Why Is The Simple Podcast The Winning Podcast? The Podcast Report With Paul Colligan Episode #83

Not quite sure why it took me 83 episodes to get this out, but why? Podcasting needs to be simple. It's the podcast report, episode 83 show notes, links, conversation and more@thepodcastreport.com 83. Who am I? What is this show? Why are you listening? My name is Paul Colligan. I am podcaster, podcasting consultant, podcasting author and podcasting trainer. Yes, I dig podcasting, but this show, this is for you, the podcaster. This is about you reaching more people with your message and you profiting more from your content. A bunch of things led to episode number 83. I'm glad I'm doing it. I feel a little bit weird that it's taken me so long to do this, but basically, podcasting needs to be simple. There are people making it a lot more complicated than they need to. They're doing more damage to the industry than good. And we're going to chat about that today. I have seven reasons I'm going to go over things I want you to think about in terms of why you need to make podcasting more simple. I've got those on a worksheet that I really recommend you print off, put on your wall, put next to your computer, keep on reference, maybe even make the background on your computer. You can pick that up@the podcastreport.com 83. The Big Idea for this episode, Simple. Every minute you spend on the tech is a minute that you take away from the content. Podcasting has always been about the content. The tech was only what made it possible. I want you to spend less time on the tech. I want you to spend more time in the content. And that's what today's episode is about. So, as I said, people are making podcasting a lot more complicated than they need to, and it's not getting easier. We've been podcasting for 10 years and people are making it more and more complicated. Some interesting things have happened recently that led to this one. Dave Jackson spoke at podfest and he had to share the idea, the concept. These are independent podcast creators, that the content is more important than the technology. Ten years later, why does Dave have to share that from stage at the same time, I look at Amazon right now in the podcasting area at Amazon, my book, how to Podcast short, simple, sweet little book is the number one book at Amazon on podcasting. The Kindle version, the funny thing is the paperback version is also in the top 20. Why? Well, I called the book how to Podcast because that's what a lot of people want to know how to do. That's what they search for. That's what they're looking for. And I wanted to make it simple. Today an artist released a record, an artist I don't necessarily enjoy, but I respect. I don't know if that makes sense. My. But they released it with the download it free pay what you want model. Why? Well, because the existing model of streaming and downloads and purchasing that stuff just isn't working. And I'll tell you this right now, the podcasting, you know, ad insertion model isn't working either. And the money is not in selling T shirts, I'll tell you that for sure. There's been some crazy articles about the money in podcasting and how the numbers are all over the place. And I certainly agree about that. But. But, you know, it really is not that complicated. It makes me sad, honestly, to see the tech obsession. I meet people all the time. I do consulting with or I get emails from or I hear on Facebook, those with great content to give the world. But for some reason, the tech is getting in the way. This is honestly why I did the book. I never wanted to be the how to podcast guy. I never wanted to be the how to podcast guy because there's no money in it. But here's the thing. There's no money in podcasting if you can't get past the tech of how to podcast. So I've done the book. I've sold a lot of copies of the book. I'm happy with the book, but that's not what it's about. What it is about is what Podcasting, getting in the way of the tech, what that does. So I've got the worksheet for you. It's at thepodcastreport.com 83. I'll go over them. But man, think about taking it, printing it off background on your desktop or your computer or even your phone. Let's hit them. Number one, really simple, just math. Every minute you spend on the tech is a minute that you take away from the content. You're spending time on the tech, you're not spending time on the content. Spend the time on the content. Get the tech right, obviously, but then spend the time on the content. Number two, every moment spent thinking about the tech is moment spent not thinking about your audience. Now, this is huge. Yes, there's that minute by minute, you know, stop watch, billing kind of approach to life. But the fact of the matter is, at night, if you're thinking about the microphone, if you're thinking about breath technique, if you're thinking about pops. If you're thinking about hosting, if you're thinking about rss, if you're thinking about podcast networks, if you're thinking about the tech things, you're not thinking about your audience. This is important. You should be thinking about your audience. You should be focusing on your audience. Number three, the fancier the presentation, the less likely they are to listen to the message. This is huge. You know how it is when you listen to a podcast. You're not sitting down at your chair, you know, crisscross, applesauce style, and focusing entirely on the content. You're in the car, something else is going on, you're working on something, something else is going on. And, well, if there's great music and if there's great interactivity and if there's great production and if this thing is a masterpiece of nprt. Yes, NPRT is a term, then that's what you're going to focus on. Sometimes the presentation becomes the message. But me, I'm just monologuing. You have nothing else to listen to here. If you've made it this far, you're interested in what I have to say, and any way that I distract you from what it is that I have to say is a disservice to you. So the fancier the presentation, the less likely you are to listen to the message. This is huge. Another one. The podcast audience is hungry for elegant ideas, not production. And this goes for the biggest, hugest podcasts out there. You know Serial. Yes, Serial is wonderfully produced, but Serial is all about elegant ideas. Npr, Public Radio, all the big names getting in a podcast have, yes, the production's great, but they're in it for the elegant ideas. The podcasts that I listen to are here for the elegant ideas. And you listening to this episode, you're not in it for anything other than the elegant ideas. And that's what podcasting is about. That's what podcasting is for. That's the format that you're listening to. That's the format that you're producing. That's the format that your audience has fallen in love with. And once it becomes something else, it gets silly. I've said in past episodes, treating new media like old media is like faxing me your email. Are you spending time producing something that your audience doesn't care for? Man, think about it. You can change your audience's life and you're spending time on the fade in, fade out music. Yeah, you can do better than that. We all can do better, that the industry can do better. Than that. Number five, let's be honest, especially, especially for the non full time, fancy office in Manhattan, 48 employee type of thing. You have a finite amount of resources to spend on each episode. Spend it on the content. That might be a finite amount of time, that might be a finite amount of money, that might be a finite amount of whatever it is, but man, spend it on the content. Think about the shows that you listen to. Think about the shows that are on your top 10 list. It's great if they're produced well. But that's not why you listen. It's about the content. Look at, you know, look at Tim Ferriss. His show is let's plop down the microphone and let's interview. And the audio is bad and the transitions are sometimes wonky and wacky, but man, the content is crazy. Look at, I love marketing with Joe Polish and Dean Jackson, the same thing. You got a finite amount of resources to spend on each episode, spend it on the content. Now, number six is huge. And number six is just math. And number six is the reality that we all have to face. You will never out produce your podcast competition. You will never out produce your podcast competition. You win in ideas, you win in content, you win in differentiation and niche ification and all these other terms. But there's always somebody who will sound better than you, that will produce better than you. But you will win with ideas. You will win with understanding your audience. You will win with that. And that. What is so important? I need to sound like the other guys. Why? Why do you need to sound like the other guys? I need to have the same impact and effect as the other guys. Why you don't? Your ideas, your impact, your message. None of these things are tech related. The tech's the only thing that gets us there. And then finally, number seven, and this is huge. And this is huge if you are trying to make millions with your podcast. And this is huge if you are only doing the podcast out of passion and never want to see a dime from it. Nothing should distract from the call to action. Why are they listening to the show? What do you want them to listen to? What do you want them to do? What do you want them to take as the next step in this particular podcast episode, I want you to head out to the podcastreport.com 83 download this sheet, print it off. Take action, focus on content. That's what I want. If I was selling something, I would send you to the thing that I was selling. If I had an advertiser that I was promoting I'd send you there, you know, if I just wanted you to learn a specific task that would make you a better person, I would bang that in all over and over and over again. It's actually kind of what I want on this episode as well. But I think this worksheet is going to do it for you. And I'll tell you, production can get in the way of the call to action. The technology can get in the way of the call to action. What is the call to action for the episode? Make sure that is pronounced, make sure that is explained, make sure that is understood, and don't let anything get in the way of that. So those are the seven I have dedicated myself to making podcasts. Simple. I get a little sick in the stomach, actually. To use Dave Jackson, I throw up a little bit in my mouth when I see these. Simple podcasting in 28 steps or an 800 page book, or a 22 week tutorial or that type of thing. It's not complicated. What's complicated is your message. What's complicated is the monetization. What's complicated is getting your word out to the world. What's complicated is the marketing of it and these types of things, the production of it. Do not let that get in the way. So now what? Well, what would you do? What could you do? How would your podcast be different? If I could help you shave 15, 30, 60 minutes off your production time, Would you spend that on the content? Good. Would you maybe spend that on your family? Good. Or your job? Good. I don't care. What if we stop being slaves to the tech and focus more on the things that were important? I want you to think about that. What would happen? The same podcast got out with an hour less time. How would that change what you're doing? Would you produce more shows? Good. Would you have a bigger impact? Good. Would you be able to focus more on the content, the impact, and spend time on what it is that you want to say to the world? Good. Do that. Shave that time off your production. Download the worksheet thepodcastreport.com 83 now it's looking like the book. For those of you who have the book and are podcasting from the book, thank you. Appreciate it. Looks like the book's not enough. I'm going to be doing a course. I'll have a link to it. I'm not going to promote that. But here's the thing I want to tell you. Is the course going to be for everyone? No. Some of the book will be fine. Some Deeper in depth stuff will be fine. I like Dave at the school podcasting. I know at Dave's heart. Dave wants you to get your podcast out as simply as and easily as possible. The videos are more a reaction to the audience and what they're asking for, but his presentation at PodFest was kind of what inspired this a lot. If you need more in depth, definitely go out to Dave. But if you want a simple course with the four basic steps, you value simplicity and there's a video in this hand holdings what you need. You can head out to howtopodcasttraining.com I got a link to that in the show notes as well. That's all I'm going to say about the course. So you want to spend every minute that you can on the content. You want to spend those cycles of your mind on serving your audience. You don't want want it to be the tech. Podcasting has always needed to be simple. It's now more important than ever that it be simple. Please do what you can to make it simple@thepodcastreport.com 83 I've got a link to the worksheet, I've got a link to the latest version of the book, I've got a link to the apps, I've got a link to the how to Podcast Training and I've got a link to the Podcast Interview Wizard. If you're interested in these, head out to thepodcastreport.com 83 if you've not yet subscribed to the show, please subscribe to the show. Make sure that when every episode comes out it comes to you automatically. That's the power of podcasting. I don't want you wondering and checking and coming out the website on a regular basis. No, I want the tech to work for you. Click subscribe or follow or whatever it is your platform does. The podcast Report iTunes, the podcastreport.com Stitcher, the podcastreport.com TuneIn or whatever's important out there. Follow me, subscribe to me. Set it so that the next episode comes automatically and you will be better socially. It's pretty obvious. The podcastreport.com, twitter, the podcastreport.com, facebook, all of them are there. Would love your comments socially. Would love your comments right on this episode however it is. Let's interact. If you want to email me, it's the podcastreportoutlook.com thank you so much. Chat with you soon. Make it easy on yourself if the sheet will help. Thepodcastreport.com 83. Either way, make it about the content. Ciao with you next week. Bye, Sam.