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12 Days of Giveaways: Podcast Launch from John Lee Dumas (Free Download)

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We’re closing out the first week of the 12 Days of Giveaways with an awesome gift from John Lee Dumas! You can get his giveaway here. John knows a thing or two about launching a podcast. Within one year turned EntrepreneurOnFire into a top-ranked business podcast that generates a monthly income between $50 – $100k.
During the 12 Days of Giveaways, you can get John’s ebook, Podcast Launch, for free. Not only will you get the the ebook, but this giveaway also includes 15 video tutorials! How’s that for a little holiday spirit?
This guide to podcasting will teach you how to:
  • Identify your topic
  • Choose the best equipment
  • Record and edit your episodes
  • Add intros and outros
  • Submit your podcast to iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Blackberry
  • And more!
Even better, John guides you through the process of building your audience and monetizing, allowing you to turn your podcast into a business.
Snag your free copy of Podcast Launch before the 12 Days of Giveaways ends. Simply enter your information here to tell us where to send your copy!

Announcing the 2013 Podcast Awards Finalists! (Plus, A Discount for All Nominees)

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Once again we are thrilled to be giving the 9th Annual Podcast Awards ceremony a home at New Media Expo in Las Vegas on Sunday Jan 5, 2014. It’s an exciting night to celebrate podcasting and podcasters, and we look forward to meeting the many nominees and finalists in person! We want to extend an invitation to all of them to join us at the awards ceremony on January 5th, 2014.

Since the people who nominated the shows are not required to provide the podcaster’s contact information, we’re unable to reach all 4,000 nominees directly. However, Podcast Connect has compiled a list of the finalists below and we would like to invite each of them to provide their contact information so we can correspond with them. Additionally, all 4,000 Podcast Award nominees  who confirm contact info will be given a special  discount to attend New Media Expo.

How do you know if you are a nominee? Well if you or any of your listeners nominated you then you can consider yourself a nominee and we are providing an extra incentive to get you to the show!

If you’re one of the nominees, we’re pleased to offer you a 30% on any NMX conference pass so you can attend our three-day event. A minimum purchase of an Exhibit Hall Only Pass is required to attend the 9th Annual Podcast Awards.

Nominees: Confirm your contact information here

If you’re one of the finalists below, we’d like to sweeten the deal and offer you a 50% discount on any NMX conference pass. Again, a minimum purchase of an Exhibit Hall Only Pass is required to attend the 9th Annual Podcast Awards.

Finalists: Confirm your contact information

We hope you’ll join your fellow podcasters and other content creators at the conference and come congratulate the Podcast Award winners in person!

Peoples Choice

Alohomora [url] [rss]
Beyond the To-Do List [url] [rss]
ESPN: Fantasy Focus Baseball [url] [rss]
Manager Tools [url] [rss]
No Agenda [url] [rss]
Satellite Sisters [url] [rss]
Simple Life Together [url] [rss]
Taylor Talk: The Taylor Swift Podcast [url] [rss]
The Majority Report [url] [rss]
The Morning Stream [url] [rss]

Best Produced

Caustic Soda Podcast [url] [rss]
Destination WDW [url] [rss]
Gamertag Radio [url] [rss]
Hogwarts Radio [url] [rss]
Know How [url] [rss]
ONCE – Once Upon a Time podcast [url] [rss]
Priority One Podcast [url] [rss]
Radiolab [url] [rss]
Rob Has a Podcast [url] [rss]
The Walking Dead Cast [url] [rss]

Best Video Podcast

Film Riot [url] [rss]
Framerate [url] [rss]
Geek Beat TV [url] [rss]
iPad 365 [url] [rss]
iPad Today [url] [rss]
NSFW [url] [rss]
Rob Has a Podcast [url] [rss]
Rooster Teeth Podcast [url] [rss]
The Art of Photography [url] [rss]
The Young Turks [url] [rss]

Business

Beyond the To-Do List [url] [rss]
DH Unplugged [url] [rss]
Entrepreneur On Fire [url] [rss]
Income Press Podcast [url] [rss]
Livelihood Show [url] [rss]
Manager Tools [url] [rss]
NPR: Planet Money Podcast [url] [rss]
Smart Passive Income Podcast [url] [rss]
The Engaging Brand [url] [rss]
The Suitcase Entrepreneur [url] [rss]

Comedy

Comedy Button [url] [rss]
Comedy4Cast [url] [rss]
Humble and Fred Radio [url] [rss]
Janey Godleys Podcast [url] [rss]
Jim And Them [url] [rss]
The Adam Carolla Show [url] [rss]
The Bugle [url] [rss]
The Morning Stream [url] [rss]
The Ramen Noodle Comedy Podcast [url] [rss]
WTF with Marc Maron [url] [rss]

Cultural / Arts

Anime Addicts Anonymous Podcast [url] [rss]
Anime Pulse [url] [rss]
Major Spoilers [url] [rss]
NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour [url] [rss]
Stuff You Missed in History Class [url] [rss]
Sword & Laser [url] [rss]
The Combat Jack Show [url] [rss]
Theatre Geeks [url] [rss]
This American Life [url] [rss]
Veteran Empire Podcast [url] [rss]

Education

Caustic Soda Podcast [url] [rss]
Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips [url] [rss]
MuggleNet Academia [url] [rss]
School Sucks Project [url] [rss]
Simple Life Together [url] [rss]
Smart People Podcast [url] [rss]
The British History Podcast [url] [rss]
The History Chicks [url] [rss]
The Podcast History of Our World [url] [rss]
The Public Speaker [url] [rss]

Entertainment

A Podcast of Ice and Fire [url] [rss]
Alohomora! [url] [rss]
Firewall and Iceberg [url] [rss]
Hollywood Babble On [url] [rss]
Mission Log: A Roddenberry Star Trek Podcast [url] [rss]
SurvivorTalk with D&D [url] [rss]
Taylor Talk: The Taylor Swift Podcast [url] [rss]
The Comic Book Cast [url] [rss]
Unoffical One Piece Podcast [url] [rss]
Walking Dead Cast [url] [rss]

Food and Drink

Alcohollywood [url] [rss]
Dining with Doug and Karen [url] [rss]
Mike and Tom Eat Snacks [url] [rss]
Mommy’s Cocktail Hour [url] [rss]
Nutrition Diva [url] [rss]
Our Hen House [url] [rss]
Should I Drink That [url] [rss]
The Beerists Podcast [url] [rss]
The Splendid Table [url] [rss]
Wine for Normal People [url] [rss]

Gaming

Gamertag Radio [url] [rss]
Giant Bombcast [url] [rss]
PolyCast [url] [rss]
Priority One Podcast [url] [rss]
Rooster Teeth Podcast [url] [rss]
The Final Score [url] [rss]
The Independent Characters [url] [rss]
The Instance [url] [rss]
The Shaft [url] [rss]
Trinity Force [url] [rss]

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General

Airline Pilot Guy [url] [rss]
Greetings from Nowhere [url] [rss]
Internet Box [url] [rss]
Manic Mommies [url] [rss]
Podquiz [url] [rss]
Pretty Good Podcast [url] [rss]
Reality Check [url] [rss]
Satellite Sisters [url] [rss]
School of Podcasting [url] [rss]
Success Freaks [url] [rss]

GLBT

Bend Over and Take It! [url] [rss]
Cocktails and Creampuffs [url] [rss]
Feast of Fun [url] [rss]
Flaming Freedom [url] [rss]
Gay Ambition Podcast [url] [rss]
Homoground [url] [rss]
PNS Explosion [url] [rss]
ScreamQueenz Horror Podcast [url] [rss]
This Show is So Gay [url] [rss]
Throwing Shade [url] [rss]

Health / Fitness

Diet Science [url] [rss]
Elsie’s Yoga Class [url] [rss]
Get-Fit Guy [url] [rss]
JournalTalk [url] [rss]
Magical Medical Tour [url] [rss]
Mighty Cast [url] [rss]
Runner Academy [url] [rss]
The Angriest Trainer [url] [rss]
The Extra Mile Podcast [url] [rss]
The Fat Burning Man [url] [rss]

Mature

Dating Skills Review [url] [rss]
Distorted View [url] [rss]
Drunkcast [url] [rss]
Polyamory Weekly [url] [rss]
Risk Show [url] [rss]
Savage LoveCast [url] [rss]
Sex Nerd Sandra [url] [rss]
Sex With Emily [url] [rss]
Sick and Wrong [url] [rss]
Swingercast [url] [rss]

Movies / Films

Animation Addicts Podcast [url] [rss]
Doug Loves Movies [url] [rss]
Film Sack [url] [rss]
How Did This Get Made? [url] [rss]
Is it a bicycle? [url] [rss]
Movie Spoilers [url] [rss]
The Daily Spill [url] [rss]
The Flop House [url] [rss]
The Hollywood Outsider [url] [rss]
We Hate Movies [url] [rss]

PodSafe Music

All Songs Considered [url] [rss]
Americana Music Show [url] [rss]
Coverville [url] [rss]
Friday Night Dance Party [url] [rss]
Hardstyle Team Podcast [url] [rss]
Irish and Celtic Music [url] [rss]
Jonah Raydio [url] [rss]
Live Wire! Podcast Radio [url] [rss]
The Americana Rock Mix [url] [rss]
The Bugcast [url] [rss]

Politics / News

American Conservative University [url] [rss]
Common Sense with Dan Carlin [url] [rss]
Congressional Dish [url] [rss]
Democracy Now [url] [rss]
Electric Politics [url] [rss]
Free Talk Live [url] [rss]
Freedomain Radio [url] [rss]
No Agenda [url] [rss]
Slate Political Gabfest [url] [rss]
The Majority Report [url] [rss]

Religion Inspiration

A Survival Guide 4 Christian Men [url] [rss]
Are You Just Watching? [url] [rss]
Catholic Vitamins [url] [rss]
Feeding My Faith [url] [rss]
Inappropriate Conversations [url] [rss]
More than One Lesson [url] [rss]
Mormon Fair-Cast [url] [rss]
The Break with Father Roderick [url] [rss]
The Sci-fi Christian [url] [rss]
Zencast [url] [rss]

Science

Blame It On Outer Space [url] [rss]
Everyday Einstein [url] [rss]
Quirks and Quarks [url] [rss]
Radiolab [url] [rss]
Science Friday [url] [rss]
StarTalk [url] [rss]
The Brain Science Podcast [url] [rss]
The Skeptics Guide to the Universe [url] [rss]
This Week in Science [url] [rss]
WeatherBrains [url] [rss]

Sports

Americarnage [url] [rss]
Bang Radio Hour [url] [rss]
CBSSports.com Fantasy Football Today Podcast [url] [rss]
Dear Mr. Fantasy Baseball Podcast [url] [rss]
ESPN: Fantasy Focus Baseball [url] [rss]
Hang Up and Listen [url] [rss]
Ivy Envy [url] [rss]
Puck Podcast [url] [rss]
Sports & Torts [url] [rss]
Who-Dey Weekly [url] [rss]

Technology

Nerdzilla [url] [rss]
Security Now! [url] [rss]
Stolendroids [url] [rss]
Tech News Today [url] [rss]
The Audacity to Podcast [url] [rss]
The Computer Tutor Podcast [url] [rss]
The MacCast [url] [rss]
The Vergecast [url] [rss]
The Waves of Tech [url] [rss]
This Week In Tech [url] [rss]

Travel

Amateur Traveler [url] [rss]
Destination WDW [url] [rss]
Living the RV Dream [url] [rss]
Mouse Chat [url] [rss]
Mousetalgia [url] [rss]
The Be Our Guest Podcast [url] [rss]
The Bowery Boys [url] [rss]
The DISunplugged [url] [rss]
WDW Radio [url] [rss]
WEDway Radio [url] [rss]

How to Use Imagination to Evoke Emotion with Podcasting

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how to use imagination to evoke emotion with podcasting

Envision your podcast having an audience of 300,000 people a month. You are receiving so many requests for speaking engagements that need to hire someone who will simply manage your appearances. Your listeners are encouraging you to write yet another book on your subject. All of the big names in your industry know your podcast is the show on which to appear if they hope to get noticed.

It is all possible for you.

When I get you to envision the future in your imagination, I stir emotion. I give you hope. The story creates excitement. It is inspiring. Emotions are powerful.

Audio in general is so much more emotional than video. You can be so much more powerful if you use audio correctly, because audio uses the power of the imagination to evoke emotions deep within the listener.

The Emotional Difference Between Audio and Video

Video is exactly what you see. When you and I watch video, we both see the exact same thing. There is no doubt about the color of a car in the scene. The weather is perfectly obvious. Your view of the surroundings is exactly like my perception. Every part of the scene is determined by the director.

When you and I hear audio, most of the details are left up to our imagination. We hear a story and envision the details in our head. When you see the scene in your imagination, you create it in a way that gives you the most joy and benefit. I do the same. Our two visions may be very different.

The storyteller may describe part of the scene, such as a back alley on a cool, damp night. If we saw that alley on video, you and I would see it exactly the same. If we hear about that alley, we envision the alley in very different ways.

You may picture a very tight, dirty alley where the buildings are very tall. They alley is one car wide and strewn with dumpsters. The back doors of restaurants rhythmically line the walls of the buildings, like soldiers standing at attention. One street light hangs off a build halfway down the alley. The stench of old food fills the air.

I might imagine that alley as a dirt path through a neighborhood between houses. Chain link fences lines the alley on both sides. As cars make their way down that alley, they are forced to dodge trashcans from the houses that have been set out for trash collection the next morning. The trail goes on through backyards for a few block before it ducks uphill behind the trees. The smell of wet grass fills the air.

Those two scenes are quite different. We both envision our scene in a way that best suits our imagination, based on our own experiences.

The mind is a very powerful tool. The imagination has the power to evoke emotions much stronger than any visual cue could ever do. Fear is simply your mind imagining what might happen. Inspiration comes when you imagine what the future might hold.

One of the reasons for Alfred Hitchcock’s success as a movie director was his ability to stir the imagination. His scenes didn’t show all of the violent details. He may show a shadow while you hear the screams in the background. He might simply show a coffee cup while you only hear the struggle between the two characters. Your imagination makes the scene much more powerful, emotional, and believable than any scene he could show you.

Tapping into Imagination

When you’re preparing to record your podcast, determine what emotions will make your listeners take action. Decide what you hope to make your listener feel. You want the stories you tell to help evoke those emotions. Use wonderful, vivid details within your story that will dance in in each listener’s imagination.

You can activate the imagination of your listener by painting verbal pictures. Put your listener in the moment by asking them to imagine something, like I did at the start of this post.

You are receiving so many requests to appear for speaking engagements that you are close to hiring someone who will simply manage your appearances.

You can see the requests coming in. Are people e-mailing or calling you? I don’t know. That is the beauty of the imagination. If you prefer e-mail, you will envision people e-mailing you. If you like to talk to people on the phone, you can imagine people calling you. You will see in your mind the situation that is most beneficial to you. I only help you paint that picture.

The power of storytelling comes into play when you stir emotions by painting verbal pictures in the imagination of your listener. For imagination to kick in, you have to start off with enough details first. Give listeners a base and then allow them to fill in the blanks.

This is where audio and podcasting become the visual medium. The story comes to life visually in your imagination. The imagination stirs emotion within the listener, and emotions are powerful for turning that first-time listener into a subscriber and turning that subscriber into a fan who will promote your show to his/her friends.

Some podcasters out there are very good at painting visual pictures to evoke emotions. Share your favorites in the comments!

6 Ways Stories Make Your Podcast Powerful

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Stories make your podcast powerful 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 one of 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 listeners are intently focused on your story, they forgets they are listening to a podcast. They are so engrossed by your story, everything around them disappears. Your content becomes their 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.

Humanity

Stories can be compelling, humorous, tragic. A great narrative will make your audience marvel, laugh, or better understand something. These strong feelings make you human.

When you evoke emotions in your audience, your listeners feels like you are just like them. Your stories reveal real-life experiences. You are telling your audience that you’ve had similar things happen in your life. They can relate.

I Remember That

The Grimm 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 listeners how you made a fortune with your information, they get to experience your joy almost as if they made the fortune right along with you. Your words help create the imagery in their minds.

Help people dream. Create fantastic stories that people can see in their own theater of the mind. Paint great pictures with your words. Your listeners will see your story in their heads.

Stories allow your listeners 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 (or maybe even longer). 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.

Begin creating great stories today, and make your podcast powerful.

Coming to the NMX 2014 Stage… (Our Biggest Podcasting Announcement Ever!)

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It’s Podcast-a-Palooza here at NMX this week! Our Director of Podcasting, Cliff Ravenscraft, has been hard at work preparing for NMX 2014, and the Podcasting Track is on track to be even better than last year, if that is possible.

And for THIS WEEK ONLY we’re giving away NMX 2014 discount code specifically for podcasters and podcast fans. Use PODCAST20 right now to save 20% on your ticket. Register now >

Welcome to 20+ Amazing Podcasting Speakers

Today, we’re happy to make our biggest podcasting announcement EVER! Starting with a huge group of speakers you’ll see if you attend the podcasting track sessions at NMX 2014! (And announcing speakers is just a start…keep reading for even more podcasty goodness!)

podcasting track group 1

Woah, mama, that’s a lot of speakers! Here’s a little more about them:

  • Kenn Blanchard is a former pastor and a gun rights activist who has been podcasting since 2007.
  • Jason Casbassi’s “The Walking Dead ‘Cast” is the the #1 Walking Dead podcast out there. It’s fueled by passion, enthusiasm, and braaaaaaaaaains.
  • Rob Cesterino was a contestant on Survivor and now podcasts about it.
  • Chris Christenson is a top travel podcaster who’s doing both video and audio podcasting.
  • Darrell Darnell began podcasting about Fringe in 2008 and hasn’t looked back. He is now involved in several other fan podcasts as well.
  • Erik Fisher’s podcasting, social media and productivity passions come together on his “Beyond the To-Do List” podcast.
  • John Dumas hosts “EntrepreneurOnFire” – and we think he’s on fire too!
  • Jared Easley teaches others how to manage their fear with his “Starve the Doubts” podcast.
  • Pat Flynn started as a blogger, and now has evolved into a successful podcaster as well. Is there anything this man can’t do? We think not!
  • Jeremy Frandsen and Jason Van Orden are a double threat. They co-host Internet Business Mastery, the #1 podcast on Internet marketing since 2005.
  • Rob Greenlee began “WebTalk World Radio Show” in 1999 and turned it into a podcast back in 2004, making him one of them most experience podcasters in the world.
  • Dave Hamilton, the host of “Mac Geek Gab Podcast,” is your go-to guy for anything Mac.
  • Dave Jackson from “School of Podcasting” is the first person to podcast about podcasting.
  • Daniel J. Lewis hosts an entire network of podcasts, on everything from Once Upon a Time to using Audacity.
  • Rick Mulready’s  Inside Social Media podcast features social leaders from some of the biggest brands in the world.
  • Amy Porterfield is a Facebook expert and no stranger to the NMX stage. Did you know she’s a podcaster now too?
  • Cliff Ravenscraft never disappoints with his sessions…which is why he’s now the NMX Director of Podcasting.
  • Mike and Izabela Russell own the audio production company Music Radio Creative which now serves customers in over 77 different countries.
  • Scott Stratten was named one of the top 5 social media influencers in the world by Forbes.com. 
  • Jaime Tardy  has interviewed 100 millionaires on her show “Eventual Millionaire.”
  • Rob Walch is Vice President of Podcaster Relations for Libsyn and the founder of podCast411. Podcasting for Dummies lists him as one of the top five most influential persons in podcasting

Whew, what a list! You can see more about all of the podcasting speakers, as well as other speakers we’ve announced, on our 2014 Speaker Page. Or, head to our Podcasting Page to see just podcasting speakers and other information about that track.

cliff on stage

What You’ll Learn in the 2014 Podcasting Track

And if that wasn’t a big enough announcement for you, we’re also announcing some of the sessions titles you’ll find in our NMX 2014 Podcasting Track! If names don’t impress you as much as actual session topics, here’s a list of just some of the educational sessions and panels you’ll be able to attend:

  • Audio Branding: Ways to Improve Your Podcast “Brand” with the Use of carefully Scripted Jingles & Voice Overs (Beginner)
  • The Power of Niche Podcasting – Three Reasons You Should Narrowly Focus On One Topic (Beginner)
  • How Do I Record My Podcast So I Can Sound Good All The Time? (Intermediate)
  • Why Podcasting if We’re Already Broadcasting? Social media/blogging addicts reveal why they started podcasts (Intermediate)
  • How Not To Screw Up Your Podcast Interviews – Tips On Creating Interviews That Will Increase Your Credibility (Intermediate)
  • Podcasting Profits: How to Use Your Podcast to Generate Income (Intermediate)
  • Building A Successful Fan Podcast Devoted to Your Favorite TV Show, Movie or Book Series (Intermediate)
  • Guaranteed To Stand Out – Authenticity And Transparency Behind The Microphone (Intermediate)
  • How To Land The Expert Interviews You Want For Your Podcast (Intermediate)
  • How To Audio Podcast 100% from an iPad or iPhone (Advanced)
  • From No Online Presence To Six Figure Income Within Six Months. A Podcasting Success Story (Advanced)
  • The State of Podcasting For 2014 (Advanced)

You can learn more about all of these sessions/panels on our Podcasting Page. We’ll be adding even more sessions and speakers over the next few weeks.

podcasting awards The Return of the Podcasing Awards!

Last year, Todd Cochrane brought his Podcast Awards to NMX, and it was a smashing success, with so many podcasters and fans attending that we ran out of seats and people were standing along the walls! We’re happy to announce that the Podcast Awards are coming back. We hope to see you at the 9th Annual Podcast Awards, which are open to all NMX attendees.

Mark your calendars – nominations for these awards open on October 1. Want an email reminder? Click here.

podcasting at nmx The Return of the Podcasting Pavilion!

NMX 2013 was also home to the “Podcasting Pavilion,” where podcasting speakers and attendees could broadcast live from the exhibit hall floor. It was extremely popular, so we’re bringing it back for NMX 2014.

Interested in learning more about podcasting live from NMX 2014? Click here.

Here at NMX, we’re committed to bringing programming, networking opportunities, and recognition to podcasters. How are we doing? Leave a comment – we’re love to hear from you!

Your Podcasting Ticket to the Show: Here’s a Discount

Of course, if you haven’t already, there’s no time like the present! You need to register for a pass in order to attend our keynotes, sessions, networking parties, and the Podcasting Awards. For this week only, we’re offering a discount code specifically for podcasters and podcast fans.

Use PODCAST20 to save 20% on your ticket to NMX 2014.

So what are you waiting for? Register today!

15 Tips to Make Your Podcast Guests Feel Special

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star I’ve been a guest on several podcasts. Sometimes, I feel like the red carpet is rolled out. Other times…not so much. It doesn’t matter if your guest is an a-lister celebrity or a total newbie. They’re giving up their valuable time to be on your podcast; they deserve special treatment. A guest who feels special will be a lifelong fan. One who feels like an afterthought is probably not going to help promote your podcast, and they might even speak to others about how they’ve been treated poorly.

So the next time you have a guest on your podcast, go the extra mile. Make them feel like a star! Here are 15 tips to help you make them feel special:

  • Do your research.

This one seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be amazed at how some bloggers don’t do it. I was once on a podcast where it was very clear that the podcaster didn’t know much about my blogs or what I do. I felt like I wasn’t important enough for this podcaster to research anything about me, and feeling unimportant stinks. So become James Lipton for a hot minute and be thorough when researching your guest.

  • Offer to meet via Skype first.

Not every guest has time to meet with you via Skype before you record, but you can at least offer it. This is especially great for guests who aren’t on podcasts often and are feeling nervous about recording.

  • Follow them on social media.

Nothing says, “I don’t care about you” more than not following your guests on Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks.

  • Work on your intro skills.

How you introduce your guest makes all the difference, and a lot of podcasters get this wrong. Don’t say, “I’ll let so-and-so tell you more about him/herself.” Like doing no research, it makes your guest feel like you don’t care who they are. Think about what you’re going to say about your guest as an intro and even practice it a few times. Don’t wing it.

  • Compliment without blowing smoke.

To continue with the last point, during your intro and throughout the episode, compliment your guest. Don’t blow smoke (people know when you’re being insincere), but definitely let all of your guests know that you’re impressed by their skills or accomplishments.

  • Ask how you can help.

Before you start, ask your guest how you can best help them at the moment. When researching your guest, you should get to know their various projects, but some people (most people) have a lot going on. Would they rather you focus on the work they’re doing at their full time job? Are they trying to promote personal blogs or other projects? Do you wish you’d help them gain more social followers? What do they have coming up in the future that you can promote? Ask your guest what their goals are so you can help him/her accomplish them.

  • Don’t rush.

It is important to be considerate of your guests’ time. However, if you’re rushing the spot, it can make them feel unimportant. Once, I was on a podcast where episodes were typically 30-45 minutes, and some were even 60 minutes. My episode was only 20 minutes. It made me feel like the host didn’t think I was important enough for a full episode. So don’t rush it! When you ask someone to be your guest, talk about the time commitment so they are aware, and then use that time.

  • Ask for advice.

It’s flattering when someone values my opinion enough to ask for advice. So, when you have a guest on your podcast, ask for it!

  • Ask for future guest recommendations.

Along the same lines, you can also ask guests for recommendations for other guests. You’ll want to do this after you’re done recording, not on the show.

  • Share some “insider” information.

It always makes people feel important when they know something other people don’t know. What small piece of “insider information” can you share? Of course, you can’t trust every guest to keep his/her mouth shut, so be discerning in what you share, but even little things no one else knows yet, like who your next guest is, can make your current guest feel important.

  • Make time for your guests on their schedule.

It’s off-putting when someone invites me to be on their podcast and then tells me a time I need to be there. Unless it’s a live show, you should schedule recording at a time that is convenient for your guest, rather than demanding they work around your schedule.

  • Schedule content promotion.

Give the episode some special promotion, but also schedule some time to promote other things the guest is doing as well. DO they have their own podcast? Do they write a blog? Are they launching a book? Give your guest some social shout-outs outside of just promoting your own podcast.

  • Support your guests’ projects.

Along the same lines, take a little time to support your guests’ projects. Beyond social promotion, take time to attend a live webinar they’re doing, buy their product, etc.

  • Connect your guests with others.

Relationships are powerful. Think about who might help your guests reach their goals. Can you connect these people? Don’t be too pushy, but when relevant, make email introductions that are beneficial to both parties. It makes people feel very special that you think of them and want to help them.

  • Say thank you.

Lastly, say thank you. Not just after the podcast recording is done, either. Send a special email or even a $5 giftcard on Facebook with a note. If you have the person’s home address, a handwritten card is even better. A little thank you can go a long way.

How do you make your podcast guests feel special? Leave a comment with your tips!

 Image Credit: Bigstock

Please, Stop Talking: How to Better Interview Your Podcast Guests

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better podcast interviews

Please, stop talking.

Have you ever had a personal crutch or cliché that you used more often than you thought? It may have been something you didn’t realize until somebody brought it to your attention. Have you ever said, “Wow! I had no idea I did that all the time”? I’m here to tell you to stop it.

A good coach will tell you what you need to hear rather than what you want to hear. You need to hear this. When you are interviewing anyone on your show, stop talking. Ask the question, then get out of the way. Let your guest shine.

Here is an example. This is a recent question I heard during an interview.

Host: “Doesn’t money just really make you more of who you already were? It’s like money affords your personality to flourish, right? If you’re loving and generous and then you become wealthy, you’re going to be able to express more of that love and generosity to a greater degree. If you’re a jerk and you become wealthy, you’re just going to become become a colossal jerk. So, isn’t it really just an expansion of who you were at the core anyway? I mean, it’s not the money’s fault. It’s basically just a magnifier of it.”

Guest: “And it’s … that’s a good way of putting it. It just amplifies who you are, and makes it more apparent. It has a greater impact. Yeah, absolutely.”

This host kept talking to the point that he answered his own question. The guest had nothing left to say. The guest tried to paraphrase the same thing the host said, but couldn’t even make that happen. The host made his own point. The host’s question was seven sentences. The guest’s answer was basically, “Yeah.”

There are three points to remember when interviewing guests. If you keep these in mind, your guests will feel great about being on your show, and you will look like a brilliant host. Just stay out of your own way.

1. Know the Answer

Your job is to make your guest look great. You have invited your guest to your show to provide something you couldn’t provide alone. They have a story to tell. It is your job to help them tell it. Lead them to the punchline, climax or conclusion.

You need to do your homework prior to the interview. You need to know what makes your guest interesting. What will make your guest engaging to your audience? Find that story, and help your guest bring it to life.

The story will have a conclusion that you should already know. You’ve done your homework. You know what happens at the end. It is an art to help your guest tell that story without telling it yourself.

Prior to their appearance on the show, guests on The Late Show with David Letterman are interviewed ahead of time by a show producer. It is that producer’s job to find the interesting story. If the producer discovers the guest was recently stuck on a roller coaster during a family vacation, Dave will tee it up. He will help his guest shine by asking, “How’s the family? Have you had time to get away with them lately?” Suddenly, the guest is off and running telling the hilarious story of the roller coaster.

It looks like Dave got lucky. Dave just happened to stumble across a great vacation story. Reality is homework. Dave already knew what would make a great story. His homework (or that of his producer) revealed the gold. He simply helped his guest get there.

Our host above knew the answer to his question. It was obvious by the lengthy set up. Unfortunately, he proved it rather than letting his guest flourish. The host could have simply asked, “Doesn’t money just really make you more of who you already were?” The guest would have been off to the races. The guest could have really explored that theory. The host would have looked like he has great questions. The guest would have looked like he knows his stuff. Everybody wins. Instead, we get, “Yeah, exactly.”

Know the answer, so you can let your guest shine.

2. Be Brief

Make your questions brief. If you want to make your guests look great, you need to give them room to spread their wings. Short questions will allow that to happen.

Ask your short question, then stop talking. If you are talking, your guest is not. Your listeners have come to hear your guest. Let the guest talk. If your listeners have come to hear you, your guest isn’t necessary. Stop wasting everybody’s time.

Many hosts feel the need to prove how much they know. Hosts want to display all of their knowledge to impress the guest. Unfortunately, this is a myth. By showing how much you know, you are only trumping your guest. If you appear to be the most knowledgable person on the show, your guest will feel uncomfortable. You will soon find it hard to get guests.

When you ask brief questions that make it easy for your guest to tell great stories, your guest will look like a star. He will truly enjoy being part of your show. Your guests will want to return. Word will spread. Your show will grow. Finally, your audience will love the new information and engaging stories.

Everybody wins when you talk less.

3. No Yes/No

Ask open-ended questions. When you ask questions that can be answered with “yes” or “no”, some guests will take the opportunity to answer “yes” or “no”. Your interview will go nowhere.

Yes/no questions make it difficult for your guest to elaborate. When your guests tell stories, they become engaging. Stories are easy for your guest. Stories have natural flow. Elaborations take a lot of thought. Make it easy for your guest.

Our host above started with, “Doesn’t money just really make you more of who you already were?” All of a sudden he is faced with a yes/no question. He has forced his guest to elaborate. In order to help his guest, he continues with another yes/no question. In fact, he follows with two additional yes/no questions. Suddenly, his guest has nothing left to say.

The host knows that money simply makes you more of who you already are. He could have positioned his guest with, “How does money affect the core beliefs of an individual?” With that short question, the guest is now able to expound with his “more of who you already are” theory. The guest looks great. The host looks brilliant by somehow knowing that money affect the core of individuals. The listener gets to hear a great story.

Everybody wins when you stop talking.

It is your job to make your guest the star.

That is the reason you’ve invited her to your podcast. She offers something to the show that you cannot deliver as well by yourself. Let her do it. Lob that ball to your guest, so they can hit it out of the park. You don’t need to prove how well you can pitch. The goal is to let your guest hit home runs.

Make your guest look great. She will love you for it. Your listener will love you for it. You will learn to love yourself for it when your podcast begins to flourish.

Ask the question, then get out of the way. Please, stop talking.

Ten Reasons Your Blog Needs a Podcast

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Okay, I have to admit it: After attending NMX 2013, I kind of want to start a podcast. About what, I don’t know, but the podcaster presence there rocked, and the Podcast Awards was one of my favorite parts of the whole show. I’ve been involved in podcasts in the past, but I never realized just how much I miss it.

I think that many bloggers out there could benefit from and would really enjoy having a podcast – and I’m not the only one with this opinion. At NMX 2013, Peder Aadahl, Dustin Hartzler, P.J. Jonas, and Jenn Swanson spoke on this very topic, with their panel presenting ten reasons why every blogger should have a podcast. Here are their ten reasons

  1. Podcasts can help you attract a new type of follower, expanding your audience beyond your current community.
  2. Podcasting often helps you improve your speaking skills, which allows you to get more speaking gigs and opens other opportunities to you.
  3. You can build loyalty with your voice that you don’t get with text, as it makes it easier for people to connect to you and trust you.
  4. Podcasting is not as hard as you think!
  5. With a podcast, you get the opportunity to talk to others in your niche, which helps you become a master of your subject.
  6. Podcasts are easy to consume, since you can listen in the car, at the gym, etc.
  7. You can recycle some of your best written content ideas by recording a podcast about these same topics.
  8. Podcasts allow you to tap into a new community.
  9. Having a regular podcast helps you improve perceived credibility.
  10. You can make money with a podcast.

To their reasons, I would add one of my own: podcasts are fun! When I used to be part of a video game podcast with a few friends, recording together was one of the highlights of our week.

If you still aren’t convinced, I recommend checking out the entire presentation at NMX University via our 2013 Virtual Ticket, which also gives you access to this and dozens of other sessions, including a number of presentations that will help you get started podcasting.

Bloggers, have you ever considered podcasting? Podcasters, what reasons can you add to this list?

Three Steps to Your Audience of One

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Would you like to create a deeper connection and relationship with your audience?

There is one adjustment you can make to your podcast to help you achieve your podcasting goals. Whether you hope to motivate your audience to action, entertain them with a story or simply get them to listen again, one change to your approach can help you succeed. This small modification to your approach will have a big impact on creating a trusting relationship with your audience.

Treat every listener as an audience of one.

When creating a podcast, it is critical to your success to address each member of your audience as an individual rather than a group, regardless of the size of your audience.

Many podcasters and broadcasters address their audience as a group. “Hello, everyone.” “Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen.” “You guys are the best.”

Your listeners are not engaged with your show as a group. They are each listening as individuals with unique imaginations. You need to treat them that way.

Addressing your audience as a group is impersonal. Your listener doesn’t feel special. Speaking to a group allows each listener to feel like you are speaking to someone else. It is typical for your listener to feel like it’s alright to not take action, because another member of the group will handle it.

This style began back when radio began. When radio broadcasting started, station owners needed something to broadcast. The content was typically stage performances broadcast over the airwaves. The “Ladies and Gentlemen” salutation was meant for the live audience in the theater. It was not intended for the listening audience at home.

At the time, radio was the primary source of entertainment at the family home. Prior to the introduction of television, families gathered around the radio in the family room each evening for their entertainment. Addressing the audience as a group made sense. Listening was taking place as a group.

As radio broadcasts moved from stage performances on the radio to “made-for-radio” dramas that were produced in a studio rather than on the stage, the salutations didn’t change. The live audience was no longer present. The audience however was still gathered together in the family room. The announcer continued to address the listening audience as a group, simply because it had always been done that way.

When television was introduced to the family room, long-form radio programming moved to television. Great radio stories like The Lone Ranger, Abbott & Costello and The Green Hornet left the radio for the promised land of television. Radio was quickly being replaced as the nightly family activity in the home.

Eventually, the radio performance was replaced with a disc jockey playing recorded music for the listening audience. Radios also progressed with the introduction of the transistor. Small, portable transistor radios took the place of the large console radios that once occupied the family room. Listening moved from being a group activity in the family room to being a personal experience with these portable radios. Even as listening changed, most on-air personalities continued to address their audience as a group. It had always been done that way.

Today, podcast listening has become even more personal. Podcast listening typically takes place alone in a car or with headphones. People are no longer listening as a group. They are alone with your voice.

Even if your listeners are with others while they are listening, each individual is creating unique images in their head. Those images are different from the images created in the imagination of any other person in the audience. Audio is a very personal medium.

Since they are listening as individuals, you should address them as such. Your show should be a one-on-one conversation with your listener.

If most of your listeners are listening alone, it sounds out of place when you say, “Hello, everyone.” Your listener is then saying in their head, “Everyone? It’s just me. Who are you talking to?” “Everyone” is directed at no one. Adjust your language to fit your audience.

If I describe a car making a left turn at a busy intersection, you will envision it much differently than any other person listening to the same story. Television leaves very little to the imagination. Audio helps create wonderful stories and stirs the imagination. The more personal and individual you can be with your stories, the stronger your connection and relationship will become.

Finally, when you address a group, it is easy for your listener to shirk their responsibilities while expecting somebody else to take care of the tasks.

Let’s say you want your audience to visit you website. You say, “I would really appreciate it if you guys would log onto my website this week and let me know what you think.” Who exactly do you want to take action? You’re addressing the entire group. I don’t need to do it. There will be plenty of others that take action. It won’t make much difference if I don’t do it.

Unfortunately, most listeners are thinking the same thing. When you check your web stats, they’ve barely moved. Very few have taken action. Why? Because you didn’t address them individually. It was easy to assume somebody else would handle it.

There are three steps to treat your listeners as an audience of one.

First, get rid of the collective, group talk. Change your nouns and pronouns from plural to singular. Instead of using “ladies and gentlemen” or “you guys”, use “you”, “me” and “I.” Talk to one person. Most everything you say will apply to one person just like it will apply to a group of people.

Second, be personable. Reveal things to your audience that you would reveal to your friends. When you have trust in your listener, she will begin to feel appreciated. Your relationships will become stronger and more meaningful.

Third, be real. Speak like a real person and not an announcer. Replace announcer words with words real people use. Instead of using “good evening” like a network news anchor from 1975, use “hi” like you would use when you call a friend.

If you hope to make your call-to-action effective, you need to create strong relationships with your listeners. If you want to create strong, meaningful relationships with your audience, you must treat each person in your audience as an individual. Make each listener feel special. Talk directly to them one-on-one. Use words that sound like you are speaking to one person. Be personable. Be real. Create wonderful relationships as you create multiple audiences of one.

Photo Credit: Bigstock

Leo Laporte Talks at #NMX about Building a Podcast Community

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We’re always excited when Leo Laporte is able to speak at one of our events, and this time around was no different. Leo gave our Day Two keynote, talking about how podcasting is changing the world of media. Check out his keynote, recorded live at NMX 2013 (made possible by our livestreaming partners Ustream and TechZulu):

Video streaming by Ustream

If you don’t have time to watch the entire keynote, here are some of the best moments from his talk:

“Podcast your passion but don’t do it for money.”

We all want to make money, but that’s not what it has to be about. You should be podcasting because you love what you’re doing and you love the topic you’re podcasting about, not because you want to make money. Passion is where it’s at. If you’re not passionate, your listeners will know.

“We’re not making little shows to download. I think what we’re doing is changing the world.”

Leo often talks about his disdain for the word podcasting since it doesn’t cover the entire industry and doesn’t sound as important as it is. As Leo stated, podcasters are changing the entire world, especially in the media industry. Mass media is actually a very young industry, and it’s still changing rapidly. Podcasters are shaping the future.

“Our opportunity is not to create audience but create community…Our type of advertising works because we have an engaged audience.”

We often talk about finding new listeners and building our audiences, but podcaster’s listeners are more than that. They’re our friends, our peers, and our community. And that’s what podcasters need to focus on – making their show a good experience so people want to be part of what you’re doing.

When we talk to our advertisers we tell them this is going to be a different relationship for you. And some of them don’t like it.”

Consumers are smart, so you can’t trick them anymore. Instead, you have to present ads in a way that makes sense for your listeners – your community, if you will. For example, on Leo’s show, they do ad slots, but it’s more of a conversation about the features of a product instead of a commercial. Ad recall for him is extremely high, which is great news for his advertisers, but some aren’t interested because there’s no smoke and mirrors. You have to have a good product with good features instead of tricking the consumer.

“We need to really think differently. We can’t just say “What we really want to do is be like the media on the internet.”

Digital broadcasting isn’t like big media as we know it today, and in Leo’s opinion, we should stop trying to be like television, radio, etc. We’re going to succeed because we’re different, and today’s mass media should be scared of that. Podcasters (any kind of digital broadcasters really) need to embrace their different-ness, because that’s how we’ll really change the world.

Want to see even more content from the show? Check out NMX University, our educational membership community where you’ll find virtual sessions, keynote recordings, bonus videos, and more!

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