Interviewing a Very Loyal Listener
Today we talk with "Carie P" who is a mega fan of the Geologic Podcast (www.geologicpodcast.com ) hosted by creative genius George Hrab. How funny is George? He's an atheist and I (a lifelong Christian) am a regular listener. Carie got together a bunch of fans of the show to create a podcast for the host (both on his 50th episode and 100th episode). In addition to being a fan, Carie has also purchased every one of George's products.

Podcast Secrets 2009
Podcast secrets has a TON of information this year, and it has a "Faculty" of podcast consultants (including ME) that will be contributing. Paul Colligan and Alex Mandossian always bring quality information that it would take months to find (let alone figure out how to use). To find out about the Preview call on April 9th click here. To sign up for the seminar go to www.secretswithdave.com

Listener Feedback
Daniel Johnson Jr of www.journeyinsidemymind.com answers the question, "Why did you unsubscribe to that podcast?" He says:
1. Lost his closeness with the host.
2. If the shows are too long he can't keep up.
3. Finding alternative methods (like pandora.com)

New BONUS For Members of the School of Podcasting

Now when you sign up at the School of Podcasting you get copy of the Ultimate Footer Ad FOR FREE as a bonus gift for signing up. Boost your podcast subscriptions with this great tool. ($47 value).

Today I'm thinking about starting a podcast. This one won't be focused on raising money, but more on raising awareness. So what I'm doing is I'm contacting leaders in this industry (sorry to be so secretive) and see if they would help me promote the podcast (as in theory this is a podcast that they should be creating).

I've asked three companies, and one has said no, one has said maybe, and one definitely wants to be involved.

Even if you don't get involvement from industry leaders, you need to think about your listeners, where they are, how you will get to them, and if there is enough content to support more than 7 episodes.

Cool Plugin
cfroms
www.deliciousdays.com/cforms/plugin

Podpress (www.mightseek.com) is back in action after months of being DOA.

Today I talk about a free tool at http://www.vtubetools.com/

What Made You Unsubcribe from That Podcast?

I have only two shows the Rock and Roll Geek Show (www.rockandrollgeek.com ) and The Scene Zine ( www.thescenezine.com ) that were part of my original 5 or ten. I no longer listen to the daily source code, or Dawn and Drew, Keith and The Girl, for whatever reason were not "doing it" for me.

So that is my question for you.

If you have unsubscribed to a podcast, let us know why? You can call it in 888-563-3228 or email me at dave "at" schoolofpodcasting "dot" com. You can also leave a comment on this blog.

Start your podcast today at start.schoolofpodcasting.com

Today I spotlight a podcast I've been listening to called Fit Life Today by Jimmy Page (http://www.fcahealthandfitness.org/) This is a great podcast thats about 2 minutes long. Obviously their goal is to increase awareness about their organization. If you want to get the word out about your organization, start a podcast today by going to start.schoolofpodcasting.com. We also have a webinar about making money with your podcast at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/webinars

As feedburner has moved to Google, there are some things to make sure your feed has no difficulty with iTunes and your subscribers.

First off feedbruner is a service that allows you to track the number of subscribers while adding additional functionality to your RSS feed. One of those features is the extra tags for iTunes. However, recently feedburner changed their service and now you have a new RSS feed.. The old RSS feed will point at the new one, but for the future you need to update iTunes with the new RSS address.

In Podpress this is easy. There is a setting in the iTunes tab where you tell it what RSS feed to use, and on the left hand side you select "YES" to the "Is this a new feed" drop down. However, keep in mind that Podpress is no longer compatible (without tweaking) with the latest version of Wordpress.

I've been recommending PowerPress from Blubrry. This has most of the useful features from Podpress and is compatible with the latest version of Wordpress. However to update iTunes with your new feed you need to edit a bit of code. THIS IS NOT A BIG DEAL. Login to your wordpress installation, and download the wp-config.php. Then make a backup copy of this in another folder. Go into the original download and add the text define('POWERPRESS_NEW_FEED_URL', 'http://yoursite.com/feed/'); (and put your new feed address from feedburner). Then upload the file to the exact location you downloaded it from. Over the next week or so (assuming you put out a podcast once a week), iTunes should read your feed, and update their system to reflect the new RSS address.

How do I know if iTunes has found my new feed? Subscribe to your podcast in iTunes, Then click on the name of the podcast (not an episode), and rich click and choose "Show Description"

New Public Webinars

ShopWurld Fundraising - Save Money While You Make Money February 26th at 9 pm EST. This is a free webinar.

Making Money From Your Podcast - March 3rd 9 PM EST. Fee $14.99 (Free for members).

Today I talk about a Podcast that originates on the radioraido where they need to fill their time slot. It's called Dr. Fitness and the Fat guy. The one episode I listened to took 13 minutes for them to get to the point. Instead of talking about fitness or anything health related, they were talking about the Bob Segar concert. While radio has time to fill, Podcasters should get to the point. This takes the "fluff" and filler out of the presentation and makes it more valuable (as you are not wasting your listener's time.

Shopwurld Could be A Way For Podcasters to Make Money
I started the Shopwurld Podcast, and while this sure is a multi-level marketing website, I see that if you purchase things on a regular basis, this could be a way for the podcaster to make money if they get their audience to sign up. If you don't spend money on a regular basis, this isn't for you. I purchased a magazine subscription (which I was going to buy anyway) and I have my "dues" paid for two months. Check out my podcast at www.shopwurldpodcast.com

Understanding Your Mixer
What is the difference between the Gain and the Level knobs?
Think of the water hose on your house. The gain knob sets how much total pressure is sent to the nozzle (the level knob/slider). So the more your turn up the gain of your channel, the most sensitive the slider is. Always make sure the channel volume is less than the master volume or you will "over drive" the mixer and cause distortion.

When it comes to starting a podcast, the most important part is the planning. However there are times when we are so convinced that our show idea is a great idea that we don't research to make sure there is plenty of content, and we just operate on pure emotion.

My problem is I created a podcast called, "Dates From Hell Show." The idea was the entertaining stories of meeting people online who you wish that, well, you never met online. The purpose of the show is to encourage people to try online dating. Looking back I wonder what we were thinking. This is why its always good to have someone how is not your mom listen to the show (A step I skipped).

All is not lost. You can always buy a new domain, change the banner on your website and keep going.

Logical Weight Loss Podcast 12 Week Challenge

I mentioned this was $12 last week, I've changed my mind and now it's free. Go to www.logicalloss.com/12weeks

Using Amazon S3 as Your Podcast Host Webinar This Thursday

Sign up at http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/webinars

Today I have advice for Authors (or anyone with content they would like to distribute to a global audience) how they can use podcasting to either

A). Sell more books.
B) Position themselves as an expert
C). Both

You can create a podcast that your readers would want to listen to and then you become the trusted friend who delivers this great information. They can talk to you about the subjects (and thus give you information for future books), and purchase your books as a means of supporting the podcast.

If you are ready to start your podcast go to http://start.podcasting.com

Today we review an old topic, and that is answering the question "Can I play Taylor Swift (or any other major label artist) in my podcast?" and the answer is NO. It is illegal. Now I'm not a lawyer, but if you want to research "Fair use" feel free.

It's alot like parking illegally. It's only get caught if you get caught. I do NOT play licensed music in this podcast ever.

We have more webinars coming up this month check them out at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/webinars

If you are ready to start your own podcast go to http://start.schoolofpodcasting.com and start your podcast today.

Today I talk about www.vizu.com which is a free service that you can use to put polls on your blog. I like the looks of these polls.

I also talk about the new OPEN PODCASTING webinars at the School of Podcasting. You can see the schedule at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/webinars

SITES MENTIONED
Logical Weight Loss Podcast at www.logicalloss.com
You can get $5 off the Diet Power software at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/dietpower

Ready To Start Your Own Podcast?
Come get your very own Personal Podcast Coach by going to start.schoolofpodcasting.com

Here are my likes and dislikes of 2008

In 2008 I was glad to see the enhancements of great tools for podcasters. Wizzard put out their new player, and Paul Colligan and crew continue to add more features to premiumcast.

I like the fact that in 2008 whenever I spoke to a group and ask "Who has ever heard of podcasting" almost all hands were raised, and almost as many when I would ask "How many have actually listened to a podcast?" That trend is continuing.

I disliked that in 2008 my audience didn't seem to grow as fast as it did in 2007. It was a slower, gradually climb as apposed to 2007 which had more spikes. On the other hand I'm doing less to promote my shows.

In 2008 Podshow changed their name to Mevio, and changed their payment plan to me. I can't discuss the details, but as I'm listing it as a dislike you can figure out how it affectd me financially. What I do like about Mevio is they have given me the potential to earn more money using their sponsors and my own in the future and I now own 100% of my show. So there is a mixed bag that will hopefully blossom.

In 2008 I am sad to see and hear podcasters selling out for much less than they are worth. In many cases an advertisement will be in your show for life. I had one company offer to pay me 7 dollars for a link on my site. A link that had to be permanent, and more insane things that totally devalued my listeners and visitors to my website. While I have made decent money using affiliate marketing and podcasting, I am bummed that so many people want to use the CPM method which only works if you have mammoth audiences. Which leads to me one of my biggest disappointments

In April I was told that Podango was working on fixing their show builder lite software that helps you create your podcast on the fly. Then if you get a new sponsor, the new sponsor is inserted into the back catalog. This is HUGE for people trying to sell advertising . While their system is easy, and if you have the time to republish all your old shows  - it work, but I'm frustrated that their system (which from what I understand was much more fragile than expected when they purchased it from Gigavox). I'm even more frustrated that no company has developed a competitor for the podcaster with a few hundred listeners, and would love to have a dynamic version of their podcast.

I like that the uber-hype of podcasting has crescendo'ed to a bit and people are realizating that in the same way that VCR's didn't kill the movie business, Podcasting is not killing radio. People are starting to understand that Podcasting is a phenomenal channel (just like email, fax, and print) to get your message out to the world. It also is probably one of the most effective and cheapest.

I disliked that when the economy took a hit that I had members of the School of Podcasting left. However, I did like that in the midst of the panic, more companies hired me as a podcast consultant to just "do it for them."
While I don't own an iPhone, I am very happy people can download a podcast without even being near a computer. This is HUGE.

My biggest dislike was having three websites hacked, and one gmail account hacked (that for the record I've know been without for 14 days)

My biggest like was emailing, communicating, tweeting, with great people like you, and the members of the School of Podcasting.

I recently updated all of our wordpres tutorials to show version 2.7 and in the process streamlined much of the learning curve at the School of Podcasting. If you've been thinking of signing up, now would be a great time. Don't forget about that coupon code SANTA to save 25% now through the end of the year. There will be no extension.

I want to thank each and everyone of you for listening, and contributing over this year. I would deeply appreciate your feedback at dave "at" schoolofpodcasitng.com or call in your comments at 888-563-3228 or go to www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact for the many other ways of chiming in with the podcast. I would love to hear your thoughts on 2008. Comment out at the blog, and let me know.

Speaking of that, I will be taking next week off and I will be switching my feed from one website to another. Now the good news is 99% of you have subscribed to my feedburner feed and shouldn't notice any change. All I'm doing is switching the original RSS feed (which came from Libsyn) and substituting my RSS feed from the School of Podcasting. I've migrated all of my old posts and when you go to shownotes.schoolofpodcasting.com you will now go to the School of Podcasting instead of the old Libsyn site. In doing this I've already seen an increase in traffic to my site. Hopefully it won't cause any issues with you my loyal subscribers.

Thanks to all. Have a safe and happy Chrsitmas season, and have a blessed new year. Please start living a life worth podcasting about, and until 2009 - class dismissed. 

This show originated from www.schoolofpodcasting.com where you can save 25% off using the coupon code "SANTA" now through the end of the year.

My Gmail Account Was Hijacked.
I was very surprised when I couldn't login to my gmail account that I've had for two+ years. Confused, I went through the hassle of having my password sent to me. The problem was when I went through this step it sent my password to an email address that wasn't mine. Huh? That's right I had lost control of my gmail account.

Now when I go through the procedures to have my account returned, I get this message from Google, "Thank you for your report. For account security, we limit the number of requests that can be processed about the same account. Please wait a few days and try filling out the form again. "

I loved the Gmail service, but sometimes you get what you pay for.

Thanks google can you be a little more vague? In the meantime I've set up a new email (connected to my website) and a feature where people can upload audio comments.  See it all at www.schoolofpodcasting.com/contact

Wordpress Tip
If you have a large archive, go into your widget and have it displayed as a drop down menu. This tip came from Dave Moyer of the Wordcast Podcast at www.wordcastpodcast.com

New Listener Survey
http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/survey

Today I play a clip from the Internet Marketing Podcast (a favorite of mine). In it the hosts and guest explain how they ARE seeing results from their podcast. They are being asked to speak at events, and they are getting clients. However, it is not something that happens over night.
Andy is from www.ai-digital.com and www.academyinternet.com you can subscribe in iTunes

I totally agree. You have to build the trust with your audience. Then when they need the information or service that you provide, they think (an order) from you. If you are looking to put out a single podcast and have it create a flood of traffic, 99.9% of the time its not going to happen.

Last 5 in 5
We also get a last 5 in 5 (which makes it a last 10 in 5) from Dave and Kim from the wordcast podcast (a great podcast about wordpress). Check it out at www.wordcastpodcast.com

Dave's Last 5 in 5
Buzz out Loud from CNET
Sporecast from Spore County
Pink PPT show
Gadgets Show from CNET
Daily Giz Wiz from Twit

Kim's Last 5 in 5
Wordcast Podcast
Sporecast from Spore County
Jake and Amir
You Suck at Photoshop
Buzz out Loud from CNET

Don't forget you can start your successful podcast to day by going to start.schoolofpodcasting.com Use the coupon SANTA and save 25% off now through the end of 2008

This show originates at www.schoolofpodcasting.com This is show 164
Today we talk with Larry Genkin of www.blogandpodcaster.net who is building the Blogger and Podcaster Media Network. This new network  that combines four social media sites into one network that hopes to offer  services  for podcasters looking to make money podcasting. 

Don't forget you can start your successful podcast to day by going to start.schoolofpodcasting.com Use the coupon SANTA and save 25% off  now through the end of 2008

e-mail larry "at" bloggerandpodcaster "dot" net

Sites Mentioned
Blogger and Podcaster Media Network www.bloggerandpodcaster.net
Blogger and Podcaster Magazine www.bloggerandpodcaster.com
The Dolai Lama from Brooklyn show www.brooklynguru.com