A podcast is not a random piece of audio that upload onto your website. 

A podcast is just a tad more involved than that.

In this episode, Serena explains not just the definition of a podcast but the commitment required when you launch one. 

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   



When Is A Podcast Not a Podcast?

There are some outstandingly good free tools out there to help you put your podcast together for free - or for very little.

The providers of these tools are, of course, hoping that you might take up their paid plans sometime in the future - but there is no pressure on you to do this.

Given the stormy economic times that we are promised lie ahead, it's good to know that you can still launch a podcast for relatively little money.

Here are the featured podcasting tools:

Audacity - free audio editing software
https://www.audacityteam.org/
Canva (for desiging graphics)
https://www.canva.com/
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/musicpremium
BBC Sounds
https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/
Buzzsprout
https://www.buzzsprout.com/

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   



Best tools to podcast for free

Most podcast guest interviews go well. But sometimes, your podcast guest is a disappointment and you just cannot publish the episode. 

What do you do?

How do you break the news to them? 

This episode provides help with finding the most diplomatic solutions. After all, you don't want to hurt their feelings or earn yourself a reputation as a time-waster.

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   



Telling a podcast guest you can't use their interview

How many of my lovely clients say to me .... "but Serena, we wouldn't have any confidence in front of the mic".

I totally get it.

It feels so alien to listen back to your own voice.

But thousands of people every day from all walks of life (who have no more right than you do to speak into a mic) warble away happily on their podcasts.

It is all partly about mindset but there are also some valuable tips that I think are worth resharing from an episode earlier in the series.

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   



Revisiting tips on how to sound podcast-confident

Lots of people hang back from pursuing their podcast creation ambitions for fear of the technical obstacles.  Not Linda Leverman of Lindy's Audio Cafe - and she's a grandmother! 

Some people set their mind to achieving a certain goal and just persevere until they achieve it and Linda is just that sort. 

Listen to how she did it on this episode and find out what equipment and software she recommends. 



A Grandmother's Podcast Creation Journey 

What podcast interviewer has not experienced that heart sinking moment when you realise a podcast interview is disappointing?

But there are post-recording tricks you can play to save the day.

Software programmes like Descript can be helpful by removing all the ums and ers for you or allowing you to visualise the parts that can be cut thanks to the side-by-side layout of the transcript with the audio.

If your own interviewer performance is to blame, you can always simply remove your live questioning input and replace it with voiceover links.

But my advice is only go to these lengths if you think there is real value in the interview  worth saving. Sometimes, a bad one just has to hit the cutting room floor.

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

Saving a bad podcast interview - part 2

We've all heard podcast or radio interviews that have hit the buffers. And it's excrutiating!

The monosyllabic answers to questions. The desperate rephrasing of questions by the interviewer. The sense that everything is imploding.  You literally live the participants' panic with them.

Fortunately, a pre-recorded podcast interview is nothing like as traumatic as a live radio interview and on this episode Serena gives plenty of tips for what to do during the interview if your guest  seizes up or if they appear offended.

In part 2 next week, we'll look at how to rescue an awful interview in the editing process.

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   




Saving a bad podcast interview - part 1

Setting correct podcast volume levels both at the start of recording and in the editing process is pretty important. 

No one like having to tweak their volume controls while listening to a podast. 

And if they ARE inconsistent, it is a sign of sloppy post-production work... so don't let anyone accuse you of that! 

Besides which, it is not a difficult issue to sort - as Serena explains on this episode. 

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

Podcast Volume Levels - How to Get Them Right 

In this episode, Serena sets out the pros and cons of podcasting solo or with a co-host. 

As with all such decisions, it ends up being a personal one to suit the individual. 

You might really enjoy and benefit from the input of a co-host and your conversations with guests might be livelier, better informed ... funnier even. 

On the other hand, unless you are completely certain you can rely on your co-host - it might prove to be a disaster if they drop out after a while. 

What's more, the vibe between you might not work terribly well. 

And podcasting solo allows you to be completely in control of the material, the interview questions and the time and place of recording. 

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

Should You Podcast with a Co-host? 

Ouch - that was a hard lesson to learn.   

What happened? I needed a break after a year's worth of uninterrupted weekly podcast editions and the podcast itself needed a refresh.

I promised my following that I would be back in just a couple of weeks.

In the end, it took me about 7-8 weeks to revamp the podcast and to re-energise myself while  working all the while on some important client accounts.

But some of my followers simply turned elsewhere.

They are slowly returning to the fold along with new ones but it's not a mistake I intend to repeat - and I hope you learn from it too.

About me
Hello, I'm Serena Gay, a BBC-trained journalist and a former international satellite TV presenter.

I have many years of news and audio production experience which I now use to great effect as CEO of a podcast making company called "Made4U Podcasts".

I've  also helped run family businesses in the UK and Germany in the tourism and wine education fields.

So I understand the pressures on businesspeople to perform, promote and reach new and profitable streams of clients.

That's why these podcasts are short, pithy and full of information - not blather!

Contact...

Facebook: @Made4uPodcasts [https://www.facebook.com/Made4uPodcasts]
Website: www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk [https://www.made4u-podcasts.co.uk/]
Email: serena@made4u-podcasts.co.uk

Why not download my guide to business podcasting [https://upbeat-trader-7527.ck.page/959839e778]  too - you'll find it a treasure trove of information as you start your podcasting journey

P.S. I use and recommend podcast host Buzzsprout to new podcasters who want to  get their shows listed on every major podcast platform. You can use this link [https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=213097] to sign up. If you choose a paid plan  you’ll get a $20 or a £15 Amazon gift card. This will also help support my show - so thank you!   

Why My Podcast Following Dipped

A weekly podcast for grown up business people. It's delivered in bite-sized episodes to help you launch straight into the business podcasting stratosphere. Hosted by former BBC radio reporter and international satellite TV journalist Serena Gay.

Podcast Launch Pad