Content Marketing

Podcasts: The Shorter the Better?

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When I first started the K-Stream podcast, I found myself Google searching “how long should my podcast be?” I found out that there are a lot of factors that go into that decision, but according to a recent article from Rephonic, podcast episodes are getting shorter.

“We then looked at every episode released by podcasts with more than 10,000 listeners per episode and found that the average episode length is 37 minutes,” says Rephonic.

The article goes on to say “The average episode release frequency of top-performing shows is 5.3 days, but this figure varies from category to category.”

This, of course, may not the right balance for everyone. And the key point there is each podcast category is going to be different when it comes to length and frequency.

It also depends on your niche, your audience, or even the platform.

Christoph Trappe, content marketer, author and host of The Business Storytelling Show, which has more than 500 episodes, publishes his podcast to the DB&A television network. TV is very strict with timing, which means he also needs to be strict when timing his show.

If you’re publishing a news or sports podcast, you’ll likely have shorter episodes and launch them more frequently, simply because of the nature of those two categories.

On the other hand, categories like history, science and crime likely take a lot more prep time due to research and interviews that might be needed. That means longer episodes and launching at less frequency. These series also do well in a “season” format, where multiple episodes are launched in batches.

Resources also come into play. Joe Rogan regularly cranks out 2-3 hour episodes several times a week. Big team, big budget.

I’m a big fan of Joe Pulizzi’s weekly Content Inc. podcast with most episodes going less than 10 minutes. Likely a much smaller team than the other Joe. Different niche, different audience, likely a different budget.

I personally enjoy the shorter episodes, especially because I don’t have a long commute to work anymore. I like listening on my runs, walks, or short car rides whenever I do drive somewhere.

For what it’s worth, and I really don’t know why, but if I see something around 30 minutes or less, I’m in.

Listen next:

Podcast

The Power of Short-form Video Storytelling

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It’s no secret that short-form videos are taking over social media. TikTok built their platform on the concept, and others like YouTube, Instagram and Facebook are learning and changing due to TikTok’s success.

But just because short-form videos are, well, shorter…that does not mean they’re easy to produce or implement in your own strategy. Which is where Angela Myers of Angela Myers Creative comes in. She sat down with my friend and content marketer Christoph Trappe to discuss short-form video on the Business Storytelling Show: what is it, how brands can implement it, what makes a good story and more.

Special thanks to Christoph for allowing me to share his conversation on K-Stream.

Content Marketing

Adding Audio to Your Content Marketing Strategy

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Think of audio as more than just podcasting. There are many ways to add audio to your content marketing strategy. And it likely involves repurposing some work you’re already doing.

This article spurred from my recent conversation with Brian Landau, CEO and co-founder of Vennly, an enterprise audio distribution platform.

When I used to think about audio, I only thought podcasting. But Brian opened my eyes to much more. Sure, podcasting can be effective. First, it’s a growing medium. Edison Research and Triton Digital report monthly podcast listeners have grown 61.5% in just three years.

Second, it’s an intimate medium, meaning you have a listener’s undivided attention for long periods of time.

But there’s so much more than that. Audiograms, for example, have become popular on social media. Twitter and LinkedIn are now offering their own in-platform audio products. Many blogs and websites allow for embedded audio clips.

Consider this if you’re a writer. You’re likely doing a lot of interviews these days via Zoom. I know, personally, when I interview someone for a quote, that interview can last anywhere from 15-30 minutes. Of that, I pull two or three quotes for my written story. But what about the unused audio? Here are a couple scenarios:

Recording a Zoom conversation for your blog

  • Export the Zoom audio and post as a podcast
  • Create audiograms to help promote the written story on social media
  • Embed an audio clip in your written story where the subject is raw and emotional on a certain topic

Hosting a Twitter Spaces event

  • Record that audio and distribute via podcast networks
  • Write a recap of the event for your blog
  • Send an email newsletter with a link to the blog and podcast

At the enterprise level, collaboration and CRM tools such as Slack, Medium and HubSpot have developed their own bespoke audio products as well, further facilitating adoption of audio.

There are many options when it comes to incorporating audio in 2022. I’m encouraging you as a content creator or marketer to take advantage.

Livestreaming

What You Should Know Before Streaming Board Games on Twitch

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If you’re a board game lover and you’ve considered taking your game live on Twitch, there are a few tips you’ll want to consider to make viewers want to stick around for your stream.

Banzainator has been streaming to Twitch for more than two years. She does both board games and PC games, but I would say her true love lies with board games. She attributes the beginning of her interest back to when she was nine years old playing cards with her family. She now has nearly 200 board games in her possession.

In the last two years, Banz has not only gained more than 2,000 followers, she’s found a community that she loves. On top of that, a board game company discovered her streams on Twitch in June of 2021 and reached out to her about a full time job. She’s still a proud employee of Master Goblin Games today.

“Instead of getting famous, I was able to get a job that changed my life forever,” says Banz. “It’s a job that I actually really love in an industry that I can’t believe I work in.”

With all of her experience comes many lessons learned. She will be the first to admit that her first live stream was pretty bad. Camera angle looking up the nose, dirty dishes in the background, poor lighting, you name it.

Fast forward to today, and her streams have become much more polished. She saved money over time and invested in better equipment. And with experience, she grew her community and turned her streams into something viewers stick around for.

Here are a few top tips from Banz for streaming a board game:

Internet is everything

If you’re lagging, people will tune out. Plug in an ethernet cable and invest in a good router.

Audio > video

Invest in quality audio equipment. Get a good mic. Viewers would much rather have clear audio with maybe a poorly lit video than a well-lit video and bad audio.

Clean up your overlays

If you create graphics for your stream, make sure they’re nice and clean. Overlays should have a title of what the game is, maybe a nice photo of the box of the game. This way, no matter when the audience tunes in, they’ll know what game is being played.

Clean your space

Make sure you have a clean desk. Remove anything in the shot that you don’t want seen. This could be trash, drinks, notes, etc. Banz mentions she sees a lot of lens caps sitting around. Get those out of there.

Make sure the game pieces are aligned correctly and nothing is crooked.

“It really really irks me when the board game is crooked on screen, and people have to watch a crooked board game for two hours. Please be conscious of alignment,“ says Banz.

Get a decent chair

Remember, board games can take a long time. Sometimes you’ll be streaming for hours. You’ll want a comfortable chair. Not only for comfort, but to avoid potential future back issues.

Moderators or mods

Mods are people who are in the community and have ability to interact in the chat, ban people, do commands for you, etc. They’re important to a stream success because they can help viewers get information or answers to questions quickly. If someone asks about game information, the mods are there to pass it along to them. If someone is being unruly, mods can get them out of there.

If you’re interested in learning more about streaming board games and Banz’s journey on Twitch, check out our full podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

For specific equipment that Banz uses during streams, check out the YouTube video below.

Podcast

Forget the Tech – You Have What You Need to Make Great Videos

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The latest guest on the K-Stream Podcast, Dr. Efrain Lopez, better known around the web as Dr. ELO, helps people and businesses get more comfortable with live streaming. He posts tech reviews, hacks and tutorials on his YouTube channel.

In addition, he hosts weekly live streams on social media for Be.Live and on his personal channels.

In the conversation we chat about:

  • Dr. ELO’s live streaming business and how he got started
  • How he managed to get a regular live stream series with Be.Live (hint it took posting 150+ videos before he got a call)
  • How he organizes his live streams
  • The “F&#$ the Tech” mentality
  • The importance of email lists

I think the highlight of the episode is the “F&#$ the Tech” mentality. I asked Dr. ELO about this because in one of his previous streams, I noticed he was wearing a t-shirt and ball cap with that exact message printed on them.

“That is a mindset,” says Dr. ELO. “People get caught in gear acquisition syndrome, which we call GAS, and they don’t start doing content.”

Dr. ELO elaborates on the “F&#$ the Tech” mentality.

It’s easy to get caught up in having the best gear and correlating that with good content. That’s not always the case. If you have a good story or message and a decent smart phone, you can make something great.

“You need to start ugly. You beautify your streams little by little and with experience.”

Dr. Efrain Lopez, live streamer and tech guru

Give the episode a listen ⬇️

Podcast

From Bluegrass Bearded to Ken the Content Coach

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He started out creating beard content – product reviews, beard science, tutorials, and more. He grew the Bluegrass Bearded YouTube channel to more than 2,000 subscribers and was able to monetize the content through product reviews and sponsorships. Then he began to notice his audience was interested in his creative video expertise. He began receiving questions on his editing techniques and equipment. That gave him the idea to start Ken the Content Coach.

Ken is still very much a part of the beard community, but now spends most of his time helping other content creators build and monetize their own YouTube and TikTok channels.

As a veteran of the U.S. military, Ken appreciates community and camaraderie. He says he’s found that with content creation. Check out the clip below to hear him speak on that.

In this interview we discuss:

  • Not waiting until the absolute perfect moment to post your first video
  • Listening to your community when it comes to creating content
  • The importance of understanding and creating short-form content
  • What to do when you just don’t feel like being creative
  • And more!

Give it a listen!

Podcast

Why Brands are Embracing Branded Audio

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Brands are increasingly coming on board with podcasting, and more specifically, what the industry calls branded podcasting. Branded podcasts are not strictly promotional. They tell great stories.

Liz Horowitz, founder of Sonic Strategy Consulting, recently published an article on LinkedIn titled Winning Without Ads: 10 Reasons Brands Are Embracing Branded Audio. When I first came across the article, I was not familiar with the term “branded audio.” And after reading, I immediately thought I needed to get Liz on the show to elaborate on the subject.

We had a great conversation about what exactly branded audio is, why so many brands are starting podcasts, and if they aren’t, why they should be. She also gives a few examples of great branded podcasts out there including shows from Trader Joe’s, Ford Motors and State Farm.

Liz is a business growth coach serving companies specifically in the audio space. For most of her career, she worked in audio as an advertising executive, which includes a stint at WNYC Studios. There, she took a particular interest in branded podcasts and developed a partnership with Target’s Corporate Responsibility division for a six-part branded podcast series, Future at Heart, according to her website.

Branded podcasts offer “compelling ways to bring your audiences closer to you; bring your customers more aligned with you,” says Horowitz.

“What’s better than having 30 minutes to tell your stories as opposed to 30 seconds?”

In this episode, we chat about the benefits of creating a branded podcast, as well as the tools that can help you measure success, such as Signal Hill Insights, Chartable and FieldCast.

I learned a ton from Liz, and I hope you will too!

Podcast

COVID is Changing Sports Production for Good

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Brandon Costa is director of digital with Sports Video Group (SVG), which was formed in 2006 to support the professional community that relies on video, audio, and broadband technologies to produce and distribute sports content, according to their website.

SVG reports on the latest innovations in the sports broadcasting world, and works to bring together the best minds in the business to help others succeed. And with the ongoing pandemic, many innovations were accelerated. There were also many surprise, unexpected changes to the way broadcasting happens, some of which are here to stay.

One example is “at home production.” This refers to remotely producing a broadcast. This saves money and enables companies to use the same staff for multiple productions. There’s no need to bring giant 52-foot production trucks across the country to put on a professional show.

“There were trends that were working their way into the industry,” says Costa. “This [pandemic] gave them a pretty dramatic push off a cliff, most notably being the shift to alternative production models.”

E-sports also jumped in and really paved the way for virtual productions. The NBA 2K League was only sidelined about a month at the start of the pandemic before getting a big tournament off the ground. They pulled off productions with nearly their entire production crew sitting in their homes over a virtual cloud-based production switcher.

Brendan Donohue, managing director of the 2K league said in a January 2021 Sportico article “We had a transformational season for us. As crazy as the external environment was, it was an amazing year for esports.”

Brandon and I chat all about how the pandemic has affected the way sports content is produced, some of the coolest innovations of 2021, and of course, if you’re a sports content producer, how you can get involved and learn more about SVG.

Podcast

Amazon Live During the Holiday Season: Trusting Influencers

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It was a pleasure to bring back Amazon Livestreamer and tech guru Monte Weaver to the K-Stream Podcast to talk about finding authentic influencers during this year’s holiday season.

While Black Friday and Cyber Monday have passed, millions of shoppers will still find their way to Amazon this holiday season to watch influencers rate and review products. Monte talks about what to watch out for to spot streamers that may not be the most authentic when it comes to selling. He also hits on a few recent updates Amazon made to the streaming platform, adding rules and restrictions to make it more of a QVC-like experience.

We also briefly chat about tips for creators out there who may be looking to increase sales and build an audience during the biggest shopping times of the year.

Although the episode is very much holiday focused, the lessons can be applied for both viewers and streamers throughout the course of the year.

Podcast

Tips for Recording Quality Podcast Interviews with Zoom

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Zoom is quite the dynamic tool. Not only is it a video meeting powerhouse, but it can also be the perfect interview tool for podcasting, especially if you’re working on a budget.

Max Branstetter of MaxPodcasting.com and host of the Wild Business Growth podcast, uses Zoom for all of his remote recordings. He also recommends the tool to his clients who are creating their own podcasts with Max’s help.

“Because everyone is so familiar with Zoom these days, especially over the last couple years, I always start with Zoom,” he says. “It’s also the best free option.”

With Max’s help, I’m laying out a few quick tips to make sure you’re getting the best possible quality during those Zoom interviews.

Plug into ethernet

To ensure the best and smoothest sound quality, you’ll want to be plugged into ethernet connection. No matter how strong your WiFi is, it’s not quite the same as being hardwired in. If it’s possible, plug the device you’re using into your router/moden using an ethernet cable.

If that isn’t an option, a powerline adapter like this one is a great solution. This is the one I’ve used for almost two years now, and I’ve never had a connection drop.

Check your audio settings

There are a few settings within Zoom that you’ll want to double check before you click “record.” We’ll start with “original sound.” In your Zoom settings, go to the audio tab and look under the “Music and Professional Audio” section. Check the box next to “Show in-meeting option to enable ‘Original Sound’.”

This option is recommended when recording higher quality audio for things like podcasts. It removes some of the automatic noise suppression and filtering that Zoom uses during regular calls and meetings.

I like to check off the echo cancellation box as well. If you and your guests are all wearing headphones, echos shouldn’t be an issue. But if someone doesn’t have access to headphones, this option should be checked to ensure there are no echos picked up in the recording.

To make sure Original Sound is on during meetings, look in the top left corner after the meeting has been opened.

Make sure that box says “On.”

Use Headphones

As mentioned above, headphones eliminate the chance for echos, and they also just bring up the general sound quality.

Headphones with built-in mics are a bonus, which most have these days. Apple ear buds or AirPods are good options.

I use a combination of headphones and a Blue Yeti USB mic. But there are many affordable mic options on Amazon if you’re looking to upgrade your mic, too.

For more tips and more in-depth info on how to set up a Zoom recording, check out Max’s article over on MaxPodcasting.

We also did a full interview together for the K-Stream podcast on how to level up your podcast game. Check it out. Max knows what he’s talking about!

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