Tightrope: Podcasting 101 for entrepreneurs
There are many tools available to help us to build our businesses. But which one to select and then actually starting to use it can be daunting experiences.
Last week we visited Mur Lafferty, author, and consultant and freelance writer. She had a dream of becoming a fiction writer. But, she ran into enough problems to shake up her self-confidence.
She believed that she couldn't be the only one who had experienced constant rejection letters, that there had to be others out there that had also been discouraged on their way to getting published. In 2005 she used an Internet tool to bring these folks together. Mur created a podcast titled You Should Be Writing: The Podcast For Wannabe Fiction Writers.
Over these years she and her audience of thousands have been a support for each other as they have gone through the struggle of fiction writing and getting published.
Podcasting can be a great way for entrepreneurs to use to build business. So, I asked Mur to walk us through the process of the how-to of starting a podcast. Her advice:
• Title of your show. Make it punchy and memorable.
• Show description. Keep it short so it can be used for promotional purposes.
• Artwork. Create the artwork for your show; iTunes prefers album art to be in a square.
• Podcast host. Select a host site with its major focus on podcasting. Make certain the site is user friendly. Check and be certain that it can handle the RSS feed so that you don't have to deal with that. And try to select a site that can help you to set up a blog in case you don't have one. You will need a blog to put the show notes on.
• Promo. Create a 30 second spot about your podcast and send it to other podcasters who play promos. And don't forget, reciprocity is the key here, so offer to play their promos in return.
• Start with your current network. One of the best places to begin gathering your audience is with family and friends. Send your podcast to them and ask them to spread the word that you have a new show.
• Social network. This is where Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and the like can come in handy and be a place to post your podcast.
• iTunes. Make it easy for people to find your podcast show. List your show on iTunes. You want your show to be searchable on itunes.
• Show inventory. Make 5 or 6 shows before you start to promote.
Mur said that it's important to remember that in the beginning it may seem like you are podcasting in a vacuum. But persistence is key -- you must continue to create content, and soon an audience will follow.
Her podcast has garnered thousands of downloads per episode, and she continues to spread encouragement to both fiction and nonfiction writers. And her words are just as beneficial to entrepreneurs who are constantly walking a tightrope toward success.
Mur ended our conversation to run off to promote her latest book titled Ghost Train to New Orleans.
This is not by any means the final word on how to start and market a podcast but it sure can get you started whenever you are ready.
In the meantime you can visit Mur at www.murverse.com or email mightymur@gmail.com.
Gladys Edmunds, founder of Edmunds Travel Consultants in Pittsburgh, is an author and coach/consultant in business development. Her column appears Wednesdays. E-mail her at gladys@gladysedmunds.com. An archive of her columns is here. Her website is gladysedmunds.com.