Gordon Firemark, Author at The Law Podcasting Podcast

Is It OK to have a fixed end to your podcast?

December 22, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

It's a great way to create a course to attract leads…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 16:59 — 13.7MB)

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Is it OK to have a fixed end podcast?

Fixed End Podcast – what does that mean?

Show with a limited number of episodes, that ENDS when the number is reached/.

Prevailing wisdom among podcasters is that you should continue… and keep publishing… But I say that for marketing a professional practice, it may not be as important to just keep on going….

Why would you want to do this?
Limit the scope
keep it focused
Be concise
Limit the time and energy commitment
Avoid re-hashing

So, is it OK to do this?

I say yes… think of teaching as a metaphor. Just like an episode, the podcast can have a beginning, a middle and an end.
If you TELL THE AUDIENCE what you're doing… it can work
Plan out a curriculum and deliver it.
Then… move on to another one.
Strategy – have several podcasts related to your various practice areas…
- Is it better to focus on one at a time, or alternate, or what?
You can batch the recording, and release over time… or deliver all at once.

This strategy is also a great way to develop a (paid?) online course. Do it as a podcast first, get some feedback, then re-record (or not) and release as a bundle.

Or you could have a page on your website, where you capture email addresses of folks and then deliver the episode links by email… or invite them to subscribe to the RSS.

(you don't HAVE to list a podcast in itunes)

What's important for law firm marketing is that the content you create has to be rock-solid… evergreen content if you're gooing to do this.

And be sure that you're writing rich content in the blog posts that come with the podcast episodes, so your content gets found in web search results. Think about using those long-tail keywords, super specific and detailed…

Downsides to having a predetermined, finite end point.

SEO prefers fresh content
ITunes rankings
Some folks look at how old an episode is.
you lose momentum

As always, the Law Podcasting Podcast is brought to you by Power Podcasting for Lawyers, the only online podcast training built specifically for lawyers by lawyers.
NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

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The Thanksgiving/Gratitude Episode

November 23, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

Thanksgiving card design with traditional turkey. Eps10 vector

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:34 — 10.1MB)

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In this Thanksgiving week episode of The Law Podcasting Podcast, we depart from our usual format to discuss gratitude and its benefits in your life, your practice and your marketing.

If you haven't tried a daily ritual of giving thanks for the good things in your life, I encourage you to try it. It's uplifiting and will attract more good things.

Thank you for your time, attention, and support of this podcast, and of Power Podcasting For Lawyers, our first-of-its kind video training course by lawyers for lawyers that shows you a step-by-step approach to conceiving, developing, and launching a law podcast to grow your practice and have some fun, to boot!

Free equipment Guide at: http://lawpodcasting.com/guide

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How podcasting fits in a broader law firm marketing plan

November 16, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

Podcasting is among the best of the tools in the law-firm marketing toolbox.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 12:51 — 10.4MB)

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In this short, solo episode, I discuss law firm marketing plans, and how podcasting fits among the various marketing tools, tactics and strategies available, explaining why podcasting is the best, easiest, and most cost-effective weapon in the arsenal.

Share your thoughts in the comments!

Get started with a podcast for your practice, (or just for fun), you can get our Free Law Podcasting Startup Guide, when you sign up to access our video series (also free) on how you can grow your practice with more good clients and referrals, without breaking the bank.

NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

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How to get good sound quality for your podcast

November 9, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

“Good” sound is enough… It's really about the content..

— Gordon Firemark

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:50 — 26.4MB)

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First off, …

Have a checklist My favorite tool = http://processstreet.com This tool lets you set up process checklists, and include text, audio, video and images so you get things right every time. This tool is also great for showing your assistant, your VA, or your teenager how to do some of the steps, so you can get back to higher-level tasks.

Develop your podcasting system and follow it every time. It simplifies thing immensely and will ensure your show is consistently high quality.You can set up a routine for yourself so that every time you record, you go through all the steps necessary to ensure your recording comes out as clean and clear as possible.

Start with:

Quiet environment
Background sounds
Tell family and colleagues what you're doing
Put up a sign on your door
Acoustics
Room size and shape
Reflections
Damping Rugs, towels, blankets, coat closet, etc. specialized tools canvas paintings, squares etc.

Embrace room characteristics

Eliminate interference
Computer hum
Fan noise
Vibration – shock mount or boom stand off the table
Mobile phones – airplane mode

Microphone
Selection – dynamic vs condenser
Pattern. Omni vs cardioid vs hyper vs shotgun
Placement
Stand
Pop filter

Mixer or interface
Quality preamps
EQ
Gain structure

Headphones
Closed vs open
Earbuds vs over the ear

Connectivity
Skype vs G+ vs others
Connecting phones
Bandwidth
Use Ethernet

Time of day
Energy levels and fatigue
Quiet times vs noisy times
Lighting

What you eat and drink
Avoid extremes of cold/hot/spicy
Avoid dairy
Stay hydrated and lubricated
No ice in your glass

Warm up.
Physical and vocal exercises
Tongue twisters

Finally, smile. It comes through.

After recording – encode without compression for editing

Run through sweetening tools
Levelator
Auphonic

Encode At lowest bit rate suitable to your content.
Mono/stereo

Use quality encoding tools.
Lame
Fraunhofer
Auphonic
Etc.

Final thoughts
Perfection is the enemy of productivity
Very good is good enough (unless you're doing a show for audiophiles)
Get started and improve incrementally. Don't wait until everything is just right.

After all, it's about your content. As long as it sounds pretty good, folks will enjoy.

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Should you submit your podcast to Google Play Music Podcast Portal?

November 2, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

The Terms of Service are pretty typical, which is to say, a bit troubling…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 23:57 — 19.3MB)

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Podcast Portal – Finally!

In this solo episode, I share my thoughts about whether to list your podcast(s) in the Google Play Music Podcast Portal.

In October, Google finally added podcasts to it's Google Play Music store, so android users will now have a more native way to discover and consume podcast content.

Sounds fantastic, right?

Not so fast.

Concerns about the Terms of Service

If you take the time to read the Terms of Service carefully, you may find some points that give you reason to rethink whether you'll submit your show to Google's service.

Google will download and host your content separately.

My big concerns relate mainly to the fact that Google is planning to download the contents of your RSS feed and host the material on their own servers, which means that, at least with respect to the hosted material, you're losing control of your feed, and of what your subscribers are seeing when they access what they think is your podcast.

You lose control of your feed.

If you, for some reason, need to remove an episode from your feed, it will nonetheless remain available to Google Play users, if they've previously downloaded that episode. So, if you're taking down material because of a legal threat, or you just don't like what you said… Too bad. Google still has a copy. And you can bet that it'll be indexed, and will turn up in *some* search results.

Requiring things the law doesn't.

Another point of concern is that Google is seemingly imposing a requirement that goes beyond what the actual law requires. Specifically, Google expects you to warrant and represent that you have permission to use the name, likeness, etc., of every person you so much as mention in your show. Even if you don't have a legal obligation to get that permission. (it's legal in most instances to mention a person by name within the content of a media program like a podcast. What's not legal is using that person's name or likeness for commercial purposes.) Google is taking things farther than the law requires, and it's doing so in a way that can have a chilling effect on free speech.

Google wants to use your content in its advertising and promotion, and that's commercial… So if they do so in a way that infringes the rights of someone you mention or show in your podcast, they'll expect you to take the heat.

More concerns. Listen to the episode

Now, I've just scratched the surface in these show notes. There are a few more points that raised my eyebrows… So give this episode a listen.

Read the Terms of Service for yourself.

And if you're interested in reading these Terms of Service for yourself (which you should), visit:

https://play.google.com/music/podcasts/publish

Click “Get Started” and proceed as though you're going to publish your feed. You'll be prompted to accept the terms. Read carefully.

For convenience, Here is a PDF version

Get your own Law Podcast

NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

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Michael DeBlis of Emotion In The Courtroom – Law Podcasting Episode 38

October 26, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

Michael DeBlis

“The connection is so intimate…”

— Michael DeBliss, Emotion In The Courtroom

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 37:07 — 34.1MB)

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My guest today is Michael DeBlis,a trial lawyer in Bloomfield New Jersey who specializes in U.S. international taxation. Michael is known for his knowledge of international tax law and issues, creativity in his practice, his charismatic personality, and his unyielding dedication to his clients.

Michael is a former public defender for the office of the New Jersey Public Defender.Michael is a prolific writer and a passionate blogger. He has written articles that have been featured in leading tax journals such as CCH Journal of Tax Practice and Procedure, Global Tax Weekly, and ABA News Quarterly. He has also been featured on the media affiliates of several major media networks, including NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, and CNN.

But we're here to talk about podcasting. Mike's podcast is “Emotion In the Courtroom”.

Find the podcast at: www.EmotionInTheCourtroom.com and the main law-firm Web site at: www.DeBlisLaw.com.

Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast:

ScheduleOnce

Mac Computers

Mac Computers

John Lee Dumas – Entrepreneur On Fire Podcast

NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

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Should You Use A Program Clock? – Law Podcasting Episode 37

September 15, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

Show Clock for NPR's “All Things Considered”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 13:19 — 10.8MB)

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What is a program Clock

A Program Clock is a template that broadcast stations and networks use to program on-air: when to start and end a show, where to place breaks for local announcements and underwriting or ads, when newscasts should be inserted, etc.

But you should consider using one for your podcast, even though you're not as bound by time constraints as traditional terrestrial radio and television programs are.

A Program clock brings a desirable consistency and predictability to your show's format, which is useful both to the producers, hosts, editors, and others involved in creating the show, but also to the audience, who'll take comfort in the organization and structure of the show from episode-to-episode.

Creating a program clock is simply a matter of dividing a circle into time “wedges” representing each of the various components or “segments” of the show: Cold-Open, Intro Music, Welcome from Host, Ad/Promo/Call to Action, Content Blocks, wrap-up, and outro music will each be represented by a wedge with time indicators to show the start and end points.

Other formats can be used. I've seen vertical bar-charts, horizontal timelines, and chronological run-down outlines. In the video production space, storyboards are an analogous tool.

Following the program clock rigorously is something best left to broadcasters who have specific time windows in which they must fit their programming. In the podcast space, this is less of a concern. Audience members aren't going to mind if your show goes a few seconds (or minutes) longer than expected. The point is, you use the Program clock as a guide.

It's ok to depart completely from your clock if the content justifies it. Breaking News or special event coverage is a perfect example. Announcing that you're doing so, is a great way to capture your audience's attention from time to time.

Consider creating a show clock for your podcast. It's a valuable planning and production tool.

Here are some articles about Program Clocks.

From the 99% Invisible Podcast (which is excellent, by the way)
https://www.prx.org/tools-and-resources/for-producers/network-clocks
www.apmstations.org/programs/clock.php?pgm_code=bnh

Examples:

As always, the Law Podcasting Podcast is brought to you by Power Podcasting for Lawyers, the only online podcast training built specifically for lawyers by lawyers.

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Shemia Fagan of The Working Parents Law Cast -Law Podcasting Episode 36

September 8, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

Shemia Fagan

“The key is to identify a target market, not a target topic…”

— Shemia Fagan, The Working Parents' Law Cast

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:06 — 26.6MB)

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Shemia Fagan hails from Portland Oregon, where she is is a partner at HKM Employment Attorneys. Shemia is recognized as “The Working Parents' Lawyer” because she focuses her practice specifically on workplace challenges facing other working parents, including wrongful termination based on pregnancy discrimination, family leave, sick leave, sexual harassment, and marital status discrimination. Shemia was recently honored with the Portland Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 award, and recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers national publication. As if that is not enough, Shemia is also an Oregon legislator serving her second term in the Oregon House of Representatives. She serves on the Business and Labor Committee and as the Chair of the Consumer Protection Committee. Shemia lives in the Portland suburbs with her husband, son, two dogs, and two cats. As you can imagine, Shemia is commonly asked, “How do you do it all?” The answer (until she discovers more than 24 hours in a day) is her devotion to time management principles. “Devotion” is a nice way to characterize her obsession, others might say she's a productivity zealot. Either way, she is on a perpetual quest to work smarter so she can play harder. That is why she shares time management tips for other lawyers as The Efficient Attorney on Facebook.

Shemia recently Launched The Working Parent's Law Cast, and we talked about her experience launching the new show…

NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

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Bentley Tolk of Legal Marketing Launch – Law Podcasting Episode 35

August 24, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

Bentley Tolk

“It's very satisfying to be building something that is helping the legal community”

— Bentley Tolk, Legal Marketing Launch

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 27:59 — 22.5MB)

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Bentley Tolk is shareholder with Parr Brown Gee & Loveless in Salt Lake City, Utah, a commercial law firm that has approximately 70 attorneys. Bentley's legal practice emphasizes ERISA litigation (defense), employment litigation (defense), intellectual property litigation, general commercial litigation, and employment law.

Bentley launched his podcast, Legal Marketing Launch, on June 15, 2015. Legal Marketing Launch addresses client development for lawyers, and it consists of interviews with lawyers, legal marketers, marketing professionals, personal development experts and time management experts. The podcast currently airs every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, but it will be expanding this fall to five days per week. Legal Marketing Launch has twice been #1 in the Technology category in the New & Noteworthy section of iTunes, and it has also ranked highly in New & Noteworthy in the Business, Marketing & Management, and Education categories.

Find Bentley's ERISA Litigation Podcast Here.

Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast:

Auphonic – Online Leveler, Noise Reduction and Media File converter

Schedule Once – Online scheduling tool

Podcaster's Paradise

Paul Colligan's Podcast Secrets

NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

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Tom Fox of FCPA Compliance and Ethics Report – Episode 34

August 17, 2015 Gordon Firemark Podcast

“…there are no hurdles to starting a podcast.”

— Tom Fox, FCPA Compiance and Ethics

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 20:20 — 16.4MB)

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Tom Fox is a Houston, Texas area lawyer and consultant who serves the business community with anti-bribery compliance and international transaction issues. Previously he was General Counsel at Drilling Controls, a worldwide oilfield manufacturing and service company, and he’s also served as counsel with Haliburton energy.

Tom is the author of the FCPA Compiance and Ethics Blog, the international best selling book “Lessons Learned on Compliance and Ethics and Best Practices under the FCPA and Bribery Act“, which came out last April. He writes and lectures all over the world on Anti-corruption and anti-bribery compliance programs

Tom’s podcast is “FCPA Compliance and Ethics Report“.

Tom's approach to legal marketing is an overall content-rich media and personal appearances strategy, of which his podcast is just one element.

Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast:
Garage Band

DropBox

iMovie

Tape A Call (iphone and Android App)

NOTE: Some of the above may be affiliate links to products or services for which we receive a commission when you purchase. Thank you!

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« 1 2 3 4 5 … 7 »

Author: Gordon Firemark

Is It OK to have a fixed end to your podcast?

It's a great way to create a course to attract leads…

Fixed End Podcast – what does that mean?

So, is it OK to do this?

Downsides to having a predetermined, finite end point.

The Thanksgiving/Gratitude Episode

How podcasting fits in a broader law firm marketing plan

Podcasting is among the best of the tools in the law-firm marketing toolbox.

How to get good sound quality for your podcast

“Good” sound is enough… It's really about the content..

Should you submit your podcast to Google Play Music Podcast Portal?

The Terms of Service are pretty typical, which is to say, a bit troubling…

Podcast Portal – Finally!

Concerns about the Terms of Service

Google will download and host your content separately.

You lose control of your feed.

Requiring things the law doesn't.

More concerns. Listen to the episode

Read the Terms of Service for yourself.

Get your own Law Podcast

Michael DeBlis of Emotion In The Courtroom – Law Podcasting Episode 38

“The connection is so intimate…”

Should You Use A Program Clock? – Law Podcasting Episode 37

Show Clock for NPR's “All Things Considered”

What is a program Clock

Shemia Fagan of The Working Parents Law Cast -Law Podcasting Episode 36

“The key is to identify a target market, not a target topic…”

Bentley Tolk of Legal Marketing Launch – Law Podcasting Episode 35

“It's very satisfying to be building something that is helping the legal community”

Tom Fox of FCPA Compliance and Ethics Report – Episode 34

“…there are no hurdles to starting a podcast.”