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by Mike Carraway

It happens almost daily in this great country of ours. A new real estate agent gets thier license. Then, they set off on a journey to learn how to get customers and how to do business.

Unfortunately for most of them, they try for about 3 to 6 months, don't get any business, and quit. Why?

Well, look at it this way - if you opened up a new business and had no customers in your first 6 months - what would you do? I know that I would be questioning my own abilities at getting cusomters, wouldn't you?

Having seen this happen so many times with new agents, I knew that there had to be a way to give new agents the tools and techniques they needed to succeed quickly. Over a 5 year period, I deveoped what I call our proprietary "Fast Start" program.

This program takes someone with zero sales experience, with no knowledge of marketing and teaches them the basics of response generating advertising and marketing. Most real estate agents have no idea why people call on an ad. When the students in Fast Start complete their training, they not only know why, but they can accurately track their ad performance and cost per call. They can also measure conversion rates. All of these things are a must for any business.

The second big part of this program is how to manage those leads that are generated and follow up with them so that they actually become customers or clients. The students are taught to set up a simple follow-up system and several different "action plans". Combining this foolow-up system with the lead generation is the cornerstone of the Fast Start program.

Most of the students who apply what they learn in the real world ususally have a real estate transaction pending within their first 30 days. That's how good the program works. Not everyone who goes through the program is successfull. Some students learn the information and then do not apply it. Why? Hard to say. I think one of the biggest reasons is fear of success.

They know that if they are successfull, they'll have to work. They also know that if they are successfull, most of their problems will go away and they won't have any excuses any more. Of course, it's just my opinion.

If you are in the real estate business and actually WANT success - you should take our next Fast Start training class and get on the fast track to success.

The internet is all the rage when it comes to real estate. According to the National Association of Realtors, when a buyer starts thinking of buying, the first place they turn is the internet. Just 10 years ago - it was getting in the car and driving around.

With gasoline prices approaching $3 a gallon, more and more people will search online first before they do any driving.

So - if you are an agent or a seller, how do you get your property noticed online?

Let's talk about being an agent first. If you are with a national franchise and/or your company is affiliated with the local board of Realtors, there is a good chance that your listings will get streamed to Realtor.com. Relator.com is the #1 property search engine in the world and just keeps getting bigger and better. The site is ranked by Alexa.com as the #8 site - in the WORLD. That's pretty big. Real estate agents already have this site in their favor.

As a home seller, you do not have such an advantage. You can either buy into one of the FSBO (For Sale By Owner) products out there that will put your home on the internet for you, or you can put up your own site and sales page for your home. Of course, if someone is searching for a home in your area, and your site doesn't come up on the first page or two of the major search engines, no one will ever see it.

With people shopping more online and doing less driving around, it puts todays home sellers (those selling without an agent) at a pretty big disadvantage. If they would list their home with an agent whose company has a popular internet presence, their home would sell a lot faster because of the increased exposure.

Our company site is such a site. If you go to Google and search on "Birmingham Alabama Homes for Sale", you will see that the Access Realty site comes in at #3 or #4 on the first page. That's a huge advantage for anyone who wants to sell a home in Birmingham.

One other way to sell a home is to generate a large roster of interested buyers. This can be accomplished online by setting up what are called mini-sites designed to capture llists of people who are currently in the market for a home. This works great for real estate agents but may not work so well with a seller of just one home. You can get more information on these mini-sites and how to accomplish this HERE. As I said before, this type of buyer generation works extremely well these days because almost everyone shops online before getting in the car and driving around looking for homes.

The last thing you want to have happen when you have your home up for sale is for people to drive up and have a look, and then drive off...nver to return again. Why did they leave?

Your home could have been the wrong style or have the wrong exterior finish. But in all likelihood, it was curb appeal.

Curb appeal is one of those magic phrases used by real estate people that means a lot of things. It could be the home itself, or they could be referring to the landscaping. Curb appeal, in is simplest form means the overall balance and harmoney of everything the eye beholds while sitting at the curb and viewing the property. If it is eye appealing and alluring, they will want to come inside and have a look around.

The amount of curb appeal your home has will determine how much inside traffic you get to the home (outside traffic doesn't count). Inside traffic into the home is what it takes to sell it. So, curb appeal will ultimately effect how much your home sells for...or if it will sell at all.

So what makes up curb appeal and how do you get it?

The Structure

Your home must appear to be in top condition and well maintained. The paint must look fresh and unblemished. Gutters must be straight and in good repair. Doors should be square and fit in their frames perfectly. Anything that looks out of the ordinary needs to either be removed, repainted, or fixed.

The Yard

The lawn should be mowed and edged, and GREEN in the spring, summer and fall. Everything that blocks the view of the home needs to be trimmed or removed. This includes bushes, shrubs, trees, etc. If people cannot see the home, they will not want to come inside. All shrubs and bushes should be manicured and shaped. Flowers and bark or mulch needs to be new and replanted if necessary. Your job is to make the yard look picture perfect BEFORE you put it up for sale. Trim all low hanging branches that interfere with the street view of your home.

If you do not want to do all of the work, hire a landscaping contractor to come up with a plan. You will be more than rewarded for what you spend in the eventual sales price of your home.

Curb appeal increase the traffic to the inside of your home. And, if people don't come inside, they won't buy it. Your agent can get people to at least take a drive by your home. It's up to you to make them want to come inside.

ePartners is making it's debut in Alabama in 492 cities statewide. ePartners is a nationwide relocation network that allows anyone to search for and find properties for sale in any city any time.

The local cities are affiliated with an agent or team of real estate agents who work the areas and are specialists in properties in each city. They can help members of the homebuying or homeselling public find exactly what they are looking for.

The ePartners network also contains specific city information on schools and neighborhoods, shopping and restaurants, and parks and recreation.

Sellers can market their homes through the nationwide network and buyers can easily find them from anywhere in the United States.

Some of the main sites are very easy to find: Alabamawebpage.com, Montgomerywebpage.com are examples of url's that make this network very consumer friendly.

The ePartners network also allows real estate agents to easily get plugged into a nationwide relocation and referral network.

ePartners is set to take off in early December 2006. We will be watching.

By Joe Klock, Sr.

Real estate analysts (and what American is not among them these days?) tend to survey the sea of sale signs in most areas and join the gloomy headline writers who conclude that there are not enough ready, willing and able buyers in the market place.

Not so, gentle reader! The shortfall is among sellers, of which there are relatively few treading water in the aforementioned sea.
"Whoa, Nellie!" you might exclaim (ignoring the by-line clearly displayed above), "any fool, including the by-lined fool, can see that it's buyers that are now in short supply."
In so doing, you might cite the hordes of hungry house-hunters who roamed the house-hunting roadways during the many months of a recently-deceased feeding frenzy, fueled by mortgage lenders with deep pockets and all the fiscal restraint of sailors on leave.
It is a now a fact of real estate life in most areas that their numbers - and that financial fuel - have shrunk like last month's birthday balloons, and it's true that there are fewer prospective buyers rummaging through the current logjam of listings.
Enter the law (not the theory or fantasy) of supply and demand, which dictates that when the number of consumers is dwarfed by a surplus of products, either prices take a hit or activity takes a holiday.
That reality underpins my contention that, while there may be too many homes for sale, there are too few legitimate sellers offering them.
This position is backed up by more than a half-century of experience on and behind the firing line of real estate brokerage, during which I have seen and survived several cycles of inflation, deflation and stagflation, as well as so-called sellers' markets which morphed into buyers' markets and vice versa.
Through all that trauma, certain facts remained unchanged - facts that are being ignored by too many would-be sellers and, sadly, pseudo-professionals. They are as follows:
1. No home in history has ever sold for a penny more than the best offer obtainable from the best buyer available in the then-current market.
2. The only way to determine the true value of a home is to thoroughly and aggressively test the market and challenge the competition. That process need not be a lengthy one, since buyers and their agents do comparison shopping and readily react to an attractive offering.
3. Once that procedure has been pursued, properties remaining unsold for an extended period of time are, quite simply, overpriced. Forget about what similar houses sold for in the past (which is history), or what those would-be sellers might have invested in their homes (which is irrelevant), or what qualified appraisers say they are worth (which are only opinions). The critical test is exposing one's home to the greatest practical number of prospective buyers and active agents, and then analyzing the results.
4. A home that is appropriately priced and effectively marketed, preferably by competent professionals, will ALWAYS attract attention, generate activity and ALWAYS sell for what it's worth (refer to Fact #1 above).
The problem today is not that there are too few buyers. Demand is what it is and neither wishful thinking nor wistful memories will increase its size.
The more serious shortage is of genuine sellers; i.e., those who meet these specific criteria:
a) They are willing and able to accept the best price obtainable from the best buyer available in the current market, and
b) They have something to lose if they don't do so.
"Sellers" who do not fit that mold are not sellers at all and should be encouraged to take their properties off the market. (Realistically, they're not actually ON the market, anyway!)
The market is not always kind, but it is never wrong - and those who believe otherwise pay a heavy price for ignoring "The Facts Of Life For Home Sellers."
FOOTNOTE: For a further dose of this perhaps-unpleasant medicine, visit www.joeklock.com and click on that caption. You have nothing to lose - except, maybe, a pipe dream.
If that doesn't work for you, take two antacids or a short snort and DON'T call me in the morning!
Here's the bottom line - take it to the bank or to any nearby Wailing Wall: When proper pricing is combined with effective marketing, there is a buyer for everything and, given those conditions, any home can be sold in any market.
The ritual dances of negotiation may change with market fluctuations, but the drumbeat of reality does not!

Mike Carraway
Broker/Owner

WEICHERT, REALTORS - Access Realty
1100 East Park Drive, Suite 104
Birmingham, AL 35235
1-800-840-0165
WEICHERT, REALTORS - Access Realty
Valleydale Branch
4500 Valleydale Road, Suite 160
Birmingham, AL 35242
205-995-3939
24/hr Info: 800-634-0511
24/hr Fax: 800-634-0511
www.Access1000.com
www.Weichert.com
www.AlabamaWebPage.com
www.TakeOurTest.com
www.BirminghamRealEstateSchool.com

(Birmingham, AL) The most recent fallout from the mortgage crisis that began last summer is now rearing it's ugly head in the form of Fannie Mae approved loans that cannot get insured by Mortgage Insurance companies.

Mortgage insurance companies, spurred on by recent recommendations in congress, are tightening their credit standards for providing insurance. Without mortgage insurance, borrowers are forced to provide a down payment equal to 20% of the purchase price of a home - something very few home buyers can afford to do. Just this past week, mortgage insurance companies raised their credit score requirement to 620, effectively cutting out 50% of home buyers from the home buying market. The move came unnanounced and without any notice to lenders or to Fannie Mae.

In fact, lenders are still approving loans that meet Fannie Mae guidelines for purchase in the secondary market, but then find, just before closing, that there is no mortgage insurance available to insure the loan. Without insurance on money loaned that is over 80% of the value of the property, the loan is declined. Buyers that have a "loan approval" from a lender should immediately ask their lender if the lender can get their loan insured. Otherwise, homebuyers could spend hundreds and even thousands in the days leading up to the closing only to find, at the last minute, that loan insurance is not available to them.

This move by the Mortgage Insurance companies will only add fuel to the fire that is the current US Housing market. By effectively eliminating more home buyers from the market, at a time when the housing market needs more buyers, not fewer, the mortgage insurance companies have put another nail in the coffin of the housing market. The resulting effect on the market will be an even bigger drop in home prices. The immediate impact of this new policy will be felt quickly in the market, not over time as has been the case with loan defaults, adjusting loan interest rates, and foreclosures.

Be forewarned: if you are a seller, drop your price now before the market itself forces an even larger price reduction. If you are a home buyer, your credit score must be above 620 or you cannot get a loan.

Because of the change in real estate market conditions, more sellers are competing for fewer buyers. So once again, it seemed important to challenge a long-standing "myth" of real estate.

"The initial listing price isn't that important because the price can always be adjusted down later."

Many homeowners believe this.
It is a myth.
Not true.

If most buyers first viewed your house because of a newspaper ad, a magazine, the internet, brochures, or the sign in your front yard, the initial listing price probably would not make a difference. The house would always be "new" to those seeing it.

But most buyers do NOT come to your house because of various types of advertising. That is the another myth.

Sure, buyers call on an ad, they often LOOK at that house, but not always. Once they talk to an agent, they may discover it isn't what they need (or want) at all.

However, they ARE talking to an agent. That agent knows the current inventory and will know of other property that DOES fit their needs.

Those are the properties that buyers look at, and THIS is how most buyers end up looking at your house, too. Because of other agents, not because of your ad.

Hardly anyone buys the house in the ad.

As a result, you need to get other agents interested in your property, and this is where your listing agent comes in...and why a good listing agent is extremely important. The listing agent gets buyer's agents looking at your home.

Those agents have clients who called in on other properties.

Buyer's agents are not swayed by advertising. They look at the needs of the client, where the client wants to live, location, condition, and other details of the property...
And most importantly....
...price.

If your house is overpriced, agents are going to show similar homes that are priced more attractively. Your listing will get passed over.
Agents pay MOST attention to homes newly on the market. There are fewer NEW listings than current listings. It is easier to keep an eye out for what is NEW, compared to the vast number of current listings.

New listings are on the "hot" sheet circulated in real estate offices. The MLS computer identifies new listings. Your listing agent may hire a service to distribute fliers to all the buyer's agents. There are office previews and MLS tours to showcase new listings. A lot of attention is focused on what is NEW.

With agent's looking at newly listed homes so aggressively, a properly priced home gets attention.

An overpriced home gets passed over.

You may be thinking, "But I'm willing to negotiate!"

Buyers aren't thinking in advance about how much you are willing to negotiate. They are comparing your asking price to other asking prices.

Plus, when your house is new on the market, you may not be willing to negotiate as much as you will later, once you've realized your error. Keep in mind that statistics show, quite often, the first offer is the best offer.

So what happens if you overprice in the beginning and get more realistic later?

You don't have all those important Buyer's Agents looking at your listing because it is NEW. A price reduction later in the listing cycle often gets overlooked. It is just one of many listings, not one of a few new listings.

As time passes, you could actually become desperate to sell because you've accepted a new job or because you have already bought a new home.

That is a recipe for receiving lowball offers, so you could end up selling for less than if you had priced the home correctly in the first place.

Agents know this stuff, but many sellers still mistakenly believe they should "price it high" because they can lower the price later, if necessary.

That is not the best strategy.

Podcasting Insights estimates that there are currently 750,000 podcasts in existence, with a combined archive of over 30 million episodes. That begs the question: Does the world really need another podcast?

The answer: yes!

The audience for podcasts is insatiable, always hungry for new insights, new experiences and new voices. And for the people on the other end of the earbuds -- the creators -- podcasts offer a ton of rewards, including bolstering their credentials as an expert, creating new revenue streams, building brand awareness for their business and, honestly, podcasting is just really fun to do.

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Podcasters continue to find growing interest from marketers, but their growth remains constrained by factors including a lack of independent audience benchmarks.

U.S. advertisers spent $479.1 million advertising on podcasts in 2018, up 53% from about $313.9 million a year earlier, according to a new report from the industry group Interactive Advertising Bureau and accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC.

Podcast advertising is expected to rise to $678.7 million this year, the report said.

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As of writing, there are more than 750,000 podcasts in existence and more than 30 million episodes in circulation. This jaw-dropping statistic isn't all that surprising considering podcasts are great resources for new and varied insights, staying educated and informed and a fascinating avenue for entertaining content. That's why a lot of people want to get in on the trend. Not only do they get to share their ideas with a massive audience, but podcasting also allows for raising brand awareness and generating revenue.

With that said, it's not easy setting up your own show.

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Let me tell you: it was a journey. Learning how to podcast is easy on the one hand, but keeping it up requires grit. I struggled. I celebrated. I attracted clients. I considered quitting at times. I got fan mail. I stuck with it.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

It has now been over 17 months, and I've learned some things. If you are thinking of starting a podcast, here are a few mistakes I'd recommend avoiding:

1. Spending too much money
You do not need a bunch of fancy equipment to start a podcast. Trust me. I spent $65 on a used Yeti microphone and pop filter from some guy off Craigslist and started recording the next day.

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It seems like only yesterday that this water cooler cliche entered our lives. Twas a simpler time, when people would engage in long-winded conversations without feeling the need to freeze them in time and share them with the masses. But today, thanks to audio editing software and our social media culture, it seems everyone and their mom has taken to the format. Literally.

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We at Adweek recently announced our new Podcast of the Year Awards, celebrating audio excellence across 20 categories. Since we have assembled an incredible lineup of judges, all with direct podcasting experience, we wanted to take this time while submissions are open (that is, before we flood them with shows to judge) to hit them up for some advice.

First we posed the question all of us with a podcast get asked most often: What should you know before launching a show?

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YouTube might not be the first platform people think of when they’re looking for podcasts, but a growing number of top creators are proving YouTube is a bonafide podcast network.

Several YouTubers — including Logan Paul, Marques Brownlee, and Emma Chamberlain — have launched podcasts in the last year. They are all available through traditional audio platforms, like Apple Podcasts and Spotify, but many also offer video versions that live on dedicated YouTube channels where they’ve become incredibly popular.

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iHeartMedia has been the radio industry leader when it comes to podcasting. From purchasing How Stuff Works, to The Ron Burgundy Podcast with Will Ferrell, to slapping a full day of podcasts on its radio stations, iHeart has not been afraid to take risks with this fairly new medium. So what does Bob Pittman think about it all?

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If you want to test in a channel where early adopters are being rewarded with both attractive CAC and scale, here’s what you need to know:

~ Podcast advertising is used very successfully as a direct-response channel with CAC on par with other consideration-stage activities. It is not just for awareness.
~ Podcast reach is very good, reaching 51% of US audiences aged 12+ monthly.
~ Ads read by hosts outperform canned programmatic ads.
~ Tracking is harder than most digital channels and the cost to test the channel is higher than most digital channels.

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One of the more curious growth areas in media has been the rise - largely under the radar - of podcasting. The simple act of voices telling stories, conducting interviews or teaching weird and wonderful things has made it one of the most important communication mediums of the 21st Century. Around 73 million Americans identify as regular podcast listeners, and that number is only forecast to rise. With that in mind, we want to help you get started making your own with our pick of the best podcasting microphones around.

The popularity of podcasting can be largely attributed to communities that form around popular podcasts. So it makes sense that more and more people are looking to podcasting as a way of telling their story.

The good news is that there is a relatively low barrier to entry.

Best Podcasting Microphones

Last month, the Pulitzer Prize Board announced that there will now be a Pulitzer for audio reporting, further proving that podcasting has become an unignorable cultural force. In the announcement, Pulitzer Administrator Dana Canedy explained that the renaissance of audio journalism in recent years has given rise to an extraordinary array of non-fiction storytelling.

Investigative podcasts are exploding. Here are six great ones to get you started.

Podcasts have never been more popular than they are today.

In fact, there are more than 800,000 active podcasts as of 2019, which is a number that only looks to increase in the years to come.

So why are podcasts so popular?

Because they are incredibly huge moneymakers.

Almost a third of Americans listen to at least one podcast a month, and advertisers have noticed.

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Podcasts are growing; we are all going to make millions, get on it, quick! This seems to be the general consensus at the minute.

Now, I can understand the excitement, I’m excited too. A passionate, engaged audience, an intimate environment, niche targeting opportunities; it’s hard not to be interested. So, it’s absolutely no surprise that 75% of brands expect to spend big in the podcast realm this year.

How you do it is the important thing. Fundamentally, you have two options - either to advertise in the space or make your own branded podcast.

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Chasing industry trends, iHeart Media is about to become the latest audio company to release a custom ad network. Executives say iHeartPodcast AdSuite will tempt brands and potential partners—and set the company apart from its competitors—with a unique array of ad formats across platforms and custom tools.

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Like blogs and social media, podcasts are democratizing the way people share their thoughts with the world, with the episodic audio series continuing to gain traction with listeners seeking both entertainment value and educational dialogue.

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Podcast marketing is on a roll in 2020 with many companies releasing audio content to build trust, connect with their audience on a personal level, and boost brand awareness.

1. Ease of production
2. Low entry costs
3. Language is no barrier
4. Repurpose your blog and video content as audio
5. Less competition than blogging and YouTube
6. Easier to grow a following as a podcaster
7. Successful podcasters make millions of dollars a year
8. Build connections by interviewing influential guests
9. Showcase your speaking skills
10. Build high-DA links back to your website

The podcast industry as a whole is expected to produce more than $1 billion by 2021, according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

With that much money floating around, you have to wonder what is stopping you from getting your share.

Since many people are still stuck at home, craving connection and entertainment, there is really never been a better time for podcasting. And, contrary to what you might think, getting your own podcast off the ground is not just possible, it’s quite easy thanks to resources like

In order to understand how to start a podcast for your business, there are a few key elements to keep in mind.

Podcasting is a disruptive technology that has found acceptance in the present-day global digital market. From storytelling to interviews, there are podcasts for everything. And, if used correctly, podcasting can give your business a major boost by ensuring better customer and market reach, showcasing your industry expertise and forming extensive networks.

The popularity of podcasts is universal. In the U.S., about 40% of Americans above the age of 12 listened to a podcast in the year 2017. Imagine the potential channels and benefits the medium of podcasting can create for you if used correctly.

However, starting a successful business podcast is not a piece of cake. You need to be appropriately prepared before venturing into this project, especially if you plan on doing it without the help of a professional podcaster. There are certain technical and other related requirements you must take care of before you can even air your first podcast episode. But fret not; here are the crucial steps to start a podcast for your business.

Before the emergence of television and more recently smartphones as the primary medium for communicating sports news, radio was the main conduit for receiving the latest information. Those analog days have been converted into zeros and ones in our current digital age. However, the advantages gained by apps and channels have their drawbacks. The largest problem is that these digital mediums cant recreate the local community cultivated by radio anymore. Kevin Jones, a seasoned sports reporter, understood the gap between younger audiences and sports discussion and built Blue Wire to bridge the chasm. Blue Wire is a sports podcasting startup bringing together local creators to build a wider audience of fans. They have raised $1.2 million from a variety of investors.

Podcast measurement company Podtrac has recorded mostly negative week-over-week download and unique audience growth since social distancing measures began. The declines were most severe in mid-March when major cities began shelter-in-place requirements and nonessential American workers began working from home. As of the week of April 27, however, weekly download and audience growth are slowly ticking back up.

But it is not all bad news: Podtrac found that for the shows it measures, year-to-date growth overall is still positive with major download growth in categories like news, comedy and business.

Here are seven ways you can avoid common virtual sales meeting technology mistakes

1. Prepare meeting attendees in advance with clear instructions
2. Run a tech check
3. Increase your internet speed and bandwidth
4. Choose a reliable meeting platform
5. Invest in quality audio and video
6. Master your platform
7. Have a backup plan

I think this comes down to treating your marketing campaign mix holistically. A lot of digitally native brands tend to think about each channel independently and think about, you know, how do I get my Facebook campaign working, or how do I get my Google AdWords campaign working. But on Google and to some extent on Facebook, our activity is really driven around intent. People effectively putting their hands up, saying, I am looking for a sofa! through some kind of signal we can pick up on.

Podcasts are completely separate. There is no demand signal. So it is about finding that target audience that you are after and really introducing and sort of familiarizing that audience with the brand. That requires a holistic, full-funnel approach to your entire marketing mix, understanding that people we introduce to our furniture via podcast will be converted down the line via some other channel. That is key to building out a proper marketing mix, instead of just running some Facebook ads and hoping they do all the lifting.

Define your goals and research your topic.

The first step is to figure out your goals upfront. Decide why you want to create a podcast. It can be to complement your blog, find new leads for your business or connect with like-minded people, or it can just be a passion project.

Opt for a co-host.

A podcast can have various formats, including:

• Monologue: One person speaking about their experience.

• Co-hosted podcast: Conversation between two or more hosts.

• Interview: Wherein the host interviews a guest.

• Panel: Discussion among a group of people on a particular topic.

Decide on a catchy name and proper description.

While you can pick a fancy name, it is best to choose a catchy name that helps to convey your identity and what the show is about. The title should be concise and be relevant to the topic. Similarly, while naming your various episodes, include keywords and phrases that a potential listener would use. You can also include the names of well-known personalities who will be featured in a particular episode.

reate an interesting cover picture and intro.

Cover art is the first touch point for people browsing for new podcasts. Get the help of a designer to draft a few options, and choose the best one. Follow the cover picture with an excellent intro. Having a third party introduce you will enhance the value of your podcast by several notches and is a great way to get noticed when you’re first starting out.

Arrange for equipment and software.

To start a podcast, you’re required to have access to and learn to use some easily available equipment and software. Podcasting equipment doesn’t need to be costly. You can start a good audio podcast with basic pieces of equipment such as a microphone, headphones, pop filter, etc. Assess your audio priorities and recording set-up, and decide on the equipment you require. Also, learn about the various software options such as Audacity, GarageBand, Reaper, Adobe Audition, etc. for recording and editing and choose the best one for your needs.

Study script-writing techniques and recording techniques.

Once you have equipment in place, it is time to write the script and record. Beginners should put in the time to learn about script-writing techniques; a clear and smooth recording requires a perfect script that might include a short and sweet introduction, guest introduction, episode discussion, recap of earlier episodes, etc.

Starting a new podcast is a lot like starting up a new business from the ground up. There are steps you have to make sure that your podcast is entertaining while still being successful. You need to think about your content, your equipment, and your marketing plan. Will this be something people want to listen to? And how will you get them to listen? With so many small details that make up the massive project, we want to make it a little easier to get your podcast idea up and running!

The Recount is a new platform that mixes politics and culture. A deal between The Recount and iHeartRaio will result in the two companies producing a series of new podcasts ahead of the 2020 election.

The concept behind podcasting is simple: combine the best qualities of what we love about a radio show with the immense capabilities offered by the digital revolution.

And with this simplicity, comes great diversity. Podcasts come in all shapes and sizes, across languages and borders, dealing with an enormous variety of topics and speaking to the hearts of an ever-growing global audience.

It is no wonder that they have become one of the most beloved and popular media in the 21st century. But how did it all start – and where are we now?

A simple idea: a brief history of how podcasts came to be The advent of the internet and new digital tech has naturally played the biggest part in establishing the podcast industry.

While the concept of audio blogging and on-demand listening to audio and video files has been around since the 1980s, primarily in the context of education and research, podcasting as we know it didn’t really exist until the 2000s. Its existence was in big part thanks to the iPod device launched by Apple in late 2001, which inspired a whole new way of listening to music and audio files.

MTV VJ Adam Curry and developer Dave Winner are widely considered to be the pioneers of the podcast revolution, when they teamed up to develop a software dubbed iPodder in 2004 – and the rest is history.

iHeartMedia announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Voxnest, the leading consolidated marketplace for podcasts and the best-in-class provider of podcast analytics, enterprise publishing tools, programmatic integration and targeted ad serving. With this acquisition, iHeartMedia, through Voxnest, will now be able to provide podcast advertisers with additional targetable inventory at scale by allowing the effective and efficient monetization across an entire range of podcast inventory on this one-of-kind programmatic platform.

With global revenues set to surpass a billion dollars and the tech giants investing in the space at eye-watering price points, no one asks what podcasting is any more. In part one of our series on the sports podcast ecosystem, SportsPro surveys the scene in 2020 to discover the different ways of doing business.

When Spotify acquired digital sports and culture outlet The Ringer back in February, it marked the fourth podcast company acquisition made by the audio streaming giant in the space of 12 months. That US$400 million spending splurge saw Gimlet Media, Anchor FM and Parcast all come under the control of the Swedish company. And it is not just networks being snapped up, either. In May, the Joe Rogan Podcast, a chart leader in most English-language markets and previously withheld from Spotify by the host, was acquired by the firm on an exclusive licence for a reported US$100 million.

Illustrating how podcasting have captured the interest of people all over the globe in recent years, research company Grand View Research suggested that the global podcasting market size valued at USD 9.28 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.5% from 2020 to 2027. During the pandemic, listeners worldwide are observed to be spending more time at home due to work-from-home and social distancing policies – changing the entire dynamics of the market for podcasts, which used to have a pre-pandemic target audience of people listening to broadcasts during their commute. The industry is now expected to grow with engaged listeners who are stuck indoors while working from home.