Trafcom News

Why Google hates podcasters

If you're a podcaster,  please consider the role of show notes as a marketing tool and a service to your audience. As you'll learn by listening to Trafcom News Podcast 74, The secrets of show notes, "Google hates you" if you're a podcaster who doesn't take the time to write show notes.

In this  22-minute podcast, you'll get advice from experienced podcasters: Nicole Simon, Christopher S. Penn, Dave Jones, Wayne MacPhail and Aaron Strout.

And be sure to listen to Chris Penn's secret for getting his show notes picked up in the Google News feed!

Reflections on a podcasted conference

Last week I enjoyed five days in Las Vegas, Nevada, podcasting the Autodesk University conference. I’d been working with Autodesk for months, producing pre-conference podcasts, and planning for this huge event. Can you imagine 10,000 people at the Venetian Hotel? The whole thing was a supreme example of a well-run conference with rich content, passionate employees interacting with equally passionate customers, and so many nice touches – from snacks to meals to entertainment to T-shirts and other goodies – that made attendees feel special.

Here are some observations from the podcaster’s point of view (that would be me):

Backups are a necessity. I didn’t actually need my second recorder and microphone, but I felt secure knowing that I had these devices on hand. My Samsung Zoom H4 held up to the pressure of long days and many hours of recording.

You can’t do it alone. I relied on two wonderful audio editors who helped me to produce more than five podcasts per day.

Plan, plan, plan your podcasts in advance, but be ready, willing and able to be flexible as you meet people and watch the conference unfold. Something that seems like a great idea for a podcast a week before the conference can turn out to be a dud, while you’ll discover opportunities that you didn’t know existed.

Walking up to hundreds of people with microphone in hand is not for the shy. However, you’ll find that people do like to express their opinions when given the opportunity. (Yes, there were occasions when I had to trot alongside people as they rushed to their next session. In this photo, I’m seated while interviewing CAD management expert Robert Green; I think it was the only time I sat while conducting an interview at AU!)

You have to think fast on your feet when you’re working without a script. Still, before plugging in your mic, you have to consider: What’s the point of this particular podcast? What kind of content am I looking for? Who are the most likely people to provide it?

Life is sweet when you work with a dream client: Autodesk people are smart, fun and energetic.

No shoe is comfortable when you wear it for 14 hours. Next time I’ll bring sneakers. Vanity be damned.

Podcasting inside the organization: My RaganTV debut

At the Talk is Cheap social-media unconference at Centennial College last week, Kristen Ridley asked me a few questions about podcasting inside the organization. Here's the video she has posted at MyRagan.com. (If you're viewing this in your RSS reader, you may have to click through to the blog to see the video.)

Thanks, Kristen!

Squeezing the most value from your audio dollar

Yes, I’m a podcaster. But I know that a podcast is not the only answer to every communications question. Sometimes audio IS indeed the solution, but it’s not necessarily a podcast. OR, you want to use a podcast, but you’d also like to extract the most value from it. In my latest podcast, just 10 minutes,  I share some tips for accomplishing this, based on the experiences I’ve had with some recent projects.

You can download the MP3 file at the Trafcom News Podcast page or listen to the player right there. Let me know what you think!

Choosing a supplier for your conference podcast

For more than a year, I’ve been producing audio for clients’ conferences. To answer frequently asked questions about this kind of work, I put together a little Web site on the topic, called PodcastYourConference.com. One of the things I’ll be adding to the site in a few days is a checklist for companies thinking about podcasting their conferences.

If you have something to add to this list, please let me know. Or do you have a question about podcasting your conference? Just post a comment on this blog.

Points to keep in mind when choosing a supplier to produce your conference podcasts:

1. Does the supplier have experience in the communications field or just on the technical side of audio? Does he or she ask about your communications strategy and where this content fits in?

2. If you are hiring audio people at the hotel or conference centre, does the supplier help you to give directions to them so that they create podcast-friendly files?

3. Does the podcast producer offer to edit out excessive ums, ahs and other verbal tics, plus long pauses?

4. Will the supplier actually listen to all your audio, and delete extraneous references to housekeeping and other minutiae (“the washrooms are on the left”)?

5. Does the supplier have the ability to record a voiceover for an intro, outro or call to action? Or does he or she have easy access to VO artists? Can the supplier also write a quick script for you?

6. Does the supplier offer to insert stingers or jingles where appropriate, to ease the transition between segments of your podcast?

7. Does the supplier ask the audio people to record room tone, so as not to insert awkward dead sound when generating silences?

8. Will the supplier adjust the volume so that speakers in a panel discussion are all at the same level?

9. Can the supplier create keynote narration for long presentations? (This is a way to condense a one-hour talk into 15 minutes of quotes interspersed with narration to move the presentation along.)

10. Can the supplier help you create an RSS feed to publish your podcasts, and insert ID3 tags so that listeners can properly identify your audio files?

11. In addition to your conference podcasts, can the supplier produce pre-conference podcasts (perhaps interviews with key speakers), to build buzz before your show?

I would love to hear your additions to this checklist!

Should you be podcasting your conference?

In my latest podcast, a mere 14 minutes, I explain why it’s a good idea to podcast your conference proceedings, and share some tips for getting it right.

Believe me, I have a lot more to say on this subject, but I think this is a pretty good intro if you’re thinking about podcasting your conference, or if you're planning a conference and aren't yet familiar with the podcasting medium.

Visit the Trafcom News Podcast blog to download the show and see the shownotes.

:::UPDATE: For more information about podcasting your conference, please visit PodcastYourConference.com.

After you listen, feel free to share your comments!