Influential Voices of Authority

Top 12 Takeaways From NMX – Episode 087 Before we jump in this week, can I ask a quick favor? If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach Podcast, can you please take two minutes to do so and leave a review? It will help us get exposed to new podcasters and grow our community. Thanks a million. CLICK HERE. New Media Expo 2015 wrapped up in Las Vegas last week. What an amazing event. As Director of the Podcasting Track at NMX, Dave Jackson from the School of Podcasting put together an amazing line up of talent. Though the sessions were packed full of great information, the relationships created at these events make it more than just a learning opportunity. I had the chance to connect with great people I have known for a bit. Here are just a few: Dave Jackson – School of Podcasting Rem Lavictoire – Sci-Fi Movie Podcast Daniel J. Lewis – The Audacity To Podcast Bill Conrad – New Media Gold I also had the chance to meet a few new people and connect with those I have only known over e-mail. Here are a few of those great people: Rob Walch – Libsyn Rob Greenlee – Spreaker Nick Seuberling – Inside The Jungle Corey Fineran – Ivy Envy Pat Flynn – Smart Passive Income Seth Resler – SethResler.com There were many others that I met and created valuable conversations. New Media Expo is such an incredible event for our podcasting community. After I attend a conference like this, usually on the flight home, I like to review my notes to find the big points I can put to use as soon as I arrive home. This week, I would like to share with you my top 12 takeaways from NMX. This list isn't nearly exhaustive of the things I learned. Some are not even new, but great reminders. We dig into each one in this episode. 1. Schedule it, so it gets done. 2. If advertising is driving people away from traditional media, why are so many podcasters so anxious to add commercials to their show? 3. From Mignon Fogarty: E-mail newsletter is the #1 way to reach your audience. Make sure it has a personal tone. 4. From Chris Ducker: There seems to be a lack of originality in the online business space. Stop being lazy and come up with your own (stuff). 5. From Rob Walch: iOS usage crushes android devices 6:1 in download ratio. (In this episode, we also discuss a few tips for iTunes search he provided.) 6. From Lou Mongello: Don't forget the importance of face-to-face contact and communication. 7. From Mark Ramsey: Beginnings matter. Radio listeners always come in somewhere in the middle. Podcast listeners always come in at the beginning. 8. From Pat Flynn: I'd rather live a life full of oh wells, than a life full of what ifs. 9. From Dave Jackson: When you wonder why anyone would ever listen to you, remember that you are special (neat). Then, embrace your uniqueness, and understand the bar isn't set very high. 10. From Daniel J. Lewis: The description in iTunes does not help SEO, but does help the PERSON. Make your episode titles appealing, as if they are your portfolio. 11. From David Hooper: People aren't paying you to podcast. They are paying you to help solve their problems. 12. From Cliff Ravenscraft: When growing your audience/community, connect to your existing audience and make the experience great for them. Get word of mouth to spread. Thanks for spending another week with me. I truly appreciate your time. I also want to thank Joshua and Mercy for the amazing feedback regarding the last episode about your “why”. Many of you sent feedback, which I greatly appreciate. I had wonderful exchanges with Joshua and Mercy that helped me create a great plan. Thanks for all you do for me. If you have never subscribed to the Podcast Talent Coach podcast, please spend two minutes to do so. I would truly appreciate your generosity. CLICK HERE. Do you need help with your podcast? E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's see what we can do. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

What Is Your Why? - Episode 086 What is your “why”? Why do you do what you do? WORK ON YOUR BUSINESS I've been doing a lot of work on my business over the past few weeks. In “The E-Myth Revisited”, author Michael Gerber talks about moving your business forward by spending more time working on your business rather than in it. That is exactly what I've been doing lately. Am I going down the right path? I thought you and I could review my progress with the hope that it will help you with your process. We all face the little voice inside our head telling us we are not good enough. Whether we have been doing this for six months or six years, we all need a little confidence boost every now and then. It is only natural. I will be speaking at New Media Expo in a week. (Last week to save $100 HERE.) My review of my business was inspired by NMX. I want to be sure things are in place to make the most of the opportunity. As I have stepped back to look at the big picture, I have been reviewing a few great books like “The E-Myth Revisited”. START WITH WHY Another book that has helped my review is “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. The book is focused on the theory that people do not buy what you do. They buy why you do it. Turn your customers into fans by making them believe in your mission and purpose. Have I sufficiently defined my why? I thought I had. Even after refining it a few times, I am not quite sure. Podcast Talent Coach is just over 18 months old as a podcast. From the limited feedback I have received from you, I am not quite sure my “why” is clear enough to truly inspire you to create great work. Podcast Talent Coach was launched to help podcasters gain more confidence in their content. When you open the mic, I want you to truly believe that your voice matters. I want to arm you with the confidence you need to beat back the butterflies and excuses in order to create powerful content episode after episode. With the information I provide every week, you should be able to take your information and turn it into entertainment that is engaging for your audience and unique to you. MY STORY I have been in radio for 25 years. I have been coaching radio talent for 20 of those years. As I listened to podcasts, I realized so many podcasts could improve with a few tips I have learned and used over those two-and-a-half decades. The coaching experience I have gained could easily be used to help podcasters create amazing content that could replace other entertainment sources if I could only reach those podcasters. Eighteen months in, I have only connected with a handful of podcasters interested in making that amazing entertainment a reality. As I step back and examine the progress, I come up with four possible explanations. ALREADY GETTING IT One reason could be you get all you need from this podcast and the free worksheets I offer. You don't feel one-on-one coaching is necessary. If this was the reason, I would see more downloads of both. SPREAD THE WORD Another explanation could be I haven't done a good job spreading the word about the show. When I launched, the show got a solid start. I hit a few hundred downloads quickly. Things slowed down quite a bit after that. A few hundred downloads is about average and nothing to sneeze at. I am grateful for each person that joins me every week. Thank you for being here. As I continue to produce content for you each week, I am not seeing further growth. That concerns me. PROBLEM SOLVING A third reason I may not be seeing continued growth could be the market. Maybe I have not done a good job creating a solution to a problem my audience knows they have. This is a likely reason. Most podcasters who have the confidence and ego to open the mic and create content every week believe they are good enough the way they are. They may not realize that there are steps they could take to create more powerful content. It is also possible the problem I am trying to solve does not exist. As I help radio broadcasters improve their shows, many of them fear the critique, then love the feedback and growth after the fact. THE "WHY" The final reason may be my “why”. It is very possible that I have not sold my “why” well enough. I have defined what I do quite a bit. But have I really defined why I do it for you? Maybe not. My love for great radio and creative podcasts drive me to do this show every week. I love being able to create great audio that people look forward to every week. More importantly, I love sharing my knowledge of that process with others. You can create amazing visual images in the theater of the mind to inspire your listener with your podcasts. Inspire them in such a way that they cannot wait for the next episode. That incredible anticipation of future episodes is what makes this medium so wonderful. Holding the attention of a listener to the point where they cannot get enough of you is an amazing feeling. FIND THE GOOD Dave Jackson and I do a show together called “The Podcast Review Show”. Each episode, we invite a podcaster on the show to have his or her podcast reviewed by the two of us. It takes a great deal of confidence to have two coaches review your show right in front of you. Every guest is a little nervous coming on the show. They are not quite sure what we will say. They fear we are going to tear their podcast apart and affirm their belief that they are not good enough. During the show, Dave and I look for areas of the episode that are really good. Our goal is to help podcasters do more of the good. In turn, that will replace the stuff that isn't as strong. In the end, the podcast gets better. Every guest fears coming on the show, but truly appreciates the actionable feedback at the end of the process. JUMP THE HURDLE Here lies my problem with Podcast Talent Coach. It is not easy to get you over the fear of being critiqued in order to get you the joy of the improvement. That fear at the front door is a pretty big barrier. It is very similar to the fear of getting in the roller coaster line in order to enjoy the exhilaration when you finally get off of the ride. The anticipation and fear could be preventing Podcast Talent Coach from growing. Then again, I am not sure what is holding me back. Maybe it is a bit of all four. My gut tells me it is probably the lack of communicating my “why”. WHAT IS YOUR WHY? Have you communicated your “why” well enough? Have you inspired your fan with the reason you create your content every week? I haven't come up with the answer to my problem quite yet. I'll continue working on my business until I find the solution. I would love your input. As a frequent listener to Podcast Talent Coach, what do you hear? What brings you back every week? What has prevented you from getting more involved with coaching? E-mail me anytime you would like at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let me know what you think. How can I better help you? Thanks for being here. I truly value your attention every week. You mean the world to me. I will help you any way I can.

7 Ways To Improve Your Podcast This Week – Episode 085 There are many ways to improve your podcast. This week, I have 7 ways for you that should be pretty easy to implement. To help you in various ways, I have selected 7 different areas for improvement. You will feel the need to make different improvements at different times. The different areas should help. Start with the one suggestion that interests you most. Then, work your way though the remaining tips. Improve Your Audio The easiest way to improve your audio is to begin using a pop filter. This is a simple screen that goes over or in front of your microphone. A pop filter prevents puffs of air from attacking your mic as you speak. You can find inexpensive pop filters online. You can also make your own out of nylons and a wire clothes hanger. To cut down echo, record in a smaller room. In the past, I've used a large closet. Not only does the small room cut down the bounce of the sound waves, the clothes hanging around you will cut down on any echo. If you do not have a closet, find the smallest room you can. A smaller room equals less echo. Once you have a small room, hang baffling to absorb the sound waves. You do not need to spend a ton of money for expensive baffling. I have used packing foam, sleeping bags and folded, corrugated cardboard covered with blankets. Find any soft material to absorb the sound. Improve Your Content To improve your material, you need to review your show. Professional athletes watch game film to improve. Learn to do the same. Listen like a listener. Pick a show from a few weeks ago and listen on the way to work or while you are exercising. Make note of the pieces that jump out at you and those that need work. Do more of the good stuff. Replace the rough parts with more good stuff. You will only truly hear the good and bad when you listen like a listener. Improve Your Show Notes Make your show notes valuable for your fans. Incorporate links listeners can use. Create beneficial links. Sure, link to your own content. Then, link to tools that you use. Link to great articles. Link to helpful resources. Create value. When your listeners benefit from your show notes, they are likely to come back more often. Improve Your Interaction If you want your listeners to interact with the show, make it easy for them. Focus your call-to-action on one thing. When you add more than one, you force your listener to make a decision. Decision making is too much work. Decide what you want your listener to do after listening to this specific episode. Then, add that call-to-action at the end of the show. Your call-to-action can be different for each episode. Even so, only include one per episode. Improve The Value To Your Listener What do you want your listener to gain by listening this week? Have a goal for every episode. How will the listener benefit? When you know this before you begin recording, you can better ensure your listener gains something by listening. The only way to know that you have achieved your goals is to prepare properly. You need to define your goals and listener benefits before you begin recording. This should be part of your show prep. This particular episode of Podcast Talent Coach empowers you with seven ways to improve your podcast. That is how you will benefit. I defined that goal before I began recording. It was part of my prep. Improve Your Consistency Consistency builds trust. When your listener expects your show to be posted every Friday, you need to post every Friday. Listeners are creatures of habit. When your show does not show up, it is just like you have missed an appointment with a client. You are destroying the trust you have built with your fan. To improve consistency, develop a show schedule and stick to it. Know when you will record. Know when you will post. Now, stick to it. Improve Your Engagement Engagement is different than interaction. A listener that cannot turn your show off is engaged. A fan that is providing feedback is interacting. If you want to engage your listener, talk to that person as an individual. When you address your audience as a group, your listener does not feel special. Talk to one person. When you talk to your listener as an individual, she feels special. She feels like you are having a conversation with her. When you address your listeners like a crowd, your fan can get up and leave without feeling guilty. It would be just like walking out during a concert. Nobody is going to notice. No engagement. Here is the checklist: Improve your audio by using a pop filter, a smaller room and baffling. Improve your content by reviewing your show like a listener. Improve your show notes by incorporating links your fans can use. Improve your interaction by using one, focused call-to-action. Improve the value to your listener by defining the benefit before you begin. Improve your consistency by developing a schedule and sticking to it. Improve your engagement by talking to one individual. Pick one of these improvements, and get to work this week. Your podcast improves little by little. The more steps you can take moving forward, the more improvement you will make. Have a great week. Let me know how I can help. I'd love to help you with your podcast. E-mail me any time at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How To Develop A Show Clock – Episode 084 The purpose of a show clock is to provide a consistent framework for your content. By using a framework, you do not need to reinvent the wheel for every show. You simply plug in your great content into the clock. Using a clock and being prepared does not mean you need to be less creative. In fact, it allows you to focus on creativity rather than the length of your episode. You get to design within the framework. You can see examples of a show clock by watching the evening news. A typical newscast may follow of framework of top story, weather headline, general news, full weather, sports, and a kicker story. Late night shows will use something like a monologue, funny skit, benchmark (like letter bag), big guest, second guest, and musical guest. QUESTIONS TO START As you begin to develop your show clock, there are a few questions you need to determine for the layout of the show. What is it that you want to include in each episode of your show? What is the goal of your podcast? Once you are ready to add the content for this particular episode, you will need to answer two more questions. What will the call-to-action be at the end of the show? What is the main idea your listener will take away and remember? EXAMPLE CLOCK Let's look at an example of a show clock. For this example, we will use a 60-minute show. For our sample show, we want to include a show open, intro/tease, latest update on our business happenings, an interview, tip of the week, call-to-action and the show close. 7 items total. The content will not be the same every week. However, the structure will remain constant. The episodes will include different interviews, different news, and different tips. However, our listener will know what to expect from each episode. Now that we have the elements, how do we lay these items into a structure for our show? First, we determine the length of each to fit our hour. Length of each bit should also be consistent. Open – 1 minute Intro/tease – 5 minutes Latest update on our business happenings – 15 minutes An interview – 25 minutes with intro and thank you Tip of the week – 10 minutes Call-to-action – 3 minutes Show close – 1 minute Next, we turn the elements into running time to keep us on track. :00-:01 – Open :01-:06 – Intro/tease :06-:21 – Latest update on our business happenings :21-:46 – An interview :46-:56 – Tip of the week :56-:59 – Call-to-action :59-:60 – Show close When you are recording your show, you can use this layout to keep you on time. CLOCK PITFALLS & EXCEPTIONS You also need to keep an eye on edits and timing. Edits will lengthen the recording that will become shorter once you edit the episode. Therefore, record more than you need. You can always remove audio. Finding additional audio to add to extent your episode to 60 minutes is difficult. If you hope to include a 20-minute interview in the episode, you should record a 30-minute interview. You can then edit it down to the best content for a solid 20-minute piece in the show. There are always exceptions to the rule. You do not need to be exact with times. This show clock is to keep you on track. If your 5 minute segment turns into 7, you will still be ok. You will simply need to shorter your 20 minute bit to 18. It will ebb and flow. Be consistent. If your listener expects a 60 minute show, they will accept 55 minutes. However, 45 will feel short. 1:15 will feel like you are overstaying your welcome. Use the clock to get close. You can also have the occasional special show that breaks format. Just ensure the show is special. If you are going to break your brand promise, you better make sure it is worth it. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

The Real Reason People Listen To Your Podcast - Episode 083 Why do people listen to your podcast? Why would anyone spend the time to listen to your show? Have you ever paused to give that question some consideration? Why do people spend time with audio at any given point in time? THE REASONS There are two primary reasons people listen to audio. Companionship and dreams. It is human nature to desire companionship. People do not want to be alone. Whether they are driving, jogging, biking, mowing or doing something else by themselves, they want to do it with someone else. Audio serves the role of companion. DREAMS The other reason people spend time with podcasts is to dream. People want to live vicariously through your dreams, stories, challenges and successes. They want to enjoy your success without needing to suffer the pain of your failures. Tell stories to help fulfill the desire of your listener to dream. People dream about having a different (and usually better) life. They want to experience those things others are experiencing. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. People crave living the lives of others. Your listeners want to live vicariously through you. They want to experience your success. They wish they had the courage to do the things you have done. Your fans want to be you in some way or another. Voyeurism is a reason many people watch the shows they watch, listen to the stories they hear, or read the books they read. They want to experience the lives of others. MY STORY Architecture was my original career path. It wasn't until three years into my architecture degree that I realized radio was the profession I was designed to pursue. I was able to work in a profession I absolutely love. Now, after 25 years in radio, I have taken the talent coaching facet of radio and turned it into a path helping podcasters create amazing content. That path has now led me to be a speaker at some of the best podcasting conferences in the country. I was a speaker at Podcast Movement 2014. This year, I will give a presentation at New Media Expo in Las Vegas in April. My life is full of amazing events, because I dared to dream and follow my passion. HELP THEM DREAM Your listeners want to dream. Help them. People eavesdrop on the conversations of others for the very same reasons. They can experience the life of others without the risk of failure. Eavesdropping doesn't take the courage that it takes to actually live the life. By telling great stories about your experiences, you help your audience fulfill the desire to live vicariously through you. If your show contains audio of your feats and experiences, you allow your audience to become the voyeurs they desire. When you interview people on your show, you allow your listener to eavesdrop on your conversation. When you simply lecture as the content of your show, you fail to help your listener experience any of those three desires. KNOW, LIKE & TRUST Find new ways to deliver your material to your audience. You will make those important connections that turn into friendships. Those relationships will foster loyalty to your show. Your tribe will follow you wherever you go. That's a powerful thing. Tell stories of self-revelation. See where it takes you. You'll be surprised how many people wish they could be you. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Five Ways To Use Social Media To Drive Engagement – Episode 082 Using social media to drive our businesses is nothing new. However, there are a million different philosophies about how to properly use the platforms. At the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville recently, social media was the topic of quite a few panels, presentations and discussions. I gathered some facts and quite a few tips and tricks for you to use. There is quite the difference between Facebook and Twitter. Many see the two platforms as similar and equally important. That could not be further from the truth. 83% of people use Facebook everyday. 17% use Pinterest. 12% use Instagram and only 8% use Twitter on a daily basis. Facebook is personal. The platform is used to connect with family and friends to share life. This is often the first thing people do when they wake up in the morning. Twitter is interesting, real time communication. The platform allows you to interact with others. Twitter is a discussion when used effectively. Facebook and Twitter should be used differently. Content lives and is relevant longer on Facebook. Twitter is the here and now. Here are five ways to use social media more effectively to drive your podcast engagement. ACKNOWLEDGE To create community and engagement using social media, make those that follow you feel interesting. Retweet their content. Acknowledge them. Get involved in the discussion. STOP YELLING Use social media like you are a fan instead of a marketer yelling at people. Get excited about the things that get your fans excited. Use the 90/10 rule. 90% of your content should be entertaining and helpful. Only 10% of your posts should be selling anything. BE PURPOSEFUL Keep three goals in mind when you are using social media to engage your tribe. Seek to either inform, entertain or appreciate. “Hey, buy my book” is none of the above. You can promote your book while accomplishing one of the three goals. You simply need to be creative. Most people unfollow someone because of uninteresting content. STIR EMOTION Stirring emotion within your tribe will get them excited. Play to their heart instead of their head. Use positive feelings most of the time. Stir a mix of motions, but always bring it back to a positive, happy ending or hope. Finally, surprise your tribe. YOU ARE ON CAMERA Video is really driving engagement on social media. Figure out how to incorporate a little of that into your strategy. Inform, entertain or acknowledge using video once in awhile. Make personal connections and interactions to drive your engagement. Social media is a great way to accomplish those connections. The Country Radio Seminar taught me so much. It is also an amazing way to meet new people and make connections. You can do the same. Join me at New Media Expo April 13-16 in Las Vegas. I would love to see you when I present my session on powerful storytelling. Learn how to use stories to create that engagement and powerful call to action. Meet a ton of new people to help you move your business forward. Use my affiliate link and promo code to save $100 on your registration here. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

Create Results Without A Big List – Episode 081 This week I am at the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, Tennessee. It has been an amazing week so far. I am learning so much about audience engagement and am looking forward to sharing it with you in the coming weeks. A few years ago, I saw an amazing presentation that debunked the 80/20 principle. The 80/20 principle proposes that 80% of your results is created by 20% of your efforts. This could be 80% of sales from 20% of customers. It could also be 80% of success attributed to 20% of efforts. This particular session focused on a study done in 2008 by Catalina Marketing that found that 80% of your results are driven by 2.5% of your efforts. Specifically, it found that 80% of sales at large companies like Coca Cola are driven by 2.5% of their customers. You can find the entire study here. The study really proved that consumers no longer strive to be part of the crowd, but rather seek products that reflect their personal preferences, needs and lifestyle choices. Examples of companies that have built successful business models that appeal to the “me” consumer include Starbucks®, Apple®, Facebook® and Dell™. This theory is perfect for podcasting. We can truly niche down and focus on the 2.5%. We can move the needle with a group of super fans much smaller than we once thought. What are you doing to reach the 2.5%? Your podcast is a great vehicle to do just that. Let's find the content to move your 2.5%. EMOTIONAL CONNECTION Develop your brand by developing an emotional connection. Stories will help you create that connection by revealing things about yourself. Hype will not sustain a brand. You need to be true to who you are. A brand is a promise. You must deliver on that promise every time. A brand is a collection of perceptions. You must deliver those perceptions consistently. Speak the language of your audience when you deliver on your promise and your perceptions. USE YOUR ASSETS Use your podcast and other digital assets to drive your 2.5% to your website with a powerful call to action. Make sure you convert the visits with a very specific call to action every time. In order to create a powerful call to action, create your plan. What is the goal of your show? Use your goal to create content that helps your audience. Create fans with your great content. Then, move them with your call to action. You do not need a huge audience. You only need a very passionate few percent. What are you doing to motivate your 2.5%? The Country Radio Seminar is teaching me so much. It is also an amazing way to meet new people. You can do the same. Join me at New Media Expo April 13-16 in Las Vegas. I would love to see you when I present my session on powerful storytelling. Learn how to use stories to create that engagement and powerful call to action. Meet a ton of new people to help you move your business forward. Use my affiliate link and promo code to save $100 on your registration here. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

6 Ways To Score The Big Interview - Episode 080 Many podcasters conduct interviews as part of their show. If you fit that category, and you are like most of us, you probably struggle to convince those top shelf names to make an appearance on your show. What is the trick? How do you land that big guest for your podcast? Let's face it. Asking a busy, successful entrepreneur to give up an hour of their time to give you an interview is a tough ask. Their time is money. How can your podcast be more valuable than their other options? Here are six useful tips to help land those big names. FIND THE INTRODUCTION Find people that know your prospect. See if they will introduce you. Just the other day, a radio colleague came to me seeking an interview with Taylor Swift. I have interviewed her a couple times. He knew I was able to make an introduction for him. Use the same process to help yourself. THE GATEKEEPER'S FRIEND There are times when big names have people that run their schedule. This could be a personal assistant. It might be a booking agent. You need to make friends with these people. In the music business, I always go through the record label. I need to create a strong relationship with that person in order to be at the top of the list when interview opportunities come about. WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? To score a guest interview for your podcast, you need to begin by explaining how the interview will benefit your prospective guest. The fact that your audience will love it has no bearing. It really doesn't matter to your guest if your show or your audience will benefit from the guest's appearance. When your guest makes the decision whether to appear on your show, they will only consider how the appearance will benefit them personally. We were able to help a very sick young girl meet Taylor Swift … from her hospital bed. Lolo was a young 11-year-old girl. Her wish was to see Taylor Swift in concert. She was getting tickets for Christmas. However, when Taylor came to town, Lolo was in the hospital fighting for her life. She was in Children's Hospital fighting leukemia. I passed along Lolo's wish to Taylor's record label. It wasn't only the story that got Taylor. I know she loves giving back in very special ways. The Taylor Swift tour was coming through town for two days. I knew there would be some down time the day of the second show. I made it as easy as possible for Taylor to make Lolo's dreams come true. That is exactly what happened. You can see the story HERE. What is in it for your guest? Make it easy. SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'VE GOT Provide your prospects some examples of your great work. If you have endorsements, share those as well. SIZE ISN'T THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS Many podcast hosts use their audience size to lure guests. If you have a reasonable audience size, surely use it to your advantage. However, don't stop there. You may be overlooking many other ways you could benefit your guest. You could offer to give your guest exposure on your website. You may have visitors to your site that do not listen to the show. Promote your guest on the site with a link to their content. This will be an additional benefit. Mention your guest and interview in your blog. Again, your guest will be reaching additional audience. You are helping them spread their message beyond your podcast. Offer to promote the interview and your guest's information to your mailing list. You may have many people that receive your newsletter who may never listen to your podcast. By including a link to your guests website in your mailing, your guest will reach additional people. Take credit for that. Your audience for any one of these avenues may be small. However, when you combine the benefit of each distribution method, your proposal for the interview will be more appealing to your guest. Use every audience you have to your advantage. DON'T TRIP OVER THE NAMES YOU DROP Play to your guest's ego by dropping a few names. If you have had other notable guests on your show in the past, let your guest know. Tell your prospective guest they will be among good company. They will feel more comfortable saying yes to your request. If you conduct interviews as part of your podcast, use these six steps to land the bigger names. It will not happen overnight. However, consistent fishing with this better bait will surely land you some larger fish. I'm speaking at NMX 2015. Save $100 on your registration with coupon code Ejohnson20 when you use my affilate link HERE. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

How To Turn Overwhelm Into Focused Power – Episode 079 This week, I received an e-mail from Cynthia Davis from CynthiaDavis.net and her podcast “Home Front”. She is finding herself overwhelmed by everything she hopes to accomplish with her podcast. In this episode, I offer a few suggestions to defeat that overwhelming feeling and find focus in her work. Here is the e-mail ... I am still struggling on the bottom rung of the ladder and have no idea how to implement everything you suggest without having staff to help with this effort. It's my own fault because I could spend more time on this than I do, but I am at my maximum capacity with all the other responsibilities I have to juggle. I have been doing the podcast for over two years, but it's not growing. In fact, the e-mail list I have used to make people aware of a new podcast coming out has been shrinking. I wish my show would grow organically and that my super-fans would promote it, but that's simply not happening. The only conclusion I can come to is that the world doesn't like my message. I am overwhelmed. I am about to record my 100th episode and I believe the content is as good as I can make it, but if no one wants our message, what can we do? -Cynthia Overwhelm is natural. I think we all face it at some point in time. We all want to accomplish so much, yet we have limited time in the week. Let's find those tasks that will really move the needle and make a difference for us. Here are Cynthia's primary questions with six steps to turn the overwhelm into focused power. SO MUCH TO DO no idea how to implement everything you suggest -Don't feel like you need to do it all. Focus on one or two things that will move the needle. FINDING TIME I could spend more time on this than I do -Spend your time wisely. Instead of two hours on one day, make it 30 minutes each night before you go to bed. NO GROWTH I have been doing the podcast for over two years, but it's not growing -Find two or three ways to grow your podcast that utilize tasks you already do or enjoy. If you're on social media, make that part of your growth plan. SHRINKING LIST the e-mail list I have used to make people aware of a new podcast coming out has been shrinking -Be consistent in your e-mail. Send it on a regular basis. Make content that is anticipated. Add content that helps people solve their problems. Be giving. NO ORGANIC GROWTH I wish my show would grow organically and that my super-fans would promote it -Give fans a reason to share it. Make your content sharable. Lists, tips, recipes, photos, jokes, and recommendations are all sharable. NOBODY LIKES ME The only conclusion I can come to is that the world doesn't like my message -Find the people that want your message. Do outreach. Find the communities where your kin congregate. Get involved. Follow these six steps and you are sure to find more focus in your work. These tips will help you decrease the overwhelming feeling in your life. You can find the area that move the needle and truly work smarter rather than harder. I'm speaking at New Media Expo 2015. You can save $100 on your registration. Use the coupon code EJohnson20. Find details by clicking HERE. I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.

52 Tips To Attract Podcast Traffic Here are 52 ways to engage your audience, attract them to visit your website and draw them to your podcast. When you shine the spotlight on your listener, they will tell others about it. When engagement is easy for your listener with a clear benefit, traffic and engagement will increase. Get all 52 ideas here: www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/traffic.html Network with shows in the same genre. Help people meet. Create community. Use the phrase, “Next time you'll hear ...” Get interviewed on other shows. Make your artwork standout. Write great show notes that your audience can use with links. Create business cards that promote the show instead of your phone number. Create a contest and give something away on our show. Leave feed back for other shows. Get all 52 ideas here: www.PodcastTalentCoach.com/traffic.html I'd love to help you with your podcast. Post any questions or comments you might have, or e-mail me at Coach@PodcastTalentCoach.com. You can find my podcast and other tools to help you create great content at www.PodcastTalentCoach.com. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment. Let's turn your information into engaging entertainment.