to sell AND a buyer is willing and able to buy. It is a continuum.
If a seller is not making much money on a sale, she will focus on another area of business that is creating more profit. If she is a public speaker on self defense and earns $2,500 per speaking opportunity on the weekends, she is creating decent income.
If she then creates an online course teaching other women self-defense and creates sales of $3,000 per week with an hour of work online marketing the course, she may opt to do less speaking and more work online.
Her speaking gigs require her to find clients, travel to the location, give the presentation for an hour or two (depending on dinner and other presentations), possibly spend the night, travel home and miss time with her family. That is a lot to give up in order to make $2,500 when an hour a night on her schedule could earn $500 more.
People may be willing and able to buy her speaking at$2,500. However, she may not be willing to sell it for that. She may do a few speeches. It may just be less frequent. If her price increases to $5,000, the decision may be different.
HOW DO YOU DECIDE?
When I began coaching podcasters, I came to that very problem. I was in that place so many entrepreneurs find themselves. A price needed to be set for my services.
What would podcasters be willing and able to pay that I would be willing to accept?
In this episode, I take you step-by-step through the process I took to set the pricing for my podcast coaching.
So, how do you set your price.
OVERVIEW
First, ask your customers what they will buy. This could be a survey of your list. You could simply study the market and determine what they are already buying. Find a few people that could use your help and ask five or ten of them.
Next, determine what problem you are solving for your audience. People buy benefits and solutions. People don’t buy mops. They buy clean floors. Solve a problem they know they have.
Then, price on value. Know what value you have to offer. Your experience, knowledge and ability all play into your value. This will determine why it should be you rather than anyone else.
You can now set a price by looking at the market and seeing what they charge. Buy a few similar products to see what is included if necessary. You want your price to be competitive, but not necessarily the cheapest.
Your price does not need to be less than everyone else. It should probably be more expensive than others in order to stand out. Make it a great value for the price to justify being at the top end.
If you tell your audience what to do, you can charge a low price. If you teach them how to do, you are able to set a mid-level price. When you do it for the, you can be at the high end.
To be at the top of the range, go all out and solve all of their problems. Be a full-service machine. Prove the value and then add a bit more.
Most importantly, have a sales process. Know how you will attract people to your process. Define how you will demonstrate your value and benefits. Give your audience a ton of value, then the opportunity to buy.
I am not guaranteeing you will make money. I am not promising you that you will get rich, or even make a dime for that matter. I do not know you or your abilities.
I am saying this process worked for me. You may find a few helpful tips here that could help you in some way.
If you show your visitors the value of your product or service while giving them more than they expected, there is a good chance they will buy.
As in my example, there are times when the price doesn’t make sense. This is when you need to review your process.
Is the issue the price tag as it was with my program at the beginning?
Does the roadblock appear due to the structure of the product or service as it did with my 12-week program rather than weekly calls?
Are your clients looking for a product or service tailored to their needs, like my calls ever other week?
Rather than launching your product to thousands of people at one time, launch to a few. See if they are interested at that price and value. Gather some feedback. Make adjustments. Launch again to a few more people.
As you adjust your sales process, you will find a spot where clients are willing and able to buy your product at a price you are willing and able to sell. If you are not selling enough, add more value or lower the price. If you are selling too much, raise the price.
Tinker until it feels right. There is no correct price. There is only a price with which you are comfortable and that pleases your audience.
How Radio And Podcasting Are The Same – Episode 118
The podcast “elite” will sometimes say, “This isn’t radio, this is podcasting. It’s different here.”
Well, I have news for you. Podcasting and radio are more alike than some will admit. You could benefit a bit by recognizing the similarities and borrowing the best practices.
There are many ways that radio and podcasting are the same.
The Same …
1. Same Tools
Both create with audio equipment.
This one is pretty obvious. Both are creating shows using a mic and other audio equipment.
The different ways the equipment is used makes it art. One sculptor may work with wood when another works with rock. Both are still sculptors and artists.
2. Same Approach
Both sit in a room alone trying to entertain people they cannot see.
It sounds crazy when you say it out loud. Both podcasters and broadcasters sit alone in a room talking with people they can neither see nor hear. Both try to predict the reaction of the listener while creating the entertainment.
3. Same Conversation
Both have real conversations with the listener.
Being authentic is critical to success of both podcasters and listeners. Both try to build knowledge and trust with the audience in order to develop a relationship.
4. Same Visions
Both create images in the mind of the listener.
When you tell great stories, your listener gets to know you. This is part of the “know, like and trust” philosophy of doing business.
Stories with vivid details allow the listener to develop images in the theater of the mind. These stories allow her to enjoy the story in her own way.
5. Same Experience
Both are individual activities.
When two people watch the same video, little is left to the imagination. When the same two people hear audio, each will develop individual images in their mind.
No two images will be identical. Listening is an individual activity.
6. Same Connection
Both try to make a one-on-one connection and create a following.
The podcaster and broadcaster are both trying to create a tribe for their content. If you are not trying to grow your audience, you will eventually be talking to yourself.
7. Same Episodes
Both produce episodic content that keeps listeners returning.
This is especially true in talk radio. Content is regularly produced by both podcasters and broadcasters. Those episodes of content build upon each other to create an ongoing show.
8. Same Goal
Both hope to capitalize on the attention using a strong call-to-action.
Content is created by both in order to attract an audience. Once the audience is built, both try to activate that audience with a call-to-action.
The goal may be monetization, support or simply returning for the next episode. Either way, both hope to move a group of people.
9. Both Can Interact
Both are able to interact in real time.
This wasn’t true a few years ago. However, now that technology has come such a long way, both podcasters and broadcasters can interact with the audience in real time.
Podcasters chat with their listeners in real time using phone systems, Google hangout, chat rooms, and other methods. No longer is this feature limited to broadcasters.
… And Sometimes Different
There are a few features of podcasting that differs from broadcasting.
1. Podcasters Time Shift
Podcasting can be time shifted. This can be a benefit over broadcasting.
Podcast listeners can enjoy the show anytime they would like. They do not need to be next to the radio at a given time in order to hear their favorite show.
This is a feature and not necessarily something that makes podcasting inherently different from broadcasting. When we are talking about the art and goal of the audio, this is just a different way of delivering.
2. Podcasters Benefit From The Beginning
Podcast listeners start at the beginning. Mark Ramsey did a great session on this at New Media Expo 2015.
Some broadcast listeners join the show at the beginning and some join in the middle of the show. Podcast listeners all start at the beginning of the episode.
Rarely will a podcast listener download a show, scroll through to the 17:00 mark and begin listening there unless there is a specific direction to do so.
3. Podcasters Can Niche Down
Podcasting can afford to be more niche. By nature of the medium, broadcasting must be mass appeal. This is definitely a benefit for podcasting.
4. Podcasting Is Inclusive
Almost anyone can create a podcast. Podcasting requires a minimal investment. This makes it easy for most to get involved. There is no limit to the number of podcasts that can be created.
Getting on the radio requires getting through the gate keeper. Your other option is to buy your own station. Both are quite difficult.
Again, advantage podcasting.
The nine similarities between the two formats are largely foundational. The essence of the art is the same. The goal, methodology and tactics are identical between the podcasting and radio.
Podcasting enjoys a few benefits over broadcasting. The few differences are hardly enough to proclaim podcasting much different than radio.
I’d love to know what you think. E-mail me anytime at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
7 Thanksgiving Concepts To Drive Your Business And Podcast – Episode 116
As this episode is posted, it is Thanksgiving in the United States. It is a day of the year when we pause to give thanks to those treasures in our lives. Whether you are celebrating in America or just working another day somewhere else in the world, I would like to thank you for all you have done for me by simply being part of this community. Thank you.
This week, I would like to share with you 7 Thanksgiving concepts to drive your business and podcast any day of the year.
1. New Relationships
Take a few minutes today to plant the seeds of new relationships. Reach out to five people you do not know, and thank them for what you have learned from them. This could be authors, podcasters, business people, pastors or any other people who have given you a bit of their knowledge.
Only thank them. There is no hidden agenda. We are simply reaching out to give thanks.
If the quick note leads to a relationship down the road, that would be great. If it generates no response, that is ok as well. Our only goal is to give. Send good vibes into the universe. It will make you feel good. You never know what might come back.
2. Old Relationships
Next, take a few minutes to strengthen the relationships you have already built. Reach out to five people you know, and thank them for enriching your life.
This is a great opportunity to rekindle a few relationships that have gone dormant. Send a note to just say thanks. It will make the day of the recipient.
We all enjoy hearing that we have influenced someone in some way. It gives us validation. When you take time to thank someone for all they have done for you, the good will created by the note will go a long way.
The new conversation may also lead to new opportunities. Do not expect it. But, you never know what might happen.
3. What Gets Scheduled Gets Done
Use a day off to plan the next 12 months. This year, Thanksgiving is 36 days from the end of the year. It is a great time to look forward.
It doesn’t necessarily need to be the beginning of the year to set your goals. Your 12-month plan can begin at any point in time. Don’t let the calendar dictate your actions. Use today to look forward and plan.
As the old saying goes, what gets scheduled gets done. A goal without a deadline is only a dream. Set your goals for the next 12 months, and then add deadlines. Schedule the time.
Set goals at various lengths. Define big, 12-month goals. Decide what you will accomplish each month. Determine what steps need to happen each week to reach those goals. Let each goal build toward the next bigger milestone.
4. Great Offers
Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring great deals. This is especially true in the online world. It seems everyone has a great deal.
Just as with goals, the calendar shouldn’t dictate your strategy. It doesn’t need to be the day after Thanksgiving in order to make a great offer to your tribe.
Create something of tremendous value, add a little more, and offer it to your community. Thank your followers for being part of the group. As a “thank you”, present your great offer.
You do not need to wait for a particular day of the year to be generous to your tribe. Make your great offer today.
5. Fill Your Heart
Take pause and ponder all of the things in your life for which you are thankful. Fill your heart. Be grateful.
When we consider all of the wonderful things in our lives, it will naturally make us feel better. In business, we tend to think of all the things that need to be fixed. The items on our “to do” list. We look for the ways we can improve. We focus on our weaknesses.
Take time to focus on the treasures present in your life. It is wonderful that we have access to the internet. That we can determine our own future with the effort we put forth. We have amazing gifts in our lives. Count your gifts.
Let’s fill our hearts by giving thanks for all we have. It will relieve some of the stress we bring upon ourselves. Life will be a little happier.
6. Walk Away Wednesday
We need to take time away from the “to do” list and devote it to a bit of housekeeping. This is a concept I learned from radio great Mike McVay.
In radio, we tend to get too close to the product to be able to truly evaluate the quality. We live with the product every day. Knowing too much about the station handcuffs a program director.
The same is true with your podcast. We get so focused on the next episode that we forget to review the content we have already published. The website needs to be cleaned up. The autoresponder needs to be freshened. We never take time.
Mike created “Walk Away Wednesday” for radio program directors. It was a day to get away from the radio station and just listen. We would listen to everything to ensure it had a purpose. The goal was to review the radio station from top to bottom.
Take a day to review everything about your podcast and business. Look over the website. Check all of the links. Proofread the copy. Sign up for your newsletter. Make your “about” page forward-facing. Ensure everything works as it should.
Check your iTunes description to ensure it is still valid. Look over your Facebook “about” section. Listen to your podcast like a listener. Check the podcast on various devices. Review for quality in every aspect of your podcast and business.
7. Give
Pretty simple. Help someone. As Zig Ziglar always said, “You can have anything you want as long as you help enough other people get what they want.”
It is true. Giving does something to us. Giving makes us more attractive as a person. Serve people.
We do not give expecting something in return. We are giving, because it is the right thing to do. Giving helps society. We have been given gifts to share with the world.
Send out the good vibes. You never know what you will get in return.
Take time this week to put a few of these concepts to use with your podcast and business. You never know what good things might come your way in the next year.
Thank you for being part of this community. I truly value the time you give me every week. My hope is that you find value and some useful nugget in the content I provide in each episode.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Are you looking to make your brand stand out from the rest?
It is possible. However, it takes a lot of work.
Famous college basketball coach Bobby Knight once said, “Everyone wants to be a champion, but few want to do the work it takes to be a champion.”
Taylor Swift is one of those people willing to do the work. I think you can learn a lot from the Taylor Swift brand when creating your own.
She has done amazing work over the past 10 years. Regardless of your musical preferences, it is hard not to admire the empire she has created.
Taylor Swift was recently in town for a pair of concerts. This was the fourth time I’ve had the pleasure of meeting her. She never fails to amaze me with her networking abilities.
There are four things you can learn by studying the brand Taylor has created.
1. KNOW WHEN TO LAUNCH
Now 25 years old, Taylor moved to Nashville when she was 14. She was determined to get a record deal when most 8th graders are just figuring out middle school. She knocked on doors until someone opened.
Even though she got a record deal at 14, she didn’t experience immediate success. Taylor wrote, recorded and learned the business for two years before her first album was even released.
Taylor Swift took her time to learn what she needed to know. When her record label felt the time was right, they launched her.
Lesson: Learning is important, but at some point you have to launch.
2. BE DARING & DIFFERENT
Taylor Swift broke the mold. Kids simply didn’t have hits on country radio. She dared to do the unthinkable. By not giving up, she eventually found a record label willing to give it a try.
The accomplishments Taylor has achieved are impressive. She is the youngest songwriter to ever sign with Sony/ATV Music Publishing, one of the largest in the world. She is the youngest person to have ever write and perform a #1 song by themselves. Her 2nd album “Fearless” made her the youngest Album of the Year Grammy winner.
Taylor Swift has only released 5 albums. Even so, she is the only artist to have 3 albums sell more than one million copies in the opening release week. That mark is even more impressive in today’s music world on digital downloads when people are buying single songs over albums.
With her latest album “1989”, Taylor left the world of country music to release a pop album. People thought she was crazy. She took the daring leap and sold over a million copies in the first week of release. It was also named one of the best albums of the year by magazines Rolling Stone, Time and others.
By daring to be different, people take notice.
Lesson: Do what others are scared to attempt.
3. PUT IN THE WORK
Taylor Swift has many, many other awards. One of her attributes that make her so successful is the fact that she is willing to do things few others are willing to do. She goes above and beyond.
When was the last time you sent a hand-written thank you note?
I’ve had the great fortune of meeting many big names in the music business. Justin Timberlake, George Strait, Ozzy Osborne, Christina Aguilera, Blake Shelton, Metallica. It is one of the perks of the business.
The Program Director of a radio station decides which songs make it on the radio station. Artists usually want to take time to meet the person who holds the keys. They understand a handshake can go a long way.
Most stop there.
A typical meet & greet at a concert is in a converted locker room and resembles a cattle call. People wait in line making their way around the room until they reach the artist.
“Thanks for being here. Let’s get a photo. Enjoy the show.”
Taylor is different.
Instead of a locker room, Taylor sets up a “tea party” or a “loft” party backstage, complete with soda machines, photo booths, high top tables, boas, other party accessories and a professional photographer. VIP guests hang out, eat munchies and get ready for the show.
Instead of the handshake and photo op, Taylor makes her way around the room coming to each VIP for a photo and minute to chat.
It is obviously different from every other experiences.
It is what happens a week later that really sets Taylor apart.
About a week after the concert, I received a hand-written note from Taylor thanking me for taking the time to bring my family to the show and for the support. Nobody does that, especially the biggest stars in music.
Inside of my note was another hand-written note. This one was for my daughter. That note thanked my daughter for coming to the show. Taylor encouraged my daughter to stick with her piano lessons. She went on to tell my daughter to tell her friend Ellory (who was also with us) “hi”.
The details Taylor included were amazing. I’m not sure if she has a photographic memory, if she video tapes the event to review later, if someone close by takes notes, or if there is some other magic involved. It really doesn’t matter.
What does matter is the fact that Taylor takes the time to ensure it all happens. That attention to details makes her stand out from every other artist. She is willing to do the extra work.
Lesson: Do the things that others are not willing to do that will make you stand out.
4. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH HELP
After a typical meet & greet, the artist typically sends you on your way.
Instead of sending you to your seat, Taylor sent us on a backstage tour led by her mom, Andrea.
Mama Swift led out around the backstage area telling us all about the stage and production. We saw the hydraulics under the stage. We saw the cases and trucks that transport the gear. We saw the costumes Taylor wore. She took us to the tour busses Taylor uses for the band and dancers.
At the end of the tour, Taylor’s mom took us directly to our seats. It was the kind of customer service you don’t typically receive from average businesses.
As Taylor’s mom is leading us around backstage, Taylor is freed up to handle the other pre-show duties on her list. She needs to meet those in her fan club. She needs to warm up her voice. I’m sure there are a few other things in her routine before the show begins. The amazing team Taylor has assembled helps her be the best she can be.
Lesson: Find great people that can help you.
YOUR BRAND
As you create your brand, be willing to do the work it takes to be a champion.
Know when to launch. Be daring and different. Put in the work. Surround yourself with others who will help you reach your goals.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
A Simple Way To Improve Your Show That Works For Every Professional Broadcaster – Episode 112
Do you want to be the best? Do you want to move forward quickly?
Broadcasters learn early in their career that there is one primary way to get better. One well-worn path to improvement. A method used by nearly every broadcaster that has come before.
It is a tactic still used today. It is not only used by professional broadcasters, but used by world class athletes, writers, dancers, musicians, and others throughout most highly visible and well-paid professions in the world.
They all use a coach.
You see coaches everywhere. Life coaches. Career coaches. Sport coaches. Birthing coaches. Speaker coaches. Executive coaches. It seems coaching is a big part of the world today. Why is that.
Coaching is prevalent in our society, because coaching works. Coaching gets results.
Coaching works, because your coach helps you reach your goals when you can’t push yourself. Coaching helps you face difficult truths, learn how to make powerful change and maximize your potential.
The best speakers, the best executives and the best athletes all have coaches. Coaching helps the best become the best and stay at the top. Coaching is a powerful, secret weapon of those at the top of their game.
You can work tirelessly to learn on your own. Or, you can enlist the help of a coach and reach your goals much quicker.
I offer a free podcast review to serious podcasters who wish to get better. Why free? Because nearly every podcaster who talks with me for 30 minutes about their show instantly sees the benefit. They leave the session with a list of things to transform their podcast and business in a week. Because it works, most want more. They sign up for a quick program.
How can a coach help you take your podcast to the top? There are five areas where a coach can help you. A coach will help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Your coach will help you develop your goals and plan. You will be held accountable by your coach. You will have your own personal cheerleader. Finally, your coach will provide regular feedback to help you with improvement.
THE BIG PICTURE
A coach will help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Sometimes it helps to have another set of eyes helping you see the forrest through the trees. A great coach will help you clear away all the clutter to gain clear focus for your show.
A personal coach will help you honestly assess your strengths and weaknesses. These assessments are specific to your show. Your coach is not simply offering cookie cutter prescriptions. Once you understand your strengths and weaknesses, you can capitalize on the strengths and minimize the weaknesses.
You get a different perspective on your show when you have someone else give you honest feedback. When you look at your content in a different way, you will discover new ideas and different approaches for your content. A different perspective helps you keep the end goal in mind.
A big picture view of your podcast will also help you balance your life. Your coach can make sure you don’t devote all of your time to one area of your life. Ensuring you are spending quality time on all areas of your life and business could be one of the most important benefits of a coach.
GOAL DEVELOPMENT
Your coach will help you develop your goals and a plan to achieve those goals. What do you hope to accomplish with your podcast? How does your show fit into your overall business plan? Does your podcast include a clear call to action. Your coach can help you develop each of those areas.
A dream becomes a goal when deadlines are attached. Your coach can help you set those deadlines. Your coach can then help you develop a plan reach those goals.
Setting goals help you maximize your potential. You can be your best when you set and achieve goals on a regular basis. Your coach can help keep you accountable to those goals.
ACCOUNTABILITY
Some people need a little extra push to remain focused on the task at hand. Your coach can help hold you accountable to your goals. The best part of that accountability is the goals are your goals. It is your agenda. Your coach is simply helping you achieve the goals you have set.
With regular communication, your coach can push you to do your best. Your coach can help you keep your goals top of mind. When you don’t feel like spending that extra hour making your podcast the best it can be, your coach can give you that little, extra motivation. You can use your coach to push you as much as you would like.
Consistency is key to a successful podcast. Your coach can keep you on track. When your coach holds you accountable, you produce great content on a regular basis. Consistency produces a reliable, trusted brand. Let your coach help you achieve that quality with accountability.
CHEERLEADER
Fear and self doubt prevent many people from achieving their goals. We all have a little critic inside our head telling us we aren’t quite good enough or we do not have the authority to succeed. The impostor syndrome destroys far too many great business ideas.
When you have a coach, you will have your own personal cheerleader. Your coach will help you build self-confidence. You will have the courage to explore topics and ideas on your show that you previously avoided. Your coach will help you voice your opinion and be confident in your beliefs. You will overcome your fears and truly believe in yourself.
You will develop self-confidence when your coach helps you improve your competence.
FEEDBACK
Finally, your coach will provide regular feedback to help you with improvement. Feedback will help you improve your competence. Nobody knows everything. Collaboration helps everyone learn. New ideas, new approaches and new contacts all come from great collaboration. A great coach can help you achieve that improvement.
A great coach will share knowledge and expertise with you that will help you discover new ideas and concepts. It is difficult to improve when you don’t know what you don’t know. A coach can use years of experience to help you discover new processes and information.
You can transform your mistakes into opportunities and learn to do things better with the help of a coach. A great coach has worked with many others allowing you to benefit from the trials and errors of many others. Your coach knows what has worked for others. There is a fountain of knowledge with your coach that you can access for the benefit of your show.
Your coach will also provide specific feedback regarding your podcast. This feedback will include actionable items. You can isolate the areas of your podcast that need improvement. Your coach will help you create an improvement plan for those areas.
You cannot simply remove the negative parts of your show. You must discover the effective parts of your podcast and figure out how to create more of those opportunities. This is where a great coach can help you succeed. A great coach will help you discover the parts of your show that are strong, help you develop a plan to create those moments more often, and then find the courage to present those moments during your podcast.
Coaching works. That is why it is everywhere in our society. Find a great podcast coach to help you reach your goals. Though I would love to help you, your coach doesn’t necessarily need to be me. You simply need to find someone with some experience that can provide a different perspective on your show.
I help podcasters refine their content and transform their information into engaging entertainment. I can help you as well.
Many podcasters let self-doubt derail their efforts. They feel like they are kids playing dress-up among other professional podcasters that have been doing it for years. Those podcasters haven’t learned how to properly structure a show, prepare the content or review the podcast. The impostor syndrome creeps in and they lose faith in their abilities.
It happened to me when I began in broadcasting 25 years ago. There were so many great broadcasters that came before me. Who was I to be on the radio? What did I know about broadcasting? Over two-and-a-half decades, I’ve learned the secrets of the great broadcasters to overcome that fear to create powerful relationships with my listeners.
I’ve helped many broadcaster and podcasters over the years. Many have reached the top of their game. My own personal radio show has been #1 over 80% of the time. I know what works, and it isn’t the big radio voice and cheesy lines you heard on the radio 20 years ago. This is a new era. It is a relationship era. It is time to use your podcast to create meaningful, powerful, profitable relationships with your listeners.
I can help you create those relationships using these five coaching areas. I can help you assess your current situation and see the big picture. Together, we will develop your goals and plan. You will be held accountable to your own agenda. You will have your own personal cheerleader. Finally, you will receive regular feedback to help you with improvement. Are you ready for a coach?
If you feel you could benefit from my help, e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. We can collaborate on a plan to crate a powerful podcast.
3 Key Elements To A Rockstar Podcast Brand – Episode 108
Why is a brand so important for your podcast? Your brand communicates the essence of you, your podcast, your business and everything you represent.
There are many, many definitions of a brand. Basically, it is your identity.
When people think of you and your podcast, what comes to mind? There are usually a couple words that your brand represents in the mind of the consumer.
Apple is Think Different. Nike is Just Do It. Ford is Built Ford Tough.
Those brands are more than just slogans. They mean something to the consumer. Different is part of the fabric that makes up Apple. Everything they do is different.
Many companies try to add slogans thinking it will become their brand identity. Most of the time, the words just become throw away tag lines.
IBM is currently using “building a smarter planet” as their slogan. What does that mean? There are many articles written on the brilliance of this campaign. However, most of the writing centers around the cool logo, the social aspect of the idea and Watson, the mega computer. How does that change my life? What’s in it for me? How am I smarter because of that slogan?
An iPod is different. The iOS platform is different. Apple is different. When I interact with the product, I am different as well. We can be different together.
“Different together” is one element of a cult brand as described by B.J. Bueno in “The Power of Cult Branding”. We’ve discussed that in a past episode.
I truly enjoy studying branding. When I was completing my M.B.A., I studies branding all I could. I have read many books on branding in addition to “Cult Branding.” Those include “The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding” by Ries & Ries and “Brand Like a Rock Star” by Steve Jones.
“Different together” brings us to the first element of a successful brand.
Consistent
To create a solid brand, you need to be consistent. Consistent with your message. Consistent with your promise. Consistent with your image.
When you think of great brands like McDonald’s, Coca Cola and Nike, you can see the evidence of solid consistency. When you walk into McDonald’s, you know exactly what you will get. You’ll get inexpensive hamburgers fast.
It doesn’t matter if it is a McDonald’s in Missoula, Montana or Mexico City, Mexico. The brand will be the same. You may be experience some small differences in the menu. For the most part, you’ll still get hamburgers, french fries and a Coke.
And of course the Big Mac. If you head into a McDonald’s and suddenly find fish n chips or bratwurst as the main entree, your trust in the brand will be destroyed. You won’t be sure what you’ll get next time you visit.
Your podcast must be just as consistent in order to create a great brand. Your listener must know exactly what they will get each time they listen. They come to your show to receive your promise. Deliver every time. Deliver consistently.
Consistency doesn’t mean lack of variety. It simply means that you always deliver your promise. McDonald’s offers different sizes. They offer chicken and fish sandwiches. You can get McNuggets. Either way, it is always inexpensive food fast when you want it. And the burgers are always there.
You are creating a brand when you are creating your podcast. You need to deliver consistently each time your listener tunes into the show. Foster that strong relationship with your audience. Be consistent.
Benefits
Your podcast should contain some sort of call to action. You might ask the listener to visit your website. You may ask them to contribute to a cause. Selling your product is a definite possibility. Simply tuning in again is a call to action. Whatever it happens to be, the call to action is part of the relationship building process with your listener.
In your call to action, be sure to sell benefits, not features. If you are selling a cookbook, the large print, stain-free cover and fact that it will stay open are all features. The ease at which the cook can read the book at a distance, the way it will stay clean to hand down to the next generation and the hands-free help it provides are all benefits. People don’t buy products. They buy what the product will accomplish.
How often does Starbuck’s promote their fine coffee bean. The answer is very little. Starbuck’s spends their time creating the Starbuck’s experience. They market the way Starbuck’s makes you feel. They aren’t promoting the warmth, color and robust flavor of their coffee.
Starbuck’s creates a relationship and true experience. They sell the way the coffee experience makes you feel. It is the barista, the smell, the music, the drink names, the cup, the sleeve, and even the lid. It isn’t warm, dark caffeinated beverages.
Find the true benefits of your podcast and product. Then, promote them heavily. People buy benefits.
Last week, we discussed changing your show introduction to better reflect your benefits.
Unique
Great brands are unique. Not simply a different shade of gray, but truly unique. To be remembered, you must stand out.
You stand out when you are loved. You are remembered when you are hated. You fade into the background when you are plain, vanilla and trying to avoid upsetting anyone. If you don’t stir strong emotions, you are easily forgotten.
When we create, we expose our perspective. We open ourselves to criticism. It is natural to want your thoughts, views, art and creation to be accepted by everyone. To avoid being disappointed, we often play it safe.
Those fantastic, memorable brands are usually both loved and hated. Apple is loved and defended by the converted and outcast by the PC crowd. Harley Davidson is loved to the extent that the converted tattoo the logo on their bodies.
Rush Limbaugh is loved by the conservatives and hated by the liberals. Dave Ramsey is loved by the conservative investor and hated by credit card companies and whole life insurance salespeople. Dr. Laura would consistently be critical of her callers. Yet she would receive more callers than she could handle on any given show.
Safety lacks creativity. It is risky to be truly creative. Taking a chance is really the only way to get noticed. Safe blends in. Risky stands out. Great brands are unique.
Take this week and review your brand. Look for consistency, the benefits and the uniqueness. Are you succeeding at all three elements of powerful brand? Where can you improve?
Successful brands do not happen overnight. It takes time. We are creating a relationship. Continue to build your consistency each week. Keep your listener at the forefront of your content. Then, find ways to be unique.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
The art of storytelling can be powerful. A story can pass life lessons from one generation to another. Tales can help people remember information. Stories bring words to life.
There have been thousands of great storytellers throughout time. You don’t need to be Chaucer or the Brothers Grimm to use stories to make your content come alive. Use stories wherever possible, and your information will become engaging and entertaining. It will also be memorable.
Here are six ways stories help the information in your podcast become powerful, engaging content.
A LAND FAR, FAR AWAY
Stories help your listener escape his everyday life. A tale that is told well will transport your listener to another place and time through their imagination. You help them forget their problems.
When you tell stories in your podcast, you give your listener hope. Tales of success help your listener see what is possible. Tragic stories make him thankful for what he has. Stories that simply make your listener think help her better understand something.
Stories that contain wonderful, vivid words create fantastic pictures in the mind of your listener. When your listener is intently focused on your story, she forgets she is listening to a podcast. She is so engrossed by your story, everything around her has disappeared. Your content has become her sole focus.
HEY, I KNOW YOU
People trust people they know. If you’re selling a product or service, people buy from people they trust. If you hope to make that sale, you need to create strong, meaningful relationships with your audience. Stories will help you develop those powerful relationships.
When you tell stories about yourself and your experiences, you reveal things about yourself. Revelation is a natural part of storytelling. Self-revelation allows your listener to get to know you. Your listener spends time with you every week as you tell him more and more about yourself. Then, even if you have never met him, your listener feels like he has known you for years. You’re building a relationship without ever meeting. Stories of self-revelation help those friendships develop.
A great anecdote helps define your character. Your listener wants to know what to expect from you and your show. The stories you tell help define who you are. Your listener will get to know you. After some time, she will be able to predict how you will react to things. You become familiar. Familiarity is another ingredient to a healthy friendship.
HUMANITY
Stories are either compelling, humorous or tragic. A great narrative will make your audience marvel at, laugh at or better understand something. Feelings make you human.
When you evoke emotions in your audience, your listener feels like you are just like her. Your stories reveal real-life experiences. You are telling her you’ve had similar things happen in your life. She can relate. She thinks in her head, “You’re one of us!” Your relationship continues to strengthen.
I REMEMBER THAT
Grimm’s Fairy Tales are so memorable, because they are lessons disguised as wonderful stories. Over 200 lessons were included in the books from the Brothers Grimm. Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Hansel and Gretel are all stories that are remembered well nearly 200 years after they were written. Stories link words to pictures in order to make the words memorable.
Great stories will make your information memorable as well. Use the tale of your latest saga to make your point. It will help your listener remember your content.
LIVE VICARIOUSLY
Your listeners can live vicariously through you when you tell them a great story. If you tell you listener how you made a fortune with your information, he gets to experience your joy almost as if he made the fortune right along with you. Your words help create the imagery in his mind.
Help people dream. Create fantastic stories that people can see in their own theater of the mind. Paint great pictures with your words. Your listener will see your story in his head.
Stories allow your listener to feel they joy without experiencing the risk. Your audience can walk through your hardships and feel the elation as you survive without actually living the pain. Delightful stories entertain listeners, because they can experience so much in a short period of time through you.
TAKE A CAR RIDE
Your podcast is 30 minutes long. That’s quite a bit of time to spend with someone. Will your listener want to spend 30 minutes in a car with you each week? When you record a podcast, you are asking them to do just that.
Your listener will spend meaningful, personal time with you each week. You better do all you can to create a strong relationship with your audience. Get listeners to like you.
When you reveal things about yourself through your stories, people will decide if they like you or not. Be real. Don’t force your story or change the details simply to make people like you. Tell the truth. If you bend the truth this time, you may forget next time. The truth will always come out. When it does, your relationship will be tarnished for good.
Reveal the truth. People will see you as a real human being. They will get to like you for who you are, flaws and all. The friendship will develop. Next thing you know, you’ll be taking a 30-minute car ride with them every week. Stories can make that happen.
Stories are powerful tools. They help your audience escape their problems.
Anecdotes help your listener get to know you. That’s where relationships begin. Your tales will show you are human. You are a real person with real flaws, just like your listener. Stories will make your information memorable, by drawing pictures in the mind of your listener.
Your audience can live vicariously through you when you tell them about your experiences. When you create that friendship, your listener will be willing to take that 30-minute car ride with you every week.
I would like to thank Steve Stewart over at MoneyPlanSOS.com. He has created a wonderful learning tool called the Audacity Workshop. This past week, he included me in one of the modules.
Our webinar was called “How To Create Killer Podcast Outlines”. We covered all of the steps laid out in the Show Prep Planning Worksheet available in the Free Worksheet Section at PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Then, I added another 30 minutes of bonus content exclusive to the Audacity Workshop. That bonus material covers ways to really refine your content in the planning stage in order to deliver killer content.
We discuss how to structure your introduction. You’ll learn how to effectively tease and promote the content in your episode, how vivid details bring your stories to life, and what content to include in your powerful call-to-action.
The best part … that is just one module. The workshop is packed full of great material and guest instructors. It is worth a look.
If you would like access to the content, here is my Audacity Workshop affiliate link. Take a look. I think you will be impressed by the depth of the instruction.
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 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.
Begin creating great stories today, and make your podcast powerful.
Have You Tried These 6 Audio Imagination Tricks? – Episode 104
Imagination. It is the wonderful result of recorded audio. When you listen to the radio, podcasts, audiobooks or other recorded audio, the imagination is in full motion. Your imagination belongs to you and you alone. You have full control. Your imagination is unlike any other.
Your imagination is used for your sole benefit. The characters and scenes created in your “Theater of the Mind” are exactly how you want them to look. The images are created in your mind in a way that gives you the greatest pleasure. It is all to benefit you.
The wonderful details in a story can stir the imagination in magical ways.
Last week, we talked about the element of surprise and delight within your podcast. Pieces of audio can add a wonderful element of surprise.
Video typically doesn’t stimulate the imagination the way audio does. When you see a car in a video, you know exactly what it looks like. If you and I both see a car in a video, we would both describe it in very similar ways. There is not much left to interpretation.
If I describe a cherry red 1968 Ford Mustang to you, I couldn’t possibly describe every detail. What does the interior look like? Where is it parked … or was it moving? Is there anybody in it? What kind of tires are on it? Hard top or convertible? There are many details to the story left to your interpretation.
Your imagination creates the car in a way that adds the most to your story and vision. That is the magic of recorded audio. Vivid details take your stories to another level of engagement that video cannot.
WAR OF THE WORLDS
You and I often discuss the incorporation of stories within your podcast. Stories reveal a lot about you as a storyteller. Stories also bring your content to life in the “Theater of the Mind”. Audio simply makes those mental images even stronger.
“War of the Worlds” was an incredible radio broadcast in the 1930s that brought mental imagery to life a little too well.
The episode by the great Orson Welles changed the way broadcasters approached their on-air responsibilities to the public for years to come. The show became famous for allegedly causing mass panic, although the reality of this mass panic was disputed.
Regardless, broadcasters changed the way they presented information on the air in order to keep the government off their backs. The audio was that powerful.
“War of the Worlds” was an episode of an American radio drama called “The Mercury Theatre on the Air”. This particular episode aired as a Halloween episode on October 30, 1938 when shows of this nature were performed live.
The story is an adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel “The War of the Worlds”. The story was shortened to fit a one-hour performance. It was presented as a series of fake news bulletins reporting an actual alien invasion.
The audio and effects added to the realism and the ensuing panic.
Later that evening, a few hours after the show aired, Orson Welles was standing in Times Square in New York City. Staring up at the New York Times building, he read the news bulletin, “Orson Welles Causes Panic.”
The media and politicians were in outrage the next day. They called for regulation by the Federal Communications Commission that would limit material allowed to be broadcast. They were upset that the broadcast was TOO REAL and therefore deceptive to the public.
The production was TOO GOOD. How crazy is that?
Over the years, Welles rose to fame as a producer and actor. This particular episode added to his meteoric rise.
Audio has that power to supercharge the imagination.
How are you using audio in your podcast to spark the imagination?
There are different ways to include recorded production elements within your show that will enhance your listener’s imagination and experience. When you add recorded elements, the imagination of your listener will be further stimulated. You will help create elements within your listener’s “Theater of the Mind”.
Here are a few recorded elements you could easily add to your podcast to spice up the listening experience.
1. INTRO/OUTRO
This is showbiz. Your podcast is created to entertain just as much as inform. It is just as much “show” as it is “business”. Add some sizzle to your show.
A produced “intro” and “outro” for your podcast is easy first step. The “intro” opens the show, as in “introduction”. The “outro” closes the show, similar to a conclusion.
At a minimum, find a great piece of music that will open and close your show. You can find many sites on the internet that sell music clips for just a few dollars.
Guest interviews are a great way to add depth to your audio. A second voice on the show will stir the imagination. Listeners will wonder what your guest looks like. The stories told during the interview will create visions in the mind of your listener.
Listeners enjoy eavesdropping on other conversations more than listening to a lecture. By adding interviews to your show, you allow your listener this pleasure. Sure, you could provide the information yourself rather than going through all the work to secure, arrange and conduct the interview. If you are hoping to develop a relationship with your listener using content that will be engaging, go the extra step by including interviews within your podcast.
3. LISTENERS
Adding listener audio to your show will add additional depth to your podcast. When you simply read a listener e-mail, the question typically lacks the passion that would come from the listener. The inflection is a little different than the caller would use. The question is also asked in the same cadence, style and voice that you ask every other question.
When you add listener audio, a second dimension is added to the show. Though the caller isn’t actually there, the second voice almost creates a conversation. Your audience is now listening to a conversation rather than a monologue. The question will also be asked in a way unique to the caller.
Similar to the way interviews stimulate the listener’s imagination, callers can add to the “Theater of the Mind”.
You don’t need to include the entire phone call. It is show biz. Use the part of the call that will most add to your show. If the call includes a bunch of details not relevant to the question or the show, feel free to edit those parts out of the call. As long as you are not changing the intention of the caller, or making it sound like they are saying something they didn’t say, editing the call is perfectly acceptable.
4. AUDIO EXAMPLES
When you make reference to a piece of audio, play a sample. If you are talking about an interview that Jimmie Johnson gave after a race, play a clip of that interview. Your listeners will be further engaged by the additional voice. Audio examples are just another way to add that additional level of production to your show.
Additional audio will take your listener to another place. An interview clip will transport your listener to the interview location. An old television clip with create memories of seeing the show. A sample of a classic speech may elicit visions of the orator. Use audio to enhance the listening experience.
5. CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS
People like to have their decisions validated. That is why many companies hire celebrities to endorse their products. If Michael Jordan wears Hanes, it should be alright for me to wear Hanes as well. I don’t feel like I’m the only one doing it when I see Michael Jordan doing it.
You can use this concept to benefit your podcast. If you can get a well-known name in your area of expertise to record a quick endorsement for your show, that piece of audio will add an element of credibility to your podcast. Your listeners will feel like they are not alone in liking your show. They will be validated.
6. SOUND EFFECTS
Sound effects can easily enhance the imagination. You need to be careful that you don’t overuse sound effects. Too many effects can make your show sound amateur. However, a well-placed effect here and there can add to the delight of listening.
Adam Carolla has a producer who is responsible for adding sound effects to the show. If you haven’t spent time with Adam’s podcast, listen to one episode simply for the production elements. His content may not be your cup of tea. However, the production of the show must be admired.
The magic of recorded audio comes from the imagination. When you stir wonderful visions in the “Theater of the Mind” of your listener, you will truly begin to engage your audience. You can then begin to build meaningful relationships with your listeners and keep them coming back again and again. Use these ideas to add a little “show biz” to your podcast today.
If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach podcast, please spend two minutes to do so. I would truly appreciate your generosity. Click the LINK and then the subscribe button in iTunes.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
The unexpected is amusing, delightful and memorable. Being direct assumes your listener cares about your marketing message. She doesn’t. Your listener cares about his or her needs, wants and desires. Attract their attention by doing the unexpected.
In his book “The Purple Cow”, Seth Godin says, “Cows, after you’ve seen one or two or ten, are boring. A purple cow, though … ow that would be something.” Phenomenal, counterintuitive, exciting and unbelievable.
If you want to get noticed, you need to stand out. You cannot afford to be a different shade of gray.
BJ Bueno in his book “The Power Of Cult Branding” describes the same. Oprah, Star Trek, Harley Davidson, Apple, Vans shoes. They are cult brands because they are incredibly different. They are not simply a percentage better or brighter or less filling. They are different.
Just a side note, if you would like to support the show, please use my affiliate links to both of these books.
Physical versions:
You can get a free audio book with a free trial to Audible using my affiliate link. CLICK HERE.
If you are considering either book, I’d love to have you use my link.
To engage your podcast listener and create a relationship, you need to be memorable. In order to be memorable, you must be unique. Be distinct, unusual, and unexpected. If you sound like every other show, you will not stand out and get noticed.
DISTINCT
Be unique. If everyone else is interviewing the popular clique in your niche, make your show different. Stand out. Interview different people. Interview the same people in different ways. Create a different interview style. Instead of interviewing, turn it into an expose or magazine style feature.
Jimmy Fallon is great at “not” interviewing people. He will do a lip sync challenge. Sometimes he will do a skit. He might turn it into a game show. It isn’t the typical interview.
UNUSUAL
Is everyone doing it the same way? Do it differently. You could add listener calls to the show. Don’t wait for them to call you. Reach out to people who e-mail you and ask if you can call and record them.
When I did episode 100 and 101, I didn’t hope people would call a voicemail number. I reached out and set up a call just like I would with an interview. Be proactive.
Apple is unusual. Wikipedia is unusual. Volkswagen is unusual. Stand out. Don’t be a different shade of gray.
There is a car dealer in Omaha that does things differently. Instead of being a little better or different, they have flipped the car buying experience on its head.
The dealership has a customer parking lot clearly marked. You are not attacked by 15 car salesmen the minute you drive on the lot. They hold the door for you. They help you find the person you need.
The dealer also understands that you have a lot of info from the web, so they don’t take an entire day to get the deal done. They have eliminated the games.
They just want to sell more cars. They don’t necessarily need to get every penny out of a deal. They more time they save, the more time they have to sell another car.
By doing things differently, this dealership has become the #1 Nissan dealer in the region. On top of that, they’ve only been open a few years.
UNEXPECTED
Another dealer took it over the top with my service.
My battery wouldn’t hold a charge. I figured it was my alternator. So, I took it to the dealership.
If you have ever had a battery replaced, you know how painful it can be to reset your radio, clock and other electronic features in your car.
When I picked up my car, they had reset my radio, clock and everything else. The first thing the mechanic did when he got into my car was write down my radio stations. Not only was it reprogrammed, it was back on the original station.
This dealership does the unexpected. They are also the #1 Ford F-150 pickup dealer in the country.
Dave Jackson does the unexpected when he interrupts his interviews with interesting asides. He drives the point home by interrupting himself. Who would think of doing that? It goes against every interviewing standard. Well, it adds unexpected surprised to his interviews.
Drop in some audio to surprise your listener. Take the show in a direction that your listener wouldn’t expect. If they think you are going right, go left.
If you can create unique, memorable experiences for your listener by incorporating the unexpected, you begin to create powerful, meaningful relationships.
Are you using cows?
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@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.
How To Define Your Avatar Or Target Listener – Episode 102
As we develop our business around our podcast, we strive to build trust. In order to build trust, we must develop relationships with our listeners. Friendships are created when you truly know everything about a person. This is the reason it is crucial that you define your single target listener.
Many podcasters refer to their target listener as their avatar. This person is the single individual around which you create all of your content.
To develop your business, you need to define your niche. Your focus on your niche helps grow your community. The ideal customers within that niche gives the focus the power.
TRUST
We have heard it said many times before. People do business with those they know, like and trust. This trust is what our friendship with our ideal listener is developing.
To build trust with our podcast, we need to have a conversation with one person. In order to do that, we need to define that ideal listener. Our target listener.
I have created a Listener Development Worksheet. This template will walk you through the development of your target listener step-by-step.
Use this worksheet to create your ideal listener. The more you know about your listener, the better you will be able to communicate. Keep this person in mind while recording each show.
YOUR AVATAR
In this episode, we walk through the worksheet. By the end of the show, you should have your ideal listener well defined along with a visual image in your mind.
A few characteristics of your ideal listener we will define today include age, gender, income, interests and fears. These are only a few of the 17 characteristics we will examine.
Be sure you have downloaded the worksheet. It will be a tremendous help with this episode.
Your ideal listener will evolve over time. The more you learn about your target listener, the more you will fine tune your definition.
RESEARCH
You can learn more about your audience by using a survey like Survey Monkey. Be careful that you ask questions that your audience will be comfortable answering. Specific income might be too personal. A range might be better.
Let me know how it turns out. I would love to help you any way I can.
What If I Get Too Much Engagement? (Listener Questions Part 2) – Episode 101
THANK YOU!
We have made it through 100 episodes. With your help, I have been creating this podcast for nearly two years. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
On this episode, I want to finish the special show we began last week. This is part two of the questions I have received from listeners.
NEW PATHS
I have never had another person on the show. Up to this point, I have simply been sharing my 25 years of broadcasting knowledge with you.
For the 100 episode milestone, I invited a few listeners to join me on the show to share their questions about podcast content and creation.
The response and questions were so great, I had to split the show into two episodes in order to keep it to about 30 minutes each. This week is part two. If you missed the first half, subscribe to the show and give it a listen.
A few questions allow us to dive into some new material. A few help us explore a few topics a little deeper. There are even a few twists along the way.
FRIENDS & INSPIRATION
Here are the people who join me on this episode and inspire me to do this each week.
Alex Exum – The Exum Experience
“What’s the one mistake podcasters are making?”
Rem Lavictoire – The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast
“How do I include listener feedback if I get too much?”
I truly appreciate all of the support you have given me over the past 100 episodes. This podcast would not exist if it wasn’t for you. Thanks for being part of this great community.
Next week, we will talk about defining your avatar and using that target listener as a filter for your content. Find that worksheet here.
-WORKSHEETS-
Do you have a question? I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Welcome to Episode 100. With your help, I have been creating this podcast for 100 episodes.
On this episode, I want to do something special.
NEW PATHS
I have never had another person on the show. Up to this point, I have simply been sharing my 25 years of broadcasting knowledge with you.
Today, I have invited a few listeners to join me on the show to share their questions about podcast content and creation.
The response and questions were so great, I had to split the show into two episodes in order to keep it to about 30 minutes each.
A few questions allow us to dive into some new material. A few help us explore a few topics a little deeper. There are even a few twists along the way.
FRIENDS & INSPIRATION
Here are the people who join on this episode and inspire me to do this each week.
Dave Jackson – School of Podcasting
“How do you get used to talking to the wall when doing a solo show?”
(I also do a podcast with Dave called “The Podcast Review Show”. Wanna get reviewed? Click HERE.)
Steve Stewart – Money Plan SOS
“The impostor syndrome seems to be creeping in. How does somebody get into the right mindset where they actually feel like they can bring some value even though they may not be the best in the industry?”
Megumi Takeda – Working on her first episode
“Do you have any advice to help smooth out the moments when interviews come to a dead end line of questions and need to transition into another topic?”
David Freeman – Authors Pay It Forward
“What is the most comfortable level of preparation for a podcast interview?”
Next week, we will hear from a few other listeners with more great questions.
Do you have a question? I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Developing your strategy involves determining how you will uniquely address each topic. Whether you are presenting information, answering questions or interviewing guests, there are many ways to address each topic. You do not need to do it the same way every other podcast does it. Be unique. Find the way that will stand out.
If you are interviewing, do you need to ask the same questions that every other podcast asks? What if you play a game with each guest called “The Hat of Forbidden Questions”. It’s a hat filled with crazy questions. You simply reach in the hat, pull out a question and ask whatever is on the card. The method is completely different than every other podcast. This approach will also generate unique answers while engaging your guest in a unique manner.
Here is a tip many people forget. This is show business. You could play “The Hat of Forbidden Questions” and never even have a hat. You could have a list of crazy questions for your guest written out and simply pretend to reach into a hat. This is show business. You are here to entertain.
Do you think the actors in “Seinfeld” or “The Sopranos” ad lib their lines? Of course not. Do you find it less entertaining when they follow the script? Of course not. There is no reason you cannot add a little show biz to your show.
Just be sure to always be true to the show. If you are going to pretend there is a hat, you MUST ALWAYS pretend there is a hat. Giving up the showbiz secret will ruin everything. On the other hand, you could really have a hat and have a ton of fun with it.
Determine how you will approach each topic. Will you play audio examples? Will you play voice messages from your listeners? Are you going to read e-mail? Maybe there is a guest contributor. Determine each approach before the show begins.
Once you have your list of topics, develop a strategy to uniquely approach each of those topics. Be original. Stand out from the crowd. Know how you will handle each topic before your show begins.
Questions
Here are a few questions to help you begin.
What are you passionate about?
What are your unique qualities?
What topic tends to occupy most of your conversations?
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Use these topics to define a focus for the show.
Complete this sentence: I help ___ do ____ so they can ____.
Many online marketers use this sentence to define their purpose and focus. You can do the same.
You can find these questions on the Show Focus Development Worksheet in the free Worksheet series online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
When you want your listeners to stick around and listen to what you have to say, you need to give them a compelling reason. Your listener needs to anticipate what is to come later in the show. You need to excite them. You need to tease them.
Anticipation is a key feature to storytelling. Your story should build just like a good plot builds in a movie. You need to make your audience anticipate the content that is on the way.
Your story is similar to a vacation you are planning to take. The fantastic anticipation for the trip is almost as pleasurable as the trip itself. You can’t wait for the trip to arrive. You want your listener to feel the same way about your story.
When your listener can’t wait for the story to arrive, you have created some great content with an powerful tease. Your listeners will get more enjoyment from your show when they get the tease payoff more often. The pleasure of the “oh wow” factor will be increased. The joy of anticipation will keep your audience coming back for more.
There are three steps to creating an effective tease.
#1 – Intrigue Me
When you promote content that is coming up later in the show, you must give your audience an intriguing reason to stick around. It isn’t enough to simply say, “A great story about this weekend is coming up.” Few will stick around for the payoff. The tease lacks stickiness. It doesn’t hook the listener.
A creative tease produces anticipation. Instead, use something like, “You’re never gonna believe who I was introduced to this past weekend. My world is about to take a wild turn.” With that statement, your imagination begins to work.
Who could it be? Was it a celebrity? An investor? A mentor or hero? Imagination is the magic of a creative tease. Stir the imagination of your audience to truly engage them with your content.
When possible, intrigue by incorporating the listeners world. “This weekend, I discovered a way to save $100 a month on my grocery bill by changing one thing in the way we shop. I’ll tell you how you can do it too.” It answers “what’s in it for me” for your listener.
#2 – Give Them 80%
To create an effective tease, give your listener 80% of the story while leaving out the most important 20%. It is similar to giving the setup for a joke without providing the punch line. Lead your listener right up to the line, but make them wait to step over.
The key to an effective tease is to withhold the most important 20%. Let’s use our previous example of the attic weekend. I could say, “You’re not gonna believe it, but I found a $25,000 antique painting in the attic this weekend. I’ll tell you what’s on it coming up.”
This is a perfect example of withholding the wrong 20%. Who cares who is on it. If it’s worth $25,000, it could be a painting of the sky. It wouldn’t matter to me. I’d only be asking where I could sell it.
$25,000 is the most exciting piece of information in the entire story. That is the piece that I need to withhold to create some excitement. To properly tease, I need to say, “In the attic this weekend, I found an antique painting of Napoleon. You’re never gonna believe how much it is worth.” You are more likely to stick around to see if I can retire on my winnings when I set it up in this fashion.
Make it impossible to search online.
You want your listener to keep listening for the payoff to your set up. If I can simply search on Google for the answer to your tease, there is no reason to keep listening. I can just look it up and be done with it.
#3 – Make Your Tease Unsearchable
Let’s say I have a story about Joe Celebrity getting drunk at High Profile Bar in Las Vegas over the weekend where he got arrested for assault. I could say, “Another movie star got arrested this weekend after he got in a fight with a customer at High Profile Bar in Las Vegas. I’ll tell you who it is coming up.”
Celebrity name is part of the correct 20% I’m withholding. However, I can look this story up on Google in a heartbeat. If I search “Arrest High Profile Bar Las Vegas”, the chances are good that I will find the story in the first few search results. The tease isn’t effective. It is too easy to search.
To make the tease more powerful, make it impossible to search. “Another bar fight over the weekend landed another celebrity in jail. The story is coming up.” This tease makes it much more difficult to search. If you entered “celebrity bar fight weekend” in Google, 70 million results show up. It will be much easier to wait for my payoff than to begin searching 70 million Google entries.
The three steps to powerful teases will help you begin to engage your audience on the way to building powerful relationships. Use the three steps in your show recap to entice people to listen to the episode. Then, use them again during the introduction of the show to get listeners to enjoy the entire recording.
You’ve worked hard to create your content. A lot of effort has been exerted on your part while writing and recording your show. Make your content intriguing by using these three steps in the art of the tease.
When you use the art of the tease, your listeners will spend more time with your show. The increase frequency of the tease payoffs will help your audience enjoy your content more. When your show is more entertaining, it becomes more engaging. When you truly engage your audience with your content, you can begin building powerful relationships. That’s where trust and influence with your listener begins.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Thanks for all the e-mail over the past few weeks. Seems my four-episode series on interviewing really got you thinking. Such great questions have been filling my inbox.
We will talk about a few of the interviewing questions on the episode this week. We will also discuss how to remove crutches from your podcast.
Here are a few of the questions …
RELATIONSHIPS
Erik, as I am listening to WTF’s Thursday episode when he was recapping the behind the scenes of the President’s visit, I thought it coincided with your episode this past week cause he was talking about how long the process took.
(Marc) Maron’s producer said exactly what you said about keeping up great relations and communications even if the interview didn’t seem likely to happen.
Erik, quick note to say I’ve been enjoying your podcast on interviewing people. Will you be at Podcast Movement?
-David Hooper www.redpodcast.com (A podcast about Real Entreprenuer Development.)
WHY IS DUMAS SO SUCCESSFUL?
Erik, I just found your podcast, and heard two shows about how to interview. I agree with your concept, but I wonder how does a show like Entrepreneur On Fire –John Dumas–do so well? I listened to his show for a while, but I don’t find it interesting anymore. And yet he is doing so well and clearly successful. What do you think?
-Thanks. (Name Withheld)
REMOVE THE CRUTCH
Hi, Erik! Big fan of the show, sir! Best help out there for podcasters that want to be better broadcasters! I find myself saying “like” way too much. How can I stop?
-Mike Seay www.dorktownpodcast.com (A podcast with comedy, interviews, discussions and more.)
This week, we get into all of that and more.
Thanks for the great e-mail. Your questions truly help me shape the content of the show. Keep them coming.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
This week, I would like to share with you the two steps to take in order to create powerful interviews.
Over the 25 years I have been on the radio and coaching radio talent, I have had the opportunity to interview many, many people. More importantly, I have had the chance to discuss the art of interviewing with celebrities, managers, coaches, consultants, radio talent and many others in the industry.
Time and time again, I hear the same thing. There are two elements that create successful interviews. Now, you can use these two steps to create great interviews on your podcast.
Don’t Ask That Question
If you have a decent guest on your podcast, they have probably been interviewed many, many times about the same subject. Popular guests often get bored with the same questions being posed to them over and over again. To make your interview truly engaging for all involved, find unique ways to ask questions that serve the guest as well as the listener.
Often, you will hear a host ask their guest stale, typical questions. You know the questions. “So, how did you come up with the name of your latest project?” You may hear them ask, “What have you been up to lately?” Guests truly dread these questions. They serve no real purpose, yet everyone asks them.
I have had musicians confide in me off the air how much they hate doing radio interviews, because they are all the same. When I once asked a question taken from the band’s website, my guest said, “Oh, I see you’ve read my bio.” He called me out right there on the air. Most hosts take the easy way out and just skim the bio or news release and take their questions straight from there.
Using typical methods lead to stale questions. “When does your album come out?” “Where did you get the name for the band?” “How did you guys meet?” Pop group Ben Folds Five began making up answers for the question “Where did you get the name for the band?”. In fact, they almost had a different answer every time the question was asked. They had to make the interview interesting for themselves.
Every guest is looking to benefit in some way from the interview. Usually, they have come on a show to promote their latest book or new product. You can help them do that without asking painful questions.
Let’s say you are interviewing a musician who has a new album coming out on July 1st. You ask, “When does the new album come out?” Your guest will instantly think, “Didn’t this guy do any homework before he set up this interview?” Your guest will also be saying in his head, “Oh, not this line of questioning again.”
Instead, make your questions interesting. Ask, “When you album comes out on July 1st, what will you be doing to celebrate?” You could also ask, “The album is released on July 1st. Who have you slipped some advanced copies to?” How about asking, “When the album hits stores on July 1st, where will you go buy your first copy?” Believe me, every artist buys a copy of their first album in the store. They just want to see it on the shelf.
By asking creative questions, you’ve helped the guest promote their goods without sounding stale. You have also avoided the mistake of stealing their answer. Be unique.
Country artist Little Big Town was recently a guest on my show. By reading information about the band on the internet, I knew all four members have kids. I also knew all of the kids travel with them when they tour. I could have asked, “What are the names of your kids.” How about, “Is it fun traveling with the kids?” I’m sure they get asked all of the time.
By getting a little creative, I asked the members of Little Big Town, “When the kids travel with you guys, what is the craziest kid thing you have on the bus?” They had just purchased a new kiddie pool for the summer that would fit on top of their gear. They also have a pink pottie for toilet training. It gave them a great opportunity to talk about their kids without asking the same, lame questions.
Keep your interview engaging. Be creative. Find unique ways to ask questions that serve the guest as well as the listener. By all means, don’t ask that question.
Did You Really Hear That?
When you are conducting an interviewing on your podcast, really listen to the answers your guest is giving. Don’t be in such a hurry to move on to the next question. Engage with your guests in order to make your show engaging for your listener.
I’m sure you probably think you are listening. In reality, you are probably thinking about the next great question you can ask. Even if you aren’t asking it, you are preparing the question in your head.
Stop. Be in the moment. Really listen to the answer of your guest. Let the answer spark your next question. If you truly listen to the answer, you will then ask the next logical question your listener is asking in their head.
When you are more concerned about the next question rather than the answer coming your way, you will miss the magic. Your guest could be giving you great question leads that you won’t find in their bio, on their website or in their news release.
If you don’t make it through your entire list of questions, nobody will know but you. The goal of the interview is to engage your audience. It doesn’t matter if that takes three questions or twelve from your list.
In every interview, intently listen to the answers. Did you really hear that?
To create powerful interviews, ask unique questions and then actually listen to the answers. Your podcast interviews will improve and be better than most other interviewers in your niche. Using these two steps will help you create engaging content and a respected podcast.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
I recently received an e-mail from Bill Frank. He discovered me at NMX2015.
Bill was wondering how my coaching may help him with his interview show. I thought you may be having the same question.
This week, with the hope of helping you improve your interviews, I would like to begin sharing some of what I have learned while interviewing guests on the radio for 25 years.
When you have a guest on your podcast, it is your job as the interviewer to make the interviewee look good. You are the professional. You know everything there is to know about your podcast. Your guest is new to your show. They may even be new to interviewing. Help them.
When you help your guest get comfortable and look good, you help them successfully promote whatever it is they came on your show to promote. They will be grateful for that. Your guest will see the benefit of being a guest on your show. You will develop a reputation. That success will help you book even better guests in the future. Word will spread.
There are a three steps you can take to help your guest look good.
No Yes/No
First, ask open-ended questions. This will allow your guest to convey the information they have come to share. If you ask yes/no questions, your guest will be stuck trying to figure out how to get his point across. It will also be easy for him to simply say “yes” and leave it at that. You will then be the one trying to find the next point to make. Open-ended questions allow your guest to elaborate on their subject.
What’s In It For Me?
Second, know why your guest is on your show and help them make their point. Do a short pre-interview before you start the show. Ask them about the important points they would like to hit. Then during the show, ask them questions that help them make those points. If your guest tells you their spouse really had a huge impact on their success, ask them about their biggest influences in their success. Make it easy for them.
Set Them Up
Lastly, get out of the way. You don’t need to show your guest or your audience how much you know about their topic. It is their topic. So many hosts ask long, elaborate questions proving just how smart they are and how much they know about the subject. If the host knows it all, there is really no reason to have a guest. (see “One Of You Isn’t Necessary“.) Ask great questions because you know so much. That ability will make you look much better than actually knowing.
Using our previous example of spousal influence, you do not want to say, “Your wife played a huge role in your success with her support. That must have been a real help to you.” You just stole his thunder. You’ve only left him the option to say, “Yes” and make some menial points.
Instead ask, “Who was the one person other than yourself most responsible for your success?” You’ve created some anticipation for your audience. You’ve also just thrown him a softball that he can knock out of the park with a fantastic answer about his wife. He looks great for having such a stellar answer. You also look great for asking such a brilliant question. Everybody wins.
Help your guest succeed. Allow them to answer great questions. Most of all, make ’em look good.
If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach podcast, please spend two minutes to do so. I would truly appreciate your generosity.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
Lionel Ritchie is a class act and every bit of a gentleman you would hope he would be.
Do they remember?
When you consider the options podcast listeners have, the importance of creating a powerful brand really becomes apparent.
I searched iTunes for podcasts about hockey. There are hundreds of hockey podcasts available. Thousands and thousands of episodes exist that deal with hockey. You can find various topics, including drills, NHL teams, coaching, fantasy hockey and many more.
How do you stand out? How do you get noticed?
Your listener needs to remember your podcast, so they can return and listen again. That is the way to build a following. It really doesn’t matter how many people listen today. What builds a strong podcast is the number of listeners that come back the next time, and the next time, and the time after that. You build your audience slowly with more listeners this week than you had last week. Get your listener to remember to return.
Using your brand to create strong relationships with your listeners is critical to the health of your podcast. If you are bland, you will get lost in the sea of average. There are over 100,000 podcasts available for consumption. Most of them are average or worse. If you refine your content, turn your information into entertainment, and transform your podcast into powerful relationships, you will easily stand out from the crowd. It is a must not only for your success, but your mere survival. Begin your brand today.
When it comes time for your audience listening again, do they remember?
Be Yourself
A great podcast is a great relationship. It is just like creating a great brand. In order to develop that solid relationship, you must be yourself. You can’t fake it.
When you try to be someone or something you are not, you will not sound authentic. Eventually, the truth will come out.
Have you ever met someone you had admired from afar, only to have them do something that didn’t fit with your image of them? Maybe it was a baseball player, or a movie star, or a politician or a musician. You met them with great expectations of an encounter with your hero only to find out they were rude and average. It turned out they were only being who they thought they should be for the public when really they were someone completely different in real life.
Everyone has their flaws. That is what makes them human. Howard Stern has flaws. He makes his flaws part of his show. Domino’s Pizza admitted the errors of their ways with their cheap, low quality pizza. They laid it out for the world to see in their marketing. Your listener will accept your flaws. They will feel like you are “one of them” when you admit your flaws upfront. Don’t be afraid to expose yourself.
When your listener discovers you are something other than the character you portray, the bond of trust will be demolished. Your relationship will be forever damaged.
Build a solid brand. Be yourself.
Unique, Vivid, Mental Images
When someone tells a story, on the radio or in a podcast, it is theater of the mind. When you hear the old time radio show describe the dim light on in the servant’s quarters, the scenery is playing out in your mind in a unique way unlike the way anyone else could envision it. No other person is imagining the clothing of the characters the exact same way you are imagining them. That mental theater is unique to you. You are listening and imagining by yourself.
Podcasts make the one-on-one approach even more important. Podcasts are often enjoyed through headphones. Your audience is truly listening by themselves. The headphones block out all other sounds and distractions. You have multiple “one person” audiences at the same time. Yet, it is still one person.
Connect with your “one person” audience by creating a great theater. The theater will be different for each listener, because they are using their individual imagination. Create a movie and put the listener in it. Make the story an individual experience for the listener. Engage the listener with vivid details and a fantastic storyline. Make them forget they are listening to a podcast. Create great theater of the mind. Create unique, vivid, mental images.
I would love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Photo bombed by Mark Harmon. Rob Greenlee, Rob Walch, Erik K. Johnson, Seth Resler and Dave Jackson.
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:
There were many others that I met and created valuable conversations. New Media Expo is such an incredible event for our podcasting community.
After I attend a conference like this, usually on the flight home, I like to review my notes to find the big points I can put to use as soon as I arrive home. This week, I would like to share with you my top 12 takeaways from NMX.
This list isn’t nearly exhaustive of the things I learned. Some are not even new, but great reminders. We dig into each one in this episode.
1. Schedule it, so it gets done.
2. If advertising is driving people away from traditional media, why are so many podcasters so anxious to add commercials to their show?
3. From Mignon Fogarty: E-mail newsletter is the #1 way to reach your audience. Make sure it has a personal tone.
4. From Chris Ducker: There seems to be a lack of originality in the online business space. Stop being lazy and come up with your own (stuff).
5. From Rob Walch: iOS usage crushes android devices 6:1 in download ratio. (In this episode, we also discuss a few tips for iTunes search he provided.)
6. From Lou Mongello: Don’t forget the importance of face-to-face contact and communication.
7. From Mark Ramsey: Beginnings matter. Radio listeners always come in somewhere in the middle. Podcast listeners always come in at the beginning.
8. From Pat Flynn: I’d rather live a life full of oh wells, than a life full of what ifs.
9. From Dave Jackson: When you wonder why anyone would ever listen to you, remember that you are special (neat). Then, embrace your uniqueness, and understand the bar isn’t set very high.
10. From Daniel J. Lewis: The description in iTunes does not help SEO, but does help the PERSON. Make your episode titles appealing, as if they are your portfolio.
11. From David Hooper: People aren’t paying you to podcast. They are paying you to help solve their problems.
12. From Cliff Ravenscraft: When growing your audience/community, connect to your existing audience and make the experience great for them. Get word of mouth to spread.
Thanks for spending another week with me. I truly appreciate your time.
I also want to thank Joshua and Mercy for the amazing feedback regarding the last episode about your “why”. Many of you sent feedback, which I greatly appreciate. I had wonderful exchanges with Joshua and Mercy that helped me create a great plan. Thanks for all you do for me.
If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach podcast, please spend two minutes to do so. I would truly appreciate your generosity.
Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let’s see what we can do.
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 books like “The E-Myth Revisited”.
START WITH WHY
Another book that has helped my review is “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. The book is focused on the theory that people do not buy what you do. They buy why you do it. Turn your customers into fans by making them believe in your mission and purpose.
Have I sufficiently defined my why? I thought I had. Even after refining it a few times, I am not quite sure.
Podcast Talent Coach is just over 18 months old as a podcast. From the limited feedback I have received from you, I am not quite sure my “why” is clear enough to truly inspire you to create great work.
Podcast Talent Coach was launched to help podcasters gain more confidence in their content. When you open the mic, I want you to truly believe that your voice matters. I want to arm you with the confidence you need to beat back the butterflies and excuses in order to create powerful content episode after episode.
With the information I provide every week, you should be able to take your information and turn it into entertainment that is engaging for your audience and unique to you.
MY STORY
I have been in radio for 25 years. I have been coaching radio talent for 20 of those years. As I listened to podcasts, I realized so many podcasts could improve with a few tips I have learned and used over those two-and-a-half decades.
The coaching experience I have gained could easily be used to help podcasters create amazing content that could replace other entertainment sources if I could only reach those podcasters.
Eighteen months in, I have only connected with a handful of podcasters interested in making that amazing entertainment a reality.
As I step back and examine the progress, I come up with four possible explanations.
1. ALREADY GETTING IT
One reason could be you get all you need from this podcast and the free worksheets I offer. You don’t feel one-on-one coaching is necessary.
If this was the reason, I would see more downloads of both.
2. SPREAD THE WORD
Another explanation could be I haven’t done a good job spreading the word about the show.
When I launched, the show got a solid start. I hit a few hundred downloads quickly. Things slowed down quite a bit after that. A few hundred downloads is about average and nothing to sneeze at. I am grateful for each person that joins me every week. Thank you for being here.
As I continue to produce content for you each week, I am not seeing further growth. That concerns me.
3. PROBLEM SOLVING
A third reason I may not be seeing continued growth could be the market. Maybe I have not done a good job creating a solution to a problem my audience knows they have.
This is a likely reason. Most podcasters who have the confidence and ego to open the mic and create content every week believe they are good enough the way they are. They may not realize that there are steps they could take to create more powerful content.
It is also possible the problem I am trying to solve does not exist. As I help radio broadcasters improve their shows, many of them fear the critique then love the feedback and growth after the fact.
4. THE “WHY”
The final reason may be my “why”. It is very possible that I have not sold my “why” well enough.
I have defined what I do quite a bit. But have I really defined why I do it for you? Maybe not.
My love for great radio and creative podcasts drive me to do this show every week. I love being able to create great audio that people look forward to every week.
More importantly, I love sharing my knowledge of that process with others. You can create amazing visual images in the theater of the mind to inspire your listener with your podcasts. Inspire them in such a way that they cannot wait for the next episode.
That incredible anticipation of future episodes is what makes this medium so wonderful. Holding the attention of a listener to the point where they cannot get enough of you is an amazing feeling.
FIND THE GOOD
Dave Jackson and I do a show together called “The Podcast Review Show”. Each episode, we invite a podcaster on the show to have his or her podcast reviewed by the two of us. It takes a great deal of confidence to have two coaches review your show right in front of you.
Every guest is a little nervous coming on the show. They are not quite sure what we will say. They fear we are going to tear their podcast apart and affirm their belief that they are not good enough.
During the show, Dave and I look for areas of the episode that are really good. Our goal is to help podcasters do more of the good. In turn, that will replace the stuff that isn’t as strong. In the end, the podcast gets better.
Every guest fears coming on the show, but truly appreciates the actionable feedback at the end of the process.
JUMP THE HURDLE
Here lies my problem with Podcast Talent Coach. It is not easy to get you over the fear of being critiqued in order to get you the joy of the improvement. That fear at the front door is a pretty big barrier. It is very similar to the fear of getting in the roller coaster line in order to enjoy the exhilaration when you finally get off of the ride.
The anticipation and fear could be preventing Podcast Talent Coach from growing.
Then again, I am not sure what is holding me back. Maybe it is a bit of all four. My gut tells me it is probably the lack of communicating my “why”.
WHAT IS YOUR WHY?
Have you communicated your “why” well enough? Have you inspired your fan with the reason you create your content every week?
I haven’t come up with the answer to my problem quite yet. I’ll continue working on my business until I find the solution.
I would love your input. As a frequent listener to Podcast Talent Coach, what do you hear? What brings you back every week? What has prevented you from getting more involved with coaching?
E-mail me anytime you would like at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me know what you think. How can I better help you?
Thanks for being here. I truly value your attention every week. You mean the world to me. I will help you any way I can.
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 echo.
If you do not have a closet, find the smallest room you can. A smaller room equals less echo.
Once you have a small room, hang baffling to absorb the sound waves. You do not need to spend a ton of money for expensive baffling. I have used packing foam, sleeping bags and folded, corrugated cardboard covered with blankets. Find any soft material to absorb the sound.
Improve Your Content
To improve your material, you need to review your show. Professional athletes watch game film to improve. Learn to do the same.
Listen like a listener. Pick a show from a few weeks ago and listen on the way to work or while you are exercising. Make note of the pieces that jump out at you and those that need work.
Do more of the good stuff. Replace the rough parts with more good stuff.
You will only truly hear the good and bad when you listen like a listener.
Improve Your Show Notes
Make your show notes valuable for your fans. Incorporate links listeners can use.
Create beneficial links. Sure, link to your own content. Then, link to tools that you use. Link to great articles. Link to helpful resources. Create value.
When your listeners benefit from your show notes, they are likely to come back more often.
Improve Your Interaction
If you want your listeners to interact with the show, make it easy for them.
Focus your call-to-action on one thing. When you add more than one, you force your listener to make a decision. Decision making is too much work.
Decide what you want your listener to do after listening to this specific episode. Then, add that call-to-action at the end of the show.
Your call-to-action can be different for each episode. Even so, only include one per episode.
Improve The Value To Your Listener
What do you want your listener to gain by listening this week? Have a goal for every episode.
How will the listener benefit? When you know this before you begin recording, you can better ensure your listener gains something by listening.
The only way to know that you have achieved your goals is to prepare properly. You need to define your goals and listener benefits before you begin recording. This should be part of your show prep.
This particular episode of Podcast Talent Coach empowers you with seven ways to improve your podcast. That is how you will benefit. I defined that goal before I began recording. It was part of my prep.
Improve Your Consistency
Consistency builds trust. When your listener expects your show to be posted every Friday, you need to post every Friday.
Listeners are creatures of habit.
When your show does not show up, it is just like you have missed an appointment with a client. You are destroying the trust you have built with your fan.
To improve consistency, develop a show schedule and stick to it. Know when you will record. Know when you will post. Now, stick to it.
Improve Your Engagement
Engagement is different than interaction. A listener that cannot turn your show off is engaged. A fan that is providing feedback is interacting.
If you want to engage your listener, talk to that person as an individual. When you address your audience as a group, your listener does not feel special. Talk to one person.
When you talk to your listener as an individual, she feels special. She feels like you are having a conversation with her.
When you address your listeners like a crowd, your fan can get up and leave without feeling guilty. It would be just like walking out during a concert. Nobody is going to notice. No engagement.
Here is the checklist:
1. Improve your audio by using a pop filter, a smaller room and baffling.
2. Improve your content by reviewing your show like a listener.
3. Improve your show notes by incorporating links your fans can use.
4. Improve your interaction by using one, focused call-to-action.
5. Improve the value to your listener by defining the benefit before you begin.
6. Improve your consistency by developing a schedule and sticking to it.
7. Improve your engagement by talking to one individual.
Pick one of these improvements, and get to work this week. Your podcast improves little by little. The more steps you can take moving forward, the more improvement you will make.
Have a great week. Let me know how I can help.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@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.
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 things others are experiencing. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. People crave living the lives of others.
Your listeners want to live vicariously through you. They want to experience your success. They wish they had the courage to do the things you have done. Your fans want to be you in some way or another.
Voyeurism is a reason many people watch the shows they watch, listen to the stories they hear, or read the books they read. They want to experience the lives of others.
MY STORY
Architecture was my original career path. It wasn’t until three years into my architecture degree that I realized radio was the profession I was designed to pursue. I was able to work in a profession I absolutely love. Now, after 25 years in radio, I have taken the talent coaching facet of radio and turned it into a path helping podcasters create amazing content.
That path has now led me to be a speaker at some of the best podcasting conferences in the country. I was a speaker at Podcast Movement 2014. This year, I will give a presentation at New Media Expo in Las Vegas in April. My life is full of amazing events, because I dared to dream and follow my passion.
DREAMS
Your listeners want to dream. Help them.
People eavesdrop on the conversations of others for the very same reasons. They can experience the life of others without the risk of failure. Eavesdropping doesn’t take the courage that it takes to actually live the life.
By telling great stories about your experiences, you help your audience fulfill the desire to live vicariously through you. If your show contains audio of your feats and experiences, you allow your audience to become the voyeurs they desire. When you interview people on your show, you allow your listener to eavesdrop on your conversation.
When you simply lecture as the content of your show, you fail to help your listener experience any of those three desires.
Find new ways to deliver your material to your audience. You will make those important connections that turn into friendships. Those relationships will foster loyalty to your show. Your tribe will follow you wherever you go. That’s a powerful thing.
Tell stories of self-revelation. See where it takes you. You’ll be surprised how many people wish they could be you.
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 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.
5 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 couldn’t 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.
Facebook and Twitter should be used differently. Content lives and is relevant longer on Facebook. Twitter is the here and now.
Here are five ways to use social media more effectively to drive your podcast engagement.
ACKNOWLEDGE
To create community and engagement using social media, make those that follow you feel interesting. Retweet their content. Acknowledge them. Get involved in the discussion.
STOP YELLING
Use social media like you are a fan instead of a marketer yelling at people. Get excited about the things that get your fans excited.
Use the 90/10 rule. 90% of your content should be entertaining and helpful. Only 10% of your posts should be selling anything.
BE PURPOSEFUL
Keep three goals in mind when you are using social media to engage your tribe. Seek to either inform, entertain or appreciate. “Hey, buy my book” is none of the above. You can promote your book while accomplishing one of the three goals. You simply need to be creative.
Most people unfollow someone because of uninteresting content.
STIR EMOTION
Stirring emotion within your tribe will get them excited. Play to their heart instead of their head.
Use positive feelings most of the time. Stir a mix of motions, but always bring it back to a positive, happy ending or hope. Finally, surprise your tribe.
YOU ARE ON CAMERA
Video is really driving engagement on social media. Figure out how to incorporate a little of that into your strategy. Inform, entertain or acknowledge using video once in awhile.
Make personal connections and interactions to drive your engagement. Social media is a great way to accomplish those connections.
The Country Radio Seminar taught me so much. It is also an amazing way to meet new people and make connections. You can do the same. Join me at New Media Expo April 13-16 in Las Vegas. I would love to see you when I present my session on powerful storytelling.
Learn how to use stories to create that engagement and powerful call to action. Meet a ton of new people to help you move your business forward. Use my affiliate link and promo code to save $100 on your registration here.
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 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.
Create Results Without A Big Mailing 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. That photo is me with the amazing Tim McGraw.
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 lifestyle choices. Examples of companies that have built successful business models that appeal to the “me” consumer include Starbucks®, Apple®, Facebook® and Dell™.
This theory is perfect for podcasting. We can truly niche down and focus on the 2.5%. We can move the needle with a group of super fans much smaller than we once thought.
What are you doing to reach the 2.5%? How can you create results without that big mailing list?
Your podcast is a great vehicle to do just that. Let’s find the content to move your 2.5%.
EMOTIONAL CONNECTION
Develop your brand by developing an emotional connection. Stories will help you create that connection by revealing things about yourself. Hype will not sustain a brand. You need to be true to who you are.
A brand is a promise. You must deliver on that promise every time.
A brand is a collection of perceptions. You must deliver those perceptions consistently.
Speak the language of your audience when you deliver on your promise and your perceptions.
USE YOUR ASSETS
Use your podcast and other digital assets to drive your 2.5% to your website with a powerful call to action. Make sure you convert the visits with a very specific call to action every time.
In order to create a powerful call to action, create your plan. What is the goal of your show? Use your goal to create content that helps your audience. Create fans with your great content. Then, move them with your call to action.
You do not need a huge audience or a big mailing list. You only need a very passionate few percent. What are you doing to motivate your 2.5%?
The Country Radio Seminar is teaching me so much. It is also an amazing way to meet new people. You can do the same. Join me at New Media Expo April 13-16 in Las Vegas. I would love to see you when I present my session on powerful storytelling.
Learn how to use stories to create that engagement and powerful call to action. Meet a ton of new people to help you move your business forward. Use my affiliate link and promo code to save $100 on your registration here.
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 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.
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 personal assistant. It might be a booking agent. You need to make friends with these people.
In the music business, I always go through the record label. I need to create a strong relationship with that person in order to be at the top of the list when interview opportunities come about.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?
To score a guest interview for your podcast, you need to begin by explaining how the interview will benefit your prospective guest. The fact that your audience will love it has no bearing. It really doesn’t matter to your guest if your show or your audience will benefit from the guest’s appearance.
When your guest makes the decision whether to appear on your show, they will only consider how the appearance will benefit them personally.
We were able to help a very sick young girl meet Taylor Swift … from her hospital bed.
Lolo was a young 11-year-old girl. Her wish was to see Taylor Swift in concert. She was getting tickets for Christmas. However, when Taylor came to town, Lolo was in the hospital fighting for her life. She was in Children’s Hospital fighting leukemia.
I passed along Lolo’s wish to Taylor’s record label. It wasn’t only the story that got Taylor. I know she loves giving back in very special ways. The Taylor Swift tour was coming through town for two days. I knew there would be some down time the day of the second show.
I made it as easy as possible for Taylor to make Lolo’s dreams come true. That is exactly what happened. You can see the story here:
What is in it for your guest? Make it easy.
SHOW THEM WHAT YOU’VE GOT
Provide your prospects some examples of your great work. If you have endorsements, share those as well.
SIZE ISN’T THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS
Many podcast hosts use their audience size to lure guests. If you have a reasonable audience size, surely use it to your advantage. However, don’t stop there. You may be overlooking many other ways you could benefit your guest.
You could offer to give your guest exposure on your website. You may have visitors to your site that do not listen to the show. Promote your guest on the site with a link to their content. This will be an additional benefit.
Mention your guest and interview in your blog. Again, your guest will be reaching additional audience. You are helping them spread their message beyond your podcast.
Offer to promote the interview and your guest’s information to your mailing list. You may have many people that receive your newsletter who may never listen to your podcast. By including a link to your guests website in your mailing, your guest will reach additional people. Take credit for that.
Your audience for any one of these avenues may be small. However, when you combine the benefit of each distribution method, your proposal for the interview will be more appealing to your guest. Use every audience you have to your advantage.
DON’T TRIP OVER THE NAMES YOU DROP
Play to your guest’s ego by dropping a few names. If you have had other notable guests on your show in the past, let your guest know. Tell your prospective guest they will be among good company. They will feel more comfortable saying yes to your request.
If you conduct interviews as part of your podcast, use these six steps to land the bigger names. It will not happen overnight. However, consistent fishing with this better bait will surely land you some larger fish.
I’m speaking at NMX 2015. Save $100 on your registration with coupon code Ejohnson20 when you use my affilate link HERE.
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 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.
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 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.
Whether you are a seasoned podcaster or brand new to the game, refining your podcast focus is always an important step to keep your listener engaged.
Brand new podcasters can use these five questions to refine the focus of their podcast idea.
Podcasters have been doing it for awhile can use these though starters in order to step back and assess the quality of their content and determine if they are reaching the goals established.
These questions will help you find content that your listener desires, solve a problem your listener encounters often, and find topics that make it easy for you to create that sticky content.
Sharpen your podcast focus using these five questions.
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.
Make your content more engaging. Use these 5 questions to sharpen your podcast focus.
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 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.
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 introduction should spell it out. It should set up what is to come.
If your goal is to make your listener laugh at the horrible restaurant service you received, lead with it. “When we were out to eat this weekend, I couldn’t get the waiter to pay attention to our table if I had been waving $20 bills in the air.” The audience will now have time to enjoy the vivid details of your restaurant story rather than trying to figure out your point.
When you begin your story with the details, your listener spends energy trying to determine the point you are trying to make. They are trying to figure out what the story is about.
Have you ever been stuck listening to someone tell a story while you’re thinking, “Will he ever get to the point?” That is what we are trying to avoid.
Here is an example of a story you might hear. “This weekend I had some time on my hands. I figured it would be a good weekend to clean out the attic. I dug through the garage to find the ladder and get at it.” Are we telling a story about a mishap in the attic? Is this story just recapping the weekend? Maybe it is about discovering something in the attic. You don’t know. I haven’t told you. There is no lead to this story.
To hook your audience and allow them to truly enjoy the story, lead with an intriguing introduction.
Be A Storyteller For Success.
As you create your podcast, become a great storyteller. Great storytellers create fans.
Interest in your story never remains constant. Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. If interest is falling, the show is becoming boring and is no longer entertainment. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.
Have you ever sat through a long, monotonous story that never seems to end? You stare and wonder if the speaker actually has a point to this monologue. You pray for your cell phone to ring and save you. That scenario is exactly what you want to avoid. Practice becoming a great storyteller.
Stories help define your character and personality. You should always be yourself. It is difficult to play a character consistently and tell great stories. Your true feelings and identity will always be revealed in the stories you tell. If you are successful hiding your true self, you simply are not telling great stories. Vivid details and interesting points that stir emotions in your listeners can only come from your true feelings. Reveal your true character. Storytellers create raving fans.
Make them forget.
When your audience is listening to your podcast, make them forget they are listening to a recording. Take them to another place. Make your storytelling so strong that the imagination of your listener puts her in another time and place. That’s what great storytelling is all about. That’s what great relationships are all about.
People seek entertainment to escape from reality. They want entertainment like movies, concerts, television, radio and podcasts to make them forget about all of their problems. Entertainment that succeeds will take the audience member to some other place and time.
When you record your podcast, you need to create that wonderful theater of the mind. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading fiction or talking about gardening, put your audience in the moment. Make your listener forget they are listening to a recording.
Become a great storyteller, take your listener to another place and time to make them forget about their problems, and hook them early by leading with an intriguing introduction.
Get the story development worksheet as part of the pack of worksheets available for free online at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
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 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.
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 their filet. It is thick and juicy. Usually medium-well done. Just a little pink in the middle. Oh, so good.
If I don’t order it medium-well, it is usually too red in the middle. I can’t handle steak that does not look like it has been cooked all the way. A little pink and I’m good.
A nice baked potato usually accompanies the steak. I’m in Heaven. Perfect meal.
On this particular night, I ordered it the way I typically order it. Nice and consistent.
That is not the way I received it.
Instead, the waitress delivers me a something that resembles a flat iron steak. Not even an inch thick. It looked more like a strip than a filet.
If you are not a steak eater, this would look more like a flat chicken breast. A filet is more akin to a square tennis ball. The two are nothing similar.
In fact, I don’t even think this particular restaurant has a strip steak on the menu.
If I were to order a strip, I would order it medium. Anything more than that gets delivered like a piece of shoe leather. Which is exactly what this was. The steak was tough and nothing like I ordered or expected.
The consistency wasn’t there. The restaurant destroyed any trust I had in them to deliver a meal like I ordered. My favorite meal was gone.
That was the last time we had dinner at that restaurant. It was probably a year ago. The trust was gone.
I LIKE IT LIKE I LIKE IT
Think of McDonald’s. When you order a Big Mac at McDonald’s, you expect it to taste exactly like the last Big Mac you purchased and ate. This is true whether you purchased your last Big Mac at the same restaurant, across town, in another state or around the world. You expect it to be consistent.
If the Big Mac you purchased today suddenly has mustard and sauerkraut on it, you would be a little hesitant to purchase another next time. You know what you want and want what you know. You want consistency.
Now, translate that consistency to your favorite television show. It may be a regular, primetime show, the evening news or a variety show. It really doesn’t matter.
All shows follow the same pattern. Your favorite show opens with some sort of theme. It’s the same opening for every show.
The show open probably introduces the main characters, actors or hosts. The open lets you know what to expect over the course of the show. If it is a sitcom, you might see a couple outtakes from previous episodes that define the character. If it is the news, you may see a tease for the stories coming up. If it is a variety show, they will probably tell you about the big events on this particular episode.
The show will then roll through the content.
Eventually, the show concludes in a consistent manner each time. The news will usually end with some sort of lighthearted kicker story. Variety shows may have a musical guest at the end. Dramas end happily ever after.
Every successful show follows a pattern. It is a consistent pattern. You want to know what you’re getting each and every time.
The consistency gained from the show structure helps the audience feel at ease and comfortable with the program. If your listener is new, she is brought up to speed quickly when you tell her what to expect.
If the listener is a returning participant, your introduction causes him to say to himself, “Oh, yeah. Exactly how I remember it. This is the right show.”
If you are watching the news and suddenly there are two new anchors along with different people doing the weather and sports, you will wonder if you’ve somehow stumbled upon the wrong channel. It will feel uncomfortable. It isn’t what you expected.
Consistency helps your audience feel at home. Work to achieve it every time.
You can build that consistency by creating a structure for your show that will allow you to fill the time with great content.
FIVE Ws
Just like a great news story, you can create a solid structure by defining by the Five Ws. Develop the structure of your show by determining Who, What, When, Where and Why. This structure will be the same for every show. The content of the show will vary within the structure and keep the show fresh.
Who will the audience hear on the show? Many podcasts are hosted by one or two individuals. These people are the only voices the audience hears. One person as the host is the easiest version. If you are the only person featured on your podcast, you can create the show whenever you’d like. The downside is the fact that you will need to fill the entire show with content while talking to yourself.
On the other hand, two hosts pose other problems. With two hosts, there is often no a leader of the show. The direction of the podcast is left to chance. If both are not in the same room, they will often talk over each other without the help of non-verbal cues. It requires much more work and planning to make a show with two hosts sound smooth.
There are many other versions of “who”. The host can interview a guest on each show. Callers can be part of your show with the appropriate equipment. The audience could interact with the show via e-mail. Any version of the “who” works.
Multiple styles can be combined as well, like a late night talk show. You simply need to select the style that makes you most comfortable and be consistent with it.
As you are deciding your “who”, determine what role each voice will fill. If there are two personalities with the same opinion, one of them isn’t necessary. You’ll just waste the listener’s time trying to get each personality mic time while communicating the same message. It would be very similar to debating yourself. There must be contrasting points of view between the personalities to justify the existence of each on the show.
What will be on your show? This includes topics, interviews, callers, e-mail, audio clips, highlights, sound bites, articles and other material you might include in your content. Your “what” might be answering e-mail from listeners with questions on your topic. Your “what” might be your comments and thoughts on various articles you’ve discovered on your topic. You could interview experts in your field.
As I mentioned in earlier podcast episodes, using the voice of the person asking the question is much more powerful than you reading an e-mail. That second voice adds depth to the conversation, adds validity to the question and creates a sense of eavesdropping on the conversation by the listener.
If at all possible, use audio to make your point. As you determine what will be on your show, find the “what” that excites you.
Do not get into a rut. Be creative. Find new ways to say the same thing.
When will you record and post your show? Find the time of day when you have the most energy to record your show. If you are a morning person, and you love getting up at the crack of dawn full of energy, record your show in the morning. If you enjoy staying up late long after everyone else has gone to bed, and the creative juices are just beginning to flow, choose to record at night. There is a time of day when your energy is highest.
You need to find the right time, because your energy level will be noticeable coming through the speakers. If you are tired, your audience will know. If you are smiling, your audience will be able to hear it. Find your sweet spot, and record at that time.
You do not necessarily need to post your show at the same time that you record it. You could record four shows on the same day and post them periodically over time.
If your content is time sensitive, you might need to post your show the same day you record it. For instance, if you’re discussing the day’s news or sports scores from last night, it might be stale if you wait a week to post it.
You simply need to be consistent with your posts. If you decide to post your show every Tuesday at 3p, your listeners will expect your show to be there on Tuesday at 3p. You can’t post it at 5p. The listener will not come back hoping it is there two hours late. That would be similar to the 6 o’clock news starting at 7:30. That’s not when you expect it and you wouldn’t tune it at 7:30 hoping the news is there.
Deliver on your promise. Post consistently.
You also need to decide how often you will create a show. It could be daily, weekly or monthly. It should definitely be regular and consistent to build an audience. Your fans need to trust that the show will be there when you say it will be there. Select a schedule that you can handle on a consistent basis.
Do not attempt a daily show if you cannot stick to that schedule. It is much better to post weekly and deliver too much than it is to attempt daily shows and miss a few. Humans are creatures of habit. If you can get them listening to your show as a habit every Wednesday at noon during their lunch break, use it to your advantage by posting consistently.
Where will you create your show? This is an important detail. Each episode of your show could come from your “studio”. You could also record your show on location if you are incorporating guests.
The technology available today will allow you to record almost anywhere. Find a place where you can focus on your show and control the surrounding ambient noise. You want the sound quality of your podcast to be as good as possible. However, don’t let that restrict your creativity.
Strive to make it good, but do not let perfect get in your way. Location is an important factor to the professional sound of your show. Content is as well. Balance the two.
Why are you creating a podcast? You need to find your passion. If you are creating a podcast for reasons other than your passions, you will find it difficult to keep up the consistency required to be successful.
Find the one thing that you love to discuss more than anything else. That should be the topic of your podcast. Chances are, you already know a ton about your passion topic. You will also find it easy and rewarding to discuss that topic. Money will typically follow you if you follow your passion.
Work to create that important trust ingredient by building consistent structure with your podcasts.
Create a structure for your podcast that will remain consistent for each show. The consistency will help build trust with your audience. Deliver to the expectations of your listener. That trust is the first step in monetizing your podcast.
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 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.
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 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 to become the music director of the campus station. After a few months, I had a part-time job at a local radio station.
Since I was so close to finishing, I decided to complete my architecture degree. Once complete, I continued to work in radio and pursue my passion. Broadcasting become my life.
Architecture and radio are actually quite similar. Both require the ability to be creative within a set of guidelines. Both professions require a combination of creative and analytical skills.
After a few years in radio, I discovered my true passion was helping talent refine their craft and content. I fell in love with creating content that captured the imagination of people and created effective calls to action.
The world of podcasting is like the new frontier. We are able to create with very few parameters. Along with that freedom comes responsibility. You must set your own rules.
That is my passion. Each day, I have the privilege of helping wonderful podcasters hone their craft and create amazing content to reach their goals. For that, I am truly grateful.
That is the foundation of this thankful podcast.
I didn’t get here on my own. There are quite a few people that helped me achieve all that I have. This Thanksgiving, I want to thank those that have helped me. As you continue your journey, you may find some inspiration here as well.
This is my thankful podcast.
My Family
The support I receive from my wife and two wonderful children is priceless. They encourage me with every step I take. Find inspiration in the ones you love. Let that love and encouragement lead you to great things.
You
You are the reason I do this show every week. Knowing that I help you with your content, your art and your passion drives me to create every week. The fact that you give me 30 minutes of your time every week means the world to me. Please know that I am thankful for that gift every time it comes my way.
Dave Jackson
When I began down this path, Dave Jackson was the first to reach out to me and offer help. Most of my achievements were partly due to the help Dave provided.
Dave runs the School of Podcasting. His knowledge of podcasting and resources have helped me every step of the way. I cannot possibly thank him enough.
Jeff Beals
Before I even discovered podcasting would be my path, Jeff Beals was an inspiration. As part of my mastermind group, Jeff was my sounding board. His words and guidance always motivated me.
Jeff has a great book called “Selling Saturdays”. He interviewed football coaches regarding recruiting, selling and inspiring. The book contains wonderful stories. No matter if you are selling ideas or widgets, this book will help you achieve.
Rem Lavictoire
When I am stuck in a rut, Rem Lavictoire is always there with a few words of inspiration. I’m not sure how he knows. His e-mail shows up in my e-mail box just at the right time.
If you have attended New Media Expo or Podcast Movement in 2014, I am sure you have seen Rem. He is usually the first to the microphone after a session with some of the best questions you will ever hear.
Rem has given me inspiration and motivation through his friendship. I am grateful for all the support he has provided over the years. Rem has a great podcast call the Sci-Fi Movie Podcast. Find him at www. Sci-FiMoviePodcast.com.
Kenn Blanchard
Kenn and I met through Dave Jackson. Kenn Blanchard has a podcast that has really inspired me in my faith and fatherhood. His podcast is called “Black Man With A Gun”. Kenn offers words of wisdom and inspiration every week. His Father’s Day show is one of my all-time favorites. Check him out when you can.
A few men have inspired me from afar. Through their teachings, they have inspired, mentored and taught me along this journey.
Dan Miller inspired me through his “48 Days” teachings. His podcast and books have motivated me to pursue work that I love.
Gary Vaynerchuk and his book “Crush It” showed me the way to structure and achieve all that I have.
Brendon Burchard helped me launch Podcast Talent Coach through his teaching in the “Millionaire Messenger”. His book and CDs inspired me to share my knowledge with the world.
This Thanksgiving, these are the people for which I am most thankful. Without you, I would not be able to do this every week. Thank you for being part of my journey. Let me know how I can help you in any way possible. To you I dedicate this thankful podcast.
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.
It never ceases to astonish me how our podcasts create friendships with people we have never met.
My family and I were at a hockey game a few weeks ago. A couple came up to us and started chatting about the game as if they knew us. We had a great conversation with them as if we had been good friends for years.
When the couple moved on, my wife was a little irritated with me when she asked why I didn’t introduce her. I told her I didn’t know who they were.
These people knew me from being on the radio. I am part of their lives on a daily basis. I share things with them everyday on my show. These people feel like they know me and we are good friends even though we have never met.
This happens all of the time. As podcasters and broadcasters, we have a strange friendship with our listeners. That friendship give us influence.
How can we develop those friendships with our podcast?
Here are five tips.
1. Reveal Things
Reveal things about yourself on your show as you would to your good friends.
2. Include Your Listeners
Make your listeners part of your show. Don’t distance yourself from your listeners with e-mail and text messages. It is much more compelling to hear the words of another individual in their own voice than it is to hear someone else tell the story (or ask the question).
The passion of the message, story or questions isn’t contained in the e-mail. Inflection and meaning are always different when read by another individual. A scripted e-mail lack spontaneity.
I believe this is why interviews are so powerful. You can talk about a book, or you can interview the author. Which is more compelling?
3. Make Your Listener Feel Something
Emotions are powerful.
4. Be A Companion
Make your listener feel comfortable, as if they are spending time with a friend. They will come back time and again. You are their companionship.
5. Help People
Helping others should be your first priority.
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 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.
People love to buy. They hate to have people sell to them. Create interest and desire. Make your fans want to buy. The hard sell rarely makes your fan feel good about making the purchase. How do we use our content to develop the desire to buy rather than the method to sell?
I believe it is possible to make money “with” your podcast. To make money “from” your podcast is much tougher.
Are You Important In The Life Of Your Listener?
The most important marketer in a person’s life is someone they know, like and trust. We all know this.
As I started in Podcasting, I hit Google to find information. That is where I originally discovered Dave. Then, I began seeing him in blogs and hearing him referenced in other podcasts. I began listening to his podcast to get to know him.
One day, I got an e-mail from Dave. He wanted to chat with me about podcasting to see if we might be able to help each other. It was great. That is where my trust really started.
After a few months, I used his affiliate link to build out my website for my podcast. It all started with the relationship.
This is the primary reason word-of-mouth is so powerful. The recommendation that comes from word-of-mouth usually only comes from a friend. A friend is someone you know, like and trust.
If the recommendation comes from someone you don’t know, the message is no longer word-of-mouth. The suggestion is now called “marketing”, or “sales” or “a pitch”.
If you want the call-to-action within your podcast to be effective, you need to build that trusting relationship with your listener. From your stories will come self-revelation. This will allow your listener to get to know you. By being yourself and sincere, you will become likable. Finally, if you continually help your listener get what they want by putting their interests first, you will build trust.
On the Dave Ramsey Show, Dave helps people with every call he receives. Out of six or eight calls in an hour, he may mention his books, websites or seminars once. He will always mention his “baby steps” philosophy. However, he will rarely suggest people buy his products.
Dave reveals many personal things about his past and his family. The listener gets to know him. He is often blunt and honest. Dave’s tough love makes him likeable. The help he provides his callers builds trust. These steps make Dave’s manta become a true following. His listeners spread the word to the point where The Dave Ramsey Show has around 5 million listeners.
If you have built a true friendship with your listener, where they know, like and trust you, your call-to-action will be powerful. Spend time creating that relationship between your brand and your listener. Then and only then can you effectively use word-of-mouth.
Are you important in the life of your listener?
After you build the trust, you can then create a powerful call-to-action.
Is That You Calling?
To create a successful podcast, you need to create an effective call-to-action within your show. So, how do we measure success? If we are trying to get our audience to do something by using a call-to-action (listen again, buy our product, visit our website, support our cause), our call-to-action should be our determining factor of success. Measure what counts.
When you create your podcast, you should measure your success not by the number of listeners or downloads, but by conversions to whatever you want them to be or do.
Let’s say your goal is to get people to visit the store on your website. If you have 1,000 people listening to your show, but you only get 2 of them to act and actually visit the site, you really haven’t been successful.
However, if you only have 200 listeners, but 100 love everything you do and visit your site regularly, I would consider that a success. Having 1,000 listeners may sound better than 200. By closer evaluation, I would much rather have 100 fans than 2.
Don’t get fooled by measuring the incorrect statistic. Measure what counts. Measure your call to action.
Create an effective call-to-action, and measure it.
Selling Is Easy, Right?
I was listening to an interview CD that accompanies each issue of Success magazine. Publisher Darren Hardy was talking with Founder and President of Piranha Marketing, Inc. Joe Polish. During that interview, Mr. Polish proclaimed great marketing makes selling easy and unnecessary.
You may not be selling in the traditional sense of products or services in exchange for money. However, you are making a call-to-action within your podcast. It may be selling for money. It may also be inviting your listener to come again, asking him to visit your website, requesting that she join your mailing list, inspire him to get involved with a cause or any other action. It all involves selling yourself.
Polish’s statement was bold. As he went on to explain himself, Polish made perfect sense. In fact, his comments were very similar to the marketing and branding information we’ve been discussing with regard to your podcast.
In summary, Polish said great marketing gets people properly positioned, so they are pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you (or act on your call-to-action). Great marketing therefore makes selling easy and unnecessarily.
If you have truly engaged your listener and created that strong relationship we’ve been discussing, the selling should take care of itself. Selling becomes difficult when you are trying to get your listener interested. Selling before your listener is motivated is a challenge. Trying to sell to a listener that isn’t qualified is hard work. If your listener isn’t predisposed to taking action, you will need to sell hard.
When you have taken the time to build the relationship, your listener will be pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you. They will be ready to buy. Selling, in terms of convincing your listener to buy, will be unnecessary. Your marketing and engaging relationship will have them ready for your call-to-action.
This week, review your podcast. Let’s discover ways to make money with your podcast.
Are you building trust and properly positioning your listener to do business with you?
Have you developed something to sell (other than advertising within your show)?
Have you developed your strong call-to-action?
Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.
“I feel like I just listened to an hour long infomercial. Daniel, I recognize your need to cross-promote and I realize that your income comes from podcasting. I feel overloaded with commercial information and have quite a difficult time separating out the real content from the commercial content. It’s just too much. Sorting out the things I would consider using from the things I have tried in the past but didn’t work from the commercials just wasn’t worth the hour I wasted this afternoon listening to your podcast today.”
Daniel goes to great lengths to avoid being self-promotional. He mentions his products at the end or when it is contextually relevant. Hence the “I have a tough time separating out the real content from the commercial content”. If one blends into the other, it fits with the content. Daniel hardly creates his podcast to be one big commercial.
On the other hand, why are the product mentions so bad? How do you find out about great products? How did you find out about the last great movie you saw? How did you discover the last great book you read? Didn’t someone tell you about it? Regardless if that person was a friend or part of a marketing message, that communication helped you discover new things. That is what marketing is all about.
Sure, not every marketing message is going to be tailored to your needs. There will be some that might miss the mark. It could be the mass mailing you received from the pizza joint down the street because you have a family of 4. It could be the political flyer you received because of your party affiliation.
Is it that difficult to ignore the irrelevant? Throw it out.
So, how do we make our marketing message relevant? How do we make the message valuable instead of an interruption?
Are You Shouting?
You can’t shout your way into a person’s trust circle. They only way to gain trust is to add value. Give them something they can use. Building trust is the foundation of revenue generation for your podcast.
As you build trusting relationships with your podcast, continue to ask yourself, “How am I helping my listener?” Continue to give, and the trust will develop over time.
When you begin every discussion with your product, needs or wants, people will tune you out. You will begin to sound (and be treated) like advertisements for used cars. Shouting doesn’t work. Your listener won’t care and will rarely return.
Daniel does the opposite in “The Audacity To Podcast”. He usually starts by helping his listener. Then, if it fits, he will recommend a product or service to his audience.
Serve first, many times over. Then and only then can you effectively sell.
Shows like the “Dave Ramsey Show”, “48 Days To The Work You Love” and “The Audacity To Podcast” are all designed to help their listeners first. Sure, they all have products to sell as the end result. However, they never begin with their product. The discussions on these shows always begin with the listener’s needs in mind first.
Why is it bad to sell? Why must podcasting be only altruistic? If I have something that might help you solve your problems, why would it be wrong to recommend it to you while making a few dollars at the same time?
If you loved mowing grass, would it be right to expect you to mow my grass for free? You love to do it. Why should I pay you? If it is acceptable to charge you for mowing your yard, why isn’t acceptable to earn some money for helping you with your business?
As you prepare for your show, find great ways to help. Your help may come in the form of entertainment. You may serve as companionship for your podcast listener. Help them find other forms of companionship as well. If your podcast is only one hour per week, there are 167 more hours in the week that aren’t occupied by your show. Your listeners will surely need more companionship to fill a few of those hours. Help your audience fill those hours, too.
Are you building trust, or are you shouting? Develop the friendship by delivering companionship.
Are You Delivering What They Seek?
People listen to podcasts, the radio and other audio for companionship. They don’t want to drive alone. People have an inner desire to be around other people. Companionship is the reason people listen to your podcast, even if you are selling something. Your listener will always ask, “What’s in it for me?”
Make your listener feel comfortable, as if they are spending time with a friend. When people listen to guys like Adam Carolla, they feel like they know him. Women feel like they could actually hang out with Ellen DeGeneres when they watch her show. Leo Laporte comes across as your friend when you listen to his tech podcast. Each of these shows are about that comfortable connection.
When you make your listener feel comfortable, they will come back time and again. You are their companionship. Are you delivering what they seek?
This week, start with your listener in mind. Ask yourself, “What is in it for them?” I want you to feel confident about your content. You will not please everyone. Focus on your one target listener you have defined using the Target Listener Worksheet at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
If you upset a few people, they either get over it or they would never be your customer in the first place. At least you are doing something to make them care.
Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Being unique is the only way you can make your podcast get noticed in the sea of sameness. There are so many podcasts in your niche. Being memorable is critical.
There is one file in your listener’s mind that you occupy. You can’t occupy multiple files. You must pick one. Define that file and do all you can to support that image. That is the essence of your brand.
Where does McDonald’s fit in your brain file? McDonald’s is probably the “Fast Hamburgers” file? Does it also fill the “Milkshake File”? Probably not. Sure, they serve milkshakes. However, that file is probably occupied by your favorite ice cream shop.
Where would Cheetos fit in your brain file? It would go in the “Lip Balm” file, right? Of course not. However, Frito-Lay launched Cheetos Lip Balm in 2005. It failed miserably, because Cheetos occupies the “Cheesy Puffed Snack” file in your brain.
Your podcast brand can only occupy one file. Pick the one image your brand can own? Define your brand.
When we create, we expose our perspective. We open ourselves to criticism. It is natural to want your thoughts, views, art and creation to be accepted by everyone. To avoid being disappointed, we often play it safe. Our creativity lacks creativity. It is risky to be truly creative. However, that is really the only way to get noticed. Safe blends in. Risky stands out.
To create engaging content with your podcast, you need to be unique. Your first idea will rarely be a truly unique idea. That first idea will usually be something you have done or seen done in the past.
Keep working the idea. Let it lead to other, more creative ideas. The more often you let your mind explore other options, the more often you will develop truly unique ideas. Don’t settle.
Always attempt to create something unique with your content. Do not settle for your first idea. Push yourself. Brainstorm. Let one idea lead to the next until you have a long list of ideas. Then, select the best idea from the bunch. You will usually find the best and most unique idea further down the list.
If you settle for your first idea, you content will become stale. You will continue to use ideas that have been used in the past. There will be nothing to engage your audience.
The unexpected creates amusement, delight and a memorable event. Being direct assumes your listener cares about your marketing message. They don’t. You need to be unique to be memorable. Be distinct, unusual, and unexpected.
Being unique is the only way you can make your podcast get noticed in the sea of sameness.
Congratulations to Dave Jackson over at the School of Podcasting. Dave was recently named the new Director of Podcasting for New Media Expo. NMX will be held April 13-16, 2015 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. It will also be held in conjunction with the NAB Show. NMX is always a great event and should be even better with Dave at the helm. I’m very excited about the show.
Dave and I do a show together called the “Podcast Review Show”. You can learn how you can be a highlighted podcaster on the show by clicking HERE. We have added a new option to the show where podcasters do not necessarily need to appear on the show to have their podcast reviewed. Get all the details HERE.
Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.
7 Common Podcast Mistakes That Drive Listeners Away – Episode 060
Listeners have many, many options for their entertainment. When you create your show, you are not simply competing with all of the other podcasts in the space. You are competing with all of the other entertainment options available to your listeners.
TV, CDs, radio, satellite radio, on demand video, Youtube, audiobooks. The options are endless.
It is only a start to create great content that attracts your listener and is better than every other options available to your listener at that time. You also need to ensure that the things you do within the episode do not drive your podcast listeners away. Many podcasters give their audience reason to leave without even realizing it.
This week, we will discuss 7 most common podcast mistakes that drive listeners away. There are many others. See how many of these 7 common podcast mistakes you recognize from your show. Then, let’s figure out how to fix them to make your show even stronger.
You Focus On Yourself
You can have anything you want in life as long as you help enough other people get what they want. Make your show less about you and more about helping your listener. You can tell your story and then frame the result around the listener’s perspective.
You Are Not Engaging And Use No Stories
Stories are powerful. We discussed this power in the past few episodes. Pull you listener into your content by making it personal. Then, turn the mirror on them. How can your stories help your listener?
You Are Talking At Me, Instead Of To Me
Treat your listener as an audience of one. Audio is a personal medium. People listen by themselves while creating personal visions in their own head. Have a one-on-one conversation with your listener. Talk to your listener and not at them.
You Are Unfocused & Unprepared
Know your goal. You cannot get to your destination unless you know where you want to go. Develop your goal. Then, be prepared. Gather your material and information before you begin recording.
You Open The Door
Let your content flow from one topic to the other like a conversation. Avoid “now it’s time for …” When you are having a conversation at a party, you don’t say, “… and that is what my kids are doing. Now, it’s time to talk about my golf game.” You just flow into the next topic organically. Also, be sure to take the first exit so you do not overstay your welcome.
You Are Not Interested
Be interesting by being interested. Get rid of the stale questions and content. Make your self unique by being curious.
You Lack Show Biz
This is show business. Use theater of the mind. Make your audio powerful by transporting your listener to another place and time. Add some flavor with creative sound effects, powerful production elements and some audio magic.
Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let me teach you how to turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Thank you so much for all of the great feedback recently. I am happy to hear this content is having a positive effect on your show. You are truly beginning to transform your information. Congratulations.
This week, I would like to share two notes with you hoping you can use the information and answers as well.
JOURNALING
Hi Erik,
Just a quick note of thanks for your latest episode of ‘Podcast Talent Coach’ where you talked about story telling and using a journal as a tool. Somewhat skeptical that it was something I needed, I sat down yesterday and gave it a shot, using the 5 minute time limit you mentioned and writing my thoughts out using a pen and paper. I did this to capture something personal that I could use in my next episode of ‘Evolution Talk’. I am extremely happy to say that it worked. I was able to produce a couple of powerful thoughts for the show that I am certain I would not have captured otherwise. Suffice to say, it’s now going to become part of my show preparation for every episode going forward.
Just wanted you to know that you are making a difference.
If you missed the past two episodes, you may want to check them out as a series. In Episode 057, we discuss the four elements of storytelling. In Episode 058, we explore how to explore your personal connections within your stories and use those connections to build trust with your listeners.
It is a common feeling of skepticism. When I first learned the method of journaling to discover my own personal connections, I found it a bit hokey and beatnik. After journaling for a bit of time, it became natural. There is true power in discovering your personal connections.
If you would like help creating your journal entries, mining them for personal connections and turning those connections into powerful, engaging content, shoot me an e-mail at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
BORING GUESTS
Hello Erik,
I have a question for you about interviews. I’m sure you have had the opportunity to interview many popular music artists over the years in your radio career. Have you ever had to deal with someone who was not very cooperative? Comes across as a bit annoyed or just doesn’t put any effort at all into the conversation?
Is there anything you can do to get them to actually give a substantial answer without coming across as being rude? Especially when it is an artist that you may be a fan of?
This is a common problem with podcast guests. There are times when we have such high hopes for and expectations of our idols. When we finally meet them, they simply are not as amazing and flawless as we had built them to be.
When you get a podcast guest on your show who is less than excited, there are a few possible reasons for their sourness. They could be having a bad day. Maybe they just got off a bad interview. It is possible they don’t enjoy being interviewed.
One thing to remember is that it is your show. You are in control of everything. It is your responsibility to make sure the content on your show is the best it can be. Make your podcast guest the star. Set them up to look good and everyone wins.
Here are six suggestions to improve an interview with a troublesome podcast guest.
1. Make sure your interview style is top notch so they see you as a professional. This includes before, during and after your interview.
2. Be sure you are asking unique questions. Know the hot buttons of your guest. Talk about things that stir their passion.
4. Ask your guest “list” questions. For instance, “What are the three most important things to remember when booking a gig?”
If your guest simply won’t cooperate …
5. Don’t use the interview on your podcast as a traditional interview. Create a narrative and insert drops from the interview, similar to the news shows like “60 Minutes” or “Dateline”.
6. Cut your losses. Sometimes people have a bad day and just need to move on. Cut the interview short, thank your guest for their time, and find a better interview.
Let me know how I can help you with your podcast. E-mail your questions to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
As I gave that presentation at Podcast Movement, some had questions about turning personal connections into stories that actually had something to do with their podcast subject. In fact. Josh Elledge of “90 Days To Abundance” suggested I do an episode on it. Find him at “SaveingsAngel.com”.
Today, we dive into the “how” of storytelling.
Journaling
The use of journaling will help you dig deep into your thoughts to reveal your personal connections to the subject matter. Journaling can be done for a specific length of time or output. You can do it for 3 or 5 minutes, or an entire page of thoughts.
Whether you choose time or output, it should be set and consistent. Set a timer and write until the timer goes off. You want to write to the point where if becomes free-flowing without any conscious thought.
Understand that no one will ever see this journaling. You can even throw it out after you create the episode. There is no need to keep it once we find the personal connection.
Your Personal Connections
After you journal, read over your writing. Highlight the thoughts and personal connections that really jump out and grab your attention. Those are possible starting points.
Engaging Introduction
Once we have highlighted our personal connections, we need to pick one to use for our show. We then turn that personal connection into our engaging introduction to our powerful story.
An Example
I want to show you how we can find great stories for an episode using Journaling. In this example, I want to create an episode that teaches the power of storytelling. The goal of the episode is to have my listeners understand the importance of stories if they hope to have their audience know, like and trust them.
Here is my journal entry. These are never shared with anyone. I am sharing it with you as an example. There are some connections here that reveal my vulnerability that I typically wouldn’t share with anyone. I’m laying it all out with hopes it will help you find the courage to open up to yourself.
JOURNAL ENTRY
How do I create great stories by journaling. Max’s great story about his father. Find deep connections. When we tell these great stories, we reveal things about ourselves. I learned a lot about this from Bill McMahon. I’m sometimes afraid to reveal what I truly believe, because I worry what people think about me.Once Bill instilled in me the courage to recognize what I truly believe and present it on the air, I began creating great friendships with listeners I don’t even know. As the public address announcer of the Omaha Lancers hockey team, I often run into people who act like they know me, because they kind of do. It used to really creep out my wife. People would come up to me and start having a conversation about something I talked about on the air. After they would walk away, she would ask why I didn’t introduce her. I would tell her that I have no idea who that was. She couldn’t understand how I could have these conversations about personal stuff with somebody when I had no idea who it was. That is very common when you talk about personal connections on your show. How do you reveal things? People will get to know you. You never know what will connect. Listeners grab onto the most everyday stuff. It is something that happened with your kid. Or the hockey rink in your backyard. Or the pothole you hit on the way to work today. If you are doing a show about gun control, how do you link potholes to gun control? Journal until you find the link. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Journal. There is a connection there. My story here links Josh to storytelling. It was a great conference. I love when people ask great questions. My lectures really get into conversations. That’s what it is all about. That’s why I do this. I feel like we are developing a relationship. They actually trust me enough and care enough to ask questions. We are beginning to develop something here. The feedback and questions really make me feel like my presentation was validated. Even after the presentation, many came up to ask additional questions. Probably 10 or 12. Which was great, since it was the final presentation of the day. What a great way to finish the weekend.
Four different personal connections in that journal entry.
Now, let’s look at each personal connection and turn that into an engaging introduction. My topic for this episode is the power of great storytelling in podcasts. I want to encourage podcasters to use stories to get their audience to know, like and trust them. What stories can I use to make my point?
Before we create our introduction, we need to determine what we hope to make our audience feel.
Max’s great story about his father.
Like many of us, Max couldn’t find the courage to share his stories about his father. He didn’t feel anyone would care. Max eventually left my station to work at one of the big stations in Chicago.
With this connection, I hope to make the audience gain confidence and know that even the radio personalities in the biggest markets in the U.S. have some self doubt. It is natural. Let’s begin the story there.
“Fearing what people will think about you when you share personal stories is natural. Even radio personalities in some of the biggest cities in the U.S. have that self doubt. I once had a morning guy working for me who would tell me these great stories about his father …”
I’m sometimes afraid to reveal what I truly believe, because I worry what people think about me.
This is very similar to the the previous story. I can use the same style. Even I get a little nervous about what people will think. Using this connection, I again hope to give my listener confidence.
“Fearing what people will think about you when you share personal stories is natural. Even I encounter that self doubt. At Podcast Movement, I was a little nervous how my presentation would go over with the group of my peers.”
She couldn’t understand how I could have these conversations about personal stuff with somebody when I had no idea who it was.
With this personal connection, I want you to understand that you will be surprised what connects with your listeners. Some of the smallest asides will endear you to your listener. There will be times when your listener will mention things you do not even remember talking about. We can begin our story there.
“There are times when listeners will stop me to mention some of the must mundane things mentioned on my show. My wife and I were walking through the arena where I announce hockey games. We were stopped by a listener I didn’t know personally.”
The feedback and questions really make me feel like my presentation was validated.
With this personal connection, I want listeners to see the payoff that comes with powerful storytelling. If you use storytelling correctly, the end result can be very fulfilling and inspiring. I want this story to empower and encourage you to share your stories. Let’s start the story there.
“Have you ever been unsure about sharing your thoughts and opinions? I was a little nervous about giving my Podcast Movement storytelling presentation to a group of solid podcaster. By the time I finished sharing my stories and real life examples like Lee Brice and Walt Disney, I received some great questions that really validated my process. I was even more excited about helping people with my knowledge and information.”
There are four examples of how I journal to create great stories for my show. There are really four steps. Journal for 5 minutes. Find the personal connections within your writing. Determine what you want to make your audience feel and the point you want to make. Finally, turn that into your engaging introduction.
Telling great stories within your podcast will help your listener know, like and trust you. The details and personal connections you include will tell your listener about your beliefs, morals, dreams, dependability, experience, reputation, honesty and reliability.
As your listener begins to know you through these stories, she will determine whether or not she likes you. It is better to have some love you and some hate you rather than have a bunch of people on the fence. If they rate you a 3 on a 1-to-5 scale, they are basically saying they don’t care.
Create some passion. As long as you have more “loves” than “hates”, you’re on the way to a win.
Not everyone loves Harley Davidson motorcycles. There are people who love Harley and wear their colors proudly. Then, there are others who wouldn’t be caught dead riding a Harley. It doesn’t fit their personality. Nobody goes shopping for a new vehicle and says, “Oh, maybe I’ll buy a Harley or maybe I’ll buy a Volvo. I’m ok with either one.” Create a passionate tribe.
You can then build trust after your listener has had a chance to know you and decide if they like you. By trusting your audience with your personal feelings, they will begin to trust you by the law of reciprocity. When you give to someone, they will feel compelled to give back to you in return.
The process sounds easy. However, it takes practice. If you would like my help, let me know. I would love to teach you the process.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
If you would like to have your show reviewed on The Podcast Review Show with Dave Jackson and me, click here. We are looking for great guests who would like to improve their shows.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Secrets to Know, Like and Trust – PTC Episode 057
Four Essential Elements of Powerful Storytelling
WHY STORYTELLING
Have you noticed a lot of the business interview podcasts sound the same? We are hearing the same guests answer the same questions time and time again. How do you become unique in this sea of sameness?
Storytelling can transform your podcast. Your personal experiences and stories make you unique. No one has experienced the things you have experienced in the same way you have. If you want to stand out from every other podcast, share your personal stories during your show.
People do business with other people they know, like and trust. Your stories create that knowledge. That is where true friendships begin.
Stories help define your character and personality. If you want your listener to get to know you, share those personal connections. Connect, motivate and inspire your audience with your stories.
Your personal experiences are the only way to make the content your own. Great songwriters do it. Great filmmakers do it. Share your stories and stand out.
ENGAGEMENT
In podcasting, you cannot afford to be boring. Interest in your story never remains constant. Your information can only become entertainment when interest is rising. A great story continues to develop the plot and raise the interest.
To create engagement, tell great stories. Keep the interest of your listener rising.
Date your listeners. You need to earn the privilege of talking to people who want to be talked to and selling things to people who want to be sold to. To earn that privilege, you need to build friendship.
Great friendships are developed through self revelation. When you share your personal thoughts and feelings with an individual through stories, you begin to create a bond with that person. It is life enrichment. Making our lives better through friendship is the reason we do not live is seclusion.
Over time, sharing stories will begin to build trust with your listener. Your stories share your values and beliefs.
Practice becoming a great storyteller.
GREAT STORYTELLERS
Practice being a great storyteller. Have the courage to listen to yourself. Hear and have courage to record your personal connections to the events happening around you.
When you use your podcast to create friendships, you are asking people to spend time with your every week. People share time with others that they like. They are asking themselves, “Would I enjoy taking a one-hour car ride with this person every week?”
People listen to audio while they drive, run and workout so they are not alone. They use the audio as companionship. Let your listener get to know you.
Your stories will also let others live vicariously through you. Your listener can enjoy your story of struggle and success without enduring the hard work and pain. Let them enjoy your stories.
ELEMENTS OF GREAT STORIES
There are four essential elements of great stories.
Engaging introduction
Reveal the details
Powerful Resolution
What else?
Engaging Introduction
Give them a reason to care. What do you want the audience to feel? Your stories make you human. Will it be humorous, compelling or tragic. My talent coach Bill McMahon would always ask, “What do you hope to make the audience laugh at, marvel at or better understand?”
Your listener can experience various emotions through your stories. You could elicit joy, sympathy, empathy, anger, tragedy, tenderness, humor, rage, patriotism or many others. Emotions make that personal connection to your story.
Pull your listener into the story. Your engaging introduction is a roadmap. It should be a solid headline that tells your listener exactly where your story will go. “Tell me if I’m gonna go to Hell for this…”
Reveal the details
Details are more believable than generalities. Your details will make your story come to life.
When you develop your details, use all 5 senses. Draw the picture in the mind’s eye of your listener. Make the story come to life. Put your listener right there in the moment. This is theater of the mind.
Your details reveal specifics about your thoughts, beliefs and character.
Resolution
Your resolution should be a powerful reframing of introduction. Your will know when you reach your conclusion when you have successfully achieved the emotional goal set at the beginning. What did you hope to make your audience laugh at, marvel at or better understand? When you’ve achieved that goal, get to the resolution.
What else?
Asking “What Else” will transform your show. Let your story lead to something bigger. Maybe you turn your story into a discussion on Facebook. Maybe your story leads into an interview. What else can you do with it? Create some great entertainment.
HOW YOU CAN BE A STORYTELLER
What do you want to make your listener feel?
What is the engaging set up?
How will it be revealed in the story with vivid details?
What is the resolution?
What else can you do with it?
I’d love to help you create great stories with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Podcast Movement 2014 was held in Dallas, Texas August 16th & 17th. For an inaugural event, PM14 was well run and full of great information. The guys did an amazing job putting it together.
Earlier this year, Dan Franks reached out to me and asked if I would present a session at PM14. I was truly honored. My session on the power of storytelling went over very well. Many people came to the stage after my session to tell me how useful they found the information. I really appreciated the feedback.
I am already looking forward to Podcast Movement 2015 in Fort Worth, Texas.
My notebook filled with great notes from PM14. On this episode, I want to share with you my 11 top takeaways from the event. I hope these spark a little something in your to move your podcast forward and transform your content.
1. Have a plan to make money.
This came from Chris Brogan’s Keynote “Podcasting As A Business Driver”. If you want to support your habit/hobby, have a plan to generate income. This could be from your product, service or other income stream. Figure out how to cover your cost at a minimum.
2. Copy = Pale Imitation = Ignored.
Srinivas Rao offered this insight in his Keynote “Genuine Curiosity – The Fuel Behind The Fire”. Chris Brogan said, “No one ever won a race looking sideways.” Be brave and have the courage to be unique. Tell some great stories.
3. What is your brand personality?
Who are you really and who do your clients need you to be? Kristin Thompson asked these questions during her session “Rock Your Talk & Profit Big … Beyond The Podcast”. Define your brand personality. Then, thread it through everything you do.
4. Don’t use white in your logo.
This was mentioned during “Top Podcasters Share Three Success Secrets For Podcasting”. It was a panel discussion with Michael Stelzner, Cliff Ravenscraft, and Chris Brogan. If you want it to stand out in iTunes store, get rid of the white. Make your logo pop.
5. Involve others.
During his session “10 Ways to Take Your Podcast From Average To Amazing”, Daniel J. Lewis suggested you use interviews, conversations, and shared presentations to get others involved with your show. Empower your audience to share your content. Delegate others to help you achieve tasks.
6. #1 goal of podcast marketing is opt-in.
Tim Paige mentioned this in his session “The Top 7 Ways To Grow Your Podcast And Turn Listeners Into Leads”. We’ve heard it many times that the money is in the list. Use your podcast to grow your list every opportunity that you get.
7. Think of your avatar in the car or excercising. What can you provide to make the experience better?
This was a great piece of advice from Jaime Tardy during her Keynote “The Future Of Podcasting”. If you want to connect and engage with your audience, put yourself in their shoes.
8. Learn what the knobs do.
To learn your equipment and what it does, press record and narrate your actions as you turn knobs. Hear how it sounds. This was a tip offered by Dave Jackson in his session “The Art Of Editing Audio – Finding The Diamond In The Rough”. What better way to figure out what all of those knobs do other than tinkering with it.
9. Ask your tribe questions about what they struggle with.
Jessica Kupferman’s session was titled “Your Commmunity Of Kindred Spirits: Why, How and When To Build One”. She offered this tidbit while helping us discover the power and connection of a community.
10. Give your guests resources to promote your show after they are on.
This came during a panel discussion called “Promote Your Podcast The Right (And Unique) Way”. If you want your guests to promote your show after they appear, make it easy for them. Give them graphics, quotes or audio clips they can use to help spread the word.
11. Comfort and awesome usually do not overlap.
I loved this line. It was another from Chris Brogan during his Keynote “Podcasting As A Business Driver”. Be brave. Try something new. Be unique. Have the courage to step out and tell personal stories that cannot be copied. That’s when you’ll get noticed. Don’t be comforable. Be awesome.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Hi Erik, thanks for your awesome podcast. I have one question for you You define your avatar with a bunch of well-crafted questions, but where do you get the data to answer them? Is it hard data you have got from your following (if any)? Is it just a fruit of your imagination? Is it a mix of both? How much of the avatar is based on hard data, and how much is a projection of yourself defining it? Thanks and keep up the awesome work! -Alessandro
Great question, Alessandro! It is actually a little bit of both. It will evolve over time.
Our goal is to create a vision of that one, unique, ideal listener.
There are really three steps to creating your ideal listener. Each step relates to the life cycle of your podcast.
Step 1
If you are just starting out, you need to create your ideal customer out of your imagination.
Who would you like your ideal customer to be? Start there.
Who do you want?
Who will listen and get involved
Who will be best served by your content
Who will buy your stuff
Step 2
Once you begin to get some feedback from your audience, refine your target with that information.
Who is posting in your comments
Who is sending your e-mail
Who is asking for more information
Step 3
Finally, when you have an audience of decent size, survey them.
It does not need to be a formal survey
One of strongest is an e-mail often used that simply says “where an I help you”
To get specific demographic info, you will need a formal survey
Ask questions that will help you know and serve them better
Do not ask questions that will not give you info you can use and will only waste the time of your listener
Overall, you want your avatar to represent that individual that in most engaged with your show and likely to take action when you make that request.
Audience Of One
Knowing your target audience will allow you to treat your audience as an audience of one.
As you are creating your podcast, treat your audience like you are talking to each person individually. This is critical when creating a trusting relationship with your audience.
I hear many shows address their audience as a group with comments like “hello everyone” or “hey guys”. Each person in your audience is listening to you as an individual. Audio is a very personal medium. Many times, they are listening with headphones. It is just you and her. Talk to her just like that.
Addressing a crowd on the radio began when radio began. As radio was just being created, station owners needed content to broadcast. Radio programming began with rebroadcasting live, theater events. The person on the stage would address the crowd as “ladies and gentleman”.
As radio progressed, live audiences were eliminated. However, people on the radio continued to address the audience as a group. It was fitting. The family still gathered around the radio before television was introduced to the family room. An on-air personality could address the audience as a group and be justified in doing so.
Radio then became a personal medium. The television replaced the radio as family entertainment. In-car and headphones became the preferred method of radio listening. Each listener was now creating images and visions in his or her own head that were unique to their imagination. Their thoughts were different from those of any other listener. The conversation was now between the person on the air and the individual listening.
Unfortunately, radio personalities continued to address the listener as a group. “It has always been done this way.” The disconnect began.
Podcasts are even more individualistic than radio. Most people select a podcast because of their own tastes. Groupthink does not play a factor as it would to select a movie or television show for the family. It is one person listening on their own to a show that interests them.
If you are talking to your listener as if they are in a group, using plural terms like everyone and you guys and you all, your listener will wonder who you are addressing. They will think, “You guys? I’m listening by myself. Who are you talking to?” In the end, they will not follow your call-to-action, because they will think someone else in your “group” will handle it. Talk to an audience of one and build that relationship with each listener individually.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
I received a piece of feedback from Kenn Blanchard the other day. He said he was inspired so much by my “chit chat” episode that he went back into the studio to completely rerecord his latest episode.
We talk a lot about the help you provide people with your podcast. As you create your content, keep in mind that you never know who you might be helping or how much that help may mean.
Gary Vaynerchuk has an entire chapter in his book “Crush It” devoted to care. It is probably the easiest chapter you will ever read. It is also possibly the toughest chapter to execute well.
Extra Mile
It is unfortunate in business today that “going the extra mile” isn’t even necessary to stand out most of the time. Being consistent and delivering on your brand’s promise will usually make you better than most of the competition.
It amazes me that delivering a simple recap after the job is complete to one of our clients can create astonishment on their part. They are so numb to the average lack of care from their other suppliers that any sense of attention will get them to take notice.
I’ve seen many, many bands go through the motions. I am not trying to make excuses. However, It’s like a couple trying to get back together after a breakup. The relationship ended for a reason the first time. Getting together again may be good for a beer. Any longer will probably only make you realize why you broke up in the first place … even when you’re making hundreds of thousands of dollars to do it.
Trust Circle
You can’t shout your way into a person’s trust circle. They only way to gain trust is to add value. Give them something they can use. Building trust is the foundation of revenue generation for your podcast.
As you build trusting relationships with your podcast, continue to ask yourself, “How am I helping my listener?” Continue to give, and the trust will develop over time.
When you begin every discussion with your product, needs or wants, people will tune you out. You will begin to sound (and be treated) like advertisements for used cars. Shouting doesn’t work. Your listener won’t care and will rarely return.
Serve first, many times over. Then and only then can you effectively sell.
Shows like the 48 Days To The Work You Love, School of Podcasting and Internet Business Mastery are all designed to help their listeners first. Sure, they all have products to sell as the end result. However, they never begin with their product. The discussions on these shows always begin with the listener’s needs in mind first.
As you prepare for your show, find great ways to help. Your help may come in the form of entertainment. You may serve as companionship for your podcast listener. Help them find other forms of companionship as well. If your podcast is only one hour per week, there are 167 more hours in the week that aren’t occupied by your show. Your listeners will surely need more companionship to fill a few of those hours. Help your audience fill those hours, too.
Let’s Help Each Other
I would love to answer any question you might have. I have been in broadcasting for well over 20 years. Coaching on-air radio talent has been part of my day-to-day role since 1995. Studying and developing marketing and promotional campaigns for our radio stations and clients is also something I do on a regular basis.
If you could use some help in any of these areas, please shoot me an e-mail at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Your questions will help me refine my show. You will help me select topics. It will also make the show much more enjoyable for you. I would love to hear your questions and offer you podcast help.
If you could take a minute to shoot me an e-mail, or even comment on any of my posts that may have helped you, I would truly appreciate it. Making this show better is always my goal.
Let me know how I can help you. In turn, let’s help each other.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
As I was grabbing a quick bite to eat at the local fast food restaurant earlier this week, I was reminded we are all an expert at something to someone.
After ordering my food, I pulled up to the drive thru window of the fast food restaurant to pay. My total came to $4.38. I handed the kid in the window $5.38. The amount completely puzzled him.
He looked at the currency for quite some time. I was beginning to think he didn’t realize I needed change. After what seemed like two minutes, he looked around for his manager.
When he realized his manager was helping another customer, he looked back at the money trying to devise a plan B.
The kid finally stuck his head into the window and asked, “Are you good at math?”
I said, “The total was $4.38, right?” He replied with, “Yeah.” I said, “You owe me a dollar.”
“Oh, that’s what I thought,” he replied with relief as he ducked to the register to retrieve my dollar.
At that point, I realized we are all an expert to somebody. Even people who do not normally deal in American currency could probably guess that $5.38 minus $4.38 equals $1. To this kid, I could have been Newton or Archimedes or Pythagoras.
You may not feel you are an expert in your field, because you don’t have the experience or success equal to others. On the other hand, realize you have more experience than the beginner.
If you think about where you were two years ago, you are much more experienced than a person in that position now. Help those folks make the two-year journey to get to the point where you are now.
Six Ways To Demonstrate Your Expertise
Help people learn what you know.
Help people find the tools you have discovered through your journey.
Help people find the right people in the industry where they can learn more.
Find people who are in a position that you have conquered.
Share your stories of triumph and woe to encourage those following behind you.
Help those that do not have quite as much knowledge and experience that you have.
If you have been in your field for any length of time, there will always be somebody with less experience than you. Find those people, and help them succeed.
You may not be number one in the field. That doesn’t matter. You can always be seen as an expert in the eyes of someone at some point. You simply need to find them. Then, help them in your expert sort of way. Who knows, maybe you are good at math.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Chit Chat at the beginning of your podcast has long been discussed. Is it appropriate? How much is too much? When are you wasting the time of the pirates listening?
I was listening to a marketing podcast once. I just about gave up and moved onto another show. I had to force myself to stick with it. You would have thought they may have uploaded the wrong show.
Here is the opening of the podcast. I’ve eliminated the names and other identifying parts. I really don’t intend to call out anyone. I simply want to show you how chit chat can destroy your engagement.
Show host: Welcome to (marketing podcast). I’m your host (host name). (website). We’ve got a couple people hangin’ out in the live chat with us. (chat link) And you know, I shouldn’t say that, because I’ve taken the link down from the site. But if you’re listening and wanna see the schedule, it is fairly current. Although, not exactly throughout the summer. I am joined today, as I frequently am lately, by (co-host name) of (other show name). How’s it goin’ (co-host name)?
Co-host: It is wonderful up here.
Show host: Is the … uh … now you guys probably didn’t have a lot of snow like we didn’t have a lot of snow, which I’m still bummed about. But, I’m trying not to talk about it. How’s your … how’s your weather in ____?
Co-host: It’s pretty good. It’s, uh … it’s been a pretty warm winter.
They proceeded to discuss the Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion for the first 10 minutes of the 30-minute show. At 10:45 into the show, host says, “Should we get into some questions?”
This is a show designed to coach businesses to attract more customers.
How did we get lost down some path about temperature conversions?
I’m not even sure I can say it got lost. The show never laid out the expectations of the show. Neither does the show title. As I’ve written before, the opening of the show must tell your audience what the show is all about right at the beginning. Let your listener know what to expect. Assume they are listening to the show for the very first time.
Six minutes into the show, they actually say, “You’re safe by now skipping over the first 10 minutes” of the show. What!?! You’ve got me, now you’re actually telling me this isn’t worth my time?
At this point they aren’t really lost. They are well aware they are wasting my time. There are over 100,000 podcasts available. These shows are all trying to attract me. These guys actually have me paying attention (the tough part) and are wasting the incredible opportunity. What are the chances I’ll actually be back?
In addition to the chit chat that has absolutely nothing to do with the topic, they gave you info at the open of the show that you can’t even act on. They gave you a chat link that isn’t even active anymore. They gave you a schedule which is “fairly” current, “although not exactly”. Then, they tell me I can skip over this part of the show.
This sort of chit chat destroys your credibility and trust. People have come to hear you deliver on your promise of your topic. Talking for ten minutes about the weather does not accomplish that, unless you are the Weather Channel podcast.
Your show must deliver on the brand promise right out of the box. That is the key to audience engagement. Your listener has come to your show for a reason. If you get lost on some tangent, your audience will be gone in a heartbeat.
In this case, there are many podcasts available dealing with marketing. Instead of continuing to listen to this podcast, I moved on and found the “Unpodcast” with Scott Stratten. Scott was one of the keynote speakers at NMX2014. Scott has a bit of chit chat in his episodes. The difference is the relevance of Scott’s chit chat to his topic.
Chit chat during your show is appropriate if you can link it back to your topic. Let’s say you open your show with, “My local television news did an amazing marketing job getting in front of 100,000 people this weekend at the sporting event simply by keeping fans up to speed on the weather.” If you follow that with some chit chat about how crazy the weather has been and how the station used that to their marketing advantage, you have linked it to your topic.
Chit chat here is perfectly acceptable. It makes sense.
If you are talking about the new studio you have built on a show about podcasting, that would be completely understandable.
If you are talking about your weekend fishing and have no way to link it to your podcast about automobile parts, you are wasting time.
It is a fine line. If the information supports your topic, you are on the right path. If it does not fit with the subject matter at hand, find another story that does.
Lay out the expectations in your introduction. Deliver on those expectations immediately. If you find you’re getting off on a tangent, get back on track as soon as possible.
You will quickly find you are talking to yourself if your listener says to themselves, “I think we’re lost.”
Intriguing Introduction
Use a great, personal story to lead with an intriguing introduction. This is where chit chat comes in handy. It is a personal, chit chat story that will engage people. Your chit chat brings them into the topic for this episode.
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 introduction should spell it out. It should set up what is to come.
If your goal is to make your listener laugh at your misfortune over the weekend, lead with it. “This weekend was so disastrous, I wouldn’t have had time for anything else to go wrong even if I tried.” The audience will now have time to enjoy the vivid details of your horrible weekend rather than trying to figure out what point you are trying to make.
When you begin your story with the details, your listener spends energy trying to determine the point you are trying to make. They are trying to figure out what the story is about.
Have you ever been stuck listening to someone tell a story while you’re thinking, “Will he ever get to the point?” That is what we are trying to avoid.
Here is an example of a story you might hear. “This weekend we went to the mall. It was just the two of us. We were looking for a gift for my dad.” Are we telling a story about finding gifts? Is this story just recapping the weekend? Maybe it is about my dad. You don’t know. I haven’t told you. There is no lead to this story.
To hook your audience and allow them to truly enjoy the story, lead with an intriguing introduction.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
You can also find other tools including worksheets, a workbook and videos to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s turn your information into engaging entertainment.
Today, we discuss how you can follow 8 questions to better podcasts.
On the Podcast Review Show the other night, Dave Jackson mentioned he was reviewing his own episode and discovered something he could do to make his show better. I’m a big proponent of show reviews in real time in order to get better. One of my free worksheets at PodcastTalentCoach.com is dedicated to reviewing your show. Here are eight of the questions on that worksheet that can help you improve your podcast.
Pick an episode from a few weeks back. Listen to it in real time. Then…
Ask yourself these questions
Did you accomplish the goals you set for this episode?
How did you make the audience care?
How did you include the listener, making them part of the story?
Where were the “oh wow” moments?
What was memorable about the show?
At what points did you introduce and reset the show/topic?
What stories did you tell?
Where did you use active language? (walking instead of walked, eating, not ate)
How do I get more podcast traffic? I hear that question all of the time. I recently conducted a survey of my subscribers. The question asked most often had something to do with traffic and engagement with their podcast. “How do I get more podcast traffic?”
I knew the subject was a hot topic, because I see discussions everywhere. How many product launches have you seen that promise to teach you how to get more traffic?
In 1962, Time magazine called David Ogilvy “the most sought-after wizard in today’s advertising industry.” David Ogilvy is quoted as saying, “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.” Be careful what you wish for.
First, make your product great. Then, bring people to the party.
Let’s make your content engaging and memorable before we invite your prospects to the show. If you create a unique experience, your engagement will be much more effective when people come to the party.
Let’s discuss how we become unique. Then, let’s discuss a few organic ways to gain some attention.
Create your own style
Don’t try to be somebody else. You are best at being you.
Create you own show structure. There are enough knockoffs.
Highlight your sense of humor.
Tell stories that define your character.
Discuss topics that interest you. Be interesting by being interested.
Remove the clichés
Definition of cliché: a trite, stereotyped expression; a sentence or phrase, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea, that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse.
If you want to sound unique and original, replace your clichés with something fresh.
When you use the same phrases used by everyone else, you become vanilla.
If you want to be unique, grab a thesaurus and find some new words
Be memorable
What can you do on the show this week that hasn’t been done before?
Listen to Dave Jackson on his 400th episode of “School of Podcasting” where he was hi jacked by the Binky & The Wiz morning show. You won’t hear that on any other show.
Some loved it. Some hated it. Everyone that heard it remembered it.
Removing every flaw and sterilizing your show will not make it memorable.
Be audacious. Be adventuresome. Be creative.
Be boisterous … sometimes.
Be tender other times.
Do it in a way that only you can do it.
Brainstorm until you have something exciting.
Sell The Sizzle
People do not buy products. They buy what the product can do for them.
You don’t go to a restaurant to buy a steak. You go the restaurant, because you’re hungry and want one of your favorite dishes. You want that tender piece of meat that you can cut with a butter knife. The one that will just melt in your mouth, because it is the best steak around. It is cooked perfectly. You are not rushing in there because the cow was corn-fed and aged to perfection. Who cares. Those are attributes, not benefits. Does it taste great? Will it fill me up? Does it remind me of the great family dinners we used to have when I was a kid? I’m in. Those are the benefits.
Sell the sizzle, not the steak.
Now that we have a great product, how to we bring people to the party?
Sure you could buy all of those expensive products or a bunch of Facebook ads. I’m sure they work.
There is an easier way. And, it is free.
Get your name out there by getting involved.
Getting Involved
How many podcasts do you listen to that beg you to get involved with the show? Email us. Leave us a voicemail. Post on our Facebook page. Find us on Twitter. Don’t forget that we have a speakpipe link on the website. Use a carrier pigeon. There are a million ways. Everyone wants engagement.
When you reach out and engage with others, they include you on the show. This does two things.
First, it puts you in front of their audience. That could bring a new audience to your show.
Second, through the Law of Reciprocity, the host of the show may be more inclined to engage with your show. A little thank you gesture. What goes around comes around.
Reciprocity in social psychology refers to responding to a positive action with another positive action, rewarding kind actions. When you do something nice for someone, they feel inclined to do something nice for you in return.
Gary Vaynerchuk spends an great deal of time discussing this in his book “Crush It”. It is a great book that I highly recommend.
Gary basically says, “Put your stuff out there. Then, go engage with everyone else.” Be seen. Meet people where THEY live.
Then, be patient.
You won’t get 100,000 listeners immediately. Grow slowly. Adjust and get it right as you progress. Build the foundation.
As Gary says, “do it again, and again, and again, and again.” Keep engaging. They will come. It only takes your time.
Schedule 30 minutes a day to interact with your audience where they are. You will eventually build the traffic you desire.
Get more podcast traffic, but first be unique.
Create your own style
Remove the clichés
Be memorable
Sell the sizzle
Get involved
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Have you noticed a lot of the business interview podcasts sound the same? We are hearing the same guests answer the same questions time and time again. How do you become unique in this sea of sameness?
Storytelling transforms your podcast.
People do business with people they know, like and trust. Stories help you develop that knowledge, likability and trust.
Your stories define you and will touch many more people than typical information. The stories you tell and the details you include reveal many things about you. That begins to develop that like and trust.
It can be a bit scary to reveal things about yourself on your podcast. Develop the ability to recognize your unique thoughts and the courage to reveal them on your show.
Two radio coaches have influenced me greatly over the years. They each have similar views on storytelling.
Radio consultant Randy Lane says use stories to “make it human by making it humorous, compelling or tragic”.
Radio talent coach Bill McMahon suggests you decide what you hope to make your audience “Laugh at, marvel at or better understand.”
How do you want your audience to feel after hearing your story? Frame that feeling in your engaging introduction. Decide what you hope to reveal about yourself with the story.
Stories help you connect, motivate and inspire.
There are four parts to the storytelling structure.
Engaging introduction
This pulls your listener right into the story. Your introduction should tell your listener exactly where the story is headed.
Vivid details
How will your emotion be revealed in the story? Use vivid details to make your story come to life in the theater of the mind.
Powerful conclusion
Wrap up the story by reframing of your engaging introduction.
What else?
Asking “What Else” will transform your show. Don’t let the story simply end and fade away. Turn it into something powerful.
Many treat a subject in a similar manner. That is why we hear the same style of interview. If you want to stand out and be different, transform you content by using your unique style.
“What Else” can we do with a compelling story? You could create a video, continue the conversation on social media, follow up with listener input in the following episode or various other things. Let your story lead to something bigger.
Ask “what else can we do” and see where it leads.
Storytelling transforms your podcast.
A few housekeeping notes this week.
Coupon code ends this week!
Get a one-hour coaching session with Dave Jackson and me for only $50 if you act before June 30, 2014.
Dave and I are now hosting the Podcast Review Show together. Our guests appear on the show to have their podcast reviewed by the two of us.
Typically, hiring the two of us individually for an hour would be hundreds of dollars. Not only do you get an hour of consulting from us on this show, you get to plug your show for a sixty minutes.
Our guests typically pay $99 to be featured on the show. Dave and I have decided to cut you a break. By using the code “coach50”, you can appear on the show for only $50.
You get half off. Still an hour. Still feedback from both of us. Still plugging your show. Half the price.
The code is “coach50”. This deal ends June 30, 2014. Get in on it now before we close it.
If you are truly serious about building your podcast, improving your show and increasing your traffic, you should also be attending the Podcast Movement in Dallas on August 16 & 17.
Find my affiliate link online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. We are only 8 weeks away from the Podcast Movement. Register today.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Let’s help you determine where to begin podcasting.
I recently had lunch with the guys from the “200churches” podcast. Jeff Keady and Jonny Craig are pastors at a 200church in Northwest, Iowa. They want to encourage and support other pastors of “smaller” churches.
As we were having lunch, Jeff was telling me about their start in podcasting. They had all of the equipment and were ready to roll. As they were about to record their very first episode, Jeff said he didn’t know where to start. What was the first thing he was supposed to say? How do you figure out where to begin podcasting?
Where to begin is a natural problem. You know what you want to say. You simply don’t know where to start it all. How far back to the beginning of your message should you go?
You have all the equipment. You have set up the technical details of the podcast. How does the show content begin?
Whether you are a brand new podcaster, or someone with hundreds of episodes under your belt, this episode will help you with your content. If you are just beginning, this will help you create your framework. We will walk through content preparation as you lay out the show.
If you are an “old pro”, this content will be a great refresher to help you step back and evaluate your progress. When we have done something for a long time, assumptions begin to creep into the content. We sometimes take small details for granted as if our listener has been with the show from the beginning.
There are six steps to defining your content and preparing your podcast. These six steps will help you determine where to begin podcasting.
1. What do you hope to accomplish?
This includes both the topic and the show overall. Set a goal for each topic, the episode and your podcast in general.
2. What are the interesting topics you hope to address on this particular episode?
As you determine your topics, look for a theme to develop.
3. How will you treat each specific topic you hope to address?
What will you do with the content? You could answer the question, demonstrate the answer, play some audio, show charts to support your answer, or use some other treatment. Find a way to make it your own. Your approach should be unique to you.
4. Create an outline for the flow of the show topics.
This is important for the show introduction. Bullet points should suffice. Do not script your content.
5. What supporting information will you need for the show?
Organize and highlight for easy access during the show. This will help you sound prepared as you begin to build credibility with your audience.
6. Write your introduction. Write your conclusion. Include your call to action.
If you would like a worksheet to walk you through this process and others, visit the worksheet section at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. These worksheets will further help you determine where to begin podcasting.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
I was listening to an interview CD that accompanies each issue of Success magazine. Publisher Darren Hardy was talking with Founder and President of Piranha Marketing, Inc. Joe Polish. During that interview, Mr. Polish proclaimed great marketing makes selling easy and unnecessary. It makes your call to action powerful.
Selling is Easy
You may not be selling in the traditional sense of products or services in exchange for money. However, you are making a call-to-action within your podcast. It may be selling for money. It may also be inviting your listener to come again, asking him to visit your website, requesting that she join your mailing list, inspiring him to get involved with a cause or any other action. It all involves selling yourself.
Polish’s statement was bold. As he went on to explain himself, Polish made perfect sense. In fact, his comments were very similar to the marketing and branding information we’ve been discussing with regard to your podcast.
We have discussed the call-to-action in previous episodes of Podcast Talent Coach. We simply need to determine what we hope to accomplish with our podcast episode before we begin recording.
In summary, Polish said great marketing gets people properly positioned, so they are pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you (or act on your call-to-action). Great marketing therefore makes selling easy and unnecessarily.
If you have truly engaged your listener and created that strong relationship we’ve been discussing, the selling should take care of itself. Selling becomes difficult when you are trying to get your listener interested. Selling before your listener is motivated is a challenge. Trying to sell to a listener that isn’t qualified is hard work. If your listener isn’t predisposed to taking action, you will need to sell hard.
Building relationships with your podcast involves telling great stories. Revealing things about yourself through stories makes you real. Your listeners get to know and like you. As you continue to help them over time, you build the trust they seek.
When you have taken the time to build the relationship, your listener will be pre-interested, pre-motivated, pre-qualified, and predisposed to do business with you. They will be ready to buy. Selling, in terms of convincing your listener to buy, will be unnecessary. Your marketing and engaging relationship will have them ready for your call-to-action.
Do the hard work up front to make selling easy.
Shouting Will Not Help You
You can’t shout your way into a person’s trust circle. They only way to gain trust is to add value. Give them something they can use. Building trust is the foundation of revenue generation for your podcast.
As you build trusting relationships with your podcast, continue to ask yourself, “How am I helping my listener?” Continue to give, and the trust will develop over time.
When you begin every discussion with your product, needs or wants, people will tune you out. You will begin to sound (and be treated) like advertisements for used cars. Shouting doesn’t work. Your listener won’t care and will rarely return.
Serve first, many times over. Then and only then can you effectively sell.
Shows like the “Dave Ramsey Show”, “48 Days To The Work You Love” and “Smart Passive Income” are all designed to help their listeners first. Sure, they all have products to sell as the end result. However, they never begin with their product. The discussions on these shows always begin with the listener’s needs in mind first.
As you prepare for your show, find great ways to help. Your help may come in the form of entertainment. You may serve as companionship for your podcast listener. Help them find other forms of companionship as well. If your podcast is only one hour per week, there are 167 more hours in the week that aren’t occupied by your show. Your listeners will surely need more companionship to fill a few of those hours. Help your audience fill those hours, too.
Are you building trust, or are you shouting?
Ask For The Sale
After you’ve done the hard work building the relationship, don’t forget to ask for the sale.
One afternoon last week, I stopped by the quickie mart to get something to drink. As I waited in line at the cash register, the gentlemen in front of me set his purchase on the counter.
Among his items was a 2-liter bottle of soda. The bottle of soda was $1.69. The clerk said, “Did you know these are on sale two for $2? You can grab another and save yourself some money.”
The customers responds with, “Looks like I need to grab another bottle.”
By simply asking for the sale, the clerk doubled the purchase. The customer also benefitted by saving some money.
In fact, everyone wins in this transaction. The store is paying the clerk an hourly wage whether he sells one bottle of soda or 100. The cost of the clerk’s time to the store remains constant. Wages are the biggest expense to the store when figuring cost of goods sold. Therefore, by adding another bottle of soda to the purchase, even at the lower price, the store makes more money also.
It all happened because the clerk asked for the sale.
This week, review your show to ensure you are building those relationships.
• Start with the listener instead of your product or service
• Determine how you are going to help your listener with this episode
• Put a strong call-to-action at the end of the episode
Let’s Work Together
I would love to help you with your podcast. If you would like to improve your content, call-to-action and business, I have a few openings for coaching clients.
You need to be serious about making some money with your podcast. It may not be millions. However, you need to have the desire to make a little money.
We will work together to build a customized plan for you, your show and your business.
We have to date before we can get serious, right?
I’m offering a complimentary coaching call to a few candidates who are serious about their improvement. We need to see if we are a good fit for each other.
There will be no high pressure sales pitch. We can review your show to see if we work well together. If it clicks, we can lay out a coaching plan for you. If the call is not all you had hoped, no harm. We’ll just continue on as friends.
There is only room for a few. My calendar simply will not allow me to coach everyone.
If you are interested … and serious … e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. We can get the conversation started.
This week, we revisit my most popular episode. This episode has been downloaded almost twice as many times as any other episode I have released.
Maybe you missed it. Maybe you caught it and this will be a great refresher. Either way, I have received great feedback on the content and I am sure you will enjoy it.
On this episode, we discuss how to turn you, your content and your podcast into a brand. How do you create that powerful podcast brand to stand out amongst the sea of podcasts that are available online?
Get a one-hour coaching session with Dave Jackson and me for only $50 if you act before June 30, 2014.
Dave and I are now hosting the Podcast Review Show together. Our guests appear on the show to have their podcast reviewed by the two of us.
Typically, hiring the two of us individually for an hour would be hundreds of dollars. Not only do you get an hour of consulting from us on this show, you get to plug your show for a sixty minutes.
Our guests typically pay $99 to be featured on the show. I’ve convinced Dave to cut you a break. By using the code “coach50”, you can appear on the show for only $50.
You get half off. Still an hour. Still feedback from both of us. Still plugging your show. Half the price.
The code is “coach50”. This deal ends June 30, 2014. Get in on it now before we close it.
If you are truly serious about building your podcast, improving your show and increasing your traffic, you should also be attending the Podcast Movement in Dallas on August 16 & 17.
Find my affiliate link online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. We are only 10 weeks away from the Podcast Movement. Register today.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Zig Ziglar used great stories in every point he made. He was a wonderful storyteller.
Dave Jackson and I spoke with the Contractor’s Secret Weapon podcast this week on the Podcast Review Show. They hosts told a great story about earning the #1 spot on Google. The story really helped solidify their points.
You don’t need to include constant stories in your podcast. You only need a few memorable stories to make your podcast stronger.
6 ways stories make your podcast powerful.
Transport your listener to other places using stories
Visual words
Theater of the mind
Would I enjoy taking a one-hour car ride with this person every week?
Develop friendships
Like a one-on-one conversation in a car
Do I know the host by listening to the show?
Reveal things about yourself
People get to know and like you
Stories define your character
People begin to trust you
Let others live vicariously through your stories
They can enjoy your journeys without the risk
May be the reason there are so many entrepreneur podcasts
Stories make you human
Humorous, compelling or tragic
Laugh, marvel, sympathize
Put yourself on the same level as your listener
There are worksheets available on the Podcast Talent Coach website that will help you develop your stories. These worksheets are free. The Show Prep and Topic Development worksheets will be most helpful with your stories.
You can receive further help walking through the worksheets by getting the Podcast Talent Coach Workbook. It is available in paperback HERE and on the Kindle HERE.
To discuss my personalized, one-on-one coaching, you can reach me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
If you are truly serious about building your podcast, improving your show and increasing your traffic, you should also be attending the Podcast Movement in Dallas on August 16 & 17. Find my affiliate link online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. Prices increase by $40 on June 1. Act now!
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Have you noticed all of the interview shows popping up lately?
It seems everyone wants to have an interview podcast. Many simply copy the other successful interview podcasts and hope to stand out. How can you be different while being the same?
Jared Easley and I were talking the other day. He publishes the wonderful podcast “Starve The Doubts”. We were discussing his approach to make his interview show stand out amongst the sea of sameness.
Jared creates a unique approach to the interview show in a couple different ways. First, he not only has a guest to interview on his show, he also has a guest interviewer join him to ask the questions. This gives the show an extra dimension. The questions on every interview have a little different perspective.
Second, Jared asks unique questions. He opens every show asking about the guests favorite concert. He then sprinkles in “would you rather” and “fill in the blank” questions. Jared does his homework on every guest to create questions that are well-informed.
These two steps help to create a unique interview experience and overall solid, memorable podcast.
Be Memorable
If you want to keep your listener coming back show after show, you need to make them remember to come back. You need to remain top-of-mind for your listener. That is the purpose of audience engagement. Make your listener remember you for something specific about your show.
As you build your show, make it about one thing. Find one particular thing that will be remembered. If you try to be all things to all people, you will water down the show. Everything will be nice. However, isn’t usually truly memorable. You will get lost in the millions of messages your listener receives on a daily basis.
Find one point that you can make amazing. Take it over the top. Make it the “goodbye” scene in “Titanic”. Make it the “I am your father” scene in “Empire Strikes Back” between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Your particular point could be the point where you assure your caller that everything will be ok. It could be the fantastic story of your brush with celebrity. It is your show. Find the magic.
Stir emotion. Make it amazing. Bring your listener back. Be memorable.
Do They Remember?
When you consider the entertainment options podcast listeners have, the importance of creating a powerful brand really becomes apparent.
I searched iTunes for podcasts about hockey. There are hundreds of hockey podcasts available. Thousands and thousands of episodes exist that deal with hockey. You can find various topics, including drills, NHL teams, coaching, fantasy hockey and many more.
How do you stand out? How do you get noticed?
Your listener needs to remember your podcast, so they can return and listen again. That is the way to build a following. It really doesn’t matter how many people listen today. What builds a strong podcast is the number of listeners that come back the next time, and the next time, and the time after that. You build your audience slowly with more listeners this week than you had last week. Get your listener to remember to return.
Using your brand to create strong relationships with your listeners is critical to the health of your podcast. If you are bland, you will get lost in the sea of average. There are over 100,000 podcasts available for consumption. Most of them are average or worse. If you refine your content, turn your information into entertainment, and transform your podcast into powerful relationships, you will easily stand out from the crowd. It is a must not only for your success, but your mere survival. Begin your brand today.
The Memorable Podcast Brand Uses Cows
The unexpected is amusing, delightful and memorable. Being direct assumes your listener cares about your marketing message. They don’t. Your listener cares about his or her needs, wants and desires. Attract their attention by doing the unexpected.
To engage your podcast listener and create a relationship, you need to be memorable. In order to be memorable, you must be unique. Be distinct, unusual, and unexpected. If you sound like every other show, you will not stand out and get noticed.
Chick-fil-a could have easily become another fast food restaurant lost in the sea of mediocrity. Founder Truett Cathy wouldn’t let that happen. The company pays great attention to the details and does the unexpected at every turn.
The Chick-fil-a mission statement is, “Be America’s Best Quick-Service Restaurant.” Sure, every fast food joint wants to be the best. Few are willing to put in the work.
One Saturday, we were on a road trip. We were passing through Des Moines, IA at 8:45p as we pulled into the mall to grab a quick bite. We found out the mall closed at 9p. As you can imagine, most restaurants in the food court were cleaning up. We were one of two parties there to eat.
We stepped up to the Chick-fil-a counter and apologized for cutting it so close and causing them extra work. The gentleman behind the counter assured us it was no trouble at all. We received our (fresh) food quickly and grabbed a table in the middle of the food court.
About five minutes later, the Chick-fil-a employee came to our food court table to make sure everything was alright. This was a mall food court. Few fast food restaurants ever check on you in their own establishment. You especially do not receive this sort of attention 10 minutes before closing.
That level of service is the norm at Chick-fil-a. They always take the extra step to surprise and stand out. It is carried through to the careers they offer, the scholarships they provide to their employees and the process of accepting partners and franchisees.
The company uses cows in their commercials to promote chicken sandwiches. The Chick-fil-a website even has a special section devoted to the cows. When a cow parachutes into a football game promoting chicken sandwiches, it us unexpected. Chick-fil-a is memorable.
If you can create unique, memorable experiences for your listener by incorporating the unexpected, you begin to create powerful, meaningful relationships.
Are you using your own cows in your podcast?
The Memorable Podcast Brand Swings For The Fence
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. We 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
Risky Stands Out For The Memorable Podcast Brand
As we develop meaningful relationships with your podcast, we in turn build credibility that will support our call-to-action within your show. To develop strong relationships, you need to create engaging entertainment that will get you remembered by your listener. To be remembered, you must stand out.
You stand out when you are loved. You are remembered when you are hated. You fade into the background when you are plain, vanilla and trying to not upset anyone. If you don’t stir strong emotions, you are easily forgotten.
When we create, we expose our perspective. We open ourselves to criticism. It is natural to want your thoughts, views, art and creation to be accepted by everyone. To avoid being disappointed, we often play it safe.
Those fantastic, memorable personalities are usually both loved and hated. Rush Limbaugh is loved by the conservatives and hated by the liberals. Dave Ramsey is loved by the conservative investor and hated by credit card companies and whole life insurance salespeople. Dr. Laura Schlessinger would consistently be critical of her callers. Yet she would receive more callers than she could handle on any given show.
Safety lacks creativity. It is risky to be truly creative. However, that is really the only way to get noticed. Safe blends in. Risky stands out.
Create that memorable podcast brand to keep your listener coming back show after show. Remain top-of-mind for your listener. Make them remember to come back next week.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
There is a big difference between marketing to men and marketing to women. The book “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus” by John Gray, Ph. D. discussed in great detail the communication and relationship differences between men and women. These differences are critical in marketing. They are also important elements to your podcast strategy.
I’ll be speaking at the Podcast Movement in Dallas August 16th & 17th. My affiliate link is online at PodcastTalentCoach.com. I will be doing a session on this very topic showing you how to make use of these marketing tactics in your podcast.
Today, we are going to cover five major differences you need to consider when marketing to the different genders. Keep these differences in mind when you are shaping your podcast content.
Please understand that I am speaking in generalities. I understand these statements won’t hold true for every person. These points are are simply how most men and women react in common situations. The definition of stereotype is “a simplified and standardized conception or image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group” There are times when the stereotypical case will not hold true for a specific situation. Most of the time, this is the case.
THINKING
In a broad sense, men tend to think very linearly. Women usually think very spatially. To be effective communicating with each gender, you must understand these differences. You must also select one to target. The same message will have difficulty reaching both genders effectively.
PROBLEM SOLVING
Men and women also take different approaches in the way they solve the problems. Because men think linearly, men focus on the solution. Men try to determine what steps are needed to reach a successful outcome. If a man is in need of a new car, he will find the solution step by step. A man will review his options, compare the features, determine the best buy for the money that will do the job, and make the purchase. Men typically move through a problem step-by-step. If the steps are all completed successfully, he buys the vehicle.
Because women tend to think globally, they are typically concerned with the way their relationships are affected by problems and the possible solutions. A woman tends to consider how each person in her close circle is affected by each possible solution. If she is in need of a new car, she will typically consider her needs and those of her family. Will her kids be safe? Is there enough room for everyone? Will the features please her family? Are there entertainment features available to keep her kids occupied on trips? She will also consider how her friends will view the purchase and if she is being treated right by the salesperson. If the relationships all benefit from the purchase, she buys the vehicle.
You can see evidence of this difference in the way auto makers market to the different genders. Minivans aimed toward women will play up the features for the entire family. The commercial will depict the envy of the neighbors. The storyline may even show mom juggling soccer practice, shopping, carpooling and work. These commercials tend to be very spatial in nature and focused on relationships.
Commercials for trucks that are targeted toward men will usually tout the problem solving ability of the truck. The script will play up the horsepower, torque and hauling capacity of the truck. The commercial will usually show the truck pulling some ridiculously heavy load, like trees or ships or something. Men will be convinced they can get the job done with this particular truck. The steps are very linear.
When handling tasks, men tend to be single-minded and focused on one goal, while women usually multitask well. This difference probably began with the cavemen. Each had well-defined duties in the household back in the cave.
Cavemen would set out to find dinner and bring it home. He had one task with one goal. Women handled the entire household doing many things at one time. Men needed to be very focused to find dinner without being eaten by a tiger. Women needed to multitask in order to tend to the house (or cave), handle the children and keep the family in line all at the same time.
You can see this difference in society today. When men are watching television, they watch television. When men attend a sporting event, they watch the event. Men are typically focused on the thing they are doing. This is usually true even if they are doing it with friends.
Women, on the other hand, typically have the ability to multitask very well. Women can be cooking 3 different dishes for dinner, talking on the phone, and keeping an eye on the evening news all while being fully aware of what the children are doing in the other room. Women multitask in a way that astonishes men. Men cannot understand why women spend an entire baseball game talking with the people around her rather than watching the game. Men are there to watch the game. Women attend because it is a way to socialize and strengthen her relationships. She enjoys the game for much different reasons.
The tendency to focus on one task or many creates another interesting difference between men and women. Because they tend to multitask and focus on multiple items simultaneously, women do not seem to tire of activities as quickly as men. When men focus on one thing only, they will become bored with that particular item before a woman. Men will want to move on to the next thing. Therefore, men tend to like new and different. They tend to appreciate change more than women. Women will tolerate repetition much more than men, because they are not as focused on one item at a time. It may also take more messages in different ways to effectively reach and influence a woman.
Men and women also differ in the way they remember things and events. Again, men are linear. Women are spatial.
COMMUNICATING
Men typically view communication and problems solving as a way to show their strength and power. Men typically see things as a competition. It is a linear approach. They seek validation by solving problems. When men are communicating with each other, you will often see each attempt to “one-up” the other. You will often hear, “Oh, you think that’s bad. One time something worse happened to me.” Other men do not typically take offense to these comments. These challenges are a way for men to show their power and dominance.
Women use communication and problem solving for much different purposes. Women use both as a way to strengthen the relationship. Women seek understanding when tackling a problem. Rather than seeking validation, women are typically seeking empathy from and an opportunity to bond with their communication partner. You will rarely hear a woman try to “one-up” the person with which they are communicating. However, you will hear, “Oh, that’s terrible. What did you do?”
When I go out to lunch with my buddies, we have a good time. When I get home, my wife will ask me what we talked about. I will tell her, “Nothing really. Sports and politics.” She finds it baffling that we didn’t discuss his son’s birthday or our family vacation. We debate the nuances of professional versus college sports. We might discuss the benefits of one political candidate over another. That’s how men communicate. Men use a friendly challenge to bond. Women tend to see that style as a lack of understanding.
RELATIONSHIPS
Men and women also handle relationship problems differently. Just like problems in any other area of life, men typically seek the solution (linear) while women tend to use problems to strengthen the relationship (spatial). Understand these differences as you build your relationship with your audience.
Let’s take a typical, hypothetical couple. Tina and Adam have been together for 3 years. Their standard Friday night is eating take out and watching TV. Tina says, “Adam, we never go out anymore.” In Tina’s head, she is thinking, “Our relationship needs more ‘us’ time. We don’t spend enough time together having fun.” Adam replies, “Fine, let’s go out tomorrow night.” Adam is thinking, “Done, problem solved.” Tina then gets a little more aggressive with, “That’s not what I mean.” Now Adam is really confused. “You just said we don’t go out enough. Let’s go out tomorrow night. What’s the problem.” Tina says, “I’m not just talking about going out.”
Conversations similar to these fall apart, because men and women approach the problem in much different ways. Women use the conversation to strengthen the relationship. Men use communication to solve the problem. “Going out tomorrow night” means different things to each of them.
MEMORIES
When men remember events, they tend to remember in a linear fashion. They will remember events in sequence as one thing happened, then the next and finally the last. It is a sequential time line. If a man were recalling a party, they would typically begin with the setting and who arrived first. He would walk through the time line of the party. His description might begin with, “Things got going in the kitchen. We moved downstairs and shot some pool. Paul had a bit too much to drink and after he broke the lamp trying to dance, the party came to a halt and everyone headed home.” It is a step-by-step recollection of the events.
Women typically remember events in a very spatial way. They will remember who attended the party. They will remember the great time that was had by everyone. Women will recall some of the great conversations that took place. The memories would possibly include the laughs, the gathering places and the details of the atmosphere. The recollections of women tend to be global in nature.
These differences between men and women will play an important role as you define your target audience. Will your communication be spatial or linear? This is something you’ll need to decide before you can move forward to create the structure and content of your show.
Gender is only one characteristic of your target audience. There are many others to consider. Just as if you were describing one individual person, gender would only be one characteristic of that person.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
A few notes before the episode this week. I am speaking at the Podcast Movement in Dallas August 16th and 17th, 2014. It is a national podcast conference that has an amazing roster of presenters and speakers. It is less than $135 (including fees) for the standard ticket before June 1, 2014. I would love to have you join me there using my affiliate link. Get your ticket by clicking the logo in the bottom right corner online at PodcastTalentCoach.com.
Dave Jackson recently invited me to join him on the Podcast Review Show. You can find the show and listen at PodcastReviewShow.com. Each week we invite a podcaster on the show for a critique of their entire business from content to website to revenue opportunities.
I was listening to the Solopreneur Hour Podcast with Michael O’Neal this week. His show is one of my regular, weekly listens. The podcast frequently features an interview with a successful person in business. Michael does a nice job relating his content to my business.
Many podcasters get lost in the interview and fail to make the important connection to the listener.
When you define the focus of your show, you create a filter for your content. This filter helps determine which content makes the show. It also helps frame your content with respect to your listener.
To succeed, you need to set yourself apart from the crowd. You cannot simply be better. You must be amazingly different. Make the connection of your content to the needs of your listeners. Help your audience solve their problems and eliminate their frustrations.
Even if you are a seasoned podcaster, it may be time for a tune up. Does your show have a strong focus? Is your content truly helping your listener? Have you defined what is in it for them?
Begin with your passions. When you are creating your podcast, find subject matter that stirs a fire inside you. If you can talk about it for hours, you are probably on target. If you can come up with fifty different topics on your area of interest, you could have a winning subject.
What topics and subjects typically occupy most of your conversations? This is probably where you will find the focus of your podcast. You will be talking about the same subject matter show after show. You better love it. To be interesting, you first need to be interested.
Once you have your topic, define your unique qualities. Remember, you don’t simply want to be better. You want to be amazingly different from the others. My show is focused on content. Where most shows about podcasting center on the technical aspect, I use my 25 years of broadcasting experience to create content you cannot find elsewhere. That is my unique position.
This is where we narrow your topic. Really focus on the niche. You cannot be everything to everybody. Being broad creates a bland podcast that lacks focus. Be specific.
The size of your niche is not nearly as important as the passion of the niche. Help people that are passionate about your topic. This is where you will succeed.
Where can you help? Determine what frustrates your listeners. Figure out what your audience needs to do to double their business or happiness or success. Then, help them accomplish those things. Create solutions with your show.
Finally, use this filter for all of your content. Define the focus of your show. As you prepare for each episode, run your topics and content through this filter to ensure the focus is on your listener.
If you are interviewing people on your show, run it through your filter. What is in it for your listeners? How can they put that information to use?
Even if you are a comedy podcast for entertainment only, your listener is still getting a benefit from your show. They are coming to you for companionship. They want to forget about their problems for a bit. Your content filter should ensure you are helping them accomplish that goal.
Here is your “to do” list for this week.
1. Step back for an overview of your show. Define the goal for your podcast.
2. Determine where and how you are helping your listeners.
3. Ensure your niche is focused enough.
4. Put all of your content through your listener filter.
Next week, we will discuss tips for the two-person podcast. We will examine five areas you should define and develop if you have a show with multiple hosts.
I’d love to help you with your podcast. E-mail any questions or comments you might have to Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com.
