Go Get a Warm Washcloth and Put it On Your Face
Or you can just continue to cry, or buy another microphone.
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I was just in a Podpage community meeting, and Brenden Mulligan (the creator of Podpage ) said something that I went, “Hmmm.” He said when he tells people:
“Podpage takes care of your website so you can return to creating content. When I think about it, creating content is hard.”
This is why when a podcaster’s number dips, people often take steps like:
Buy a new microphone.
Update their logo.
Start making more episodes.
Switch recording locations.
Switch media hosts (and more).
These would be great steps if their audio was unlistenable (it’s fine), your logo looks like a 3-year-old did it with crayon (it doesn’t), your audience wants more content (they might), you recorded in the bathroom (you don’t) or your media host was Spontify (it’s not because you read this newsletter).
So why are your download numbers going down?
It’s the content. Creating great content is not easy, but changing out a microphone is easy. We tend to take the easiest path. How many people raise their hands and say, “Excuse me, can I take the hard path?”
We are afraid to try. If I “wing it” and my audience doesn’t respond, you have the excuse, “Well, we were just winging it.” But if you try, and your audience doesn’t respond, you feel like a failure. It’s not a failure. It’s a learning opportunity.
The Learning Experience.
When I was a small boy, if I did something bad, my Dad wanted to ensure I didn’t do it again. If telling me to stop didn’t work, he would turn me over his knee and spank me. If we wanted to ensure I NEVER did it again, he would take off his belt, which would scare me into never doing it again (he rarely used the belt; it was more for show).
As you might imagine, getting spanked would result in my crying. My Dad would take me off my lap, look at me, and say, “You’re OK, you’re OK. Now go get a washcloth and run it under warm water.” I would do as instructed, and he would take the warm wash rag, put it on my face, and say things like, “There, there, you’re OK… shhhhh.”
I think the wash rag was there to distract me. It felt good, and I knew the spanking was over. It was a learning opportunity (and a highly successful strategy). He was right; I was OK. I wasn’t a bad person, but my actions were unacceptable.
So when you try to make good content that doesn’t resonate the way you want (remember, podcast growth is almost always SLOW), you’re not a lousy podcaster; your content is probably the issue. Ask your audience what they want, and put a warm washcloth on your face. It’s OK. You’re alright. Then give them what they want.
Congratulations on learning what not to do. You’re one step closer to discovering what does work.
Look, a new segment! The last issue featured a book review, and this issue features insights from a movie.
I saw the movie HERE with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright (see trailer). I love Tom Hanks, and I thought seeing him with Robin Wright (Jenny in Forest Gump) would be cool.
The movie is set in one room over time—different, right? So, the camera never moves. You fade in and out of time to see all the other people who have lived in this room.
It's very different. For the first 20 minutes, I was like, “Fwa? Huh? I was not fond of it at all.
Human beings generally don’t like change. As a podcaster, I also watched through the lens of “How are they going to tell this story?”
Then the “I wonder what happens next?” kicked in, and I was ready to sit through all 105 minutes.
By the end of the movie, I liked it. Why?
It wasn’t a superhero rom-com or psycho murder.
It was different, and while different takes a bit to catch on (Seinfeld, anyone?), often, different is better.
It’s Like a Hallway at a Podcast Event
click for more information.
Last month’s call was interesting, and this month should be no different. I have some lines out for some companies to demo some tech, and as always, we will have open Q&As. Sign up to get notified.
My Latest Content
School of Podcasting (Follow)
Promote Like a Pro: Getting Your Podcast Guests to Spread the Word
Ask the Podcast Coach (Follow)
Why Honest Reviews Matter in Podcasting
Your Podcast Consultant (follow)
The Real Secret to Monetizing Your Podcast: It’s Not What You Think
Large Companies Lie About Their Downloads
Podnews.net reported that, “Spain’s Hoy en EL PAÍS has been claiming impressively high download figures; yet today, Podnews can reveal that many of the downloads were never heard.” (story).
When they act in a way that results in fraud, it doesn’t just hurt them or their advertisers. It hurts ALL of Podcasting. We have seen a record number of interviews with Presidential candidates this year because our audience TRUSTS US. When greedy scumbags boost numbers artificially, it tarnishes the reputation of all podcasters.
Affordable Virtual Ticket: Podindy.com
Podindy.com is November 9th. I will speak with Craig Van Slyke from the show AI Goes to College on “How to Profit From Your Podcast with the Power of AI.”
This is a super affordable one-day event, and if you can’t make it to Indy, there is a super affordable virtual ticket. Check it out at www.podindy.com and use the coupon code DAVE.
What’s Coming In The Future
Next School of Podcasting
I want to add things to my workflow. That’s great, but let’s get serious about one thing. What one thing? It will be in the next episode of the School of Podcasting.
Follow the show and get it the minutes it’s available.
I’ll also be talking about some gear I bought. Shure SE215 in ear monitors, and the Shure Movmic Two (a pair of super small wireless lav microphones that enable you to record directly to your phone).
Need Help With Your Podcast?
Whether you’re just starting or a seasoned podcaster, the School of Podcasting can help. Helping podcasters is what I do, and I’ve been doing it since 2005
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