What in the World is Going on in Digital Media? 2019 Edition

Do you like numbers? My son likes numbers. In fact, he loves counting forward and backward from ten, often. Every game of hide-and-seek begins with counting. And the perfect number of strawberries to eat (as far as he is concerned) is five. Always, five.  

So, what’s all this talk about numbers? Welllll, just last week Edison Research and Triton Digital released Infinite Dial 2019, their annual statistical report on all things digital media (including social media, smartphones, music streaming, and yes, even podcasting). Why is this important? Well, if you are someone working in the online space or hoping to in the near future, the way people are interacting and using digital media matters and will help you with creating your own digital media strategies for the months to come. 

Here’s one quick example: if you are about to ramp up social media efforts but unsure whether to post on Facebook versus Instagram, Facebook usage is down while Instagram usage is on the rise. However, keep in mind that based on the number of users, Facebook still surpasses Instagram. If you are on the fence as to where to post, some of the social media trends could help you determine where to align your best efforts. The report offers food for thought, as well as, encouragement for audio media and consumption. 

Here are some other interesting takeaways:

  • LinkedIn usage remained exactly the same for 2017, 2018, and 2019. Which, based on my interpretation, means it’s a fairly stable platform and worth using to connect and network with professionals in your industry. Hop on the LinkedIn gravy train; stable isn’t a bad thing.

  • Smart speaker ownership and use is up to 65 million estimated users (with Amazon Alexa beating out all of the other competition, currently). Soooo, if you have a podcast, submit your show to TuneIn or consider creating an Alexa Skill so that users can find and listen to your podcast on their smart speaker. Not sure how to go about doing so? I can help walk you through the steps.

  • Podcasting familiarity and listening is on the rise with the average monthly listening (age 25-54) up to 39%, compared to 2018 when it was at 32%. According to the report, “Along with the increases in podcast listening, audiobook consumption also surged, indicating a trend towards increased spoken word audio consumption."

If you have a podcast, this means, keep going! If you are thinking about starting a podcast, consider getting it started. Regardless of the Infinite Dial report, podcasting has been around for well over a decade and isn’t going anywhere. If you have a message and want to share it, what are you waiting for?

If you want to geek out on all things digital media trends, read the full Infinite Dial 2019 report here

Organize Your Content and Podcast Files, Like a Pro!

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Whether you are creating a podcast, writing blog posts, or writing a weekly or monthly newsletter, organization will help keep you on track. Organizing helps you: create a plan, keep things concise, and keep your goals within sight. 

A great way to organize your thoughts for content creation is by having a content creation calendar. You can find templates for content calendars all over the web. Co-schedule put one out at the end of 2018, and you can find that here.  Or you can simply create one using Google Calendar.

Putting your ideas down for blog posts, along with the dates they will be published, will help you map out your content in an easy and visual way. If calendars aren’t your thing, you can also create a Google Document and map out a month’s worth of content in it.

My final thought on organization relates to podcasting, specifically. Whenever I begin working with a new podcasting client, I create an episode tracking spreadsheet for them. The spreadsheet includes columns such as:

  • Episode number

  • Release date

  • Episode title

  • Guest name

  • Guest email

  • And, even the show notes url

The spreadsheet also includes columns for checking off items as they are done, for example: is the audio back from the editor, is the episode uploaded to Libsyn, or is the social media content scheduled?   The spreadsheet is our way of making sure we are hitting all aspects of production for their podcast. Additionally, the spreadsheet serves as a resource to look back upon for topic ideas, referencing links for sharing past episodes, and guest contact information.

There are other spreadsheets I create for clients to help keep things organized as it relates to their podcast too. This includes spreadsheets to track guest research, coordination and vetting, plus guest pitching.

I’ve created a template of the various spreadsheets you can use to organize your podcast episodes, guest coordination, guest research, vetting, and even podcast pitching.

👉 
You can download it here

Remember, it’s not necessarily what you use to organize your podcast and content creation, but that you actually DO use the tools that work best for you. When you become organized, the work doesn’t seem so tedious or hard. In fact, it can become fun and light, because the focus of where you want to go is crystal clear and fully formed. Happy organizing!

Create an Audiogram in 4 Easy Steps

An audiogram is a video file (.mp4) that has a static image and includes audio. It’s a unique way to share content on social media or on your website.

Some Ways to Use Audiograms:

  • Portion of a podcast episode to share on social media

  • An audio clip with image to promote an upcoming course, webinar, or special event

  • Share a tip on the static image and elaborate a bit more as part of the audio clip

Check out the short video tutorial below to learn how to create an audiogram in 4 easy steps. And, be sure to grab my, Audiogram Creation Cheat Sheet, which includes additional tips, size and length specifications for various social networks and more. Grab your copy here!

Click the image below to watch the video.
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Digital Media Tool Tip: Creating a YouTube Link with a Specific Start Time

Sometimes you may want to share a specific part of a YouTube video and skip the first 20 seconds or so. For example, it's Wednesday (aka Hump Day) and you want to share Geico's Happy Hump Day Camel video with your co-worker, Mike. But, you want the video to start at the sequence where the camel says, “Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike, Mike...what day is it, Mike?”  

There is a way to accomplish this manually, however, I recently found an online tool that makes creating a link to a specific start time in a YouTube video a snap!

All you have to do is go to: http://youtubetime.com/

1. Enter the URL of the YouTube Video
2. Enter the start time
3. Click, Get Link

You now have a URL that will link directly to your chosen start time for that video, like so:

The Value and Benefit of Starting a Podcast

What is the value and benefit of starting a podcast, with the business owner, speaker or coach in mind? Find out the answer, as you listen to an excerpt of my interview with Terry Green of BizEase Support Solutions.  PLUS, find out where you should be posting your podcast for the best exposure, search engine optimization and more! Click the audio player to listen:

Click here for the answer

In short: If you have a passion for a topic and a willingness to share your expertise, podcasting can be of value to you and your audience. Speakers and coaches, typically, have a message to share. Therefore, podcasting is a great platform for them to share said message in a fun and unique way. Podcasting is a great way to express oneself, be authentic and connect with your intended audience.

iTunes is just a small piece to your podcast launch

Launching and promoting your podcast does not end and start with iTunes. In fact, submitting your podcast to iTunes should be a very small part of your podcast launch. When launching your podcast and thinking about promotion, you should be focusing on: your current followers, their engagement and how you can increase their awareness of your newly launched podcast.

Here are some ways in which you can connect with your engaged followers and tell them about your podcast and later, about subsequent episodes:

  1. Email them: if you have been building your email list, your subscribers want to hear from you. Let them know of your podcast launch. Then, when you release a new episode, send them a quick email reminding them of your podcast, share your show notes and a link back to your website where they can find the complete episode.

  2. Social media: Share newly release episode announcements on your social networks. Your updates should include something about your podcast, like title, episode number and link. You can get creative with your updates, to entice users to click on your link and listen. If you are not great at copywriting, you can work with a copywriter to help craft social posts for your podcast.

  3. Your website: Post your podcast on your website. Always, always, always do this! Include a link titled, “Podcast” in your website navigation. When a user clicks on the link, they can access and view all of your released podcast episodes.

Submitting your podcast to iTunes is not the end all and be all of your entire podcast launch. Podcast directories should be thought of as a supplement to promoting your podcast. You do want to have your podcast listed in directories, as it gives  your current users a numerous way to subscribe to your podcast. Further, it allows for new users to find, explore and experience your podcast. Allowing these new users the opportunity to like your podcast, love your podcast and become an engaged user.