Trafcom News Podcast

Trafcom News 74: The secrets of show notes

If you're a podcaster, or thinking of becoming one, please consider the role of show notes as a marketing tool and a service to your audience. As you'll learn by listening to this 22-minute podcast, Google hates you if you're a podcaster who doesn't take the time to write  show notes. In this podcast, you'll hear advice from experienced podcasters: Nicole Simon, Christopher S. Penn, Dave Jones, Wayne MacPhail and Aaron Strout.

Please tune in and let me know what you think! You can download the MP3 file right here or subscribe through iTunes. You can also listen on the Trafcom News blog by clicking on the player on the upper right part of the screen.

Comment line: 212-624-0209

Here are the show notes:

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:45 Definition of show notes: text that accompanies a podcast
01:15 Good reasons to take the time: listeners love them, and so does Google
01:27 Podcasters love to complain about the time it takes to write show notes [I am kvetching right now; can you hear me?]
01:40 Some podcasters produce a bare-bones outline; others do show notes with time codes [like these] and still others go for a full-blown transcript
02:01 Guests today: Nicole Simon, Christopher S. Penn, Dave Jones, Wayne MacPhail, Aaron Strout
02:33 Nicole Simon, who produces Useful Sounds, Bloxpert and Cruel to be Kind, talks about the general value of show notes: link out to get others interested in your podcast; provide navigation to listeners.
03:55 The more knowledge-intensive your podcast, the greater the value of your text
05:00 And what about non-native-language listeners?
05:18 Outsourcing your show note production
06:18 Wayne MacPhail of W8NC and the Rabble Podcast Network explains why the Talk for Memories podcast he produced for the Alzheimer's Society of Ontario, uses transcripts; knowing your audience demographic; being aware of high-speed Internet access
08:29 Wayne used a company in India to do the transcripts
08:56 Wayne doesn't do transcripts for every podcast he creates; here's his general view on show notes; time codes will become increasingly important as we move towards modular content for podcasts
10:21 Dave Jones, a VP at Hill and Knowlton, produces Inside PR and Shill, two very different podcasts
10:52 General goal of show notes is to help listeners navigate through podcast; provide links; tone of show affects tone of notes
11:25 Dave and co-host Doug Walker take a more light-hearted approach with their Shill show notes; they're part of the entertainment
12:28 Aaron Strout, VP of New Media at Mzinga and community manager and podcaster at We Are Smarter, shares his process for producing shown notes
13:39 How including interviewee names (such as Guy Kawasaki, Shel Israel, Tim O'Reilly and Mike Arrington) increases traffic
14:44 Christopher S. Penn of the Financial Aid Podcast and Marketing Over Coffee (co-hosted with John Wall) quotes Julien Smith on why Google "hates you" if you're a podcaster without show notes because it can only scan text; use important key words
15:54 Chris talks about his approach to show notes at the Financial Aid Podcast; use of key words; cross-promotion across different media; how he deploys show notes; use of the lyrics tab; show notes are metadata; must write show notes with both Google and humans in mind
18:38 Chris shares his secret for having his show notes picked up as a legitimate item in the Google News feed
19:17 My own take on show notes; can be  a pain; I write an outline and flesh it out as I listen to my podcast after mixing; listeners like the show notes because they can skim, go back, blog easily about the content; and I like the Google juice
20:58 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Trafcom News 73: How to give good audio

Have you been invited as a guest on a podcast or radio show? Listen to these tips for giving good audio so that you’ll be asked back. At the same time, you’ll be making the most of the investment of your own time.

Please tune in to this 14-minute podcast and let me know what you think! You can download the MP3 file right here or  subscribe through iTunes. You can also listen on the Trafcom News blog by clicking on the player on the upper right part of the screen.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:30 Prepare, but don’t expect precise questions in advance; jot down notes but don’t read them!
03:00 Keep facts and figures at your fingertips
03:40 Know your key messages
05:00 Use metaphors; tell a story
05:45 Slow down
06:05 Keep it short; don’t pontificate; think of sound bites
06:30 Example of Paull Young on FOX News talking about social media
07:00 The whole time you’re talking, think of your audience
07:25 Quick recap: prepare, jot down notes, have facts and figures ready, know your key messages, use metaphors, slow down, remember your audience
08:01 Comment from Joe Thornley of Thornley Fallis
10:48 Comment from Chris, Amateur Traveler
11:08 Comment from Steve Sergeant
11:33 Comment from Elisabeth (Podcastmama) at Podcastingnews
12:21 Comment from George Motoc
12:56 Comment from Podcastmatters 
13:36 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #68: The Podcaster's Checklist

Last year I published on my Trafcom News blog the Podcaster's Checklist, handy sheets of tips for any podcaster who needs to get organized around

• Planning
• Publishing
• Content
• Production
• Promotion and measurement

It's also available as a PDF.

In this 19-minute podcast, I flesh out a few points from the Podcaster's Checklist and share my plans for a special podcast called Big Ideas, Small Budget. Please spread the word!

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can download the show right here or listen with the player at the right (please go to the main page if you're reading this in a feed reader) or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:
NEW comment line: 212-624-0209

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:27 The Podcaster's Checklist
02:30 New comment line is 212-624-0209
03:00 Sections of Podcaster's Checklist are planning, publishing, on recording day, content, promotion and measurement
03:25 Podcasters should read How to do Everything with Podcasting by Shel Holtz with Neville Hobson
03:40 Planning: first check out the competition; choose a name for your podcast
06:49 Podcasting can seem overwhelming; what can you outsource?
07:45 Singing the praises of audio producer Victoria Fenner
08:20 Publishing: integrating the podcast into an existing Web presence or building something new?
08:45 Audio signature or musical brand
10:00 Different ways to produce; planning is essential
11:22 On recording day: dealing with ambient noise; uncompressed files best
13:00 Big Ideas, Small Budget: A special podcast about helping nonprofit organizations to communicate with their audiences without spending big bucks. Please participate in the conference call on Friday, February 15, 2008 at 12 noon Eastern. Dial in to 1-605-772-3285 then key in the access code 877696#.
15:45 Promo for Podcamp Toronto by Peter O'Connell of Audio'connell
17:45 Please register for my free Webinar, Podcasting 101 for Communicators, February 21, 2 p.m. Eastern. Send an email to Donna AT trafcom.com.
18:30 Where to send comments: email Donna AT Trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 212-624-0209 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com. Theme music is Beneath Your Surface by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Show #67: The CEO Podcast

Has the CEO of your organization considered using audio to communicate with employees? In this 23-minute podcast, I share some recent experiences producing audio messages from corporate leaders.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can download the show right here  or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 206-338-4200

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:45 Enthusiasm for CEO podcasts seems to be growing
02:45 First example: directing the recording of a podcast with a client in California
03:55 Recommendation for YouSendIt.com for transmitting and receiving large WAV files
05:10 Second example: Recording an audio message in the CEO’s boardroom in Toronto
06:50 Third example: Recording audio over Skype
08:00 Is it a podcast without RSS? Each organization does what’s best for their situation
08:19 Suggestions: Focus on message, not technology; be aware of tone; consider how you want employees to feel after listening; remember your role as an advisor
10:15 Think about how you will distribute the message
10:45 Please don’t let the CEO read!
11:20 Standing is better than sitting
12:00 Please share your own experiences with CEO podcasts
12:45 Comment from Dave Jones of InsidePR
13:00 Comment from Tony Molloy
13:25 Comment from Joe Thornley of ProPR
13:53 Question from Max Hansen
15:25 Comment from Sam Deeks
17:00 Recommendation of Levelator for evening out your audio
17:55 Comment from Mike O’Laughlin
18:20 Comment from Tina Hansen
21:00 An upcoming Trafcom News Podcast will be on Blog Talk Radio; topic is “Big Ideas on a Small Budget” – communications for nonprofit organizations
22:00 Where to send comments: email to donna@trafcom.com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on  Blubrry.com
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #65: Stop! Do you really need those slides?

These days I've been immersed in a project with a client, helping them to change their boring PowerPoint deck into a compelling presentation. In this 14-minute podcast, with a little help from some experts, I share some tips for making your next presentation memorable.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can  download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:

Comment line: 206-338-4200

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:00 Is your PowerPoint presentation getting your message across?
02:10 Example of a current project, where the "deck" does not appear to be the best way to communicate
02:40 Typical problems include too much small type on too many slides; ugly visuals; details that should probably be put into collateral material; confusing diagrams
03:05 What if your presentation bores people or doesn't differentiate you?
04:30 Always ask: "Do we really NEED a PowerPoint presentation deck?"
05:00 Think about the best presenters you've seen lately. Here's my list: Mitch Joel, Shel Holtz, Tod Maffin, Darren Barefoot
05:30 The best presenters tell a story
06:10 Common pitfall of using PowerPoint slides as a crutch
06:50 If the whole presentation is not on the slides, the presenter has to rehearse more and work a little harder
07:14 The Apple product, Keynote '08, is a beautiful tool for creating presentations

Some resources for you
07:30 Presentation Zen is a blog that offers many useful tips, advice and examples, such as: keep it simple, surprise people; use natural speech and concrete examples; give meaning to statistics; make people feel something.
09:15 Also check out Great Presentations Mean Business blog
09:27 Beyond Bullets by Cliff Atkinson

09:43 Recap: ditch the small type; get rid of bullet points wherever possible; think BENEFITS; tell a story; don't use your slides as a crutch; try interesting visuals
10:10 Where to send comments: email to Donna AT trafcom DOT com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
10:30 Promo from Gary Schlee for Talk is Cheap, November 15, Centennial College, Toronto
11:55 If you like this podcast, please subscribe through iTunes; tell your friends
12:15 Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com
12:40 Comment from Andrea Vascellari  
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #64: 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 this 10-minute podcast, I share some tips for accomplishing this, based on the experiences I’ve had with some recent projects.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 206-338-4200

00:01 Intro and welcome
00:52 When your audio solution isn’t a podcast
01:22 Repackaging audio to make the most of your investment
01:58 Example of a customer success story: audio, but not a podcast
03:00 Distributing audio at a conference
03:49 Limited series podcast
05:50 Packaging a client testimonial for employees to hear
06:22 Recording a guest speaker at a conference
06:59 Think about using audio in many different ways
07:37 Tip: Always save your original uncompressed audio file so that you can reuse it!
07:59 Where to send comments: email to donna AT trafcom DOT com,  call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
08:36 Third Tuesday Toronto begins October 15 with a talk by Darren Barefoot
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on  Blubrry.com
Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #63: An interview with Ian Hull, lawyer, blogger, podcaster

If you're a professional in a niche area, or if you're a businessperson considering blogging or podcasting, listen to this interview with Ian Hull of Hull & Hull LLP, a recognized leader in  estates and trusts. Their lawyers have written two of Canada's leading texts on estates law, and have acted in some of the country's largest and most complex estates cases. This legal leadership continues as Hull & Hull push the  boundaries of legal knowledge with blogs and podcasts.

Please listen and let me know what you think! You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.  Today's show runs 19 minutes.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line: 206-338-4200

00:01 Intro and welcome
01:50 Interview with Ian Hull of Hull & Hull begins
02:00 Ian explains the firm's niche area of estate law
02:45 How they started blogging and podcasting; advice from Terry Fallis of Thornley Fallis and the Inside PR podcast 
03:30 Giving out information for free; people come back for advice; audience is general public and other lawyers
04:20 Podcast has opened firm to new level of exposure; people know Hull & Hull through social media
04:55 Feedback from clients and lawyers; cannot give out legal advice
05:50 Growth in business since blog and podcast began
06:33 Clients know you before they come through the door thanks to social media
06:50 Increases trust
07:33 "Be the client"; personal rapport; easier to develop relationships
08:04 How they produce the podcast; outsource the production
09:40 Focus on content; keep it short
11:00 More than 100 shows so far
11:40 Increased visibility in the press; higher ranking in Google
13:00 Advice to professionals in a niche area: roll up your sleeves and do it; easier than you think; remember that you know your content; stand out from the pack and present your knowledge
15:00 Thanks to Ian; wrap up: do research; determine whether blog or podcast fit your communications strategy; outsource where needed; keep at it, even when you're busy
15:50 Third Tuesday Toronto begins October 15 with a talk by Darren Barefoot
16:58 Comment from Tina Hansen
Where to send comments: email to  donna AT trafcom.com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog.
Be sure to check out the Trafalgar Communications site for links to podcasts about podcasting; also PodcastYourConference.com for information about conference podcasting.

Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com.

Theme music is "Beneath Your Surface" by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network.

Show #60: Faking it. Or how to read a script naturally

Do you ever need to read a script – for a podcast or otherwise – and not sound like you’re reading? In this show I offer suggestions for sounding conversational while you’re reading.

This podcast is a just 14 minutes. Please listen and then let me know what you think! You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes

Here are the show notes:
Comment line 206-338-4200
00:01 Intro and welcome
01:00  About today’s topic: why it’s important to not sound like you’re reading
01:30 If you have two people speaking on the podcast, conversational tone comes pretty easily
03:55  Scenario 1: You want to script at least parts of your podcast and not sound like you’re reading
04:20 Tips on vocal variety, pauses, fillers, colloquial language
06:00  Reading is absolutely fine if you acknowledge that you’re reading
06:48 Scenario 2: You are recording someone and you need to help them sound unscripted, yet convey the necessary information
08:00 When you record someone, remind them that you can do several takes and that the recording can be edited
09:11 Where to send comments: email to donna@trafcom.com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
10:00 Comment from Piotr Golonka in Poland
11:27 The Forward Podcast’s list of PR podcasts from Paull Young and Luke Armour:
For Immediate Release
Inside PR
Trafcom News Podcast
New Comm Road
Comms Café
Six Pixels of Separation
PR Junction
Across the Sound
Marketing Over Coffee
On The Record Online
Managing the Gray
American Copywriter
The Client Side
12:49 Invitation to my Webinar, Podcasting 101 for Communicators and Marketers, August 21 at 2 p.m. EDT
13:49  Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com
Theme music is “Beneath Your Surface” by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #59: A chat with Shel Holtz about his new podcasting book; plus Podcasters Across Borders 2007

If you’re interested in podcasting, particularly in podcasting for business, you’ll want to hear this interview with my podcasting hero, Shel Holtz, co-author (with Neville Hobson) of How to Do Everything with Podcasting, just published by Osborne. Shel and Neville host one of the best podcasts out there, For Immediate Release: The Hobson and Holtz Report.

I chatted with Shel at a geek dinner in Toronto in late June. Plus, you’ll hear a few tidbits about Podcasters Across Borders 2007, recently held in Kingston, Ontario.

The whole podcast is a just 26 minutes. Please listen and then let me know what you think!
You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:
Comment line 206-338-4200
00:01 Intro and welcome; the interview with Shel Holtz, co-author (with Neville Hobson) of How to Do Everything with Podcasting; see the accompanying Web site too
11:45 Quick interviews from Podcasters Across Borders 2007 (PAB2007): Chris Penn of the Financial Aid Podcast and Bryan Person of the NewCommRoad Podcast; also a shout-out to Mitch Joel and Podcamp Boston2
16:05 Kudos to Mark Blevis and Bob Goyetche and their partners Andrea Ross and Cathy Bobkowicz for doing such a great job with PAB2007. For more about PAB2007, see the blog posts by Joe Thornley and Mitch Joel. Listen to the Canadian Podcast Buffet too.
17:00 Tod Maffin’s “Idea to Air” workshop at PAB2007
17:19 Webinar Wisdom podcast: The place to learn about using Webinars as a marketing tool
18:33 Comment from MY NORTHERNMOST LISTENER Francis Wooby about text-to-speech
21:26 Comment from Hugh McGuire about text-to-speech
21:26 Comment from Tina Hansen about text-to-speech (she’s the one who started this whole thread)
25:00 Where to send comments: email to donna@trafcom.com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com
Theme music is “Beneath Your Surface” by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network

Show #58: The most popular podcasting questions

What are the five most common questions people ask me about podcasting? Find out in this podcast, which runs just 20 minutes.

Listen and then let me know what you think!

You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:

Comment line 206-338-4200
00:01 Intro and welcome; these podcasting questions were asked of me at the recent mesh conference in Toronto
01:00 Podcasting question 1: How do I persuade my boss that our company should be podcasting?
01:46 Podcasting question 2: What’s better? Video or audio? Help for this answer from Chris Brogan and my recent interview with Victoria Fenner
04:12 Podcasting question 3: What if I start to podcast and then fall victim to podfading?
05:25 Podcasting question 4: Are corporations now more receptive to podcasting?
07:07 Podcasting question 5: How do you record the Trafcom News Podcast? (Here's the link to the interview with voiceover pro Joe Cipriano, about making the most of your voice.)
09:05 An invitation to attend my free Webinar: Podcasting 101 for Communicators and Marketers; register by sending me an email.
10:21 John Watkis answers the question posed by Christopher S. Penn in the previous show; John is offering his entire presentation on “How to write a speech that’s like music to their ears” on his Well Written Well Said Web site. (Here is my original interview with John.)
13:49 Question from Tina Hansen regarding using synthetic voices and text-to-speech software for podcasting; she mentions an organization she works with, the National Federation of the Blind, as well as several sites that use text to speech, including Babble Books and S3 Books. What do YOU think about this? What does Hugh McGuire of Librivox think? (My interview with Hugh is here.)
18:18 Podcasters Across Borders 2007 takes place in Kingston, Ontario, June 22-24
18:50 Where to send comments: email to donna@trafcom.com, call the comment line at 206-338-4200 or post a message to the Trafcom News Podcast blog
Look for the Trafcom News Podcast on Blubrry.com
Theme music is “Beneath Your Surface” by the Elisabeth Lohninger Quartet from the Podsafe Music Network