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Quick Look at Podcasting

Podcasting has been around for a while, serving as a way to democratize the audio medium for each of us. Today, you can produce audio content and have an audience listening in a matter of hours. Before podcasting, gatekeepers at radio stations prevented diverse content offerings by limiting the number of shows fit into their schedule and model. Whether a podcast focuses on the migration patterns and life cycles of penguins or something equally specific and niche or a show that serves as a place to perform long-form interviews with celebrities, they all bypass the conventional audio medium of radio and radio stations. 

If you listen to podcasts like Hustleburg, you probably know enough about podcasts to be able to find the shows you’re interested in, as well as how to listen to them when a new episode is available. If you’re new to listening to podcasts or have found them by clicking a link on Facebook or another social media platform, here’s a bit of information to bolster your podcast awareness:

Podcasting Background

  • Podcasts really aren’t that new. They date back to the 1980s, but it took Apple’s introduction of digital audio content to iTunes in 2005 that helped to kickstart their popularity among the masses. 
  • Did you know that President George W. Bush was among the first “podcasters?” In 2005, WhiteHouse.gov made his weekly radio addresses available for download on the White House’s website.
  • It didn’t take long for traditional broadcast media to jump on board, with newspapers, radio stations, and tv networks creating shows based around the content they were already creating. As a result of their first-mover advantage and locating terrific audio production, NPR is one of the most popular podcast publishers of all time. Their smash podcast hit This American Life, publishing weekly since 2006, and the top downloaded podcast of all time, Serial, give it serious clout in the podcasting world.

“How Do I Listen?”

This is frequently the biggest hurdle for most people. Obviously, there are ways to publish directly to the web to listen on a phone or computer through the web browser and be found, but phone makers have made it REALLY easy to jump right into listening to podcasts on their devices. Since separating podcast content and making iTunes music-only last year, Apple Podcasts has been the dominant force in connecting podcasts with listeners. With a similar timeline, Google Podcasts entered the scene in 2019 as well, taking podcast content from their Google Play Music service that shutters later in 2020. With both of the major operating systems now offering a built-in app specifically for finding and listening to podcasts, getting started as a podcast listener has never been easier. 

You may have noticed Spotify jumping into the podcast world, making quite a splash in hopes of being a disruptor in the industry. They previously featured popular podcasts within its streaming app, but recently opened up their platform to podcasters of any size. In 2020, they also gobbled up exclusive content from Joe Rogan, whose Joe Rogan Experience podcast is one of the world’s most popular, and Michelle Obama, who launched her podcast in July 2020. Additionally, Spotify purchased a podcast creation and hosting platform, Anchor, to also make waves on the production side of podcasting.

There are plenty of podcast players available to match just about any taste when it comes to layout, features, etc. We LOVE the cross-platform Castbox player for listening to shows, as it does a fantastic job of managing them across both an iPhone and an Android.

Learn how podcasting can help your business.

Hustleburg Episode 36 – Answering Your Podcasting Questions, Part 3 – Being a Guest

This episode is a Q&A episode with questions from you about podcasting. In Episode 32, Brett asked for questions and you delivered. The first podcast Q&A episode focused on how a podcast could help your business. The second podcast Q&A episode centered around podcast monetization. In this episode, we will answer questions about being a guest on a podcast with a pretty substantial step-by-step guide to get you behind the microphone.

How Can I Find Podcasts Looking for Guests?

Just about any podcast that has interviews or panels as a part of their show is looking for guests. First, you’ll need to find relevant podcasts where you can add value for the audience. Start with “The Five,” the five areas of focus for your content to begin your search for relevancy. 

I would start by going through Apple’s Podcast Directory by category to identify potential shows for you to appear on. Additionally, utilize Apple’s Podcast Directory to search for specific keywords that make up “The Five” for you. Next, turn to Google. You should be able to find plenty of shows here as well by typing podcast+ one of your five focus areas.

Take a look at influencers in your industry and in “The Five” to scout the media appearances they have done. The disconnect between podcast hosts and potential podcast guests is large enough that there are several podcast matching services who aim to connect podcasts and guests. 

You identified a bunch of possibilities. Now, it’s time to see how relevant they are to your intended audience from the list of podcasts that you identified. A few bits of information will give you a better look at whether they should remain on your list going forward. You may also discover that their show’s contact e-mail address is hard to find.

How Do I Pitch Myself as a Guest?

Now that you’ve identified all the podcasts that are appropriate for you… Be prepared to be rejected a lot. Also be prepared to not hear back from a lot of podcasts. Before you do anything further, listen to at least one episode of the podcast that includes an interview or a panel. Prepare a one-sheet as an introduction to the podcast host(s) and producers about you. The easiest part of getting booked is reaching out, because you’ve already researched the podcast and prepared your one-sheet for their viewing. Have a follow-up e-mail ready that is different from your initial contact, but offers more value with you as a guest. You’ll be on a podcast in no time.

How Can I Make the Most of my Guest Appearance?

Congratulations! You’re booked to appear on a podcast. Now what?

If you followed what I outlined in the previous question, you have already listened to an episode of their podcast to get a general feel for the show, its format, and how interviews fit. The best way to prepare for an awesome interview is to ask what to expect. Also, you should ask for a question pool that they intend to use in the interview. 

Use this information to prepare notes and figure out how to tie it all together with “The Five” or a call to action in the interview, both contextual and in closing. As part of your preparation, you should create an offer to add value for each listener that you can refer to in the interview naturally, as well as provide to the podcast audience in the show notes. In the same vein, almost every podcast host will give you the opportunity to promote yourself toward the end of the interview, so preparing a call to action for that closing is as important as your contextual one. 

You should arrive several minutes early to the in-person or virtual meeting to record, so that you can get your bearings before jumping into the show. Finally, before you sit down to conduct the interview, take a few moments to relax, breathe, and look over your notes one last time.

The Interview Went Well, Now What?

You really knocked it out of the park with your interview! Now that the interview wrapped, you want people to listen to what you had to say, right? Often, you can ask the podcast host or producer how they promote each episode of the podcast and what that process is like: what platforms they use, when promotion for an upcoming episode begins, and how long it typically runs after each show publishes. A day or two before you expect their promotional efforts to begin, you should share a post on a shared social media outlet, tagging or mentioning them in a post about how excited you are for your upcoming appearance or how much fun you had recording it. For each social media outlet, your efforts are better spent directly sharing their post talking about you, rather than creating your own content about it.

If you look back fondly on your experience, definitely connect future guests with the podcast team. Believe it or not, podcast creators talk among each other, so speak fondly of your experience or don’t mention it at all.

Get Engagement Training in Your Inbox Now

If you’re not satisfied with the social media results you’re getting, Beyond Your Side Hustle offers this training via email.

Find out more about Beyond Your Side Hustle here:

Website
Hustleburg Listener Community on LinkedIn
Beyond Your Side Hustle on LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Brett’s LinkedIn

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Be a Guest on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here

Hustleburg Episode 34 – Answering Your Podcasting Questions, Part 2

This episode is a Q&A episode with questions from you about podcasting. In Episode 32, Brett asked for questions and you delivered. The first podcast Q&A episode focused on how a podcast could help your business, how you can use it as pillar content for all the content you create for your brand, and a bit of discussion about video podcasts vs. audio only.

Can You Make Money From Podcasting?

Short answer, yes. You absolutely can make money podcasting, but it takes time. Basically, it comes down to success and popularity for your podcast. You need to have a “flexible plan,” that defines how you will build and serve a community by focusing on topics at the intersection of your expertise and their interest.

You will also need to consider the format of your podcast, which includes presentation, frequency, and runtime. Will your podcast be hosted by you, solo? Will you have guest hosts for a conversation? Will you interview other people? Planning your podcast will also determine a frequency that best serves that intended audience. Whether daily, weekly, biweekly, or monthly, your podcast episodes must come out when you say they will. In addition to planning the frequency, you’ll probably need to establish a general runtime. This can vary from a very short (and usually very frequent) episode length of just a few minutes to ridiculously long-form episodes that last hours.

Like in life, there is no overnight success in podcasting. Even celebrities new to the medium need to prove that they can produce episodes consistently. 

How Do You Make Money Podcasting?

The most prevalent revenue method for free podcasts are to include advertisements and sponsorships into the content of the show. Ads aren’t going away anytime soon, because they benefit creators of all size, though it benefits the more popular creators than the smaller ones. Podcast patrons are probably the higher revenue option than advertising for creators that are smaller in size. People like to exhibit who they are through what they like, and merchandise for a podcast is no different than a band or tv show. In other episodes of the podcast and on social media, I’ve pointed to the exclusive deals inked by Spotify a lot. Finally, joining a network is another way to make money through podcasting.

What’s the Difference Between Open, Closed, and Free Podcasts?

Free podcasts are pretty self-explanatory. It doesn’t cost anything monetary to listen to them, and they are the largest type of podcast, because of how easily distributed digital audio content is and has been. Anyone can publish or listen to an open podcast. They are based on and distributed through RSS technology. The Michelle Obama Podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, and others that are Spotify exclusives are closed podcasts.

How Do You Distribute Your Podcast?

Today, distributing a podcast is much easier than it used to be. Often, the hosting service you’ve chosen for your podcast does the heavy lifting by creating the RSS feeds, pushing them to the various outlets. Setting up for the major players like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify are only a couple mouse clicks and a copy and paste away. Once you set up to have the feeds distributed to the various apps and platforms, nothing else is required on your part. With each new episode, a podcast creator shares by adding the episode to the feed.

Get Engagement Training in Your Inbox Now

If you’re not satisfied with the social media results you’re getting, Beyond Your Side Hustle offers this training via email.

Find out more about Beyond Your Side Hustle here:

Website
Hustleburg Listener Community on LinkedIn
Beyond Your Side Hustle on LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Brett’s LinkedIn

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Be a Guest on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here

Hustleburg Episode 32 – Answering Your Podcasting Questions

In this Q&A episode of the Hustleburg podcast, Brett answers listener questions about how to use a podcast to help you build a community around your business. 

A Little Podcast History

Podcasting has been around for a while, serving as a way to democratize the audio medium for each of us. They reach back to the 1980s, but it was Apple’s introduction of them to iTunes in 2005 that helped to kickstart the beginning of their popularity. NPR is one of the most popular podcast publishers of all time with the smash podcast hits This American Life, publishing weekly since 2006, and the top downloaded podcast of all time, Serial.

The biggest hurdle for most people is answering “how do I listen?” Phone makers have made it REALLY easy of late to just jump right into listening with either Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. With hopes of being a disruptor, Spotify has jumped into the podcast world with quite a splash, launching podcasts within its streaming app and gobbling up exclusive content. There are plenty of other podcast players out there to match just about any tastes for layout, features, etc.

How Can Creating and Publishing a Podcast Help My Business?

First, you have the ability to share your knowledge and expertise by shedding a light on your business and give insight into your industry. A podcast can also help your brand or business by creating connections to others within your industry. You’re also reaching people already interested in your industry and business with your show, acting as a reminder of who you are and what you do. Finally, for a brand or business that’s creating content around themselves, a podcast gives you long-form content that you can use as a pillar for a lot of other content you create.

Why Are Podcasts a Great Way to Create Content for Your Business?

By having something like a podcast serve as long-form pillar content for your brand, you achieve two big things. First, a library of searchable content that stands out for people to find you. Next, a podcast serves to be a terrific way to re-use and re-purpose content for other media by using the podcast to be sliced and diced without having to create more content. You can create articles, videos, quotes, and micro-blogs from the larger pillar content created for the podcast to be used across all the platforms.

Should Podcasts be Audio-Only? Or Should They Have Video?

Remember that you are creating content for your community, so consider their preferences first. Will you add value by creating a video podcast? 

What Equipment Should I Use? What Programs Should I Use to Edit?

To start, go as cheaply as possible. You aren’t in the business of podcasting. You’re starting a podcast to complement your brand or business. First, you’ll need a way to record audio, and that often means getting a microphone. You could also try starting out with just your smartphone. If you choose to edit your audio on a computer, you can find free audio editing software online, Audacity being the most prominent solution. Finally, you’ll need a host for your podcast. Spotify-owned Anchor is pretty robust for a free hosting solution. We use Podbean. The most important thing to remember is that you should be focusing more on the content you’re creating for your community than anything you do to dress it up.

Get Engagement Training in Your Inbox Now

If you’re not satisfied with the social media results you’re getting, Beyond Your Side Hustle offers this training via email.

Find out more about Beyond Your Side Hustle here:

Website
Hustleburg Listener Community on LinkedIn
Beyond Your Side Hustle on LinkedIn
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Brett’s LinkedIn

If you enjoyed what you heard in this episode, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review this podcast on your favorite player. Each episode is available on its own post, with the entire catalog here. It’s available on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify, or your favorite podcast catcher. We listen to this show and our favorites on Castbox. It’s hosted by Podbean. We appreciate your attention, and we can’t wait to have you back for the next episode. 

Be a Guest on Hustleburg

If you have any questions you’d like to have answered on an upcoming Q&A episode, please take a moment to visit beyondyoursidehustle.com/podcastquestion and ask there. If you’re a St. Pete businessperson who’d like to sit down for an interview, please reach out to us here