Mastering New Media :: Jason Van Orden

Sometimes new podcasters (and even experienced ones for that matter) have a startling revelation when they hear a recording of their own voice…they can’t stand the sound of it. Has this happened to you?

When you speak, you not only hear the sound of your voice from your mouth, but also conducted through your bones and resonances in your body. But when you listen to a recording, you don’t hear those elements. This is why your voice sounds thinner and maybe a bit unnatural to you when recorded. It’s also normal to be self-conscience about what you say and how you say it while recording.

So how can you get over this? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Relax and remember that you can always do another take

You don’t have to get it right the first time. Allow enough time to do multiple takes knowing that the first few will be warm-up.

2. Imagine that you are just talking to a close friend

I still do this. Not only can this help you relax and sound more natural, it gives a very personal tone to your show.

3. Add bed music under your voice

Adding music under your voice can help you feel more comfortable with the sound of it.

4. Use EQ

If the software you record with comes with an EQ effect, spend some time playing with it and see if you can find a sound that you like. I use EQ on all my podcasts. People say I have a great “radio voice”, but believe me, it’s only after some post-production.

5. Smile while you talk

This adds vibrancy and energy to your voice. You might feel silly, but when you listen back to it, you’ll notice the difference.

6. Stand up when you record

If you use a headset, try standing up while you record. It will add more energy to your voice. You may also find it easier to express yourself this way.

So there you have it–six ways to help you feel better about the sound of your voice. Pick a couple and give them a try.

I spent last week in Washington DC promoting my upcoming book. We had a limited supply of advanced copies available. I had a book signing and the reception was excellent. I even got to sign a copy for my marketing and business mentor, Dan Kennedy. Usually he’s signing a book for ME!

Two things were especially reaffirmed for me at the trade show:

1. More and more people are familiar with what podcasting is
2. More and more businesses and individuals want to use podcasting for promotion and they need help

If you’ve thought about making money with podcasting, consider taking on some consulting clients. People were ready to dive into and use podcasting. They just didn’t know how. Plus, you can command a nice hourly rate. Don’t sell yourself short.

My wife and I have moved to Alaska for the summer. Most people in NYC go out to the Hamptons on Long Island to escape the heat. I’m trying to be a trendsetter by spending the summer in AK instead. Not only do we have family here, but it is paradise in the summer. Just look at the picture of the view from my office!

FYI…

No, it’s not snowy. The temps will be in the 60s and 70s all summer.

No, I don’t live in an igloo…

Yes, it’s light out until late, late at night…

Yes, there are a lot of moose and grizzly around.

Today is catch-up-on-my-podcasts day. I’ve made a goal to make it up to all my listeners for my slacking the past several weeks. June will be a very prolific podcasting month for me.

Despite my slacking, two of my podcast’s audiences have continued to grow in size. The third has stayed the same. I haven’t lost any listeners as far as I can tell. I’m not condoning letting things slip, but it’s still interesting to note that my listener base has stayed strong.

I’m overdue in responding to a post I read recently on another podcasting blog. I actually wrote this up, saved it as a draft, and then forgot about it for several days. But here it is now…

Let’s look at a quote from self-anointed Podcast Pedant, Stephen Eley, concerning getting votes at Podcast Alley:

I know I’m a heretic on this issue. I’m fine with that. I’ll keep bitching because the [Podcast Alley] voting system was obsolete, useless, and annoying a year ago, and by this point it’s got all the relevance of an indigenous people dancing and singing around a Coca-Cola bottle praying for cargo.

If this is heresy, then I’ll be burning at the stake with him, too. Podcast Alley is a great community for podcasters. You’re podcast should appear in their directory. I hope you spend some time networking and learning on their forums.

BUT, their voting system and rankings are not the end-all-be-all. Too many podcasters get hung up on the popularity contest. They bank the growth of their audience on landing a top spot on the front page. The same thing goes for obsessing about landing on front page of iTunes’ podcast directory. I share Mr. Eley’s sentiments when he says:

…whatever audience gains your podcast gets from being higher-ranked could surely be dwarfed by spending the same time talking about your podcast in places where people who are interested in your subject matter hang out.

Well-stated. There are so many cost-effective ways to market yourself on and offline that you don’t need to get hung up on getting votes. If you spend your time identifying your market and getting your message in front of them, you will build an audience of loyal listeners.

Keep this in mind as well. You can only ask your listeners to do one thing in the course of an episode. If I’m going to ask listeners to take action on my behalf, I would much rather have them blog about me on their site (increasing inbound links to my podcast). The effects will last a lot longer than a flash-in-the-pan appearance on the Podcast Alley Top 50.

One of the reasons I wrote my new podcast promotion book was to show podcasters other ways to market themselves without having to chase the elusive top 50. Don’t get caught up in pursuing “top 50″ bragging rights at the cost of the quality of your content or to the neglect of other easier and equally effective marketing strategies.