On September 15, 2019 I published my first episode of Domain Investing with Jason of Florida, with the goal of publishing one episode each month. Before then, I had never even been on a podcast, much less hosted my own before. I didn’t know if I could learn to be a good podcaster or even if anyone would listen. Since then I’ve published 8 more episodes, and it’s been a fun ride. I’ve learned things about podcasting and about myself that I couldn’t have imagined. Without further ado, let’s jump right in is see what I’ve learned podcasting!
Why I Started Podcasting
When I began podcasting, I had at least three particular goals in mind.
I wanted to learn to podcast
I love technology and doing new things in and with technology. Because I’ve got many projects going on at once, I didn’t want to spend any money making this podcast. I knew it wasn’t going to generate revenue, and the tech geek in me wanted to discover a good way to do it for free. I’ve been toying with the idea of podcasting for a few years. After listening to the Niche Site Tools podcast on how to podcast, I took action. Since I launched my website and began diving deep into domain investing, I thought this was the perfect opportunity to begin the show.
Next, I love listening to podcast. Data shows there are lots of people like me who enjoy listening to podcasts on topics they enjoy. Here are three podcasts about domain investing that I really enjoy right now:
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- Domain Name Wire – Andrew Alleman has a voice for radio, very matter-of-fact and stock full of information for domain investors.
- Domain Sherpa – Probably the thing I like most about this podcast is what I dislike most; the sherpas look down upon lowly new investors and those who don’t invest or sell six-figure domain names. It’s probably the most entertaining of these podcasts, but I really take what is said with a grain of salt.
- Kickstarting Commerce – Alvin Brown, whom I met at Namescon 2020 is an extremely nice guy, and he’s angle is that he’s a journalist that specializes the in the industry. In his podcast he covers a little more than domain investing, diving into domain development and other related topics.
I’ve learned that it’s important to share what you know to empower others. There are few experts, and even those learn just like you and I.
I wanted to build my brand
Building a website and brand from scratch is difficult, and I thought adding a podcast would help build both. Last year the company I earn my paycheck from was bought out, and there were moments when I wasn’t sure early on if I would be retained. That experience taught me that I needed to be prepared in the even the worst happened at any other job. I started the website with the goal of expanding my professional horizons and to share my thoughts on things that I value. When I got into domain investing, I realized there weren’t any great resources for new domain investors, so I wanted to be a good resource there, too.
I want to make a professional software testing podcast
I have a goal to someday very soon to start a podcast on Software Testing, since that’s what I do at my day job professionally. I work with an amazing team of software testers and developers who really have a lot to share that can be valuable to the industry. And, there’s really only one or two podcasts that are digestable – so I want to make this new podcast to provide great value to my profession. But to make a quality podcast about testing, first I need to learn how to do it best.
What I’ve learned in making my first podcast
I can make a podcast and do it for free.
Sure, I could pay a podcast hosting provider around $20 a month. But I learned I could do it for free too. There is a little setup and a learning curve, but it cost me exactly zero dollars to do my podcast. Save the time I spend recording and uploading podcasts, I don’t pay a dime.
It takes time to build an audience
There are a ton of great podcasts, and even a ton of really bad ones. People have a lot of choices when choosing what they listen to. Just because you think you know what you’re talking about, and you find a way to put it into the ether for the world to consume, it doesn’t mean that people will flock in droves to tune you in.
To be honest, I don’t think my podcast is either entertaining or interesting. It’s a funny thing to hear yourself speak, and more often then not, you realize just how dumb you sound. With that said, I think I’ve gotten a little better in speaking consistently, with less ums and ahs and stutters. Like everything else, podcasting takes practice. Every podcast for me is an attempt to get a little better. Eventually, enough people might here it that don’t dislike it. They will tell others, and more will listen.
it’s a lot of fun
I find it a little funny that people even listen to what I have to say. I know enough about certain things to share the information, but I have a southern drawl that makes me sound like a moron more often than not. I sincerely don’t like listening to myself speak, and don’t make any attempts to edit out content. I prepare the topics I’m going to speak on and do the thing – and sometimes find myself going off on tangents. In that way, it’s therapeutic, fun, and entertaining (at least to myself).
Interesting Podcast Statistics
- Only 65% of my audience is in the U.S – I have listeners from all around the globe! This really surprises me, from Bulgaria to India to Vietnam, people are tuning it. This is one of the most surprising things about podcasting to me! I never expected a global audience.
- 52% of my U.S. audience lives in Florida. This shouldn’t surprise me since Florida is in the title of my podcast I suppose.
- California, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Virginia are hanging in at ~7% each, while Michigan and New York are right behind at ~4% of my audience.
- 28% of my listeners use Apple Podcasts, while another 12% use Google. In fact, Spotify outranks Google with a full 15% share! I really didn’t know the likes of Stitcher and Overcast also has a large share of podcast players.
- 45% of my listeners listen via iPhone, versus 18% for Android.
New Goals for Podcasting
have Guests on my podcast
The next step I want to take is to interview relevant guests about the topics I cover. There will be some learning, because it’s a bit different than just talking all by myself. Will there be editing? How can I best shed the best light on my guests?
resolve my RSS Feed issues
The RSS Feed that I have setup that for my podcast works, but it needs some attention to make it better – so that I can move on to do another podcast. I haven’t taken the time it’s going to take to fix it, but I will soon. I don’t use the RSS feed of this website, though I could – and right now, it’s going through a provider that generates the RSS for free. The trade-off is I that there might be licensing issues down the road. Mainly, I don’t want another party involved, and want to make sure I own all the content free and clear.
Get Better speaking
I’m not a great talker. Sometimes I stutter-step through, pause too much, and even lose my place. Practice makes better, so I just want to become a more fluid speaker so people don’t turn me off.
I’m looking foward to the next six months and beyond, even if my listener base does not grow and even if I never make any money doing it, podcasting is fun and brings me fulfillment in a way nothing else I’ve ever done has. I hope that listeners are getting some value-added content from my shows, now and in the future.
