The Marketing Fit audio podcast, hosted by Leesa Barnes, is a bi-weekly online radio show that you can listen to on this website, download it and add it to your portable MP3 player or subscribe to it through a service such as iTunes.

Please review the show notes below to see what is covered. It provides a summary of the content in this episode.

Show Notes

Thinking Fit Spotlight

• How to create boundaries so you create a healthy, balanced lifestyle.
• Your Think Fit Action Tip
• Boundaries: When to Say Yes, When to Say No by Henry Cloud and John Townsend

Marketing Fit Spotlight

• Jill Freeman, click here to follow her on Twitter

Marketing Fit Content Spotlight

• Snippet of a teleclass called How to Turn a Free Speech or Teleclass Into a Financial Windfall

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Credits: audio’connell (voiceover); aJT (Music) from Podsafe Music Network

Just wanted to share a resource with you. I put together an audio recording of the 5 keys to creating a profitable podcast. It was done as a teleclass about 6 months ago and now, I’m offering it as a 5 part mini-audio course.

To get this recording, you actually have to subscribe to the feed. Just enter your first name and email address below, then click on your favorite feed reader button. When you do, a unique feed is generated that you can copy and paste into your feed reader.

Thanks to Paul Colligan’s awesome service called Premiumcast for powering this mini-course.

Today is the official launch of my breakfast seminar series. Over the next 6 months, I’m going to visit a city near you and teach you how to podcast for profit.

Want to know what you’ll be getting in addition to the 2 hour presentation? Play the video below to find out.

I’ll be a guest on City-TVs Homepage at 5pm today on Wednesday May 21st. If you’re in the Toronto area, turn your TV to Channel 24. If you’re not in the Toronto area, you can stream the live broadcast over the Internet. Follow these tips:

1. Go to the CP24 website
2. Click on Video News Director in the gold navigation bar
3. Click on Live Feeds under Channels in the left hand navigation
4. Then, click on the CP24 Live Now Playing image to launch the live broadcast.

This will be the third time in 6 months that I’ll be on the show talking about podcasting. I typically appear at the top of the hour, so tune in as close to 5pm as possible.

So, Amanda Congdon returns to independent video podcasting after her stint on ABCnews.com ended/failed/combusted.

Earlier this year, Amber MacArthur, who was recruited by City-TV, said goodbye to the network after her one year contract ended.

Is there no room for independent podcasters in mainstream television? To say yes based on just 2 examples wouldn’t be fair. However, it appears that the culture of the independent tends not to mesh well in the mainstream world.

For example, in an article in the New York Times today, it appears that ABC producers stopped responding to Amanda’s creative ideas after she was hired by the network in 2006. She was quoted as saying that it was a “slow and messy process.”

In a blog post following her departure from City-TV, the network that hired her in 2006, Amber said:

Rogers (the parent company of City-TV) decided they no longer want to do the show (Webnation), but the offer to stay and do news stories was still on the table. I walked. OK, I ran, and maybe I jumped a little in excitement. I’m just saying. Freedom is a good thing, right? There are more boring details to the departure, but just imagine a bad TV newsroom drama set in Toronto.

I profiled both women in my book, Podcasting for Profit and while their adventure from podcasting to mainstream television has ended, I still believe that using a video podcast to attract the attention of those in mainstream television is a good strategy.

Just be aware that what you’re used to as an independent may be stifled by a culture that’s used to waiting and seeing.

I used podcasting to get my book deal.

While many authors complain about rejection letters, I didn’t have to go through this. Instead, my podcast attracted my publisher’s attention and gave them the confidence that I knew my stuff. Six months after signing the contract with my publisher, Podcasting for Profit hit bookstores.

I have tons of case studies of authors who used podcasting to get their book published. Over the next few days, I’ll present one case to you.

Now, you may think that only those podcasting about podcasting are getting book deals. Well, you’re wrong. I will show you how podcasting about any topic, eg. Byzantine history, science fiction, political satire and grammar, can get you a book deal with a publisher.

If you’re tired of rejection letters and frustrated that you can’t get your book finished, be sure to tune into this series over the next few days.

Photo courtesy Old Shoe Woman on Flickr

In Thursday’s issue of Make Selling Fun, I’m going to compare the benefits and drawbacks of recorded podcasting, in other words, using archived content from teleclasses, webinars, speeches and presentations to create your podcast content.

To receive this issue and to find out if using a recorded podcast fits your personality, sign up to receive your complimentary issue of Make Selling Fun. Just enter your first name and email address in the boxes below.

In the next 2 issues of Make Selling Fun, I’m going to compare the benefits and drawbacks of live podcasting vs recorded podcasting.

If you’re curious to know the differences between the two and how each can help you in your podcasting goals, sign up to receive your complimentary issue of Make Selling Fun. Just enter your first name and email address in the boxes below.

One of the people I profiled in my book Podcasting for Profit is Terry Fallis. When I interviewed him a year ago, he was using a podcast to share the contents of his newest novel, The Best Laid Plans.

At the time, he couldn’t get a literary agent to represent his title. Many were saying that the topic – Canadian political satire – was just too narrow of a niche to be of any interest to a publisher.

Well, Terry continued to use a podcast to share the contents of his book. People started to take notice. He built an audience and finally self-published his book.

This week, Terry found out that he won a prestigious book award called the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Part of winning this award was getting $10,000. This on the heels of finally getting a literary agent to represent him.

I’m so proud of Terry on many fronts. But most importantly, I’m tickled pink that he used a podcast to indirectly profit from his passion. I wouldn’t be surprised if Terry donates a portion of his winnings to charity because he’s just that type of guy.

My advice? If every door is slammed in your face, don’t give up. As Terry shows, you can use a podcast to share your passion with the world. It may take a while, but soon people will notice.

There’s a podcasting mailing list out there where I’ve become the topic of conversation. I’m posting my response on my blog since the moderator hasn’t approved 2 replies that I sent through.

I got wind of this when a colleague opened a ticket on my help desk to let me know what was going on. I checked the mailing list and on April 14th, someone started this discussion:

Subject: Leesa Barnes: The First Lady of Podcasting, the Queen of Podcasting?

Who is this person? I stumbled across her blog today where she’s got a bunch of testimonials from people I’ve heard of, like Paul Colligan and Jason Van Orden, and her blog says she is an expert in “podcasting for profit” and she’s written a book on the subject but there are no podcasts on her own blog. Does anyone know this person and can explain where her fame comes from?

There were a few responses. Some said they never heard of me. Others, like Dave Jackson, Larry Wagner and Will Brown all said that they know me and can vouch for my work.

So I re-joined the group and replied. I can’t remember what I wrote word for word, but it was along the lines of:

A journalist called me a podcasting expert 2 years ago and it stuck. All these names are ones that people have given to me.

I don’t podcast anymore simply because I lose interest. I started my first podcast in 2005 and after 19 episodes I stopped. I’ve started at least 4 to 6 different podcasts and by the time I reach the 10th episode, I’m bored. Then I start a new one.

I derive more joy in teaching business owners how to do it themselves. I love watching others launch their own podcasts based on my guidance. That’s much more fun for me.

If you haven’t heard about me, that’s fine. My target market has heard about me and that’s what matters.

I posted that response very late on April 15th, sometime just before midnight after I got in from the airport. I didn’t think anything of it until I checked the forum this afternoon to find that the conversation had continued and my reply has not been approved.

Even one person was wondering why I wasn’t defending myself against these accusations. Well, I have, but the moderator hasn’t approved my response yet.

So as both my replies sit in an unapproved status, here’s what else has taken place:

• Tee Morris then said that his First Lady of Podcasting is Mur Lafferty and that each person is a star in their own niche. Okay, I agree with both points.
• Another chap said that I’m a marketing genius because everyone is still talking about me 2 days after the thread started and I’m not even responding.
• Another person said that there’s nothing earth shattering on my blog and can’t understand why I’m expert.
• Then someone else said that I can’t be an expert because I don’t have my own podcasts.
• Then Tee went on to “prove” that I’m not really a podcaster because the 2 podcasts I have in iTunes haven’t been updated since 2007.

So, I replied yet again with this:

Tee said the right thing – everyone is a star in a micro niche. I agree with that. I focus on businesses and then my micro niche is those who want to increase sales without cold calling.

If the information on my blog seems basic, that’s what my target audience wants. They don’t want me to get too technical and they don’t want me to do gear reviews. If my blog isn’t ‘earth shattering’ enough for you, there are tons of other podcasting consultants that you can learn from.

I blog, I podcast and I wrote a book. Who cares? What my target audience wants to know is how can I help them boost sales and avoid cold calling using a podcast. They only want to see results and that’s what I deliver.

How well do you know your target market? If not at all, then focus on that instead.

I posted that around 1pm EDT on April 16th and this reply has not appeared. Maybe the moderator is sick or he’s busy with something more important or maybe, he’s enjoying the roast as it’s bringing his list to life.

I really don’t know.

What I do know is that it’s now 24 hours later and neither of my comments have been approved. The thread, with my name plastered in the subject line, is the most lively one in the forums right now and it’s getting quite silly.

So, for the record:

1. I replied twice and my comments weren’t approved.
2. I have never called myself any of the things you see on my About page. That’s why I attribute them back to the person who called me that in the first place.
3. I have chosen to use the phrase podcasting expert as it helps my business grow. But it’s not self proclaimed. I only used this term after a journalist called me this back in 2006.
4. My target market are independent consultants and small business owners. They tend to be business people between 40 to 60 years old with 70% being women, 30% being men. My blog, podcast, workshops, book, training sessions are all geared to this market.
5. If you’re a geek, instead of bellyaching that my blog is too basic, go to Amanda Congdon, Cali Lewis, Leo Laporte and Amber MacArthur. They will give you earth shattering podcasting advice since they target geeks.
6. If you’re a podcasting hobbyist, instead of saying that I’m trying to “get rich quick”, why don’t you visit the blogs of Mark Blevis, Bob Goyetche and Chris Brogan. They focus on the podcasting hobbyist and evangelist and do a bang up job of it as well.
7. And on that note, I’ve been gainfully self-employed as a podcasting consultant since March 2006. If this were a get rich quick scheme for me, I would’ve abandoned podcasting long ago and moved on to becoming a Facebook expert or something – whatever is hot right now. So gimme a fracking break.
8. If you haven’t heard of me, that’s a okay in my book. Just as long as my target market knows who I am, that’s really all I care about.
9. Marketing is more important than mastery. Podcasters must recognize this shift. Just because you can edit an audio file from here to sweet November won’t get you on the podium to speak at the New Media Expo. If you don’t know how to market yourself and build your brand BEYOND your podcast, instead of hating, why the hell don’t you just ask for some tips?
10. Until there’s an email discussion list where podcasters take marketing and monetization seriously, I just don’t want to waste my time. Those of us who talk about podcast monetization and marketing are ostracized by podcasting evangelists and hobbyists. I’m tired of this and thus, I don’t run in those circles anymore. I’d rather spend my energy on the people who need me and that isn’t the geeks or hobbyists.

Since I love my target market so much, what exactly are they saying?

• Read what Monique has to say about my weekly ezine and how it helped her increase her audience in one week.
• Read what Dulcita has to say about the training she received from the Social Media Telesummit that has helped her increase her database in 30 days.
• Peter and Natasha gave their thoughts on how the Social Media Telesummit helped them.
• And the book has garnered a few comments from both readers and colleagues.

Update: My reply was FINALLY approved and the responses have been great. Tee even offered to buy me cool brew while at the New Media Expo in August (thanks Tee!). As I review my post above, I don’t apologize for it, but it was written out of complete frustration that I was being roasted on this discussion list and my reply wasn’t showing up. So, if the tone of my post above makes me sound as if I’m miffed, I was. But now, all I have is dinner on my mind