Yesterday I wrote an article entitled, “Top 6 Misconceptions about Blogging.” After the article went up I got an email from a friend of mine asking me about point #6 on the list. This intrigued my friend since he isn't a particularly good writer but is interested in starting “awesome podcasts” as he put it.
For those that didn't read my article, but you know you should, the #6 misconception about blogging is that “Everyone should start a Blog.”
He then mentioned he had thought about podcasting before but didn't really know where to start. He then asked what sort of advice I could give him to start a radio or video internet show.
The first thing I suggested to my friend is that he should start listening to a lot of podcasts and watching video shows in topics that interest him. This will give him a feel for the type of show that he wants to create and what he could possibly do that hasn't been done before. (Remember you need to find a niche that is Wide Fucking Open.) This is good to do before you start investing in equipment, hosting, etc.
However I also recommended 2 awesome podcasts that put out content quite frequently. These podcasts were;
Mike From Maine
This is a podcasted and video show hosted by Mike Thomas, who is from Maine, and used to build niche websites. Like a lot of web entrepreneurs he found himself in a bit of trouble after Google decided to update their search algorithm. So he decided to switch gears and start interviewing successful internet entrepreneurs about how they make money. Mike puts out 5 interviews during the weekday and his guests cover a wide range of topics from copywriting, video creation, plugins, solo ads, email list building, social media, and even more. I've found some of the interviews quite interesting and informative. The Jayson Benoit interview about solo ads was surprising for me since I didn't even realize people were still making a full time incomes from email lists. (To me this sounds real old school.) There was a great interview with Michael Cyger, from DomainSherpa, about monetizing podcasts and about what lead him to start his website. What is interesting is that Cyger wasn't a domain investor but was interested in the industry and decided he should start a show about it. Listening to the Mike From Maine has made me realize all the various ways someone can monetize websites and make money online.
While I have gotten a lot out of the show, I would be careful who you listen to. There are a good number of people that come on the show that “Sell The Dream” (STD). When I say someone has an “STD” that means their successful web business is selling you a product and not actually having done much else besides that. It doesn't take much to figure out who these people are and I encourage everyone to stay away from anyone with STD's. 😀
Mike even has admitted he's let people though the cracks, so at least he knows and is honest about it.
Entrepreneur on Fire
This is show that posts excellent interviews with successful entrepreneurs 7-days a week. That is not a typo but the host of Entrepreneur on Fire, John Lee Dumas, might be slightly nuts. It is a great show with amazing entrepreneurs and John's main goal is to inspire others to pursue their entrepreneurial goals. Since there are around 230 interviews and growing it might be hard to find a certain interview and show that will be useful for you, so there is a Podcast Match Maker. You can select what level of entrepreneur you are and what you are trying to accomplish. The Podcast Match Maker will then give you set of shows it thinks are best for you to listen to. What's nice about the EOF is that John has the show formatted in the same way so you get familiar with what is going to be asked. I've gotten a lot out of listening to some of the interviews on EOF and I know you will too.
What's funny, is I believe John is also from Maine and currently lives there as well. I guess people from Maine are good at podcasting.
Food for Thought
Not only are these awesome podcasts but I recommend “Entrepreneur on Fire” and “Mike from Maine” since both hosts update with new content quite often. When I first started listening to Mike from Maine I didn't realize he posted new interviews every weekday. At first I thought, “Hey, is iTunes broken or something?” There were so many new shows it made it hard to keep up. The same thing happened when I started listening to EOF.
While the shows can be hard to keep up with for some, I am sure a lot of people love listening to every interview. Even though I don't listen to either of these shows everyday I know when I visit either site there will always be fresh and relevant content on there. That is a powerful way to encourage repeat visitors.
Are there other great and awesome podcasts out there? Sure, but these are the only 2 podcasts that I am aware of that post new shows this often. That's why I suggested these 2 podcasts specifically to my friend.
There are a number of large media companies and news outlets that put out podcasts daily, but keep in mind these are not large scale operations. It is not fair to compare Mike Thomas and John Lee Dumas to someone with access to several producers handling tasks for them and resources of a news organization. (John does have someone help him though.)
Mike is so dedicated to putting out new interviews he still did 3 shows when he got married. How's that for dedication? (If you are reading this Mike, congrats!)
Seeing both of these guys dedication to their content and sites makes me feel more encouraged. I hope if you follow them you will get the same push that I did. I am going to start a podcast with a few other people which I am hoping will go well. This shows make me realize if they can do I can do it. Certainly my friend who is not the best writer but quite a boisterous talker could do a great podcast.
If you ask me both of these guys are content freaks and are making others look bad. Hey, both of you need to slow down! 🙂