PodMov Daily: Wednesday, October 2

Episode 56: Your Midweek Update

October's Podcast Makeover: The Hidden Entrepreneur Show

Blaze some trails this Wednesday with October’s Podcast Makeover guest article from Seth Resler. Seth, the digital strategist at Jacobs Media and 20-year broadcasting veteran, loves to offer podcasters valuable constructive criticism.

For this Makeover, he’s gathered feedback from three fellow aircheckers on 10 minutes of The Hidden Entrepreneur Show, hosted by Josh Cary. Cary sets up a “major problem” at the outset (“Your ideal clients don’t know you exist!”) and discusses solutions with guest Tom Schwab. Listen to their conversation about podcast interview marketing, and compare notes from the experts.

Jeff Dauler (The Upside with Callie And Jeff Dauler), Jacent Jackson (Former Program Director at KFOG/San Francisco), and Bill Jacobs (Programming Consultant at Jacobs Media Strategies) give specific advice that could very well polish your program.

Face Time & Fresh Air: Connect with Your Audience IRL

From Pat Flynn in 2010 to Tom Webster in 2019, experts in audience growth have emphasized that “we should be everywhere online.” Troy Price at Podcast Business Journal argues that podcasters should be everywhere offline as well, meeting listeners out in the world.

“Offering a face-to-face interaction with your listener will result in a stronger connection than few other efforts will create,” Price says. His 7 actionable suggestions for getting out there include making opportunities for people to join a public live recording of your podcast.

“Simply pick a public place to record your show and publicize the recording place and time,” he advises. “You will be surprised how far people will drive just to watch the sausage be made.” Sausage aside, it’s always wise to attend meetups, give talks, and introduce yourself. Go get ’em, tiger.

Part III: Why We're in the Post-Boom Era of “Big Podcasting”

Podcasting’s landscape and popularity have “exploded into an industrious city, one that can be tremendously hard to keep up with,” writes Nicholas Quah for Vulture. Assessing this moment in time, Quah believes that the medium is at a second “major turning point,” leading into the new era of “Big Podcasting.”

The catalyst: Spotify’s February 2019 acquisitions of Gimlet Media, Anchor, and Parcast. These “unprecedented price tags” supported Spotify’s wildly ambitious “declaration of intent” that has only intensified. Once further corporate cash pulls podcasting “deeper into the mainstream entertainment industrial complex,” Apple’s counterweight must come to fruition.

Questions loom large on the horizon for the “solid middle class” of independent creators.  There will be “fortune and famine,” yes, but here’s to hoping the battle of the behemoths leaves the rest with room to breathe.

Georgia On Our Mind: She Podcasts LIVE 2019

Happy Wednesday, readers, and congratulations to the organizers and attendees of She Podcasts LIVE. From October 11 – 13, Atlanta, Georgia will be home to a women’s podcasting event like no other. Virtual tickets are still available — grab one before October 10.

Cheers,

Team PM

Here's what else is going on:

• Report card: Researcher Jane Wong notes that Spotify is testing a feature that allows users to ‘report’ audio content. Wong first made the statement about podcasts but clarified that the platform is “testing a new report flow in general.” Song lyrics and cover art could be reported, per a screenshot.
• Brooklyn’s cookin’: The nonprofit arts organization BRIC has opened a new “production workshop for aspiring media makers” in Brooklyn. The 3,500-square-foot BRIC Community Media Incubator facility includes “editing suites for audio and video and a professional podcasting studio.”
• Garage band: PRX’s Podcast Garage will take its “human-centered” Masterclass to Lisbon, Portugal for Radiodays Europe in March 2020. The audience-focused course will “take on the basics of storytelling, give an overview of the podcasting landscape and a primer on distribution and metrics.”
• Motivation matters: To those looking to cash in on podcasting, Lifehacker agrees with Jack Rhysider: “Not so fast, audio enthusiasts. The odds of you making any money off this side hustle are slim to none.” A bummer headline, sure, but expectation management serves us all in the long run.