Joe Pardo joins us for a fireside chat on this episode of Rhodes to Success. We talk about video content, podcasting and the iTunes algorithm, how to rock the podcast from both sides of the mic, and The Parenting Rhodes podcast.

Key Lessons Learned:

Video

• Not everyone listens to podcasts. (Even people who love to podcast!)
• The tips and topics are the ones most obvious to you but not everyone knows. 

iTunes

• The search algorithm within iTunes isn’t the best, even for basic keywords that are exact matches.
• Ensure you fix your descriptions, and work on your episode titles.

Rock the Podcast from Both Sides of the Mic

Getting Booked as a Guest Expert

• Getting booked on podcasts is so popular, as it is easier for people to get into podcasting by starting out as a guest.
• Being a guest means there is a smaller barrier to entry and you don’t have to worry about recording, editing, producing, or launching. 
• Learn how to write a pitch that is good and that podcasters will actually read and like.

Rocking Your Show as a Host

• Have a good interview that the guest actually wants to share. If you aren’t a good interviewer, they won’t share.
• If your guest is on multiple shows per week, yours might not make it into their promotion.
• Big celebrity guests are mindful and strategic in what they put out to their community.
• Guests are not going to email their list about an interview on another podcast.
• Having guests on your show is not the key to growing a large audience. Listeners are there for you, not the guest. 

Online Presence

• Whether you are a guest or a host, your online presence is crucial.
• Having an amateur headshot has kept people from being booked as a guest.

Why Podcasting?

• Marketing strategy.
• Way to get your voice ‘out there.’
• Connect with people.

Resources:

The Parenting Rhodes

The Mid Atlantic Podcast Conference 

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic

When it comes to podcasting a lot of people wonder if people are listening and if it’s worth their time. This episode of Rhodes to Success we discuss what really matters when it comes to audience size, what’s the truth behind audience stats, how to get your ducks in row, and what it means to be a great guest.

Key Lessons Learned:

Who Is Listening to Podcasts

• Even though 60% of Americans listen to podcasts, this doesn’t matter.
• What matters is how many people are actually listening to the podcast you might appear on.
• Not a lot of people are listening to the podcast you will realistically be interviewed on as a guest expert. This isn’t a bad thing!

The Real Audience Stats

• If you publish a podcast episode and a week later you have 150-170 downloads you have more listeners than more than 50% of the podcasts on iTunes.
• Download stats are not public so you never truly know what audience size a podcast has.

Niche Audiences

• The audiences and listeners you speak to are incredibly targeted and niche.
• Focus on whether or not the content is relevant and if the target audience of the podcast your target audience as well.

Get Your Ducks in a Row

• If you want to see results you have to have all the pieces lined up before you do your podcast interview. 
• Ensure your content is relevant to the audience.
• Have a call to action that motivates listeners to go to your website.
• The website needs to be good enough so when people go there they hang out and stay connected.

Being a Great Guest

• Don’t be concerned with ‘what’ instead look at the ‘who’.
• Focus on relationships with the host before, during and after the interview.
• Over-deliver on value and make the host look good.
• Tailor your answers to the audience.
• Podcasting is a great way to have a conversation with a potential client whether that be the host or the audience.
• Enact the ‘serve first’ strategy.

Resources:

Text ‘Rock’ to 72000 to register for webinar

It’s Time to Sell

Libysn

Podcast Producers

Dream Biz Academy

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The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic

Are you a guest who wants to find shows that are in your target market? This episode of Rhodes to Success we discuss podcast discoverability. We teach you the basics of your show being searchable iTunes and discuss why you should have good artwork, an appropriate podcast title, solid episode descriptions. During the show we also cover why you should dive right into the content and have solid sound quality but not obsess over having an amazing microphone.

Key Lessons Learned:

iTunes Store

• Go to the iTunes store and search your keywords e.g “living on a boat.”
• Start with a broad category and shop through all the shows and sort from there.

Categories

• There are about 15 different categories of podcasts.
• Within each category there are sub categories. E.g the arts category has 6 sub-categories.

Sub Collections

• These are in the sub-categories iTunes:    
• New and Noteworthy
• What’s Hot
• Top Podcasts
• Top Episodes
• All Podcasts 

Podcast Artwork

• When you are thinking about a new listener finding your show you must consider the artwork.
• The artwork needs to grab the attention of the ideal listener and be relatively descriptive of what the show is about.
• If a brand new listener finds it they need to know exactly what they are going to get.

Podcast Title

• The title of the show and overall presence on iTunes needs to be attractive to the audience.

Show Description

• Don’t just stuff the description full of keywords and try to game the iTunes search system.
• If a potential listener found your podcast and read the description would it tell them the following:
• What the show is about.
• The goal of the podcast   
• Who is listening (the target audience and ideal listener)

List of Episodes

• Episode titles are key and need to describe what the podcast is about.
• The tile needs to be relatively descriptive about what the person would get out of listening to that episode.
• If the title is the name of the guest that works for big celebrities but not much else.
• There are differing opinions on whether or not to include the episode number in the title.
• There is a limited space in iTunes for the episode title

Once A Podcast is Found

• You have 3 minutes to get the audiences interest.
• It often takes podcasters way to long to get to the point of their podcast episode so people click stop and never go back to the episode or show.
• When you open the show and only speak to veteran listeners you isolate the audience members who are brand new.

Content

• Focus on valuable entertaining content your audience will care about.

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic 

Podcasters are being pitched by potential guests more than ever before! Some podcasters love it and a lot of podcasters hate it. If you want to be booked as a guest, you need to know how to pitch a podcaster the right way. In this episode, I'll teach you the 5 skills I learned going door to door for a non profit, and how you can apply those skills to pitching podcasters

Are podcasters reporters, journalists, entertainers, or teachers? On this episode of Rhodes to Success, we investigate just that and discuss how to make your podcast compelling and worth sharing.

Key Lessons Learned:

Get More Subscribers

• Brilliant copywriting starts with a question.
• People want actionable content but also want to be entertained.
• What story arc can you produce to get listeners to subscribe.

Shareability

• You need a podcast that is worth sharing.
• It needs to be intriguing and entertaining so people can’t wait to share it.
• When you view yourself as not just a podcaster but as a reporter, entertainer, or journalist, your show becomes better.

Get Inspired

• Listen to the procasters, not just as a fan but as a student.
• Listen to what is created when there is a huge production team behind it.
• Get ideas of what to do with your show and what to avoid.

How to Make Your Podcast Compelling and Worth Sharing

1. Add Depth to Your Show

• Use audio clips, music, conversations, and listener voicemails.
• Ensure you have rights to use the music you’ve chosen.
• Use your iPhone voice memo app to get listener feedback on the go.

2. Record Audio In-Person

• Lots of podcasts are recorded either solo or via Skype. However, in-person interviews can offer a lot more chemistry.

3. Record Out in ‘The Wild’

• Sometimes having background noise is cool and adds depth to the show.
• Ensure you describe your surroundings when you are recording on location. 

4. Get Vulnerable

• Get real and share personal things about your life.
• Don’t try to be perfect.
• People will feel as though they are more connected with you and really know you on a personal level.
• Your podcast is a safe space where your listeners love you and genuinely want to get to know you.

5. Be a Teacher

• If you have an interview show and are interviewing guest experts, try a solo episode and monitor the engagement.

6. Epic Rants and Monologues

• When you get on your soapbox and have an epic rant, it brings a loud voice to a topic that people are thinking about but not talking about.

Resources Mentioned:

• RED Podcast (David Hooper)
• The Parenting Rhodes
• She Podcasts – Ep #105 Letting People Down and Giving People Cash Biz Chix – Ep #226 Business and Babies
• School of Podcasting – Are Review Swaps Hurting Podcasting?

Subscribe to the show in iTunes or Stitcher Radio!

The music in today's episode was written by The Danger Os and produced by Nick Palmer. Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/thedangerosmakemusic