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.

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 #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 #52: Reflections of Podcamp Toronto

In this 17-minute podcast, I share my thoughts on Podcamp Toronto and play a short interview with Mitch Joel, Luke Armour, Bryan Person and John Wall.
You can download the show right here or subscribe through iTunes.

Here are the show notes:
00:01 Intro and welcome
00:55 What’s an unconference?
03:33 The importance of editing/thanks to Mark Blevis
04:21 Role of personal branding/thanks to Mitch Joel, whom you can hear at the Power Within in Montreal April 3
05:04 We have a lot of educating to do when we talk to business people about podcasting/thanks to Chris Penn for his tips
06:18 My Webinar on podcasting for communicators and marketers on March 20; book your space
06:40 Panel discussion on “Should your business be podcasting” was recorded by moderator Mitch Joel for his Six Pixels of Separation podcast
Fellow panelists are Michael Seaton of Scotiabank, Luke Armour, Terry Fallis of Thornley Fallis and the Inside PR podcast
NOTE: Here is the Media Archive for Podcamp Toronto
07:33 Were you at Podcamp Toronto? Send me an email
08:30 Interview after the first day of Podcamp Toronto with Mitch Joel, Luke Armour, John Wall, Bryan Person
14:45 Comment from Dave Williams about podcast promos
15:54 Where to send comments: email to trafcom AT gmail.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

Stick your earbuds in or turn on your speakers!

Welcome to the home of the Trafcom News Podcast. I'm glad you're here. Each week (and soon, more often than that) you'll find audio content designed for people who care about communicating. And I hope these short and sweet shows pique your interest in podcasting too!