Moving

I moved last week. The last time I did so was in 2012 and there was much less to move. I accumulated a lot of things over the last decade. Things like cables, microphones and outdated technology like whatever the device was that made it so I could record people on the telephone for my podcast. I use that technology today to record phone scammers for my own personal entertainment. After I am threatened with arrest, I request a meeting place for my arraignment, or ask if I should go to the police and say Parminder sent me. That usually ends the call.

Since 1994 I have moved 7 times. (I’m not counting the number of times I moved before then. I was literally living out of a dorm) Low for anyone who has worked in an industry as transient as radio. I’m most surprised by the things I have kept along the way. Most of it is the memorabilia from my time in radio. Signed posters and framed pieces that have collapsed or creased along the way. Last Saturday I was faced with the decision to spend a few hundred dollars to get three pieces fixed, or just chuck them at the side of the road. One piece in particular is from a band that got a lot of rock radio airplay in the mid-90’s, but no one listens to much anymore. It was going to cost the most to fix it. In the end, I spent the money and fixed it; along with the personalized pieces and notes of thanks from the Goo Goo Dolls and Bret Hart.

Now remember, hardly anyone is going to see these pieces. Even If I have people over for dinner, no one is going to be touring the newly created Sound Off Studios to ogle pieces from the Scorpions and Alice in Chains. I decided to keep them because of the gratitude that was expressed. Each one of these pieces says, “Thanks Matt!”, and gratitude is something we can’t have enough of.

What's Ahead

• Getting Attention: The 2024 Edition

• Getting Attention, Part Deux

• Where Have I Been?

• Live on the Internet

• Best Thing I Heard This Week

• Voice Over Work

I’m very lucky to have access to a decluttering expert. Avery Rich has a newsletter called Declutter U, which is all about decluttering your life. This includes things like your email, closets, drawers and this week’s edition: Spending.

Getting Attention: The 2024 Edition

Speaking of clutter, the internet is full of clutter and crap from people seeking attention: If you don’t like audio and podcasts, there is a good chance what I am talking about could fall into that pile. One of the things that is sorely lacking in the race to check all the boxes to make podcasters and YouTubers satisfied that they have done a great marketing job - is the care that goes into HOW they are getting one’s attention. People using a tool like OPUS Clips to create 10 clips to promote their boring show is likely the biggest waste of time and space out there. The only people benefiting from that is Opus Clips. Allow me to unpack all the bad news:

(1) Most people have really boring shows. Their downloads reflect it. They think they are interesting. They think what they have to say is important - but it really isn’t. There are no interesting clips.

(2) Opus will give you multiple boring clips. You should not promote boring.

(3) When you do promote boring, you are promoting that you are boring.

(4) Boring never grows an audience.

Getting Attention, Part Deux

Last week, I had the chance to speak with Steve Pratt who founded Pacific Content in 2014 and created branded podcasts for companies like Charles Schwab and Slack. Steve never liked the term “branded podcasts” but preferred to describe them as “brands with stories.” A good show can be one “that is from you and not about you.” Steve’s new book is called EARN IT: UNCONVENTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR BRAVE MARKETERS, and it is all about getting the right attention. If you listen to this episode, you will do your thing differently in the future.

Where Have I Been?

I went to Buffalo to see the Bills play. They blew out the Jags which actually told me more about the Jags than the Bills. All I can tell you is that there was a lot of fun to be had at Hammer’s Lot: Home to the Bowling Bowl Shot and Pinto Ron. You can Google why Pinto Ron is so famous. His real name is Ken Johnson, a software engineer by day - Bills Superfan in his spare time.

Live on the Internet

The Podcast Superfriends Celebrated International Podcast Day The Podcast Superfriends are Jon Gay, Johnny Podcasts, Catherine O’Brien, David Yas and myself. We are podcast producers and talk all things podcasting on a one hour live show monthly. On September 30th we got together for International Podcast Day and talked about some of the things worthy of your attention when it comes to podcasting. Here was my submission.

Best Thing I Heard This Week…

That Terry Dimonte and Ted Bird’s podcast “Standing By” would be going weekly. With Terry having moved back to Quebec, the show is in a position to record its eighth and final season by converting to a weekly podcast. Anyone who follows “Sounding Off” knows I hate the notion of “seasons” for a podcast. Unless it is work that needs to be serialized, it just sends a message to the listener that the show takes a breaks and the release schedule will be at the whim of the creator. This is not something that worked against Terry and Ted’s show - as the audience knew that there were obstacles to get the guys together to record. (Namely… land) Terry was living three time zones away.

This show is going to go to (pardon the inside podcast pun) New Heights with a weekly release schedule.

Terry makes an annual appearance on the Sound Off Podcast at Christmas time. Looking forward to finding out the speed of his rural wifi when we record.

Voiceover Info Here

I did a voiceover for Management Solutions, a largely Spanish based company. Yes, very dire copy and I’m sure the world in going to end tomorrow … act accordingly. I’ve added this video to my webpage.