Content Creation Series ~ Creating Podcasts
Jan 29
Listen up those of you who don’t like to write… today’s another content creation day for you. We’re going to talk about creating podcasts. Now don’t freak out… this doesn’t have to be complicated or hard and if you like to talk it can be super fun!
What is a podcast?
Quite simply it’s an audio file (usually mp3 format) available for people to listen to and download from your (or another) site.
Basically that means you’re talking and you let others listen and download the conversation.
Creating a regular podcast for this site is one of my goals this year so I’ve been doing a little research and a little brainstorming in this area and there are a lot of options and choices and you’ll have to make some decisions.
1. Is audio right for your site and the purpose of your site?
2. What platform or tools will you use for your podcast?
When should you add a podcast?
Podcasting is a fantastic way to build more traffic as well as build your name recognition and your expertise in any area. So… if you are building squidoo lenses, or mini niche sites you probably don’t need or want to start a podcast. If you are doing a larger site and are enjoying your niche and think you might like to take your site to the next level podcasting is something to be considered.
If you’re considering a podcast ask yourself a few questions:
1. Do I want to become THE resource for this topic on the web?
2. Am I ready to commit to a regular podcasting schedule?
3. Am I ready to get more traffic?
These questions are the key to creating a great podcast and moving your blog to the next level. If you’ve answered yes to these questions I’d say you’re ready to start podcasting.
Let’s look at the options.
Voice recording
Blog Talk Radio
Podcasting can be really simple ~ and yes, I totally get that it can be overwhelming (do you see a podcast on this website yet?? 
)
Audacity and a microphone
Let’s start really simple. If you just want to talk to your audience you can get a microphone and then download the free software called audacity. It will allow you to record your voice right into your computer. From there audacity allows you to edit the audio file. You can take out the “uuummms”, you can add music at the beginning and end, you can get as fancy with it as you want.
Conference Call
If you want to have a conversation with other people you can use a conference line (I use freeconferencecall.com). There is also an entire service created for this type of podcast called audio acrobat ~ it helps with the logistics the process, but it will cost you $20 a month. You can also use skype for this. If you choose a conference line make sure you choose one that has the ability to record your call (freeconferencecall.com does). Both of you call in to the number given, start recording and then have your conversation. You then download the recording to your computer. At this point you can also use audacity to edit your recording or add intro music. If you use skype I believe you’ll have to grab another piece of software to record your skype conversation. I haven’t much looked into that method.
Your own online radio show
If you’d like to make it really easy on yourself and create a serious brand for you and your site you can start a radio show of your own over at Blog Talk Radio (definitely NOT the only platform, but most widely known). BTR will give you your own channel. When you want to do your podcast you just schedule a show, then you call in to radio channel phone number. People can call in (or not), talk to you live (or not). Your shows will be kept on your BTR channel, and you can grab a widget to put your shows on your website. You can also download the show and do some editing to it if you choose. Blog Talk Radio is a free service, and I’m sure there’s a way to upgrade, but it gives you a LOT to work with and a great way to build your brand.
What do I get out of all this?
Podcasting is definitely more work than just typing out a post, which is why 99% of bloggers don’t do it. So the first thing you get out of podcasting is noticed. Since most people can’t be bothered to take advantage of this type of content people will notice that you did, and that will say something to them.
When your podcasts are done you can also upload them to Itunes. Have you heard of Itunes? Yeah, like the biggest music site around right? Well your podcast can be right in there with everyone else. When someone searches for something related to your topic they may find you. Can you imagine how many people will have access to your podcast via Itunes? That reason alone is enough to get started for me!
Once you’ve set yourself up on itunes people can subscribe to your podcast and they’ll get every new podcast you do sent directly to their computer or ipod ~ now that’s nice.
You can use interviews or podcasts as bonuses which is always great.
You can take podcasts and have them transcribed and give that away or use it as a bonus, or as a way to get people to sign up to your newsletter/list.
Podcasting is hugely beneficial, but you have to get started and I myself realize that is a BIG hump!
What kind of podcast should you do?
That’s where I’m at right now. I’m personally leaning toward setting up over at Blog Talk Radio, but when it comes down to content how do you decide what to talk about?
Couple stumbling blocks I’ve encountered.
1. Don’t think it has to be an hour long. A ten minute podcast outlining a great tip or trick is more than fine.
2. You can do more than one thing. Yes, you can do an hour long interview, but also do shorter 10 minute podcasts as well.
3. If you don’t make a decision and start you never will. (oh that one was for my benefit lol)
Since I’m still stuck on the whole “content” piece of this puzzle myself I thought I’d list out some of the general content ideas I’ve come up with and then let’s brainstorm some more things and help each other out.
tips
tricks
interviews
Q and A
Coaching call ~ where people call in and you walk them through whatever problem they’re having (this could work for any topic!)
Book reviews
That’s all I got right now. 
Ok…
Let’s work together on this part. I’d love to know three things:
1. What kind of podcast topics you’d like to see on this site.
2. What other topics you can think of to build out that list up there a little bit
3. Whether YOU will be doing a podcast! (Please let me know if you are I can’t wait to listen)
Let’s talk about it in the comments ~ if we need more room we can take specific conversations about YOUR podcast to the fanpage.
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yes you should be able to do that ~ if you’re going to do a slideshow or picture type video ~ you can just upload whatever audio you want (that’s stored on your computer) to play over the video itself.
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Jackie, I’m so clueless about all this. I’ve read your post on video and think I’ll manage except for the sound. Can I use the software you have written about here to record and then play it over the video?
You’ll be surprised at how little I know, so sorry for all the questions!
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I have a feeling it may have been part of my “down time” today. Apparently I was using too much of the server resources ~ I have a feeling the audio on this site may have been what was eating up the resources. ?? So I took it down for now.
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Ahhh… I see. Thanks for answering!
Thanks!
Cindy
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Jackie,
I noticed you no longer have the Odiogo listen now button on your site… may I ask why?
Thanks!
Cindy
Follow me @casurette on Twitter!
Hi Jackie – great to catch up at another spot in the social networking ether. I was not sure whether or not I was intruding. Love the blog – clear, helpful and encouraging advice – love the openness.
Just done my first official AudioBoo podcast (on my iPhone) about the new email blogging and social bookmarking site Posterous.com:
http://boo.fm/b94740
By the way, you can create a podcast directly from the AudioBoo site as well as by iPhone! So all your readers who do not have an iPhone can still use this program.
Posterous.com is a great way to market your podcasts, blog posts, Squidoo lenses, videos, etc – it has a great screen capture (bookmarklet) facility that will turn the capture into a blog post immediately for you. It’s a fantastic way to leverage your social marketing.
I have noticed that my Posterous blog posts are ranking high on Google (probably because they incorporate video, images, text and hyperlinks to multiple sites). Posterous has a PR 7 ranking and is ranked 512 in the US on Alexa.
Here’s my Posterous blog (created mainly from my toolbar bookmarklet) by way of example:
http://ronpass.posterous.com
P.S. I’ll Digg your original post, Jackie – warm regards, keep up the great work.
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well there’s a listen button on every post now.
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I think tutorials by podcast would be an awesome idea. No more having to switch between two windows while working on something; just listen and DO!
Like it?
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Jackie, I love this little twitter plugin you’re using – that lets us add our twitter username to the comments. What’s it called? I would love to use it on my blog too.
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Donna it’s a wp plugin called “twitter links comments”
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Erica ~ let’s mosey over to the fanpage and hash it out.
hopefully that link takes you to the discussion ~ facebook. *sigh*
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You know, we transcribe podcasts and interviews all day long. We write ebooks from them all the time but I have never recorded my own podcast. I have all the recording equipment. You would think I would have the perfect slate to create my own info products. Yet finding a topic that I think would be interesting to someone else is painful for me.
I really enjoyed your post. I’d love to keep walking through this with you.
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Just been playing around this morning with the AudiBoo application for the iPhone.
It’s free. it’s super easy and lets you broadcast your 5 minute podcast from the AudioBoo site.
Steps:
1. sign up at:
AudioBoo
2. download the free AudioBoo application from the Apple Store on your iPhone (use search)
3. touch the AudioBoo button and then touch “record” (start interviewing someone on the spot or make a comment on something)
4. touch “publish” and describe your Boo (podcast), add tags and add a picture/photo (if you have one on your phone)*
5. touch “save and upload” – uploads to your AudiBoo.fm account
6. when your Boo (podcast) is available (after a few minutes), you can go to AudioBoo and send the podcast to Twitter (and get the embed code to embed it on your website). [you can even edit the podcast before you upload]
* Take a photo with your iPhone before you start the interview and then you can upload it with your interview podcast (Boo)
How easy is that to create content (in the corridor or around the coffee table)? So we will not only be tweeting but also Boo-ing!
P.S. make sure your iPhone is updated (via iTunes) with iPhone 3.0 or later (otherwise the app won’t work).
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AudioBoo sounds quite interesting. Thanks for writing such a detailed comment of how it works Ron, I went to their site first and it’s a bit lacking in the ‘how it works’ department
Looks like they have sussed out the technology and will polish up the site itself when they get a chance. That’s not a bad way to do it. But I’m glad you took the time to explain how it works, because it’s a great idea! I could see myself using my iPod Touch (with microphone to turn the audio feature on, of course) to record spur of the moment podcasts more often than sitting down at my computer to do it.
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hmm, just tried to sign up to the audioboo site and it rejected my request (under 2 different email addresses) for ‘security reasons’. bummer
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Ron ~ hey great to see you here!! I have never heard of Audioboo and I’m not sure how I missed your comment. That sounds very interesting. I’ll have to check it out.
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Jackie,
Yes, my reading settings are correct. Something is overriding it, just can’t figure out what. Could be the theme or possibly a plugin. I use WordPressDirect so it could be something in there as well. I’ve got a new theme I want to try so that will be the first thing I check.
- Jean
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Jean ~ have you gone in your settings and checked the reading settings? (I’m pretty sure that’s the right one) you will have the option for full feed or excerpt feed or something similar ~ if you want the full feed just check that box.
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Jackie,
I didn’t notice you had added the ‘listen now’ button to this post until you mentioned it! I did listen to it but I noticed that Odiogo has a few of the same problems that my voice synthesizer has in pronouncing some words like content, Squidoo, podcast and iTunes. All in all. I think it is a great way for me to add a podcast to my own blog!
Thanks!
Cindy
Follow me @casurette on Twitter!
Not sure if you’ve noticed but I have added the odiogo to this site. It is fantastic! You just upload the plugin and it automagically turns your posts into words. So Cindy that might be a great way to create a podcast for yourself ~ just write out your posts and let odiogo do the work.
I’m working right now on publishing this podcast feed to itunes ~ we’ll see how it goes!
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Jackie,
I don’t think I’ll be doing any podcasts myself because my disability won’t allow me to, but you have sparked an idea in my brain… I could always hire it out!
I also checked out the Odiogo site… that’s something I could take advantage of! I listened to the demo and it sounds an awfully lot like my very own speech synthesizer that I use to communicate with daily! So, maybe I could do my own version of an Odiogo podcast. Just a thought!
Thanks!
Cindy
Follow me @casurette on Twitter!
I totally get where you’re coming from Elsie ~ I am quite the same way. I never really listened to podcasts much until I started riding my bike.
Now I love podcasts. I got a free mp3 player (thanks to Russell Brunson) and I download podcasts and listen while I’m riding my bike. Just remember there are gajillions of people who listen to ipods ALL the time ~ whether you do it or not, remember they do and you want to be able to spread you message as far and wide in different formats as possible to allow as many people as possible access to your content.
I’m not sure about the recording ~ you could have them come over and you could all talk into your computer mic and record it with audacity. I’ll look around and see what I can find. If you could find a digital recorder you can just put those directly into your computer as well.
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Although I can see how you can benefit from podcasts in terms of traffic, personally for me it kind of falls into the same category as watching a video… you have to watch (and listen to ) a video, listen to a podcast… so you have to pay attention not to miss anything… and in the process time goes by that you could use to write a post, submit an article, promote your site, etc. etc. (but that is only my opinion)
I don’t mind watching a video that is anything from 8-12 minutes long.. or listen to a short podcast… anything past that, I lose concentration.
I appreciate it when a blog/site owner puts up a video or podcast with a transcript so I can download it and read it when I am not pressed for time.
I fooled myself when I started out in Internet Marketing by bookmarking/saving links and even downloading podcasts (sometimes huge files) to listen to at a later stage, however, once these things are tucked away somewhere on your hard drive, believe me, you rarely go back to listen to it, even when you have noted it down on paper… (I am talking about myself here, this may not be the case for people following your lessons.)
And as always, Jackie, you provide so much information about this, I might just try it. I was actually talking to a young lady (2 kids, ages 4 & 2) about interviewing her about about things pertaining to my niche… she thought it was a great idea…(and in my small town, these young mums with toddlers can be found on every corner). She also promised to contact other young mothers who would be interested to share their ideas.
This leads me to another question, maybe not on topic for this post… say for instance I can do these interviews with the idea of turning it into podcasts, obviously I would need a “normal” tape recorder if I want to do it live… so any ideas on software one can use to convert the recording/tape to a podcast?
Lastly, I must admit the reason for my aversion to podcasts… I hate to listen to a recording of my voice…LOL
Great information as always, Jackie!
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Hey Jean ~
Now that is wicked cool. I’ve never heard of it before. I’m going to play around with it a bit and see what I think. I think it will be a fun add on piece, but I’ll probably have a podcast in my voice as well. BUT what a great way to spread your blog posts around!!
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Jackie,
Great post as always. There’s a website called Odiogo that takes your blog posts and turns them into podcasts, for free. This is a great way to get your feet wet with podcasting and drive some traffic without really having to commit. The link is: http://www.odiogo.com/
If you check it out, let me know what you think. I’ve tried it but I’m having an issue getting the full text in my RSS feed. Not sure what this issue is but what it did create was pretty cool and I’ll be very happy once I can get the full text, instead of the summary.
Thanks,
Jean
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I would like to see more on developing better Lenses, I go to yours for better ideas, and driving traffic to your sites, and then turning that traffic into CTR.
I do not think I will be using Pod casts. I communicate more effectively in writing.
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