Today I am looking at the mental skills that you use in podcasting. I takes focus, dedication, patience, and passion. I discuss how losing focus can steal you passion, and destroy your attitude.

Because of Podcasting… I got a Job [1:30]

I spoke about this on the Power of Podcasting podcast (which is no “podfaded” with those stories now being told here). I was up for a job at a local Cleveland University, and when I mentioned that I was a podcaster it gave me an edge over the other candidates. I explained how we could create a podcast for the college spotlighting news on the University, as well as tips on being a better student. They loved the idea. I got hired, but sadly they never implemented the idea (and moved me into admissions – so I found a new job),

What’s Coming Future Episodes[4:09]

I will be reviewing the Seismic audio mixers, and I will be interviewing people who started podcasting in 2004. Stay tuned!

Dealing with Your Podcast “Competition”

In the latest episode of Podcast Answer Man Cliff Ravenscraft (someone I consider a friend) explains how he is making six figures as a podcast consulting. Cliff is my friend, but obviously we are both compete for students looking how to podcast. For the record so are Daniel J Lewis, Ray Ortega, and many other podcasters who podcast about podcasting.

When someone has success you can either rejoice or get down as your ego flies out of control. You might feel angry, hurt, rejected, sad, etc. You’re self esteem might take a hit. You might fall into one of those “Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, I’ll just go eat worms” moods. You get down. So we focused on our negative emotions, and I then ask you a very important question

How do your negative emotions help you create a better podcast?

(answer: they don’t)

Obsessing on your competition does not help you create a better podcast.

What Helps You Grow Your Podcast Audience? [9:32]

1. “Driveway Content” – Content that is so awesome that when you audience who is traveling home listening to you in the car will sit in the driveway to hear the end of the podcast rather then go in and be with their family.

2. The Best Audio Quality (or video) you can afford. As I write this my favorite microphone is the Audio Technica 2100

3. A consistent schedule (it shows you are reliable – which leads to people relying on your show).

A Negative Attitude:

1. Steels your focus. You are not looking for “driveway” content”. You are obsessed on your stats, etc.

2. Steels your passion

3. Doesn’t grow your audience.

Your Competition Might Have Different Goals

You may be trying to do what your competition is doing, but you don’t know where they want to go? Your goals may not be going where you want to go? So if you do what they do, you may not end up where you want to be.

A Common Ingredient I Noticed in Full Time Podcasters

Cliff Ravenscraft, Jaime Tardy, Jason Van Orden, and John Lee Dumas had little to no debt when they made the switch to doing podcasting full time. With this in mind, comparing yourself to your fellow podcasters may not be fair as they have different circumstances. They may have the ability to work more hours. They may live in a location where they have access to resources. You may be comparing yourself to a situation that is NOTHING like yours.

You with this in mind, its not a bad idea to listen to your competition. You can “check in” with them. Don’t obsess on them. Instead obsess on making good content.

The Positive Approach of Handling Your Podcast Competition

When you hear someone who is not you having success in podcasting rejoice. If they can do it, then you can do it. Maybe not as quickly in some cases (because of circumstances, because of content), but you have as much of a chance as they do.

When I hear about Adam Corrolla, Cliff Ravenscraft, Jay Mohr, etc, I think of them like Roger Banister who the first person who broke the four minute mile. Fired from Radio, Adam could have quit and taken on a negative attitude. He instead took to podcasting and is not the most downloaded podcast.  The four minute mile had stood for a very long time and people thought that it was just not achievable. Roger thought different. His training methods were “unorthodox” but in the end he broke the record. The record that had stood for so long was broken again 46 days later. Why? Because of people’s attitudes. They saw it was possible.

Instead of looking at your competitions success with envy, look at their success with hope. Know that you have access to the world. Let their success revive your passion, your focus, and your dedication to creating great content.

Please note, I play a few seconds of a Beatles song in this episode. Do not take this as a statement saying it is OK to play “mainstream” music on your podcast. What I did in this episode is not legal. I’m just praying Sir Paul has enough money.

Web Hosting Companies Using Random Verification [32:15]

If you use Host Gator or Blue Host in the future, you may be asked to scan your driver’s license and/or you credit card (minus some of the numbers) . I find this a bit much (not everyone has a scanner). Just so you know you can verify your account over the phone. They are doing this to slow down people using credit card in a fraudulent way.

 

Farmers and Hunter Podcasters [41:15]

Hunters go out, and if their circumstances are favorable they find their animal and they kill it. They get a large payoff immediately. Farmers go through a process that requires more patience but has a larger payoff. Your podcast plants a seed in the minds of your audience.

There is “hunting” in podcasting. You hunt interview guests. These people often provide big spikes in numbers (quick benefits) that then plant seeds in your podcast audience.

Insights Into Selling Your Podcast’s Back Catalog[47:30]

We often think about making our back episodes a “premium” area. Your audience can pay a small (large?) fee to gain access to this information. Some podcasters thinks “If I could get 50% off my audience to pay $10 a month that would be AWESOME.” The bad news is you’re going to get 50, 40, 30, or even 20%. A really good percentage of people that will follow you into a premium model is 10%. That is a REALLY good number.

There is no “one size fits all.” Rob Walch from Wizzard Media / Libsyn said that if you give bonus content you will have more subscribers, and also the more nice you are seems to help. An average is around 1 to 3% (which is what the people I spoke with years ago about this subject were getting).

 

In This Show

Podcasters Roundtable

Jay Mohr – More Stories

Planning Your Podcast at udemy