Step By Step: How to Make Money with a Podcast for Teachers
Today I am ready to share exactly how to make a podcast for teachers, with our very own podcast producer. This interview has been a long while in the making. Sam Buti our official podcast producer came to share all things “teacher podcast”.
Sam wears many hats as his work in podcasting grows, but he most resonates with voice director, consultant, and producer. It wasn't Sam’s main goal to be a podcast editor and voice director. He started out as an actor and even went to school for acting. Spent a lot of time right out of college trying to be an actor in Chicago and realized very quickly that being an actor is a hard way to make a living. He started doing different odds and ends type jobs. He actually got into audio when he had a roommate that did McDonald’s commercial voiceover work. His roommate just had a microphone and a whole setup right down the hall from where Sam was literally living. So he took a voice-over class and kind of fell into voice acting.
When we sat down we chatted about how teachers can utilize the idea of creating their own podcast to make extra income on the side. Even as they are teaching full time. A podcast is really just sharing your ideas with the world.
Sam’s first business was actually born because no one ever taught him how to put all the pieces together. So he started creating a curriculum and offering classes. He started with 3-5 people in the group and private coaching. Then he hooked up with a company in New York where they actually taught voice acting for a number of years. He was their main producer and managed tons of different demos. Demo reels are the voice-acting equivalent of a resumé or calling card. It's what you showcase when you pitch your ideas. When he left he was very curious about doing a podcast of his own.
Beginning podcasting for teachers
For a teacher who is thinking of starting a podcast your first step: start recording right away. You're not podcasting until you're recording. It seems so simple but it's so important. You are what you practice and if you practice recording you can then become a podcaster. Sharing your recordings can be really scary too. Just begin practicing so you can build a business out of your ideas down the road.
Monetizing your teacher podcast is a real thing, but 9 times out of 10 you probably won’t make a million dollars tomorrow if you are just getting started. You do have to put in the work.
And step 1 when creating a pdcast for teachers is to just start!
Podcasting is a lot like running a marathon. You are doing this for the long haul. And if you think of it in terms of sharing your ideas is where the wealth is you’ll become more successful. The beauty of podcasting is showing up in somebody's ears week after week. You literally get to be in their head and become the voice in their head. It's such a powerful and intimate medium in that respect.
As far as monetizing your content there are many ways to get that accomplished:
- Sell advertising
- Affiliate options
- Selling your show
- Plus More…
The opportunity is ripe for getting in on podcasting, it’s not too late. There's even more opportunity if you think about developing an audience for the long run. That is really where you can create wealth. Creating an audience is more valuable than selling your show in the grand scheme of your teaching business.
Think about that in terms of your new show. You're starting your show – you're excited – you've recorded a number of episodes. And you're finally publishing them. Now all of a sudden you're trying to sell ads. If you have one thousand listeners a month. Let's just say that hypothetically, that's awesome, you're doing a great job. And ad spends with 1000+ listeners are going to add up. So getting to scale is super important and scale takes time. You need a catalog of episodes. It's like compound interest with podcasting, the more you do it the better you get and the wealthier you can become.
It's a very slow burn and it's one of those things where you don't see the immediate return. We had a plan when we first started the CEO Teacher® Podcast, it was part of our runaway. Then we launched a program and used our podcast as a catalyst to launch. So that kept me excited in the beginning. After chatting with Amy Porterfield about how inconsistent she was when she first got started made me think of my initial commitment.
Making a commitment and a promise to yourself: the single most important idea when starting your podcast – show up weekly!
Although there are some stats out there about which days of the week are best to hit publish, but the honest truth is it's the wild west in the Podcasting world. This is not television, and you can do whatever you want. You can do a minute-long show, next to a fifty-hour-long show, next to a three-hour show, etc. But showing up week after week is the better option. The more you produce on a regular basis the better it'll become. It goes back to the idea of compound interest.
Sam gave us great advice and I haven't heard it explained that way thinking of compound interest and having a catalog of content that you can share. In the beginning, you don't have to record 14 shows before you actually hit the publish button. You can just set it up as part of your routine so that it becomes who you are and what you do each week. That's a great way to stay a little bit more committed. Especially if recording a hundred shows is too daunting for you. Because let’s be honest, it was for me! It still is and I've been doing this for almost four years.
Podcast for Teachers: Content Creation
Sam does want to caution you about getting too far in advance with your content. In case you have to pivot on a dime like when the world changed in 2020. So there are some drawbacks to batch recording. But having a publishing deadline at the very least. Something like every week you’re going to publish by this day- that will force you to keep going. And when you think in terms of having other people counting on you as your show begins to grow. Your people want to show up and they want to listen to you, so you need to be there for them. That is some really great motivation for staying consistent.
Working Full Time And Considering Podcasting For Educators?
There can be a lot of roadblocks when you first begin:
- Tech Issues
- Consistent Content Creation
- Hosting Platforms
- Cover Images
- Show Notes
- Intro Audio
So let’s make it as simple as possible. Focus on who your show is for. What is your purpose? What is it you want to help with? Break everything down into the smallest chunks. You could even take your lesson plans or even simpler a moment in your lessons that you want to teach. That makes it much less of a roadblock. When you think about it in very small digestible pieces you can move forward.
Find your small audience, your super fans. Then the rest will come because in the specificity we find the general. If you can start with your really tiny thing the odds are specific teachers will find you in your niched podcast for teachers versus a generalized teaching podcast.
Breaking Down The Tech Needed To Start A Podcast For Elementary Teachers
People tend to overcomplicate the tech side of podcasting to the Nth degree. No need for fancy headphones or the latest microphone. Sam loves the twenty-dollar headphones. Simple is the best and it's it seems so obvious but keeping it simple is your best friend.
Anchor is technically a podcast hosting platform by Spotify. And it's a great place for beginners, it's free. You can essentially monetize using it. And they offer a way for you to include ad content later on. You can record, edit and upload and you're automatically on Spotify without doing anything else. It's a really really great resource for beginners. In addition to that, if you have a smartphone you have a quality recorder in your pocket. One that is good enough especially when you're beginning. Recording from your phone is a great place to start. Or recording on Anchor through your computer. If you want to take a step up from that the pro USB mic (a microphone that you just plug right into your computer) is perfect for professional voiceover work.
And as a side note: I say also try to get out of a wooden room. Because I have a Yeti Mic at home and the sound tries to bounce and echo all around the wooden floors, ceiling, desks, etc. (And as my podcast producer Sam told me the sound was not great! LOL)
Sam remembers his really simple first studio was literally a closet. He put his microphone into the closet and just kind of hung a blanket over it and himself. Like they did when taking an old-time photo. You just need to include soft things. Audio is a wave and it's going to bounce off of hard surfaces. And now that we've gotten past our barrier of technology and we feel good about getting started on a podcast for teachers we can start with content creation. Sam’s advice for someone just getting started with creating content for their show is to just start talking.
Pick one person that you actually know or is your ICA. Talk to them. You're not thinking about how do I make a beautiful piece of art or the perfect episode. You're just writing or you're just talking to one person. What problem are you offering a solution for? This is really helpful if you can articulate the problem and a solution in each episode. Now you have a show with an overarching theme and many little episodes that are on different topics that still help your audience solve their main problem. Being able to relate to people is huge and I think teachers forget that sometimes when trying to start a business. We relate to students but when we create a business we may have to relate to their parents or to other teachers in order to sell our solution to the problem.
Podcasting is like storytelling. How we connect with others – that's how we evolve. Another way to look at content is from a personal perspective. If you're solving a problem and you're solving your own problem- start there. Eventually, it's going to relate to somebody else, because somebody else is going to have that same problem. And if you can put yourself into the story and start with your center, speak from that place. Odds are it will resonate with somebody else and then you've built a bridge. Storytelling is the bridge between you and your listener. It makes you human and it helps them understand your humanity. It also gives you a mission, a reason, and a purpose. As a podcaster, you are not the hero of the story. Your listeners are the hero. You're the guide helping them get to the place they need. You're solving their problem.
One of the hardest things about being a podcast for teachers is sometimes letting the ugly in. Because we all want to be perfect. We all want to be great at this. And we look for the highlight reel so often. But when things go wrong or fall apart sometimes that can be the best stuff. It's unexpected and when you surprise yourself you'll surprise your listener and it can be a golden moment.
Teachers have a great stepping stone for getting started with podcasting. We have shown them how to get started with sharing what they know. I believe we're going to see a huge wave and influx of teachers in the next couple of years taking those top slots for podcasting.
If you're a teacher who doesn't fit the norm that's even better. You have got more of a niche. For instance, if you feel like it's a medium that's dominated by women and you're a male that's great. Now all of a sudden you have a unique take on the topics. Teachers are predisposed to be great speakers, you can do this if you think of podcasting as an extension of your teaching skills. You know how to do this you're just putting a microphone in front of it now.
You can find Sam and more of his helpful tips and strategies for growing a podcast for teachers here: https://samuelbuti.com/
Looking For More Ideas For Growing Your Business Or Podcasting For Educators:
3 Things I Wish I Would Have Known Before I Started
Starting your Teacher Business From Scratch
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