Using Video Tutorials to Grow Your Business

May 25, 2013 By 4 Comments

I invited Mike Russell, from Music Radio Creative, onto the podcast this week because he produces some outstanding video tutorials.

Mike Russell DJ

Mike Russell

I first became aware of Mike last year and have quickly become a fan of his own podcast which focuses on the tips and tricks you need if you’re getting started as a podcaster, radio host or DJ.

What sets Mike apart from many of the other podcasters working in this space is the quality of his video tutorials. They primarily focus on using Adobe Audition, the audio-editing software, and offer such insight and clear tips that he’s quickly built up a firm following of others looking to master this outstanding software (including me !). [Read more...]

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The 4 Best Digital Marketing Platforms for a Consulting Business

January 31, 2013 By 5 Comments

It’s easy to drown in the different forms of digital marketing out there if you’re running a consulting business. Because time is precious, particularly if you work as a consult, juggling every aspect of your business, you need to focus on doing what’s imperative – not just helpful.

To help keep things simple but effective, here are the content marketing platforms I think you need to include in 2013 as part of your strategic online marketing plan.

1. Blog.

Do not ignore the power of a blog. They help get you found in Google and other search engines, generate leads and give prospects an insight to your core skills. What’s more, a blog is full of personality. If you write in a tone of voice that reflects just who you are instead of “corporate speak” you’ll show customers a personal side of who you are. This is important because we do business with people, not businesses.

Get a blog right and it will bring new customers to your door. If you’re thinking of starting a business blog or have let yours go on hiatus too long, check out this post on what makes a great business blog.
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One Thing Your Marketing Strategy Needs in 2013

January 2, 2013 By 4 Comments

Don’t ever be afraid just because you’re not the first business in a niche. Burger King obviously weren’t put off by McDonald’s being in the market and neither were Max here in Sweden or Hesburger in Finland.

Over Christmas I found myself in a shop on Södermalm in Stockholm and although the clothes weren’t really my kind of thing there in the background was a piece of country rock playing that I just loved.

I sat down and listened, trying to figure out the title of the song. After a bit of digging I found it on Spotify and favourited it on a playlist so I could find out more about the band when I got back to my desk.

The song was “I Run to You” and the band are Lady Antebellum.

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Punk Marketing for Businesses

March 30, 2012 By 2 Comments

I‘m sick of vanilla content marketing. Everyone’s business blog feels the same, we’re tweeting the same, and we’ve lost sight of our creativity.

With the second anniversary of punk legend Malcolm McLaren’s death coming up in just over a week, it’s time to think what a punk could teach us about making our digital content marketing stand out, win us new business and take things to the next level.

Click the player to listen now:

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Strategic Content Marketing

February 4, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Are you spending an inordinate amount of time marketing your business online but not seeing the results you want?

Maybe you’ve jumped onboard the blogging bandwagon and are producing stacks of content but not generating leads or driving visitors to your site into your sales funnel ?

Episode 42 of Online Marketing & Communications looks at actionable strategy you can follow to get the kind of results you’re after by following a more targeted approach to the content you produce.

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The Very Best Microphone for Podcasting

December 5, 2011 By 36 Comments

Heil PR 40When it comes to successful podcasting, your mic is everything. The golden rule is to invest as much as you can afford in your microphone.

It took me a couple of days to realise this; when I started podcasting I bought a condensor mic but I realised almost immediately that it picked up way too much background noise so I quickly switched to a dynamic mic.

Everything You Need to Know in 20 Seconds

If you want to record straight into your computer you can get great sound with a high-end USB mic like the Rode Podcaster USB Dynamic Microphone.

ref=as_li_tf_il-1The Røde plugs and plays with your computer with no hassles or set up and will produce awesome sound as long as you’ve got plenty of soft furnishings in the room that you use it. Carpets and heavy curtains will help cut out some of the hollow feel of sound bouncing off the walls that your sensitive microphone will pick up.

The other option is to go with an analogue dynamic microphone like the Shure SM58 or high-end Heil PR-40 if you prefer.

focusrite scarlett 2i2You need to run a dynamic mic through an analogue mixing desk and can either record directly into your computer or onto a digital recorder. If you want to use your dynamic mic with usb a great option is to use a preamp like the Focusrite 2i4.

The Very Best Podcasting Microphone in More Detail

USB mics

Originally USB mics tended to be dismissed as they didn’t produce very good sound, but in the last year or so increasingly sophisticated, high end USB mics have appeared on the market offering some excellent sound quality.

For starters, you really should avoid USB headset mics. They’re intended for Skype conversations or online gamers and typically just don’t produce quality audio for recordings.

You get lots of breath sounds and lip-smacking which can distract your listener. If you do insist on using a USB head mic, make sure you position the mic just to the side of your mouth. This way you won’t create all those popping sounds when you say words beginning with “p” or “b”. This will also cut down on the sound of you breathing.

In the early days of podcasting it was generally acceptable to produce a relatively low-fi show with poor audio. Nowadays with increasingly sophisticated equipment available at a low price, it’s harder to demonstrate your professionalism if your audio is poor. That’s not to say there aren’t exceptions to the rule; but I do think the entry level is getting higher.

Some experienced podcasters will warn you off USB mics flat out, arguing that they pick up too much background noise, unwanted lip smacks, the sound of your breath and just about anything else going on in your studio.

Others will encourage you to start off with a USB mic to get a feel for podcasting, perhaps suggesting you invest in something like a Blue Snowball USB Microphone. Whilst this is a great mic, USB mics are usually condenser mics and pick up an enormous amount of unwanted background sound like unwanted lip smacks, the sound of your breath and just about anything else going on in your studio. My choice of USB mic for voicing over videos is the Röde Podcaster. It’s a dynamic usb mic and is good, but tends to be very sensitive if you’ve got the input up too much.

Sound Sample Using the Røde Podcaster

Dynamic Mics

Dynamic mics, typically used by audio professions for live situations on stage and for vocals, are robust and well suited to podcasters. As many are A bi-directional they only pic up sound from the front and back, but not the sides, making them ideally suited to the typical podcasting environment you’re likely to have, helping you keep background noise down.

The lower end dynamic microphone mic I recommend is a Sure SM 58, which some of my clients have used to good effect. It currently retails for between 50-100 USD depending on where you are in the world. Another option is the Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Cardioid Dynamic mic

Sound Sample Using the Shure SM 58

At the other end of the spectrum check out the Heil PR40, one of the most popular high end mics amongst podcasters. This is the mic I use and definitely my vote for the very best microphone for podcasting.

Click here to Get More Podcasting Tips.

NB: If you want the benefit of a dynamic mic that can also double as a USB mic you might want to check out Blue ICICLE’s recently released USB converter. It allows you to connect a dynamic mic to your computer.

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