Today we interview podcast pioneers Keith and the Girl. They started out in a spare bedroom, but have always taken their podcast serious. They get to know their fans. They interact with their fans. They LISTEN to their fans (because their fans listen to them). In the end this has lead to top selling books and CDs on amazon, live appearances, “Keith and the Girl” week in NYC and more. Their fans are so loyal they get the Keith and the Girl logo tattooed and BRANDED on their bodies. Today Keith and Chemda share some of the secrets of their new book “The Ultimate Podcast Guide.” You can check out their show at www.keithandthegirl.com

Because of my Podcast.. [2:45]

My audience informed that making affiliate links to Amazon using a subdomain is against Amazon's terms of use (and could possibly get you banned). While this is a great idea, its against their rules. Thanks to Jeremy Barlow for pointing us the the Amazon Terms

After mentioning that I had purchased Scrivener for writing future books, Steve Stewart from moneyplansos.com sent me a link where I could quickly learn the tool. (Thanks Steve).

So when you start a podcast you end up with a “tribe” as Seth Godin would say, that can help you create content, and be your eyes and ears in their part of the world. It's awesome.

Keith and The Girl Release the Ultimate Guide to Podcasting [5:00]

Keith and the Girl are full time podcasters who do a great show fie days a week at www.keithandthegirl.com

I have a read a TON of books on podcasting. Many of them are written by people who are writing it because podcasting is “Hot.” They don't have any real life experience, or they are just ill informed of what works and what doesn't work.  I can typical tell when I get to the section on podcasting gear. If the book is recommending condenser microphones like the Blue Yeti, or Blue Snowball, I know the book is crap (condensor microphones pick up a ton of room noise). As I start to read Keith and Chemda's Ultimate Guide to Podcast I was thrilled to see not only was it written in plain English, but it had great content. The information is based on their 9 years of podcasting. They have great insights into coming up with your topic, and how to use your unique skills to make it the best. If you are looking for sponsors they have tips there as well (like bundle episodes for a lower price).

While most books on podcasting I struggle to continue to read, this book I was struggling to put it down. It's just chock full of great tips based on years of experience. I can't say “We talk about all things podcasting” on this show and not tell my audience that this book is a great book on podcasting.

If you want more than the book they do have packages that bundle in tutorials and interviews with experts. The prices ranges from $39 to $199.

Ultimate Podcasting GuideYou can receive a 10% discount by using the coupon code SCHOOL at www.ultimatpodcastingguide.com

  • In the book you will learn how to use twitter to grow your audience (and its not by just going “hey we have a new episode”).
  • How to differentiate your podcast from the others who are doing podcasts on your topic.
  • What gear to use and why you would use it (or not).
  • Help you identify why you want to podcast
  • How to navigate the waters of a creating a great interview

While their podcast is a comedy show, they take it very serious and spend around four hours a day prepping for their show (they put out a show 5 days a week and they are typically around an hour long). They realize that people's attention is a valuable gift and they don't want to waste people's time. They are prepared and read to go when they press record. They use skype (with the sounds off) to send instant messages back and forth, and they also do their show live (they didn't start live, but after 100 episodes their audience grew and they now do a live show at www.keithandthegirl.com )

Last 5 in 5

Danny Hatch

Robert Kelly You Know What Dude

Brian Lehrer NPR

School of Podcasting

The Dork Forest

Risk by Kevin Allison

Your Podcast Questions Answered [38:00]

Publishing Using Libsyn

Josh from qualitylivingmadesimple.com wants to know if when using Libsyn.com do I choose podcast episode, or file for download only.

You want to put some show notes when you choose podcast episode. Libsyn does have a directory, and their technology (and show notes) are used in items like the Podcast Source App for Windows 8. Lastly Rob Walch who is the VP of Podcast relations says to use the podcast episode (and I believe him).

Don't Forget Time Zones [41:00]

John Mayo from the Comic Book Page podcast and he mentioned that when I say the “Ask the Podcast Coach” is at 10:30 AM, I need to be sure to say EST. Great point John. This is something I should've added to last week's show about common podcasting mistakes.

No Longer Recommended – How We Do Ask The Podcast Coach [44:00]

I no longer recommend callinstudio.com I love the idea of the service but I would drop calls about 90% off the time. It was very annoying. I'm currently using Uberconference.com and Google Hangout. I connect to Jim via Google hangout, and we then use the Uberconference inside of Google Hangouts to connect to callers. I pay the $10 a month for Uberconference so callers don't have to add a pin number when connecting.

Podmatic Does Have Limits [46:39]

Neil Smith of Under Country Music stated that my discussion of Podmatic was inaccurate. Yes I was quoting the free limits, but even if you purchase the “pro” plan that HAS LIMITS. There is a limit on storage and a limit on bandwidth. Both Libsyn.com and Blubrry.com have no limits. I don't want to ever limit the amount of episodes I can have in my back catalog, and I don't want to potentially limit the number of listeners I can have.

Jeff Is Ranting About Dave at 200 Churches [50:27]
Jeff from 200 Churches lets me know there is a mini rant in episode 54 (3:50 mark). This is a great way to get someone to listen to their show.

Jeff loved my “Favorite Podcast Ever.”

Mentioned In This Show

Start Talking and Recording Today

Industry Night (WordPress tavern)

Ready to Start Podcasting?

If you're looking to start a podcast, check out our self page tutorials at the School of Podcasting. Start your podcasting journey today.

Daily Podcast Tips

Daily Podcast Tips! Put Your Inbox to Work

About the Author
Owner of the School of Podcasting. Also produces the "Ask the Podcast Coach." He is also the author of the book "More Podcast Money" and is a regular speaker at podcasting and media conventions.
1 comment on “Keith and the Girl Share Ultimate Podcasting Tips

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *