Create A Podcast
Yesterday's post about the great success of my coaching client Mark Stowers, has prompted lots of emails around a particular topic:
Does Podcasting Really Work? and if so...
How Do I Make A Podcast
Answer: Yes! ...and.... I'll tell you exactly how to make a podcast.
If you recall, the first thing I had Mark do is the first thing I have all of my clients do and that is create their very own podcast. Another term for podcast is online radio show.
The benefits of podcasting are many:
#1 Very little start up coast
Most people have a microphone built into their computer . There is no need to purchase anything fancy. I've been using this style for my Motivational Podcast for six years.
Sure you can spend a few bucks and get a nicer mic but it's not necessary. The microphone on your computer is fine.
You'll need somewhere to host your audio or video podcast.
Many people think Itunes hosts your show but that is incorrect. Itunes is simply a directory of audios and videos. Think of it like this: When you search on Google for web pages, Google does not host your website, they simply index all of the pages similar to a directory.
I've been using Podomatic to host my show since 2007. They have a free and paid service. You can begin with the free service but you get so much more for approx. $10/ month. You can find out more by visiting www.podomatic.com.
You will need to record your audio or video before uploading the file to Podomatic. I teach all of my coaching clients to use Audacity. It's a free recording software that allows you to speak directly into your computer and export the audio as an mp3 file.
If you're creating a video podcast, simply shoot the video and upload to your computer, then onto Podomatic.
Now you have your audio created, you've uploaded it to a server (Podomatic, in my example), now all you need to do is submit your podcast to Itunes.
It will take a few days for Itunes to approve your show but once they do you're done. You can continue to upload files to Podomatic. Podomatic will alert Itunes via an RSS Feed that you have new shows. Itunes grabs the new shows and makes them available to your Itunes subscribers.
Simple.
In my private and group coaching, I go into much more detail on how to create winning shows and earn money doing it. But now you know how simple it is to create a podcast.
Fact: I would never had realized the success of being a Motivational Speaker without a podcast. I have used the power of podcasting to book speaking engagements, joint ventures, sell products, build my email list and much more.
Here's a snapshot of my podcast - #2 in Itunes for the search term Motivation
Here is a snapshot of my podcasting statistics year to date:
110,000 downloads of my podcasts and 20,000+ subscribers in the past year. Multiply those numbers by five years (how long my show has been online) and you begin to understand the power of podcasting.
All with little to no money out of my pocket.
Sound too good to be true?
It's not. As long as you create good content, your audience will grow. Don't take my word for it , look at all of the success Mark Stowers has had with his show.
Podcasting is simple.
Getting away from all the distractions of life long enough to focus on creating a podcast.....now that's the difficult part.
Take my word for it, when you begin podcasting, you will feel like a new person. All of that awesome information that has been stored away forever, comes flowing out and listeners begin rolling in, along with the money.
To Your Podcasting Success,
Sam