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Submit ReviewYou may have decided to start a podcast on WordPress. Or, perhaps, you are moving your existing podcast to a WordPress site.
There’s so much to do, right? Like picking a theme. A theme from the thousands and thousands of themes. Unfortunately there isn’t one tried and true and tired theme to go with.
There are many variables that will help you decide on your theme. Is it going to be a free theme or one you pay for? From there, it grows from a single path to hundreds of ways you can go. Will it be supported? Will it be kept updated? Etc. etc. etc.
Although this won’t help you decide on a theme here and now, let me share three thoughts.
Launching a podcast on a WordPress is not rocket science. You can install a plugin to use as your player, create a post out of it, add, content and boom, there you go.
If you just want to get your podcast up and going, keep it simple. Start recording. Start publishing. Then let all the other pieces fall into place as you move on.
In your adventures, you likely have seen many speciality themes. Themes for restaurants, realtors, salons, consultants, authors, you name it. Often these are designed to easily fit needs when putting content and a site together. Some may even come with recommended plugins. We wrote about one of these here on our site. This may be a good option if you are looking for something more like a plug-and-play type of theme.
You don’t have to be a coder to build a theme close to what you are envisioning in your head. Pagebuilders will do that for you. Consider them as an amped up version of blocks.
I have used Genesis child themes for years on my sites. But when it came time to adding three podcasts to three sites, I had a certain vision. Even the podcasting themes didn’t meet it. So I used the Beaver Theme and Beaver Builder. I was able to get as close as I can to my vision and I can tweak and redesign more easily as needed for my sites.
The only warning I will give you is that even though pagebuilders are billed as an easy way to drag-and-drop your way to the site you really want, there is a learning curve. It takes time to grasp all that a pagebuilder can do for you. So expect some investment of time in this endeavor.
That’s it. I have taught hundreds of people over the years how to choose a theme. Some have hired me to do it. But don’t make it a barrier in getting your podcast up and going. No matter where you start, you can always change down the road. And with the growth of blocks in the WordPress space, we are going to see the world of themes change over time.
Last week I talked about adding the date to your podcast post. With WordPress, you can easily toggle it on and off, so you want to make sure you are doing it for your listeners, and not yourself
Keeping with dates, although not WordPress specific, is the fact of avoiding outdated dates on your show.
So what am I talking about here? Always make sure that the content in your podcast isn’t dated with an event or special that will be over by the time you make your show live.
There are very few audio podcasts that I know of that are live. Almost all of them are pre-recorded, and for good reasons. The most obvious being the ability to edit, post-process and add content. No matter what your show is, likely you will be doing some editing, whether doing it yourself or sending it out to a third-party. There is post-processing that you may engage in to tweak the sound. And lastly, if you have an intro and an outro, or ad rolls, you need to insert them as well.
Now there are a lot of video podcasts that are recorded live or streamed, but that’s not what I’m talking about today.
You will have your own process worked out and the time you schedule them will depend on what works for you. In my own podcasts, I have specific days and times of a week up to 3 months out that guests can book. And I may give them a shorter block to choose from if I need them for a specific date.
But there is that lapse time between recording and publishing.
That’s what I want to talk about today. Some podcasters have a set time to record an entire season. They may record all sessions within one month, say June, if the season starts in September. Others may do it sooner or even later.
Myself, I typically try to keep it within a month, even less sometimes. Because, stuff happens. Also, I have been known to put one out from recording to live within a day or two if needed.
But, whatever the case, there is one big precaution, you the podcaster need to take— and to share with your guests.
How many times has a guest said, “I have this upcoming webinar next week….” only to realize that you are publishing this in 30 days and that specific content will be outdated. Or maybe you even slip up.
I’m not talking about if you record in February and publish in April, and you or your guest talks about the three feet of snow outside your window. Your post is in the archives no matter when you publish. But it’s the events, workshops, and other dated stuff that can throw your listeners for a loop.
The easiest thing is to avoid this. Let your guests know before you start to try to avoid any mentions of upcoming events. I include this in my show notes that I send to the guests. However, sometimes you can give your guests the chance to share this info if you do it right.
If someone wants to share an upcoming event…
If it is a conference or workshop, you need to make sure that it’s only shared if you are publishing in time for people to sign up. The same goes for single online events.
If it’s an online event that will be recorded for continued access, make sure you mention that if the podcast goes live post-event. For example you might say:
Kim, you have this great webinar coming up next week, tell us about that. Then make sure you tell your listeners that since the podcast is published afterwards, you will be sure they can get the link to listen to the recording.
My main point is that you as the podcaster need to keep this in mind. Not every guest will remember this, and things often just crop up in the conversation. If appropriate, make a note about it to your listeners in the actual podcast, so that there is no confusion on their part.
One last thought…
This really goes beyond just dated information. If you are recording podcasts up to 1-2 months ahead of time, think this through… there is a lot of content that is not verbally dated, but can also become outdated as well.
In episode 14 of our podcast, I recall how sometime ago I tweeted my mild frustration at the fact that I found a few podcasts, here and there, that were without a date. You know, like blog posts without a time stamp?
I got a few replies and had some short conversations. Nothing too deep. But after a few days I revisited it and did a little research. When I Googled it, not much came up. Either I was putting in the wrong terms, or nobody gave a damn.
Still, it had me wondering.
The simple answer is, it depends, or at least that is what some argued. But I’m going out on a limb here and say, yes, you should do it. And as I will explain further, if anything, do it for your listeners who care.
As I explored it further, the most common remarks were:
Most people listen to the podcasts on a platform, like iTunes. Why bother?
My podcast is about XXXX, (topics that are evergreen and never outdated).
I don’t think my listeners care (perhaps most disturbing because it’s an assumption).
There were more, but let’s take these three.
Well, good for you. But have you ever looked at iTunes? Yes, they do include a published date. Or perhaps you use Overcast. Well, heck, I see the date right under the title. There must be a reason.
So you say your podcast episodes are evergreen, timeless, so it’s not necessary to date them? I might agree with you if you just read Bible scriptures in every episode. But interviews and conversations between hosts cry for dates. Whether you are talking about your beginnings in business or life, it would be nice to know when you had those thoughts you are sharing with us. It gives your listeners much-needed context and perspective.
I was perusing some reviews on several podcasts, from hugely popular podcasts to smaller niche ones. The reviews didn’t mention the presence or absence of dates on the post. But we should never assume that we know what our listeners want, whether they give a hoot about the dates or not. To be on the safe side, keep the date on. That way you satisfy both preferences. If it doesn’t matter, they’ll ignore it. If they do care, it’s there for them. And isn’t that who we are podcasting for, our listeners?
In my research, I looked at a wide variety of business, entertainment and storytelling podcasts. I stuck to very popular ones, because I figured, they must be doing something right. Overwhelmingly, the podcasters dated their posts. Granted, some didn’t, but most did.
I didn’t do this podcast to argue the point, nor to shame anyone who has chosen to not date their podcast posts. But if you are a podcaster or are thinking about starting one, think it over. Weigh the pros and cons. Think about your listeners. And, as always, in the end, do what you feel is right.
In episode 13, I am sharing the five big reasons to use WordPress for your podcast.
Often people who are starting a podcast or growing an existing one, seem complacent with having it on a podcast platform. But there are limitations. You might want to consider WordPress if you doing one of two things.
You have complete control over all your content: from your podcast itself to your show notes, transcripts and everything else. Although podcasting platforms may seem much easier to create and maintain, you will have more limitations when it comes to marketing your podcast. Also, be aware of their terms of service as you may not own your content as much as you think you do.
There are thousands of themes in WordPress you can use to build a robust and professional site for your podcast. There are also themes that built specifically with podcasts in mind. And if you want to get real creative, you can use a page builder like Beaver Builder. In any case, creating and organizing content for and around your podcast will be much easier and more user-friendly.
There is a plugin—both fee and paid—that will do just about anything when it comes to WordPress. Some plugins are related to helping you set up your podcast for feeds and organization like Seriously Simple Podcasting Plugin or PowerPress Podcasting Plugin by Blubrrry. Others can help you with your podcasting calendar, sharing and subscribe buttons, build you lists, and hundreds of other things that help to get your podcast out to the world.
WordPress, as a content management system, is built for search engine optimization. Whether it’s your show notes, transcripts or other content you repurpose from your podcast, if you follow the basic rules of SEO and provide good content, Google will find you. There are several plugins that can help you, including my favorite, Yoast SEO.
WordPress is a powerhouse when it comes to content. The more value you deliver with your content, and even through other mediums, the more listeners you will have. On podcasting platforms you are limited, but with WordPress, creating additional content, whether it compliments your podcast or is repurposed from your podcast, is limitless.
Of course, this may sound like a lot more work than simply using one of the podcasting platforms out there. And to be honest, it probably is. But if you really want to use your podcast to grow your business or brand, and do it using WordPress, well, you have found the right place.
In episode 12 of our podcast, I’m changing up the format.
When I started this site my initial thoughts were around the benefits of having your podcast on your WordPress site. In the podcasting space, there isn’t a lot of talk around this, simply because so many people starting out, or trying to grow their podcast, are doing so on one of the popular pod platforms. Because, in the end, they are looking at costs and time put into a new venture for what they consider as an additional marketing tool. Their podcast.
The fact that some of these platforms let you embed your podcasts on your WordPress site is great. But I sincerely think many of those who use WordPress that way don’t get the most out of their podcast or their site. And, of course, those that don’t have it on WordPress are really missing out.
So where am I going with this?
I’m treading lightly here as I am a huge fan of interviews and conversations with guests. It’s what I do on my other two podcasts. And the ones I have done here have been great.
But that was not my original goal here. Now I’m sure there are some who love those interviews. I did as well. It’s wonderful to hear what they did: what succeeded, what failed.
But having spent the last month looking at the space, listening to what people are asking, and watching the chats of those who want to start one—or grow their existing one—I realized that interviews were not hitting that sweet spot.
Juggling the content here and honing in on what I think will work best, the weekly podcasts here are going to be shorter audios where you can learn one thing from me, and then move on. It will be one of two things:
That’s it.
I will be focusing on the power of WordPress and content —and how that will help you succeed with your podcasting efforts.
I’ll still do a video and/or post occasional content that will be more tutorial-focused. Sometimes those are better than just the audio.
I hope you enjoy this new direction. And of course, those interviews are still packed with great podcasting stuff, so don’t hesitate to dive into the archives.
Happy Podcasting
In episode 11 of our podcast, I had the pleasure of talking with three special guests. They are the force behind the Women in WP Podcast: Amy Masson, Tracy Apps and Angela Bowman.
This conversation is packed with so many good insights, thoughts and stories, that to quote from it here and there, wouldn’t do it justice.
We had a chance to chat about:
These topics led to deeper conversations and I strongly recommend that you make the time to listen to the entire episode.
Amy Masson
Tracy Apps
Angela Bowman
Well, it wasn’t anticipated, but as of the last episode, I haven’t pushed out a new one. Continuity is so critical in podcasting, and I’ve broken the golden rule.
Okay, so much for the admission of guilt.
Sometimes I am reluctant to project into the future as things change so quickly. On the other hand, I feel I owe it to you, our listeners. I could spend an inordinate amount time and space making excuses for the break in this podcast, but I’ll spare you.
We will be back on the 8th of January with episode 11. The main podcast will continue, where I will bring in a guest and talk about their podcast and/or some aspect of podcasting. It’s all about the conversation.
As long as I find gems in our shows that can stand-alone and answer a question for you, our 2-5 minute snippets will come to you as they are discovered.
I just started these. In a nutshell, they are similar to our posts that are strictly tips and will range in length. I will be republishing several of our posts during the month of December. These will be done solely by yours truly and I hope to bring you some shorter insights into helping you start, run or market your podcast.
Occasionally I will do video podcasts that are tutorial-based, that is, I will share a screen with you to make it valuable and helpful.
So hang in there with me as I catch up on the tips this month and start full steam ahead in January.
By the end of this month I will be announcing something new coming to this site that should be launched early in the first quarter of 2020 that will help you get the most out of building your podcast on your WordPress site.
Whatever you may be celebrating this month, I wish you a safe and fun holiday.
Cheers,
BobWP
In episode 10 of our podcast, we are doing something different. I am playing the guest, but that’s not what this is really about.
I was on the team of organizers for WordCamp Seattle, a WordPress-centric conference, and volunteered to create a podcasting corner. Well, one thing led to another, and we opened it up to people considering jumping into the podcasting waters as well as those who had already started, but were finding just a few barriers holding them back.
Rob Taylor, from 2TravelDads attended my WordCamp session on podcasting and had some more questions. His blog has hundreds of posts. He has traffic. And he has a few episodes ready to put out. But there were some small barriers holding him up.
So, I thought, why not make a podcast out of it? Listen in as Rob and I talk about the process of developing a content or business plan for producing your podcasting episodes.
We don’t cover the entire gamut of what goes behind this, but I share some tips with Rob here to help him continue on his podcasting journey.
Start publishing those podcasts. Don’t worry about the numbers; they will grow organically.
I might be coming to your site already, I’m reading your posts and think, cool, there’s a podcast now and I’m into podcasts. I like reading your stuff because it’s but I really the podcasting format so I’m going to shift over here and started checking it out.
Am I going to handle all this myself or am I going to outsource it? Am I going to outsource the editing or am I a perfectionist, or do I love editing part of it? You got to build that in. I mean there’s no way around it and you’re going to edit as much as you want or need to edit.
Whenever I go in to a post, I set aside five minutes, maybe two minutes, maybe just a minute, and I think, what have I written lately that might connect to this post? I remember this podcast. I’m going to add the link with some context where it flows naturally, and that adds value to the podcast and post.
Writing and podcasting about the same topic isn’t creating duplicate content. You will discover you write much differently than you talk. The text may be more technical and the podcast may be more story-driven.
I look at my Google analytics. I might see other content growing and maybe the podcast numbers aren’t growing, but it might have happened when I added the podcast. So I’m seeing some different kind of growth. It’s not always just listens, it’s how your entire message is getting out there.
Make sure that you visit Rob’s site at 2TravelDads and look for his upcoming podcast.
In episode 9 of our podcast, I am chatting with fellow podcaster Kyle Maurer. Kyle co-hosts the Get Options Podcast and works on several WordPress plugins at Sandhills Development.
We chat about:
There is nothing better than to hear how and why someone gets into podcasting. Even more so, how podcasters are taking this medium and creating unique projects for themselves.
Kyle has started a family podcast. Not only do we learn about this fascinating approach, but it also teaches us a lot about the art of interviewing in a podcast. It’s interesting how this show blended into both Kyle sharing why this is such an important project to him and his family reacting to being on a private, yet powerful podcast.
This isn’t just about creating personal podcasts. Our conversation takes us deeper into the interview process and what we feel makes this approach successful.
This podcast is full of emotions and humor, so listen in as we hear a story you won’t want to miss.
I was destined to get into podcasting though I didn’t really know it. I suffer from microphone addiction. I’ve always been into anything that involved a microphone. Anytime I was handed one for any reason, I came alive and felt so excited.
I consider blogging to be valuable. But blogging is work. Podcasting to me is play. It’s fun. Like I can’t wait to do it.
There was certainly a variety of shows where you could hear interesting stories, you could learn valuable knowledge about how to use this software and what successful businesses are doing. Great interview guests, interview shows, and then, a dozen imitators of each good one. We thought, if there’s anything missing, maybe it’s a little bit of levity. So we brought our brand of sarcasm and creativity and all of the joke rap songs that we liked to write about WordPress topics and turned that into a podcast called Get Options.
I’ve come to appreciate what goes into a great interview and definitely not claiming to be someone who conducts great interviews, but just learning about the craft and appreciating how amazing it can be to put a great interview together.
I’ve also been reflecting on the fact that some interviews are fascinating, but they do not reflect normal life, the questions that never ever come up in real life. They truly only exist in the context of the guest and host interview or perhaps sometimes in therapy sessions I suppose, but most people go their entire lives without ever once being asked. What was that like for you going through all of that or what did you hope the outcome would be during that pivotal moment in your life?
Having questions in advance is outstanding. Having an engaging host who is interested in the topic and can work with me along the way and understand what I know go hand in hand in this conversation. It is the recipe for success.
I’ve been thinking about how many great stories are never told because people don’t get a chance to tell them. I’m watching my family grow older and wishing to connect with them more. So one day I just decided to begin producing a private show where I interview every important person in my life, one at a time, with the goal being to learn their stories straight from the source. And I want to keep these stories around for future generations.
It has been the exact same story every time. Whoever I ask, they say, great idea. Go interview everyone except me. Under no circumstances will you get me to talk into a microphone. I am the only person in my family who enjoys that. Well, I can be persuasive when I want to be. I eventually get people to participate. They all enjoy the experience and end up helping me persuade everyone else to give it a try. And I think there’s something almost intoxicating about it. There’s something special about having someone ask you these questions, which are just about you, the topic you know best.
We all have things that are in our domain and being interviewed can be stressful. But I think for most people, even when people who are uncomfortable being put in the spotlight, it’s comfortable if it’s their topic. If it’s something they know very, very well.
I have a couple of grandfathers and they’re very different. One of them immigrated when he was in his twenties from Ireland to America and he had a wild roller coaster of a life and another served in the war overseas. They both had rich, complicated lives. Both told me crazy stories that I’d never heard before about their past. Really, really wild things I just had no idea even happened. And both of them unexpectedly broke down when talking about their children. It’s been emotional and very moving.
There’s so much to be learned. I also really appreciate in this the opportunity to gather different perspectives about the same experiences because it’s not just any person, it’s the people in my family and we have a shared thread. And so if I interview a sibling, we grew up in the same household, but we don’t look back on our past the same way. All those pivotal moments that we shared were very different for both of us or each of us. They were very different for my parents than they were for me. And they were for my younger siblings. Even though we were both present in the same space, and unpacking those moments and learning these perspectives of the other important people in our life is truly fascinating to me. It’s eye-opening.
I don’t exactly know how long that my life will be this way and if it will fit and make sense for me. But right now I’m doing it and that’s what matters. I think I have some minimum goals. I want to get more interviews, a bunch more conducted this year.
I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s there. I have a big family. I could be doing this for years if I wanted to and, and maybe I will because I get so much out of it. But I think what I’m gonna do is start with finishing up the rest of this year, get as much of my family as I can really sit down next year and see what the rest of my family thinks, see how people enjoy it and see whether I’m still getting a lot out of it.
Do this for you, for yourself. The only reason I do it is because it’s fun for me. I like it. I get a lot out of it. I enjoy it. I look forward to doing it. Your listeners are going to read lots of blog posts with good advice and hear other podcasts with wise people telling you what’s working for them and you’ll attend conference talks and learn about the tactics that have been highly effective these days for other entrepreneurs. You hear what those people are doing and you’re going to think, Oh, okay, now I should just do that. Throw that advice in the trash. I think you need to do what you are into.
In episode 8 of our podcast, I talk with with Michelle Ames, host of the podcast WP Coffee Talk and head of Customer Support at Impress.org. Michelle is part of the team of GiveWP, a WordPress donation plugin that is used by thousands of nonprofits.
We chat about:
Podcasting hasn’t quite picked up in the nonprofit space, so I thought it would be good to talk with Michelle about what a podcast could mean to an organization.
We start with the value it could bring and some do’s and don’ts, specifically around podcasting and nonprofits when focusing on projects or donors, or a mix of both.
Nonprofits cannot survive without fundraising and we chat about how to podcast without it being a too much on the sales side.
Michelle wraps things up by giving us a final tip on why nonprofits should consider a podcast for their fundraising and marketing efforts.
We spend time interjecting our own experiences with nonprofits, so you will want to listen in to this jam-packed conversation around podcasting and nonprofits.
Storytelling is one way to do that because storytelling allows us to make it real, to connect on a human level and maybe tug on those heartstrings a little bit. So we can use all those different avenues to tell stories. Social media is a great way to tell stories, your blog or your website is a great way to tell stories, but podcasting is a phenomenal way to do that as well because you get to hear people tell stories in their own voice, not just read it. And with the inflection, you actually hear somebody’s heart in the way that they are connected to that nonprofit.
If a nonprofit were to do a podcast, I would expect it would be more around what their mission and goal is. My suggestion isn’t to do a fundraising podcast because a fundraising podcast is going to get really tired.
Talk about what you do and what you do well, focus on your goal. Focus on your mission, tell people what it is that you do and how you meet that pain point of your community.
Get interesting people on. Tell the stories of people you have served.
Don’t focus solely on asking for money.
Don’t always talk to volunteers. It shouldn’t be the volunteer podcast. It should be about everything that you do and all the different people you interact with.
Speaker 2: (10:32)Don’t ask them how much money they gave because that’s never comfortable for anybody; don’t focus on the money aspect of being a donor at all. What you do want to do is talk about why the donors are inspired to give, what motivated them to open their wallet and support this organization. And it’s even better to use words like support than it is to say donation.
It’s all about the storytelling. So if you can find the stories that connect your donors to your mission, then you’re in really good territory. Make sure you’re asking those open-ended questions that really drive to the heart of your mission. Why are you supporting us? What motivated you to give? And that’s where you’re going to get some of those really good responses from your donors and you’re not going to run into uncomfortable areas that way.
So your podcast is a great opportunity to drive donors to your website because you’re going to share it through social media. You’re going to find different ways to embed on your website. They’re finding your services because they’re in need or they’re finding your donation page because they want to support you.
It’s dependent on what your site is doing, what your mission and goal is and how you want to present that on your donation form. But the bottom line is this: make sure you have an easy-to-find donation form so your podcast can promote that as well.
Speaker 2: (21:24)You can spend thousands of dollars to get into podcasting or you can do it relatively inexpensively to start. You can get on Amazon, you can buy the microphone with decent sound for less than a hundred dollars. Your software can be fairly inexpensive as well. There are free sites that will get your podcast out into PodBeans, Apple Podcasts and all those other podcasting areas. So it doesn’t have to be expensive.
Find the time and the energy to do it. If a person doesn’t already exist in your organization, advertise for it. Advertise for the volunteers you want and the volunteers you need. If you need somebody to manage your social media, is there anybody in your volunteer group who can do it? Why not ask if there’s somebody who wouldn’t be interested in starting your podcast? Ask for the specific things you need and you’d be surprised the people who are willing and able to help you go forward.
WP Coffee Talk on Twitter @wpcoffeetalk
Michelle on Twitter @michelleames
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