Developing a podcast brand may be the last thing you think about when putting together your podcast.  And this may be why most podcasters fail. The term “brand” refers to a business and marketing concept that helps people (your listeners) identify a particular company, product, or individual. Brands are intangible, which means you can't actually touch or see them. They help shape people's (your listeners) perceptions of companies, their products, or individuals. Here's an easy way of wrapping your head around branding.  What do people say your podcast is when you're not in the room?Can a person (you) be a brand?Anyone can quickly and easily be a brand. You don't need to be famous. Branding is important because not only is it what makes a memorable impression on your listeners, but it allows your listeners to know what to expect from your podcast. A strong brand will help your audience identify with your message and keep them coming back for more content. It also helps establish your topic as a credible source. The best podcasts have a distinct voice that is personable and authentic.  Which leads to a loyal following who will continue to listen even if they don’t have anything new to say. The key strategies to build a strong brand are: -Define it -Match your podcast name to it -Develop it -Develop the look -Get it out there -Get it out there consistently Define your podcast brandTo create your podcast brand effectively, you need to have a clear idea of the type of the brand you are wanting to create. You need to understand what your ‘brand’ is. Here are some questions that can help you. What is your podcast’s mission? What is your podcast’s vision? Who are you targeting as the key listeners to your show? Why should they listen? What can they expect when tuning into your show? Match your podcast name to the brandAfter defining your podcast brand, decide on a name for your show. But not just any name! You need to decide on a name that strengthens your brand, and leaves no doubt about your brand in the mind of your targeted listeners. Your podcast name needs to match your brand. Your podcast name should be: unique catchy easy to remember consistent with the message on your podcast Put the time in to find the right name.Use Google searches. Brainstorm with your podcast partners, family and friends (you’d be amazed what will come out of a “https://www.dontheideaguy.com/ (beerstorming or beanstorming session)”). Keep the list, let it set for a day or two, and come back to it with fresh eyes and a clear mind. Let the process work, and you’ll have the perfect podcast name that is your brand identity! Develop that podcast brandDevelop your own signature style for your podcast. There are countless things that work together to produce your podcast’s “unique voice”, including your: personality co-hosts guests interview style delivery and tone of voice “audio logo” or intro music expertise in your content area connection with your listeners unique angle on your content Develop your podcast brand lookUse color and imagery to further develop and strengthen your podcast brand’s unique identity. Your podcast’s thumbnail cover art is typically the first thing people see when it comes to your podcast. It’s got to be on your brand! Great podcast cover art gets listeners to engage with your podcast brand.  Get your podcast brand out thereTo strengthen your brand, you need to be out there. Be present with your podcast  This simply means finding other places for your podcast and brand to be seen and heard. Some ideas include, but are not limited to: guest appearances on podcasts speaking opportunities at conferences strategic social media content postings and tagging key individuals guest blogging networking events The more places people are able to “find” your podcast brand, the stronger your presence will become.Keep your brand out there consistentlyImplement and stick to a...

Note To Future Me

Key Strategies To Build A Strong Podcast Brand

We as podcasters, on the whole, underutilize LinkedIn as a marketing and connection tool. A majority of our time is spent on the other big three - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. So what are we missing? Why are we NOT living on LinkedIn like we do these other social media platforms? Could it be we just don't know about some best practices and new features? So what better way to learn how to use this business professional media platform than to talk to one of the preeminent LinkedIn experts. https://www.linkedin.com/in/debramathias/ (Debra Mathias) is the owner of https://www.connect-to-clients.com/ (Connect To Clients), based in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill, North Carolina area. Since 2011 she's been assisting entrepreneurs, small business and Fortune 500 companies to use her proven method of Networking with LinkedIn She is a LinkedIn Business Coach. Career Transition Expert. LinkedIn Sales Strategist, Relationship Builder, LinkedInLocal Host, and a Connection Specialist using Networking with LinkedIn and Career Transitioning with LinkedIn. So what are some best LinkedIn practices we need to know about? Deb's top 3 include: 1. Check your dashboard daily for leads. 2. Post creative content 1 or 2 times per week. We can expound on creative content and what it takes to get people to "view your content", tagging, hashtags etc. 3. Like, comment, and share your network's content. It gets you in front of their audience and vice versa. How about new LinkedIn features? Deb's top 3 include: 1. Cover Story. Create a video to replace your photo on LinkedIn. 2. Provided Services on your profile: Add up to 5 services that your business does. 3. Creator Mode. This is for influencers or anyone wanting to get their name and content out there. It will flip your activity, Featured and About Sections so that people see your content first. It will also show how many followers you have instead of connections. Keep up with what's new on LinkedIn by following Deb. And connect with her as well. When you connect, tell her you heard her on the Note To Future Me podcast, and mention your favorite ice cream flavor (she'll understand!). Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/ (business website) at circle270media.com Subscribe to my free daily https://note-to-future-me.captivate.fm/openthemic (Open The Mic Newsletter). It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast. Recorded in conjunction with http://www.channel511.com/ (Channel 511), in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH. Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients. Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

The Power of LinkedIn for Podcasters

This Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp incident on October 4, 2021 was more than a mild inconvenience. Or as Facebook internally called it "a snow day." As a podcaster, we hope you now see the urgency in creating a standalone website entirely separate from social media. If this downtime were to happen to Spotify or Apple, far too many podcasters would end up losing listeners. And even worse, revenue. My guest is Laura Oldham, https://starburstcolumbus.com/about/ (founder of Starburst Media). I have known Laura since 2017, as she was the first guest on the https://chamberpartnership.org/ (TriVillage Chamber Partnership) podcast https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5jYXB0aXZhdGUuZm0vYnVzaW5lc3MtaW5zcGlyZXMv/episode/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3ByZWFrZXIuY29tL2VwaXNvZGUvMTA2NDQ3NjQ?sa=X&ved=0CAUQkfYCahcKEwi4o6fe0LTzAhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQLQ (Business Inspires). We've worked together over the years on a few projects. I wanted to get her insight on how important a website is for podcasters. Her focus with Starburst Media is mainly on building websites in WordPress, Shopify and Squarespace and giving her clients the tools to make their own changes so they don’t necessarily need to depend upon Starburst Media (or another firm) to keep their websites up to date. If you haven't built a podcast website, now is the time. And by podcast website, we mean a standalone website not through your hosting platform. This Facebook incident on October 4, 2021 won't be the last time social media will go down. And if you completely rely on social media to promote your podcast, to promote your business, you're building your "castle on sand," as the saying goes. As she states... If there's ever been a time, it was made clear why you shouldn't have one company controlling such a big chunk of your communications. Where people in countries weren't able to communicate with family members. And businesses weren't able to do basic commerce that rely upon Facebook.Laura covers some do's and don'ts when creating a website. Her main advice is just don't overthink it. ...enough that someone can find you and get a feel for what it is that you're trying to share with them, sell them, whatever it is. But even the most basic Wix website or Squarespace website can be really easy to throw together as long as you just don't overthink what should go on the website.Is WordPress the best route to go? If you blog and podcast, yes. WordPress was made for this. If you are looking at adding very little blog content to your website over time, Squarespace and Wix are good, easy options. When the time comes to build, or update, your website, you may want to consider outside help like Starburst Media offers. Laura offers some advice on what questions you should ask. Plus, notice what questions are asked of you from the perspective web designer. You need to know this person is on your team. Not only to build your website, but to help you maintain the best website you can. For today, and for the future. Podcasts added to your website have shown to help with https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.adexchanger.com/advertiser/podcasting-is-a-powerful-lead-gen-tool-for-b2b-marketers-at-panasonic/&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw3U4NUM-wySECPwjKcgdTyn (your website SEO). Laura has been helping her clients with this as well. I think that's fantastic when people do take the time to make sure that their podcast is on the right services so they can easily embed each podcast. Contact Laura about your podcast website questions. Her email address is laura@starburstcolumbus.com. Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/...

Laura Oldham from Starburst Media and Your Podcast Website

Before you launch your podcast, so much of your time and energy will be spent getting the sound and feel just right. Choosing the right format. Researching the best publishing frequency and day of the week. You're doing all the podcast things you’re supposed to do in order to make a really great podcast. Soon the time will come to press publish, and you need a plan to promote the podcast. Here are 5 simple ways to ask your listeners to support your podcast. 1) Ask them to sign up for your newsletter. That being said, your newsletter needs to be subscriber-worthy. What are you doing with your newsletter beyond promoting your current episode?  How are you engaging the reader?  Is signing up worth their time?  How easy do you make it to sign up? If you already have a newsletter with subscribers, congratulations.  You now can implement one of the most effective marketing tools a podcaster can have.   Building an email list from scratch?  Here are some ideas to consider… Choose A Trustworthy and easy-to-use Email Marketing Platform.  Give People Incentives to Sign Up.  Create Pop-Ups For Your Website.  Leverage Your Social Media Accounts.  Additionally, Emphasize how easy it is to sign up for your newsletter Keep stating your call to action over time  Put the link everywhere It will build over time: You’ll see some fans subscribe immediately, but you’ll continue seeing substantial growth even 3-6 months after you launch. The key is consistently including your call to action and experimenting with what gets listeners excited to sign up.  2) Ask them to write reviews or comments about your podcast. This could take the form of  Leaving a review of your podcast on iTunes,  Leaving comments on your podcast Facebook page,  Encouraging comments on your podcast website blog post that features your podcast episodes, Setting up a Google My Business page for your podcast, or Ask for feedback on a Google Voice phone number. 3) Ask your listeners to share your podcast on social media by specifically tagging their friends. Not only does this share the podcast, tagging friends can encourage the listener to comment to the tagged friend WHY they should listen to the episode.  Feedback for you, and social media loves shares. 4) Ask listeners how the podcast (or a specific episode) has helped them. There are basically 6 things you need to do in a podcast. laugh cry  think  groan  educate entertain  or a combination of any of these If you're not doing one of those 7 things, you're boring. And there won’t be any incentive for your listener to WANT to talk about your podcast. 5) Ask them to follow you on social media Same rules apply about the why’s of following you as I just addressed with newsletters.  Make your posts engaging, interesting, inviting, and share-worthy. It can’t be just about your latest episode publishing. If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization.  Interested in speaking with one of our professionals?https://form.jotform.com/211455730925051 ( Click here)! We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out.  This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when you complete the questionnaire.  Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/ (business website) at circle270media.com Subscribe to my free...

5 Simple Ways to Ask Your Listeners for Support Your Podcast

September 2021 marks 5 years for Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. And what a 5 years it's been. I wanted to put together a quick "look back" for me, and for anyone else looking for advice, incentive, or insight, on how to march forward from working for someone else to working for yourself. What have I learned? Trust your gut instincts on when to start. Surround yourself with trusted people to hold you accountable. Be open to any and all opportunities. Protect your time. But, put in the time, with focus. Always have "plan B." What should have I done earlier? Engaged with a business manager and/or mentor. How's your journey? Contact me at podcasts@circle270media.com or go to http://www.mypodcastguy.com/ (My Podcast Guy.) Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/ (business website) at circle270media.com Subscribe to my free daily https://note-to-future-me.captivate.fm/openthemic (Open The Mic Newsletter). It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast. Recorded in conjunction with http://www.channel511.com/ (Channel 511), in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH. Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients. Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

Circle270Media Celebrates 5 Years (and What I've Learned Along The Way)

Success stories are always fun to talk about. My client, Yavitch & Palmer, Attorneys at Law, produces a weekly podcast, Lawyer Talk: Off The Record.  In September 2021, Steve Palmer, the host, will be recording and publishing the podcast’s 200th episode. What keeps this podcast going?  Well, I can tell you, it has seen it’s ups and downs since the first episode published in February 2018.   Some ups include moving the recording “round table” from Steve’s office to opening the 511 Studios in the lower level of his building in downtown Columbus. Which now has expanded into video production and video streaming.  If you get a chance, go to channel511.com and take a quick tour of the place. And there have been downs.  COVID set back Steve’s practice, and caused a reduction in staff and attorneys who were co-hosts on the podcast. But through it all, the podcast has remained a staple for the law firm, in its marketing and networking opportunities. What did we learn?  What are we continuing to do to keep the podcast fresh, and to keep increasing listeners?   Here are three areas we never deviated from... 1) Seek out stories that stand out and stack up It’s easy to take the same route as other attorneys and law firms in terms of marketing, but creating a podcast helps differentiate Yavitch & Palmer from the competition. We continually find a creative approach to showcase thoughts from Steve and his attorney guests’, on hot topics in the legal industry. We don’t shy away from trending pop culture stories that could tie back to the practice area. The goal is to create content that builds a following. 2) Focus on relaxed table talk We know what makes Lawyer Talk: Off The Record one of the best law firm podcasts. We have niche topics that allow co-hosts and guest attorneys to take a different approach to a subject and share their perspective. One key is to ensure attorneys are relaxed and conversational so that discussion flows like a table talk. That’s why we record the podcast at a round table. We know more structured, scripted podcasts prevent listeners from relating to the hosts and guests. 3) Define success Once we made the strategic decision to add podcasting to the law firm’s marketing mix, we set defined goals. These include driving more website traffic, increasing the visibility of a certain practice area, and nurturing relationships with guests, like potential clients and referral sources.  A big part of gaining a degree of authority is positioning yourself as an expert on a topic while being completely honest about it. Because of the format of Lawyer Talk: Off The Record, Steve Palmer, his law firm attorneys, and his guests know being a part of this podcast allows them to “show off” their knowledge in an informal, relatable setting.  Which makes an easy podcast to listen to, even with a roundtable full of lawyers! We also know we have a “secret ingredient” no other law firm has for instant promotion and exposure. For over 10 years, Steve guests during a weekly call-in slot on a local rock station in the Columbus, OH market.  He answers listeners' questions, steered by the morning show team.  And each week he promotes the Lawyer Talk: Off The Record podcast to 1000’s of listeners. If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization.  Interested in speaking with one of our professionals? https://form.jotform.com/211455730925051 (Click here)! We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out.  This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when you complete the questionnaire.  Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B,

Launch a Podcast to Successfully Differentiate Your Law Firm

A 5-Step "Podcast Guest Pitch" ProcessThere are hundreds of little details to think about when pitching yourself as a podcast guest. But for now, focus on these basic elements: 1) Listen to a few episodes of a podcast before pitching. If a podcast isn't a good match for what you do, don't pitch it. If a podcast doesn't have guests, don't pitch it. 2) Check for a "guest submission" process before pitching. If there is one, follow it to the letter. David Hooper from https://bulletin.bigpodcast.com/3-rules-for-podcast-guests-and-those-who-book-them (The Big Podcast - 3 Rules for Podcast Guests (and Those Who Book Them)) and his recent round and round with a potential podcast guest and her personal booking person 3) Focus your guest pitch on a specific solution for their audience. What can you do for this audience? 4) Be detailed in your pitch. Mention specific episodes and elements of the podcast. Sincerely talk about what you like about the podcast. 5) Be patient. Give the host enough time to follow up with you. Their timetable is not your timetable.  And recognize they may be in a different time zone than you. If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization.  Interested in speaking with one of our professionals? https://form.jotform.com/211455730925051 (Click here!) We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out.  This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when you complete the questionnaire.  The link is in the podcast show notes. Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/ (business website) at circle270media.com Subscribe to my free daily https://note-to-future-me.captivate.fm/openthemic (Open The Mic Newsletter). It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast. Recorded in conjunction with http://www.channel511.com/ (Channel 511), in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH. Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients. Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

5-Step Podcast Guest Pitch Process

I occasionally like to go through podcast Facebook groups and save posts that have interesting questions. And then go back over time, say two, three, four weeks later, to see all the comments. And this post from a few months ago was asking the question, what was the worst advice given to you as a podcaster? The answers were really insightful and contradictory. I think a lot of it comes back down to the focus of your what do you want to accomplish. And as I read through these comments, you'll see the contradictions. Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/ (business website) at circle270media.com Subscribe to my free daily https://note-to-future-me.captivate.fm/openthemic (Open The Mic Newsletter). It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast. Recorded in conjunction with http://www.channel511.com/ (Channel 511), in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH. Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients. Email us at podcasts@circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast.

Worst Advice Given To You As A Podcaster

One of your top priorities for your podcast is to increase your audience size. So at first glance, you may think that running Facebook Ads or organic posts would be a good marketing option to help increase your listening numbers and followers. After all, Facebook ads allow you to finely target your audience. And you can do it in a very cost-effective way. The point with this episode is not so much to argue that Facebook is inherently a poor platform to advertise or organically post podcast information. But rather to point out that there is a better way. What you need to consider is where you send traffic once someone clicks on your ad or link from your post. For the most part, podcasters promote their podcasts and episodes on Facebook by directly linking to the Apple Podcasts or Android episode pages. This could be because of a couple of reasons. One, podcasters have been indoctrinated from the start that Apple Podcasts is the largest and most listened to podcast directory. And for Android users, Spotify is most friendly and universal. Then it stands to reason that when you promote your podcast, send the listener there. This should make it very easy for your potential listener to listen to your podcast. Apple Podcasts and Spotify are, after all, where you want people to go to follow your show. And this seems to be the best way to meet your potential listener halfway. To capture people on mobile devices. Target an iOS audience to the direct link of the Apple Podcasts episode. And for Android users, by sending them to the Spotify episode link. Secondly, this could be coming from the fact that most podcasters do not have a standalone website. That is, a podcast website outside of your hosting platform. A website you own and maintain. Or, at the very least, the podcaster’s website is not user friendly, and does not represent the branding of the podcast. Is it “free” with your audio hosting platform, or a free version of Wix, or similar free web hosting platforms. To that end, I have seen comments in Facebook podcasting groups arguing that sending your listeners to Apple Podcasts or Spotify is better than sending people to a podcast show notes page on your website. In fact, many of these posts argue that you don’t need podcast show notes pages at all. So save the time and effort. There are a few reasons I fundamentally disagree with sending new listeners to your Apple Podcasts and Spotify podcast links. Apple Podcasts and Spotify don’t need more traffic from your Facebook organic or paid podcast marketing. You are paying, with your time or money, for traffic that you’re sending to Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Really? Instead, your podcast website could be benefitting from greater search engine authority, rank and traffic. That increases your find-ability for all Google searches. Buying Facebook ads will cost you too much in the long run. ​​Your ads may result in getting more followers to your podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The cost per new listener is usually quite high. Facebook podcast marketing ads should have a better goal than just to add listeners to your podcast. Think of it this way. You could be adding leads for your business, building your email list, increasing the rank and traffic for your site, and building a digital asset for your brand. Facebook ads should focus on lead generation and list growth instead of getting more listeners. Additional episode information. Your podcast listeners should be coming to YOUR podcast website, because you should be offering valuable additional episode information. They could be signing up to receive podcast notifications via email. Listeners could be finding links and resources about your guests. And they could be downloading these resources from you in exchange for an email address. Social media has its place to help you market your podcast. Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all the other podcast players have an important role in making it easier for...

Increase Your Audience Size with a Better Social Media Strategy

Let’s cover 3 different podcast marketing ideas that will work for you. Whether you’re just launching your podcast or simply want to increase your podcast followers and subscribers. 3 Podcast Marketing IdeasWhen you produce a podcast, focusing on specific marketing channels can significantly impact your podcast’s success. Here are 3 online marketing strategies that can increase your listeners and the success of your podcast. Branding The foundation of your marketing efforts will hinge on a well-established brand for your podcast. A brand is a promise to your listeners. A promise of what content you are producing for your listeners. Plus, listeners need to have a positive impression of your podcast.  Effective branding begins with an attractive logo, thumbnail artwork, color palette, and accompanying branding elements that serve as the image of your podcast. All of these elements will be incorporated throughout all of your digital marketing efforts. For example, your website, podcast business cards, and online promotions should all have cohesive branding. This will help build your podcast brand recognition and awareness. You may already have your logo and branding figured out. Or is it time for a refresh? You can turn to Circle270Media to help you create the perfect brand image for your podcast. Website Listeners from all of your marketing channels will be directed to your podcast website. And I mean a podcast website outside of your podcasting hosting platform.  With this in mind, you want a clean design and an easy-to-use interface. This will increase engagement and get more followers to your podcast.  Make it easy for your podcast website visitors to find all the necessary information about your podcast. It can influence their decision to follow your podcast, or other calls-to-action you have in place. Some items to include would be.. About your podcast. Include a photo of yourself and your co-hosts to make it more personal. Testimonials from listeners. Contact information, such as email address and social media. Links to your podcast on podcast directories. Pages specific to each episode. This is for SEO purposes, and for page sharing opportunities. You can design a website on your own from a pre-built template using website builders such as Wix, Squarespace, or WordPress. If this is too much for your time and abilities, Circle270Media works with a number of website builders that know podcasting. Email MarketingSmart podcasters rely on email marketing to grow their podcast. For example, ohttps://www.oberlo.com/blog/email-marketing-statistics (ver 80% of small business owners use email marketing) to acquire and retain customers. So why not use the power of email marketing for your podcast! Start by building your email list. One way is by simply asking your listeners for their contact information and permission to reach out to them. You can also collect emails on your website and within your podcast episode content. Include calls-to-action on your site that encourage visitors to sign up for email communications. For instance, write something like “Sign up for our email newsletter for bonus podcast content from each episode.” Then include a sign-up button on your homepage and at the bottom of each podcast episode page. Just remember not to send too many emails. Start at about https://keap.com/business-success-blog/marketing/email-marketing/how-often-should-you-email-your-list (two emails per month), or in sync with your episode publishing rhythm. Adjust accordingly after a few months by keeping an eye on your email newsletter statistics. Personalizing your subject lines can also build a better connection with listeners and increase how likely someone is to actually open the email. Studies show that emails with a personalized subject line generate a https://www.marketingdive.com/news/study-personalized-email-subject-lines-increase-open-rates-by-50/504714/ (50% higher open rate). So it’s...

Podcast Marketing Ideas That Will Impact Your Success

For years, the prevailing wisdom has been that your podcast name and episode titles are the biggest factors in helping listeners find your podcast. But, a good, detailed but not over-long description can help capture some of those relevant search terms? Well, maybe, kind-of, not always, but sometimes, but rarely, probably not. The truth is that’s pretty much never been the case for Apple Podcasts. It only cares about your titles and your author tags. But what about the increasing number of podcast directories? Where do we need to focus our efforts if we want episodes to surface for relevant search terms? And how can we avoid wasting our time filling out information that is truly optional or has no importance? I spoke with Mark Steadman, who is a podcast producer, consultant, and coach. He runs https://origin.fm/ (Origin), a podcast studio helping thoughtful, creative people of purpose use their voice to make a positive impact. He recently teamed up with James Cridland, the editor of https://podnews.net/ (Podnews), to perform some experiments on a couple of their podcast feeds they knew wouldn’t cause waves of confusion were they to stuff them full of nonsense words in the name of science. The idea was to pick a different nonsense word for each relevant podcast-related tag in their RSS feeds, and to see which podcast apps picked up which words. What stirred his interest in doing this podcast app search experiment was after listening to an episode of The Feed, the Libsyn podcast, and he heard them talking about the things that appear in search. Rob started talking about the various things that Apple Podcasts indexed. I realized I hadn't really thought about it. There were a couple of things that I sort of vaguely think I knew. With anything that's self taught, there's always going to be gaps in your knowledge.In his experiment, they use the top 14 podcast apps, including Google Podcast. Being a Google product, one might it would be the wild card on the list, quite frankly. From what he saw, it wasn't. Were those podcast apps really developed as discoverable, findable types of play? They do what they do really well. They play podcasts, but were they really built to do that? Maybe we're asking a bit too much of them? I had a lovely chat with J.J. at GoodPods, because I think there is, with GoodPods specifically, a real opportunity there. I think it is much more a discovery engine than it is a player. I think I would really like to see search play a better role in that.What we're addressing is find-ability. Let's just kick that "discoverability" word off of our lexicon. Overall, here are the key points from this experiment... Apple Podcasts only searches your podcast name, episode titles, and author tags (this may not be news to many old-school podcasters, as it’s been the long-prevailing wisdom). No-one indexes the copyright tag. Probably not a surprise. No-one indexes the podcast:person tag. I found this surprising. Apps heavily weight podcast-level data over episode-level data. Podcast app SEO is not a viable strategy. The in-app podcast search landscape is badly in need of attention. And lastly, Mark offers 3 bits of advice on how to set yourself up for better find-ability when it comes to SEO and your podcast. (Hint: it's all about your website!) Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/ (business website) at circle270media.com Subscribe to my free daily https://note-to-future-me.captivate.fm/openthemic (Open The Mic Newsletter). It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to...

Search In Podcast Apps with Mark Steadman

Apple doesn't publicly disclose a lot of information about how their podcast rankings work. And if you think about it, that makes sense. If they did, many podcasters (and marketers who sell to podcasters) would try to “game” the system, which would devalue the entire thing. Here’s what we instill in our podcast clients from the very start. Forget about Ratings and Rankings. Podcast reviews are what we want to focus on. Podcast reviews help establish social proof for your show. They offer feedback on what your listeners like (or dislike) about your podcast.   Here are the most powerful ways we at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants suggest to our clients to get more ratings and reviews: 1. Make an amazing podcast There’s no point in asking for or even getting reviews if your podcast is horrible. Make your podcast so good your audience will want to write a review without being asked. 2. Read reviews in your podcast Turn your audience into celebrities by sharing their reviews—even if only excerpts—on your podcast. Thank those people by name and especially point out if their review was from outside your own country.  3. Have fun Inspire some creativity, suggest a question they should answer, or do something entertaining based on the review! 4. Make it easy Instead of giving complicated, single-platform instructions in your podcast, point your audience to a webpage with simple instructions and a link that launches the podcast app directly to your podcast.  This can be done through Please Review My Podcast tutorial. Outside of iTunes, we suggest creating and promoting a Google My Business page for the podcast. 5. Offer an incentive Hearing their name in your podcast may be enough incentive, but you could also offer to link to their website, give a shoutout to their project, or host a giveaway. 6. Use your negative reviews It might hurt to receive a negative review, but learning from and sharing it on your podcast often inspires your fans to rise up to support you. 7. Be strategic with calls to action Deliver a good podcast first, and don't overwhelm your audience by asking them to do too many things. Consider putting your request for reviews in a rotation of calls to action, or make it part of an automated email sequence. If you’re looking for more tailored help, then be sure to connect with our dedicated team of podcast professionals. We’ll help your business create a podcast from planning and launching to editing, presentation skills, promotion, and monetization.  Interested in speaking with one of our professionals? Click https://316strategygroup.com/business-podcasts-for-marketing/ (here)! We’ve put together a questionnaire to quickly fill out.  This will help us help you prior to our first information meeting, which you can schedule when completed.  Let’s talk about what podcasting can do for your business in the next 12-months. Whether you’re B2C or B2B, we can create a content marketing strategy that will work for you. Connect with me if you would like to talk more about this. My calendar is available on my Circle270Media Podcast Consultants http://www.circle270media.com/ (business website) at circle270media.com Subscribe to my free daily https://note-to-future-me.captivate.fm/openthemic (Open The Mic Newsletter). It’s chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, and insights on how to grow your business podcast. Recorded in conjunction with http://www.channel511.com/ (Channel 511), in the Brewery District, downtown Columbus, OH. Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients. Email us at...

Get More Reviews For Your Podcast

If selling podcast sponsorships is not your thing, the power to make money from your podcast is in your control with these options. Affiliate Advertising This is where you direct your listeners to a company that you love using, by offering a link or special discount code. You earn a percentage of the sale for every sale the company gets from those who have used your link. Run these just like you would a normal ad campaign. Create audio that includes the affiliate link, do a host live read, and put links in your show notes. And you do have to do this. You have to disclose on your website that they are affiliate links. There are numerous, reputable affiliate networks that can help facilitate this process. They make it nice and easy to get started. https://www.rakuten.com/signUp.do?login=yes (Rakuten), https://www.cj.com/ (CJ Affiliate) and https://www.shareasale.com/newsignup.cfm (Share A Sale) are some great examples.  Premium Content This is a type of digital content that may be accessed for a fee, and is usually of higher quality or more desirable than free content. Creating premium content is a great way to make money by offering content – any kind of content – that your listeners can’t get unless they pay for it. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2021/06/apple-podcasts-subscriptions-and-channels-are-now-available-worldwide/ (Apple Podcasts Subscriptions) and channels are a new way to monetize. When listeners purchase a subscription to a show, they automatically follow the show and the page is updated with a Subscriber Edition label so they know they have access to the premium experience. You, as the content creator, can set the price for subscription.  You’ll have to share a percentage of your subscription price with Apple.  That percentage decreases over time. Patreon may be a better option. Content creators have more control of their subscriber contact information, compared to Apple. Patreon has a really simple way of helping content creators, by allowing different payment tiers access to different content. PDFs, transcripts, ebooks, photos, or even video. But, as with all premium content, you have to ask yourself: “Is it premium enough? Would I pay for this?”  Another way to offer premium content is to limit the amount of shows that you offer for free. Then, if your followers want anything past that, they have to pay a monthly fee. A number of podcast hosting platforms offer premium access to content. https://www.captivate.fm/signup/?ref=circle270media (CaptivateFM) allows a private podcast feed and, if you want to monetize, a way to collect and manage payments. Private podcast feeds are perfect for hosting premium content because they are designed to keep it secure and gated. A few popular options for payment are Patreon, Glow, Supercast or, if you use WordPress, MemberPress.  Products You can create t-shirts, tote bags, anything you like with your logo, art, sayings, and sell this to your audience.  https://www.teepublic.com/ (TeePublic) are very podcaster friendly! You could sell physical courses, ebooks or webinars if you have knowledge about a certain subject. Or https://gumroad.com/ (write a book) if you’re an author. Gumroad makes it easy for you to sell digital products, memberships and more.  You’ll need payment services like PayPal or Stripe so you can get paid.  Services Coaching and consulting are really common ways that podcasters monetize their shows. You could have group coaching, masterminding, monthly packages and VIP days that you offer to listeners. You will need a way to book your time in a digital calendar. https://www.booklikeaboss.com/?idev_id=531 (Book Like A Boss) is a great resource. As well as Calendly, Picktime, YouCanBook.me. Letting your potential clients have easy access to your calendar is key. Last, but not least, you’ll need to decide on some structure for your offering. How are you going to offer what it is you’re offering?...

Make Money From Your Podcast Without Downloads

Podcasting may be the next step in brand building your personal brand beyond your blog.  Some days, it can seem impossible to reach your target market with just content, social media marketing, and advertising. You have a message that needs to get out there. And audio can help you do this faster.  Establishing yourself as a leading authority in your industry is an important goal. To do this more efficiently, we strongly recommend you should consider hosting your own podcast or at least being a part of one. First things first. Your podcast needs to stand out from the rest and become uniquely your own.  This is going to require an investment of time on your part.  But the payoff is great. This podcast will be launching you into a new arena that can propel your business forward. Why start a brand building podcast? To build a trusted brand it’s important to continue to expand your marketing efforts into new digital arenas. This helps you meet your audience where they are active and engaging.  Today’s information age is focused on relationship building. What a better way to do this than through your own dedicated podcast. Your exposure has the potential to grow far more than just leveraging social media and your blog. Your listeners are on the go and are getting their information quickly from the mobile devices. Meeting them where they are is a quick and easy way to build an audience online. A great way to start is by repurposing your blog posts.  Create something that either educates, informs, or entertains your audience. Doing so consistently will encourage them to follow your podcast for more.  Your podcast must present a fresh message that speaks to your audience in an interesting way. Originality is the key. All the while putting your own voice into what you produce. Here is how we help our clients start. Create a separate schedule just for podcasts You already have a regular content and social media plan. This should be no different for your podcast as well.  Choose a specific day and time slot that works well for you. Stick with that schedule. Implement your calendar tools to send out notifications to your followers so that they easily add your shows to their busy schedules. This offers them the opportunity to listen as they get the notification.  Or by encouraging them to follow your podcast on their preferred podcast player. Expand on your branded online profile Once you know what your show is going to be about, expand on your established online brand.  What you choose should be consistent with what you have currently created. Yet let it reflect a podcast style. Use a general but flexible template to save time We advise not to write a full-length script for each podcast episode. However, you will want to put together an outline or template to follow, but customize for each podcast episode. This includes a general introduction for each episode, and a general list of questions if you are conducting an expert interview. And your cue for a standard outro to help you end the episode.  Include a clear description Let people know right away what your show is about. Do this without writing too much information. This should be done with the right keywords for each topic, and without reading like a sales message. Use short, attention-grabbing episode titles A long, drawn out headline tends to turn people away. You will want to quickly grab their attention. Do this with catchy titles that speak directly to what the podcast episode will be covering. Your audience will want to know exactly what your episode is about. This will whet their appetite to hit the play button. Keep your podcast episodes focused  Limit your topics in each episode to just one.  Respect your listeners' time spent with you. Discuss something inside a specific niche based on your topic.  A strong call-to-action is a must There’s no shame in encouraging your...

Podcasting is Effective For Brand Building

How to Turn Your Blog Posts into Audio Podcasts (And Why You Should)  You might be thinking that starting a podcast isn’t right for your business. But that’s not the case. You can turn your own blog content into podcast episodes that your audience can listen to while they drive to work, while they’re walking, while they’re working out — pretty much any time, anywhere.  Why should you turn blog posts into audio podcasts? Everybody has their own preferred way to consume content; some people like to read, some like to watch videos and others like to listen. Turning your blog post into audio podcasts has a number of benefits for your business marketing objectives overall. You can widen your reach and connect with target audience members that you wouldn’t have encountered before. Just by repurposing your written content into audio content. When users follow a podcast, they’re likely to listen to each podcast episode and stay through to the end. https://optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/ (Written content more often is skimmed). In fact, 43 percent of people admit to skimming blog posts, according to OptinMonster.  Podcasts episodes may just be the perfect way to get your message absorbed by consumers. Now that you know the “why”, here’s how to turn your blog posts into audio podcasts. Determine your best blog posts You need to determine which blog posts will best lend themselves to engaging podcast episodes. Not every single blog post on your website will make a great podcast episode.  When repurposing content in general, it’s good practice to repurpose the content that performed the best. You already know it works.  Now with an audio podcast, some of your blog posts that didn’t perform as well might make awesome podcast episodes. Your first steps will be to do some digging through your blog content and figure out what posts you’ll turn into podcast episodes.  You can also use a free tool like Google Analytics. To find your most popular pages, go to your website’s Google Analytics. Navigate to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages, you'll be able to see page view data for every page on your site. Record it You can simply read some of your best blog posts using your own voice, you as the owner of your business. You do need to consider quality. No one will want to listen to your podcast if the audio is poor, or if it’s poorly edited. Audio quality has been scientifically proven to have a significant effect on how listeners evaluate a speaker. Check out this study by USC and the Australian National University: “https://news.usc.edu/141042/why-we-believe-something-audio-sound-quality/ (The quality of audio influences whether you believe what you hear)”. It shows that audio quality influences whether people believe what they hear — and whether they trust the source of information. This is where Circle270Media Podcast Consultants can help you.  Our years of experience in content creation ensures that our clients create content that is effective and representative of their business. Find out more by contacting us on our website. Promote your podcast When your podcast episodes are ready for download, you’ve got to promote them. Don’t expect to send them out into the world and have tons of people flocking to listen to them. After you’ve put them up on the platform of your choosing, whether it’s your own website or Circle270Media’s preferred media hosting platform, https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=circle270media (CaptivateFM), let people know it exists. Start promoting your podcast episodes on all of your social media accounts. Send an announcement message to your email subscribers. Also, revise the original blog post you are recording, announcing your podcast episodes. Embed the audio player provided to you by your media hosting platform on the blog page. And in the future, all of your posts should include information about where to find your podcast as well. What are...

Turn Your Blog Posts into Podcasts (Why You Should)

Note To Future Me is dedicated to interviewing businesses and organizations who have implemented podcasting into their marketing strategy. Brett Johnson is the owner and lead consultant at Circle270Media Podcast Consultants. With over 35+ years of experience in Marketing, Content Creation, Audio Production/Recording and Broadcasting, the podcast consultants at Circle270Media strategically bring these strengths together for their business Podcast clients. Subscribe to my free Open The Mic Newsletter at https://www.getrevue.co/profile/c270m. It's chock full of podcast news you may have missed, as well as social media, sales, and audio production tips, as well as insights on how to grow your podcast. Anything that catches my eye that I think you, the Podcaster, should know about. Email us at podcasts @circle270media.com to set up time to talk more about your new or established business podcast. Me - Brett Johnson Web - https://www.circle270media.com Web - https://www.notetofutureme.com LinkedIn - bretthjohnson FB - circle270media Twitter - circle270media Why write a note to myself, when I can pod-journal my thoughts about podcasting?!

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Note To Future Me

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