Move your message with audio: A podcasting workshop for writers

Move Your Message with Audio March 2012

Donna Papacosta

Sounds of writers making money with audio

Move Your Message with Audio

Why would you, a writer, use audio?

Move Your Message with Audio

Writers using audio

•  Promote your book

•  Share your knowledge; run training programs

•  Share interviews you’ve done for articles

•  Create a more interesting web presence

•  Offer audio/podcasting services to clients

Some terminology first

Move Your Message with Audio

Simple definition of podcasting: Internet radio show Move Your Message with Audio

A little more techie: Difference between audio and podcast

Move Your Message with Audio

Characteristics of a podcast

•  Audio or video file

•  Not just downloadable; need RSS feed

•  Serial nature

•  No iPod required, despite the name

Why audio?

•  Warmth of the human voice

•  Popularity of multimedia

•  Today’s tools are accessible, easy to use

•  Gear is much less expensive now

The information firehose

Human touch of audio

•  Intimate “in your ears” •  Portable and time-shifted

•  Can build relationships

•  Appeals to auditory learners

The basics of podcasting

•  Plan ahead

•  Record in uncompressed format

•  Edit; save or export file as MP3

•  Upload MP3 file to a hosting service (Libsyn)

•  Publish podcast in an RSS feed through your blog

Planning your podcast

•  What’s your goal?

•  Who are you trying to reach?

•  Know how to produce?

•  Can you promote it?

To script or not?

•  Light scripting better than tight

•  If you script, mark up script and rehearse

•  Learn to sound natural when reading

•  My advice: Don’t script, unless you have a talent for voice acting (exception: reading your fiction or essay)

Remember this is audio!

Move Your Message with Audio

Listener has no visual cues

•  Communicate for the ear, not the eye

•  Use simple language; start with a hook

•  Give auditory guideposts (Let’s talk about three things… First…”)

•  Avoid lots of numbers

•  Do a recap at the end

Recording your podcast

•  Avoid built-in microphones

•  Learn to use the mic and other gear

•  Consider a digital recorder

•  Always record in uncompressed format

Podcasting in your office

Move Your Message with Audio

Basic gear

•  Computer

•  Microphone

•  Recording software (Audacity is free)

Remote interviews

•  Skype

•  Recording software (Pamela, Call Recorder or others)

•  Microphone and headphones

•  Good Internet connection

Recording steps

•  Silence ambient noise where possible

•  Check your gear

•  Get a waveform that is full but not clipped

•  Use 44100 Hz sample rate, 64kbp bit rate, mono

Podcasting on the go

Move Your Message with Audio

Let’s record now

Move Your Message with Audio

Get great interviews

•  Pick an expert who speaks well

•  Do pre-interview

•  Plan questions but don’t share exact ones

•  Always be conversational

•  Don’t insert agreement utterances

Editing your podcast

•  Start with a good recording!

•  Remove some (not all) ums

•  Use simple software (Audacity, Garage Band)

•  Save and back up your work

Let’s edit now

Move Your Message with Audio

Show notes

•  Improve your SEO

•  Helpful to listeners

Shortcuts to using audio

Move Your Message with Audio

Let’s publish with SoundCloud

Move Your Message with Audio

SoundCloud how-to

•  Record on iPhone or computer

•  Upload to SoundCloud

•  Share your audio via social media

•  Note: SoundCloud now offering full podcast capabilities with RSS feed, etc.

Blogging makes podcasting easier

Move Your Message with Audio

Promoting your podcast

•  Pick a great name (not like mine)

•  Get attractive cover art

•  Get listed in iTunes and other directories

•  Make podcast easy to find

•  Promote through social and other media

Measuring your success

•  How many downloads?

•  How many subscribers to RSS feed?

•  Is anyone talking about your podcast?

•  What were you trying to achieve?

Get the Podcaster’s Checklist

Move Your Message with Audio

Find your passion, share your story, build your business

Donna Papacosta donna@trafcom.com 905.844.7645

trafcom.com @donnapapacosta