Well it’s been over a year since I’ve last posted and what a year it has been. The Wood Whisperer continues to grow and we are as busy as ever with the site. We celebrated our third year anniversary in October with the site and in just 1 month we will be celebrating the 1 year anniversary of our premium membership section of our site called The Wood Whisperer Guild. In addition to getting our free content listed on some great devices like Tivo and Roku recently, we’ve also started distributing the show through a company called PegMedia and can now been seen in over 60 public access TV stations all over the US! So when I read my past post about whether we should go into to TV, I guess the answer is yes, but on our terms

So with all of this work on The Wood Whisperer, I’ve also managed to start a few of my own projects. Both are audio podcasts, involving 2 of my favorite things; movies and video games. First is The Movielicious with Patrick Beja and Mark “Turpster” Turpin. Really Patrick makes Movielicious happen since Turpster and I just have to watch movies and show up for the call It’s not a serious review show, but we do have a lot of fun when we record. Since Patrick is in France and Turpster is in the UK, we don’t always get to see the movies that are out in the States right at the moment, but we make the best of what we can watch and make fun of each other in the process. Average run time of the show is 1 hour with 2-3 main movies reviews and 3 dvd recommendations and 1 awesome poster from photoshop queen Kichelle.

The second show is called Ladies of Leet and it’s also an audio podcast with myself, RandysMolly and GypsyGirl. The podcast is done every 2 weeks and we discuss whats happening in both consoles and pc gaming news and what games we are playing and our thoughts on those games. We also have a bargain buy section of the podcast were we discuss any great deals we find on and off the web. Average run time of the show is 1 hour and 15 min.

So if you’re interested in either topics please feel free to check out the websites and subscribe to the feed. You might even catch a live recording of The Movielicious if you subscribe to Patrick’s twitter

So after 5 months, I’m finally getting the second session out that Marc and I gave at PodcampAZ last year. In this video we discuss some of the things we discovered during the first year with our podcast, The Wood Whisperer, including start-up equipment, marketing, media kits, press releases, sponsorships, advertisers, connecting and surveying your audience. And if you can believe it, we did it all in under one hour! Of course it goes without saying that these are just our experiences. You may find that not everything we talk about applies to you, but hopefully you can walk away with at least 1 new piece of information or insight into a relatively new medium (personally I think you’ll walk away with more And if the video wasn’t enough, you can also find our presentation on Slideshare.net

I would like to thank David Yamamoto again from the Phoenix PC Users Group. Without him this video would not have been recorded. Thank you Dave!!!

Some of the websites mentioned in the session

Skaeser Lights & Photography
blip.tv
Tubemogul
Podcast Designs
Branders.com
Survey Monkey
eSurveysPro
PRWeb
Podcast Brothers
Leo Laporte
Radiohead

Right Click to download iPod (mp4) file

Back in November of last year, Marc and I had the pleasure of hosting 2 sessions at PodcampAZ. The first dealt with how we used uStream.TV to connect with the of audience The Wood Whisperer. Of course uStream can be used all sorts of different ways, but really we looked at it as a tool to build connections with our audience. The result…both Marc and I have a much stronger sense in who is watching The Wood Whisperer as well as making some amazing friends in the process.

So for those who couldn’t attend PodcampAZ or were in another session (there were so many). I’m posting the entire session right here. Yes I know it’s an hour long, but there was a lot of great discussion going on and I didn’t want to leave anything out (not to mention I didn’t want another delay in putting the video out).

I’d also like to thank David Yamamoto from the Phoenix PC Users Group. Without him this video would not have been recorded. Thank you Dave!!!

Click to download iPod (mp4) file

First, I just wanted to thank everyone for the words of encouragement on the single episode of Everyday How-To. We really did have fun making the podcast, but I think it was just adding too much to both of our plates. So Marc and I decided to scale it down a bit. So without futher adieu I present DINKS Like Us. I’m not sure if this will be your typical ‘couples cast’, though we are a couple. Marc and I realized that we are both teachers at heart and I think if your going to listen to our show we really hope you walk away with at least one great piece of information you didn’t know before. So sit back, grab a sodie and enjoy our very first episode! Thanks for listening!

This is a question I get from time to time and to be honest when I first started looking into writing my own press release for The Wood Whisperer, I quickly wanted to hire someone else to do it for me. So I began my search for any and all information on the subject. One of the best places I found was a site called Publicity Insider and from there a complete run down of the process and purpose of a press release. Really I look at a press release as a means to formally define what your company/service (yes your podcast is your company) can provide.

The press release can then be distributed through a number of methods including free services like I-Newswire, PR.COM , 24-7 PressRelease and PRWeb.com. Once the press release is distributed then reporters or editors can choose to use some or all of it in their own websites/newspapers/magazines. Remember you are basically writing an article for them, in order for them to use it they will need to see the value/benefit in what you are promoting (ie are you providing a service that will solve a problem or make someones life better by watching/listening to your podcast) .

Here is what my original press release for The Wood Whisperer looked like and how a couple of sites took that information and repurposed it on their own sites:
901am
Social Computing Magazine

Now keep in mind that with the online PR sites there are 2 options, free and paid. I decided to use the free service that pr.com offers and then pay for the upgrade with prweb.com. Why? I had a nice little intro video that I wanted to couple with my press release and to get that service I had to pay. I’m sure many of you know much more than me about distribution of press releases so if you have additional advice, please add a comment below.

So what does this press release do for me? Besides the obvious of getting your company/service officially out to the general reporting public, it also can provide a go to “what your podcast is all about” statement. If I ever need to give a company or individual a rundown of what The Wood Whisperer is about, I can simply point them to my press release with video on PRweb. The information is designed to be straight and to the point and the video is entertaining as well.

So if you’re like me examples always help; so here are just a couple press releases I found from other podcasts out there. If you have one of your own, feel free to list it in the comments below. I’m always interested in seeing how other podcasts create their own press release and to be honest I don’t see very many.

MBA Working Girl Podcast
Fantoo Girls Podcast

Well it’s finally seeing the light of day…our first and only episode of Everyday How-To. My hope was to produce it regularly when the travel for my job slowed down, but until then I thought it would be fun to release what we had recorded months ago (btw the travel has not slowed down at all). It’s a little long, but the outtakes at the end are worth it

Recipe for Crunchy French Toast

5-7 bread pieces
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp.vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp flour (all purpose)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp butter (for the pan)
1 1/2 cup of Honey Bunches of Oats with or without Almonds (crushed)

What do you consider the measure of success? Is it becoming famous or possibly filthy rich? Is it power? How about a simply happy, content life?  In my opinion,  it’s different for everyone.  Marc and I have discussed this thoroughly and we’re pretty sure the “happy, content life” would be right up our alley (of course money helps with the happy part tooJ).   

So why am I asking this question? Well until recently Marc and I have been plugging along with our little video podcast, The Wood Whisperer, growing our audience, building relationships with sponsors and advertisers and honestly just enjoying  the roller coaster ride.  Then all of a sudden the question was asked “Have you ever thought of doing TV?”  I don’t think Marc or I thought when we started our podcast over a year ago that we would even be saying the word TV and The Wood Whisperer in the same sentence.  But there it is, someone asking us if we would like to shoot a “sizzle reel” (I’ll get to the terminology in a sec) for potential networks and sponsors.

Now while that particular opportunity doesn’t seem like it will pan out, it got me thinking.  How many of us podcasters (specifically video) want to “make it” on TV?  I ask this because Marc and I have discussed this very topic in great length and to be honest I’m not sure there is a right or wrong answer.  On one hand we are forging our own destiny and producing content the TV networks only wish they could do at the fraction of the cost.   Think about it, we are in the golden age of internet content; anyone can create anything and distribute it at a low to no cost.   And with the success of iTunes and various other aggregators, podcasts are becoming more and more mainstream by the day. 

So if technology is continuing to advance and we are finding new audience members every day; why would we ever go to an ‘old media’?  To quote someone in the industry, “TV is king!”  Ah yes, but for how long? Wouldn’t you like to put all of your effort into something that will surely be the hot new distribution medium and secure your place in history as one of the firsts instead of busting your butt, following someone else’s rules, and sacrificing your creative desires just so you can hear, “maybe we’ll get picked up by a network”.

The process of getting on television is quite stressful too.  In the past few weeks, Marc and I have learned a lot about the business side of making a TV show.  The best advice I can give if you are considering the jump, is to get a lawyer and get the details in writing (even if it’s just email).  Now to create a TV show,  you need a production company.  While Marc and I could easily create our own pilot or sizzle reel (clips of your show showing the best parts), I doubt we would have the time to shop the footage around due to our current Wood Whisperer obligations.   

To be honest, Marc and I have only gotten through the discussion phase, but I know if we decide to do TV we will learn more as we go (being very cautious of course).  So until I can blog more about our experience I’ll give you a recommendation on an excellent book that is full of great advice.  The book is called Starring You! The Insiders’ Guide to Using Television and Media to Launch Your Brand, Your Business, and Your Life.  Actually parts of this book could also be used for video podcasts (I’m sure that is what the Media in the title is referring too). 

I guess there are pros and cons on both sides.  Of course TV (if you can get there) will give you more exposure, but how far behind is internet content?  There have been some viral internet videos with numbers that would make a TV guy’s head spin with jealousy.  And its international to boot!  So do you think the general population is really aware of the great content that can be found on the internet?   I think we are well on our way.  The folks with Tivo’s and Apple TV’s already get it; it is just a matter of time before integration of podcasts on the television is the norm.

So again I come back to the question, do we as podcasters benefit from creating a television show?  I really wish I knew the answer. Who knows, if Marc and I agree on a deal with a producer you could see a version of The Wood Whisperer on television.  Then again maybe we’ll continue to build The Wood Whisperer and become one of the best damn video shows online!  What I do know is 2008 will be a very exciting and interesting year J