As 2019 approaches, I think it's a good time for a bit of self-examination -- at least podcast self-examination. 

Today we're dealing with the three most obvious elements of your show (at least as far as the not-yet-a-listener is concerned): your show's title, description and image.

Did you know you can change your title as often as you like without impacting those currently listening to your show? Yes, you can. So now is a great time to look at your title self-critically and make sure it's saying what you want (and none of what you don't).

Your show's description serves one purpose: to entice someone to listen. If you can't recite your description (or at least have a very good understanding of what it currently says), you probably should re-write it with this in mind.

Finally, your show's image (artwork) is seen in lots of places. Does it look hastily assembled, or does it really represent your show? Does it look good when tiny? And do you even know the correct size (both in dimension and in "weight") to keep all the directories happy?

You'll get great tips for all of these in this short episode. And tomorrow, we'll tackle a few more elements as we whip your show into shape for 2019 and beyond!

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th. Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few. You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com. If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources: 1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion. 2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions. 3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics. 4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet. 5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more. We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.

We all know how important first and last impressions are. One of the problems with podcasting is that we often forget what sort of impression we're starting and ending with. Not because we're clueless, but because of the way podcasts are build.

Many podcasters haven't heard their bed music, canned intro, or canned outro since they were recorded months (if not years) ago. And that's potentially a problem.

In this short episode -- part 2 of a 4 part mini series called Know Your Podcast, Know Yourself -- you'll learn what not to do with your intro and outro, plus some "new hotness" trends that you might have missed.

And if you've not yet started your podcast, this episode will make sure you start your show with the right impression. (Though you'll want to revisit that in a year or so, right?)

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th. Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few. You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com. If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources: 1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion. 2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions. 3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics. 4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet. 5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more. We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.

"Make great sounding audio", says everyone. Often with little actionable advice on how to make that happen. 

In this short episode -- the third part in my Know Your Podcast, Know Yourself mini series designed to help with your retrospection as you face the new year -- I'll focus on what makes audio sound bad, as well as provide you with things you can do RIGHT NOW to get rid of bad things you might be doing.

I talk about some easy mistakes to avoid when using that magic talking stick we call a microphone, gaffs to avoid when your recording environment isn't a professional recording studio, and how to let your voice be your voice without annoying your audience. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th. Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few. You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com. If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources: 1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion. 2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions. 3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics. 4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet. 5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more. We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.

As we near 2019, more people don't listen to podcasts than do. Understanding that reality is key to finding success for any podcast, but especially those podcasters with business goals in mind.

In this short episode, I'll give you a simple two-question test that will help insure your overall web-presence is podcast friendly. You can do this test in five minutes and immediately make changes to

• your website
• your podcast page on your website
• your key social media profiles
• and the podcast-specific content you share on those profiles

Also, this marks the end of the four-part Know Your Podcast, Know Yourself mini-series. And it's the last episode of 2018. I'll be back in early 2019 with yet another Podcast Pontifications. Cheers!

Mentioned in this episode:

Support For Abortion Rights

While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade on June 24th. Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions. Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn't be the privilege of a small few. You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com. If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources: 1. ShoutYourAbortion.com is a campaign to normalize abortion. 2. DontBanEquality.com is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions. 3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics. 4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet. 5. Choice.CRD.co has a collection of these resources and more. We encourage you to speak up! And spread the word.