The Podcast Success Formula – Names Not Numbers

I'm back from New Media Expo. It was a blast and I'm sure I will be talking more about it in the future. I liked the opening key note, but for me it was the next session that really hit home with me. It was by one of my favorite people Michael Hyatt. He has so much experience and wisdom, and yet is a person who is always looking for ways to improve. His session for me set the bar very high for the following sessions. The only session that came close to his, was another session that featured him along with some other heroes of mine Ray Edwards, Dan Miller, and my friend Cliff Ravenscraft. Why did I like Michael's session so much? Simple. He gave me knowledge, and then gave me actionable items. On my Logical Weight Loss Podcast I talk about knowledge is only power when you act on it. By the end of Michael's my reminder list on my phone had grown quite a bit.
As I listened to different sessions on growing your audience (including my own with Daniel J Lewis and Ray Oretga), I saw a common theme that propped up over and over. I'm calling it the Podcast Success Formula. You Ready?

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WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

Figure out who your target audience is. Who and where are they. Keep asking questions about them until you have a crystal clear picture of them. I was reading some stuff on the plane ride home that said some people will find a picture in a magazine and cut it out and give their target audience a name.

WHAT WOULD MAKE THEM GO YIPEE!

What does that person want? What do they need? What makes them upset? What would make their day. Figure it out, and then give it to them. Be sure to not talk AT them. Raise your hand if you’re tired of being talked at. This is not broadcasting, this is solecasting. I like that word and not because I just made it up. I put a lot of my soul into this podcast. I work hard at making great content. In the end it is listened by one sole person at a time (typically).

PUT OUT THE BEST PODCAST YOU CAN

Put some thought into your brand, and your content. I interviewed some successful podcasters. I asked Michael Hyatt and Ray Edwards about how long it took them to create an episode. Everyone clocked in with AT LEAST a four to one ratio. That means a single minute of podcast takes four minutes to produce. A 15 minute podcast would take an hour. Good content is not cheap. It takes time.

BE CONSISTENT

Pick a schedule and go with it. Make sure you hit it. Consistency is only about schedule, it’s also about content. When Ray Ortega comes out with content, it is of a consistent quality. I was going to “Throw something together” Monday and put it out (I haven’t missed a Monday is many moons). I didn’t do it. Why? Because I don’t want to put my name on something that I’m not going to be proud of . If it’s not going to move you to laugh, cry, think, groan, or entertain and educate you I’m not going to put it out.

MAKE REAL RELATIONSHIPS

I walked away my mantra for 2014. Last year I spent a large amount of time researching what makes good content. This year, I’m researching you. I want to know more about you. My montra is “Names not numbers.” What do I mean, I mean I when I hit record on the microphone I’m thinking about Craig, and Brock the soon to be podcast cowboy. I’m talking about Amy who nervously introduced herself and explained that she listens to the podcaster’s roundtable. I could go on. It makes me very nervous. Why? Because my memory is crap. I got fired from a job when I couldn’t remember the amount of details required. I would look at 17 screens of information in about 10 seconds, and have to recall what I saw with a 96% accuracy. I’ve never been fired from a training job, and when I hear memory is required I get nervous. That’s OK. We are not defined by our mistakes. I’m the Internets have all sort of tips for remembering names.

LET YOUR FREAK FLAG FLY

In the song If Six Was Nine, Jimi Hendrix proclaims he was “Gonna wave my freak flag high.” Your freak flag is social media. You can be timid. Don’t take this wrong, I don’t mean you need to be obnoxious. You do have to let people know you exist – AFTER you make that real connection.

THEN YOU CAN MONETIZE

You will hear an interview with George Hrab in the future. George has benefited many different ways from his podcast. He just started monetizing it seven years after he started it. People have done it sooner than that (some in less than a year), but it takes a LOT of work. Bring your passion. Bring your love. Bring your need to help. Your skill to inspire, and your need to reach more people and I can help you.

MY FAVORITE MOMENTS

Michael stating publicly that he listened to my podcast, and having an honest two minute conversation with he and his daughter.
Speaking with Ray Edwards and Dan Miller. Here is a networking tip, if someone you know is talking to someone you want to know, go stand by that person.
Holding church with Reverend Kenn Blanchard, Daniel J Lewis, Ben Adam Smith and some other folks whose names I didn’t catch in the hallway outside of starbucks. We shared what how we wanted to grow in 2014. What we needed to work on . Holding hands and praying in public was cool and again felt intimate.
Hanging with friends. Some will lead to new products, and others lead to great meals. All lead to great memories.

Mentioned In This Podcast

Michaell Hyatt's Book Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World (only $2.99 on Kindle)

Start Podcasting in Six Weeks – Starts 1/18/2014

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