Profitable Podcasting

by Stephen Woessner

  21. A window will pop up, and you will want to name the file. We use the file format ON_GuestName_Month(00)_Date(00) (Example: ON_JoeSmith_08_15). We use “ON” to signify Onward Nation so we don’t get audio files confused with one of the files for a client’s podcast.

  22. Be sure your setting is set to “Podcast.” Adobe Audition has a time-saving template specifically designed for podcasters to use when editing audio. Awesome.

  23. For “Folder Location” please make sure that you click “Browse” and select the folder you created for this episode back in Step 1.

  24. Click “Okay” and set up your “Multitrack” session.

  25. Place your audio file in as “Host.”

  26. Place your guest’s audio in the “Interview.”

  27. Place your intro audio into “Sound FX.”

  28. Turn off the “Track Effects” for Host, Interview, and Master in the “Track Effects” section to the left of the panel.

  29. Make sure that in your “Files” section on the left of your panel, you have your audio intro, audio outro, R, L, .mov, and .sesx files together.

  30. When you start editing on the timeline in your Multitrack session, please be sure that your audio number is first. Cut it (Command K) it from the audio and separate it.

  31. In the Sound FX, have your intro align with the ending of your audio number.

  32. Align your guest’s audio with your audio—it fits together like a puzzle piece.

  33. Keeping everything aligned, cut the audio in between pauses of conversation, and bring them closer together. Apply this throughout the entire interview.

  34. Once you have gone through the entire interview, go back and listen to the full episode. This is a crucial quality-control step to ensure that you catch any audio problems that may have been missed in earlier editing. You can listen to the audio at +65 percent speed to save time.

  To adjust the playback speed, go to the area above your “Host” audio and click on “Toggle Global Clip Stretching” to be sure it is activated. It looks like an alarm clock with an arrow underneath. Once you see that it is blue, click “Command A” in your Multitrack, and all of your audio should look bright green.

  If all of your audio in your Multitrack is bright green, then go to the top left of your “Host” file and click on the white triangle you see in the corner and drag it toward the middle. Your audio should be squeezed together at this point and a percentage should be displayed.

  Once you see that it’s at 65 percent, stop, and take a listen to the audio. It should take you a minimum of thirty minutes to listen to the audio if the full episode plays at normal speed in around sixty minutes.

  35. After you have listened to the audio, and made any fixes necessary, add the outro at the end.

  36. Once you have added your audio outro, go up to “Multitrack” > “Mixdown Session to New File” > “Entire Session.”

  37. You should now see the audio look completely even all the way through.

  38. Once you have completed the “Mixdown” for your session, go to “File” > “Export” > “File.”

  39. When you export your file, the file name should read “ON_Guest-Name_Month(00)_Date(00) Mixdown 1.mp3.” Be sure to delete the “Mixdown 1” from the file name to keep things clean. If one of your listeners downloads your full episode from your Smart Podcast Player on your website, the “Mixdown 1” will be the file name they receive unless you delete it.

  40. Your final name should be similar to this: ON_GuestName_Month(00)_Date(00).mp3.

  41. Then click “Export” and upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox, or your external hard drive for storage. The episode is now ready for uploading into Libsyn.

  This wraps up the production-related stages. We recommend getting ten fully edited episodes loaded into Libsyn before launching a one-day-per-week podcast—and twenty-five episodes before launching a daily podcast. The inventory will protect you in case you need to travel for a client, get sick, or want to take a vacation. Otherwise, you may find yourself scrambling to get an episode done that needs to air the next day.

  You are now ready to launch your podcast.

  CHAPTER 14

  STAGE 7:

  LAUNCH STRATEGY: HOW TO REACH THE TOP OF ITUNES

  Congratulations on completing the production of your very own Profitable Podcast. The launch recipe in this chapter will provide you with the tactical ingredients to get your podcast to the top of iTunes’ New and Noteworthy category. New and Noteworthy is the section of iTunes reserved for podcasts launched during the most recent eight-week time period. When a podcast’s eight weeks of New and Noteworthy eligibility expires, iTunes will relocate it to its “What’s Hot” category along with all of the other popular top-rated podcasts.

  This chapter will help you boost your iTunes rankings, because at the time of this writing, iTunes is still the market leader for podcast distribution. However, the market continues to change as iHeartRadio, Spotify, Google Play, and others become players. In my opinion, the podcast distribution market is ripe for disruption, consolidation, or new advancements in how content is curated for listeners.

  Until that time comes, we will focus on iTunes.

  Our team has run point on dozens and dozens of podcast launches for our clients. And that experience has time and time again dispelled the myth that a podcast needs to have tens of thousands of downloads, or even thousands of downloads, in order to dominate iTunes’ New and Noteworthy rankings. In fact, we have seen podcasts with fewer than 200 downloads per day become number-one-ranked shows in iTunes. You simply need to execute well as it relates to iTunes’ vital metrics:

  High-quality audio for your episodes

  Ratings and reviews

  Daily downloads

  Your audio quality will be high if you follow the editing recipe shared in the previous chapters. And if you consistently direct your audience to listen to and download your episodes from iTunes, you should be all set with this vital metric, as well.

  But it has been our experience that getting ratings and reviews for your show is not as straightforward as it seems. For example, through our research, we have seen that fifty ratings and reviews seems to be the “magic” number to secure a number one ranking in iTunes. However, if your show were to collect fifty ratings and reviews over a six-week period versus fifty ratings and reviews in the first forty-eight hours of launch, that would be a big difference: iTunes will rank the forty-eight-hour podcast much higher and likely award it a number one ranking.

  So, part of the ratings and reviews recipe is with what time period you compress your ratings and reviews. The best way to capitalize on this vital metric is by making a list of fifty to seventy people who you know will listen to your show and then give you a rating and review—and ask them to do it between X day and Y day so you can take advantage of the compression.

  In addition, our team has a theory that the social footprint of the person who writes a review for your show matters to the iTunes algorithm. So if one of your guests writes a review that’s perceived to be high quality, you get points. On the other hand, if you pay a freelancer through Fiverr to boost your rating and reviews, iTunes will recognize the poor quality, and you will not receive the benefit. Thus, be sure to ask for ratings and reviews from credible sources.

  Ingredient #1: Register your podcast with iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play

  Earlier, we covered how iTunes and the other platforms are able to access your audio from Libsyn and the RSS feed Libsyn provides you. Now that you are ready to launch, it’s time to give iTunes your RSS feed. But please know, once you do so, any and all episodes you have published in Libsyn will become available in iTunes as soon as your podcast has been approved. So it is very important not to provide iTunes with your RSS feed, and not to publish episodes in Libsyn until you are 100 percent ready to go live.

  The sign-up processes for iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play continue to evolve and get better. Consequently, we know that the step-b
y-step process as it exists today will be obsolete by the time this book makes its way to you. So my team and I created a three-part tutorial video series that we update each time the process changes. You can find the free video series at:

  1.PredictiveROI.com/Resource/iTunes-Setup

  2.PredictiveROI.com/Resources/Stitcher-Setup

  3.PredictiveROI.com/Resources/Google-Play-Setup

  Ingredient #2: “Your Interview Is LIVE!” Email to Guests

  You or your team should send an email like the following to each guest on the morning their interview goes live so they will know when and how to promote their episodes. Please note: The bracketed sections of the template indicate the content areas you will need to customize for your podcast.

  Subject Line: Your Interview Is LIVE!

  ~Contact.FirstName~

  Your interview is LIVE!

  You really rocked the interview. I am grateful. Thank you so much!

  I would be honored if you would share our interview with your audience! Some easy ways to do that are to share the links below:

  [YourPodcast.com]: Click Here

  iTunes: Click Here

  Stitcher: Click Here

  Google Play: Click Here

  Be sure to check out your Show Notes page as [Your Podcast] listeners will be posting comments—and please feel free to jump into the conversation.

  Sincerely Yours,

  [Your Name]

  [Host of Your Podcast]

  [CEO of Your Company]

  Ingredient #3: Rate and Review Request Email

  I recommend that you and your team send an email similar to the following to your full email list about two weeks after your show launches. The email provides your audience with the step-by-step process for giving your show a rating and writing a review on your behalf. We created this template, and use it for all of our clients during launch, because the process of rating and reviewing on iTunes can be confusing. Your audience is doing you a big favor, so you want to make it as easy as possible for them.

  Subject: I need your help

  Good Morning [First Name],

  Thank you so much for listening to my new podcast, [Name of Podcast].

  The response over the last few weeks has been nothing short of incredible.

  I am writing today to ask for your help in getting the podcast to the top of the iTunes charts so others can learn lessons from my guests, some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, leaders, and achievers who are operating at the top of their game.

  [Name of Podcast] has quickly become a community of leaders, but I need your help in helping that community to grow.

  To get [Name of Podcast] to the top of the iTunes charts, we need to get as many reviews as possible.

  Would you please do me a favor and leave a review?

  The process is quick and simple. Please go to [this link] and click the blue button that reads “View in iTunes.”

  Next, click on the link titled “Ratings and Reviews.”

  Next, click on “Write a Review.”

  If you are not signed in to iTunes, you will be asked to sign in. If you are already signed in to iTunes, it is likely that you will skip this step.

  Finally, you will be able to leave a review. Don’t forget the star rating!

  I really appreciate your help with this!

  Sincerely,

  [Your Name]

  FIGURE 14-1

  FIGURE 14-2

  FIGURE 14-3

  FIGURE 14-4

  FIGURE 14-5

  Figures 14-1, 14-2, 14-3, 14-4, and 14-5 depict the steps for writing a review in iTunes.

  I want to share a final thought for you to consider as part of your launch.

  Should you spend money on Google AdWords or Facebook campaigns to announce the launch of your podcast? Although tempting to consider—and I encourage you to test paid ads during your launch—the campaigns we have tested in the past did not result in measurable increases to daily downloads.

  However, we have had great success in paid Facebook campaigns offering a screaming cool value exchange with email address opt-in. This is an excellent strategy for building your email list, and once you have the subscriber’s email address, you can promote your show via email for much less cost and with greater benefit.

  I wish you the best of success with your launch!

  CHAPTER 15

  HOW TO BE AN EXCELLENT HOST

  By the time this book goes to press, Onward Nation will have aired nearly 600 episodes. In the process, we have had the incredible opportunity to learn directly from today’s top business owners. The depth of knowledge, wisdom, and expertise generously shared by our guests never ceases to amaze me. They freely take us inside their businesses, their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations, their failures, and then weave it all together in this wonderful, beautiful tapestry that we call an episode.

  My vital priority during these conversations is not to get in the way of my guests doing what they are there to do. I learned early on that the show is not at all about me. Our guests are the stars, and when the host can demonstrate that fact throughout the conversation, the result will be an epic interview.

  This chapter will serve as your practical guide to becoming an excellent host. I will share several of my insights that I have learned along the way as well as what I learned from two Onward Nation guests and fellow podcasters: Drew McLellan and John Livesay.

  Drew McLellan, top dog at the Agency Management Institute, is the host of the brilliant podcast Build a Better Agency. Drew has owned and operated his own agency for the past twenty years. He also works with more than 250 small to midsize agencies a year in a variety of ways: peer network groups, workshops for owners and their leadership teams, on-site consulting, and one-to-one coaching with owners.

  John Livesay is the host of the successful podcast The Successful Pitch. Inc. magazine calls John the “Pitch Whisperer.” He is the author of the book also entitled The Successful Pitch. John helps CEOs craft a compelling pitch to investors in a way that inspires them to join a start-up’s team. Also, John and Judy Robinett are business partners in Crack the Funding Code, a webinar/workbook that gets founders funded fast.

  Let’s get started.

  In fiction, a “foil” is a character who contrasts with another character (usually the protagonist) in order to highlight particular qualities of the other character. In my opinion, your ability to play the role of the foil will determine whether you are an excellent or a mediocre host. You need to use your podcast to help your guests advance their agendas by sharing their wisdom and expertise—not yours.

  Avoid telling stories about yourself even if they support what your guest just said. Your role is not to validate what your guest just said. Your guests don’t need you to validate their experience. Attempting to do so can be seen as arrogant; it could look like you’re trying to steal the show. Don’t do that. Instead, summarize, reflect back to your guests the impactful highlights of what they have just shared, add a comment or two from what you have seen in your experience, and then ask your guest if you got all of that correct.

  By asking the question, “Did I get all of that correct, Sally?” you do three things:

  Demonstrate to Sally that you are listening to every word she shares

  Show that what she said mattered because you connected it to your own experience

  Prompt Sally to go deeper with her examples and experience sharing

  Start out the conversation with some light questions; build trust and rapport in the first few minutes. Be engaging, be personable, and if you are able to make your guest laugh in the first couple of minutes, congratulations—you’re building rapport. Avoid asking deep, emotionally charged questions early on in the interview. It will not go well. Your guest will likely think you are trying to move too deep too quickly.

  I asked Drew McLellan for his insights on the most critical things business owners need to master to be successful at podcasting. Drew shared that he bel
ieves it is a combination of skills, the most important of which is for the host to check their ego at the door. “My job when I’m hosting is to augment and put the spotlight on my guest and their expertise,” Drew said. “I do that by listening really hard to what they say and running it through my filter of, ‘What else would an agency owner want to know about that?’ I’m not talking over them, I’m not trying to jump in and show how much I know about the topic. I am listening super hard. I am asking what I hope are great follow-up questions. I’m really trying to stay out of the guest’s way so they have as much airtime as possible to share their expertise.

  “I think part of listening with real intent is to be able to ask the question that I’m always thinking, ‘If somebody is driving while they’re listening to this, or walking on the treadmill, or whatever, what would they want me to ask?’ Or, do I frustrate them by not asking the follow-up questions that they want me to ask? I’m always listening with that intent. ‘What should I be asking next? What did somebody want to hear more about or how would they want to drill deeper into this?’ I’m trying to ask those questions because I don’t want any of my listeners thinking, ‘I can’t believe he didn’t ask X!’”

  I also asked John Livesay for his insights on critical skills. He explained to me why and how he uses empathy and listening to make connections with guests. “One of the investors on my show told me that the more empathy you show for your customer, the more the customer feels like you understand that customer and can solve that problem,” John said. “I think what makes you have empathy for someone is your ability to listen to them and put yourself in their shoes. The more you can do that with your guests and respond to what they’re saying and make them feel heard and then summarize what you’re hearing for your audience as the takeaways, that, in my opinion, is what it takes to be really great as a podcast host.”