How I make money through PPC?

First you need a product or service to sell.  You will need to setup a PPC campaign through either AdWords or adCenter.  Set up is pretty simple, you can email me if you need help!  Just make sure that you only have 1-2 keywords per AdGroup.  Have very specific keywords to what you are selling and try it out.  This is one of the easiest ways to make money online.

How long does it take to setup?

Depends on you and your account. If you have doubts, I provide PPC Management to anyone looking to make more money online.  If you want to setup a campaign by yourself you need to plan for a couple hours to set this up depending on how you are planning on spending.  You need to setup the Campaigns into very small AdGroups with very few keywords per AdGroup.  I give several instructions at PPC.org on how to do this.

As a special bonus I will be giving away $50 to to several different commenter below.  Leave me a comment below on how you would best use $50 in advertising credit.  Love to read your comments!

Basically all you need are a few things to get started podcasting. A voice, a mic and recording software. Luckily every since computer has the last two pieces and if you are blogging you should already have a voice. If not then why are you blogging?

A Voice

As a blogger you have a unique voice in your writing and because of that you have a unique perspective on things that can translate to the spoken word. Do you review blogs, how about an interview series with the bloggers that you review, you can review the blog in writing and then do an interview with the blog owner via Skype as something extra to add to your post. Then make that an actual podcast and you can tap into a whole other audience.

A Mic

Many laptops have an internal mic that you can use to record your voice. It isn’t the greatest but it works. If you want to step up you can get an external mic and record better sound. You can even use a telephone to call into sites like Blog Talk Radio. There are many ways to record your voice.

Recording Software

If you are a MAC user then you have it all set with Garage Band but as a PC user I use Audacity to record my own voice. I also use a program called G-Recorder to record my own voice and the people that I talk with with Skype. When I record on Skype I can download the MP3, open it with Audacity edit it. This is a very easy thing to do.

Get it on Itunes

You also need a way to get your podcast onto iTunes. If you are using WordPress then you have some great options like PowerPress and PodPress. These plug ins will help you get your new content uploaded into iTunes. Once it is there you can use all your blogging and SEO skills to get that show seen by an entirely new audience and also give your existing audience something new and fresh from you.

Practicing what I Preach

Personally I am working on a video podcast. I am learning how to do this correctly and in the meantime I am creating the content anyway and posting it to Vimeo and Youtube. Once I figure out how to do the video podcast the best I can it will go up to iTunes and it will be an enhancement to my current blog.

But while getting the software in place to run a podcast is fairly easy, getting a high-quality podcast out of it is less so, especially when you are trying to record a conversation over the Web. Voice communication on the Internet is notoriously fickle and your podcast is vulnerable to slowed connections, lags and poor audio quality.

However, there is a way around it and it involves using a technique developed in the 1980s for television interviews. In that era, before satellite television was common, doing a long-distance interview was tricky. However, a low-tech solution solved the problem and has made a resurgence among podcasters today.

What is a Double-Ender

The basic idea behind a double-ender is that, rather than having one person (usually the host) try to record both the participants, everyone records their own audio and it is assembled later.

For example, with a simple two-person podcast, both hosts record their own audio and whoever does the actual editing synchronizes the two feeds and produces a single audio file.

The advantages of this method are legion. First, the audio will be clearer as one’s sound will definitely be better at their own computer than it will be after it has traveled across the Web, often succumbing to VOIP issues such as echos and stutters. Second, since both participants are in separate channels, you can easily edit out coughs or other flubs from one line without impacting the other person’s audio. Finally, you have complete control over the audio quality and are able to record at very high level, unrestrained by connection limitations.

That being said, double-enders don’t work well with more than two people (triple-ender?). Syncing up more than two lines of audio can be a nightmare, even if it can theoretically work. Also, the more lines of audio you add, the more processing power you need to edit the podcast and the the less worthwhile it becomes as the improvement in audio quality seems less noticeable.

Other than that limitation, the main drawback is that it is more difficult to do and more time consuming. However, once you understand the process, it is pretty trivial to set up a simple double-ender.

How to Do a Double-Ender

If you want to try using a Double-Ender for your podcast, all you need to do is follow these simple steps:

1. Follow the Steps From Last Week: Follow the guide from last week to get set up and talking to your co-host.
2. Both Hosts Record Their Audio: The host in the set up would have a copy of Audacity record 16ch (to record both vocals and soundboard) and the co-host would simply record their mic. For this purpose, it is usually easier to record in mono rather than stereo.
3. Synchronize the Recordings: Before starting the actual podcast, sync recording on both ends and sync up the podcasts. There are several ways to do this, one of the easiest involves having one party count the seconds on a stopwatch while the other does the same, timing out with the other person. What is needed is for both parties to make a controlled sound or series of sounds at the same time so they can be lined up later.
4. Do the Podcast As Usual: Next, do the podcast as normal, being sure to stop the recordings and save the files (in a high quality) after finishing.
5. Transfer the File: The hardest step is often to transfer the file. Since podcasts typically run 30-60 minutes and the audio should be in high quality, it can be many hundreds of megs. Use patience and a file host such as Filedropper to share the file(s) with the editor.
6. Paste the Files in Audacity: In audacity, create a new audio file with two tracks (use the “Tracks>Add Track” menu item) and paste two audio recordings, one into each track.
7. Sync the Tracks: Delete all of the content in both tracks up to the sync point created in step three and the tracks should be in step. However, some adjustments may be needed.

Once that is done, all that the editor has to do is edit the podcast as usual and, when done, mix it down and export it to MP3. The process shouldn’t take significantly longer than editing a podcast recorded directly from Skype or Talkshoe and may even save time if there are VOIP issues that would have to be cleaned up manually otherwise.

Bottom Line

Using a double-ender on your two-person podcast, despite seeming intimidating, is actually very easy to do and produces a much higher-quality podcast than recording directly off Talkshoe or your Skype connection. As such, it is likely worth doing if you can’t record the show face-to-face.

I was admittedly skeptical when my friends told me to try a double-ender for my podcast but, after doing it as an experiment, I have never gone back. It is now my main way of recording podcasts. The only thing that has changed is the addition of a soundboard for inserting audio into the live call.

If you record a two-person podcast and haven’t tried this method, you need to give it a shot. There is a bit of a learning curve but the rewards are well worth the pains.

But while these things can definitely help improve your sound, if you’re just wanting to test the waters of podcasting but still want a reasonable sound, not to mention a reasonably entertaining podcast, there is a way that you can set up your Mac to operate a moderately robust show without buying any hardware or software.

The trick is to use freely-available software to give yourself the features that you need at the best price possible, zero.

For this example we’re going to look at a two-person podcast where the person is the host and wants to have a sound board so they can play intro/outro music and some effects as they talk. We will be looking at it from the “host’s” perspective. The idea is to get a very basic podcast going, similar to the one I record every week, the Copyright 2.0 Show.

The One Place to Spend Money

Most Macs come with a halfway decent built-in microphone so you could, theoretically, use it and get by. However, spending a little bit of money on a better microphone can go a long way and there are several good USB compressor mics that are reasonably priced and very easy to use.

Personally, I recommend the Snowball or the Snowflake mic, both by Blue. Though neither Mic will be as good as a good compressor Mic powered by a mixer, it is better (and more easily handled) than a built-in mic.

You can get a pretty good USB compressor mic for about $50-$100 and it’s a worthwhile purchase. Even if you don’t stick to podcasting, there are many other reasons to want to record audio.

What You Need

In order to make this setup work, you’ll need the following items:

1. LineIn: A simple application that allows you to redirect audio from one source and output it somewhere else.
2. SoundFlower: Adds two new sound devices to your Mac. Will be used with LineIn to redirect and combine audio.
3. Mac Jingle Player: A simple cart player that lets you play sound effects and jingles on command.
4. Garageband or Audacity: Use either of these applications to record your audio.
5. Skype, Talkshoe, etc.: Some means of making a VOIP call that can be recorded.

Once you have downloaded and installed the software, you need to take a moment and install a second instance of LineIn. This can be done easily by just copying the LineIn file in your applications folder and pasting a new copy underneath a slightly different name (IE: LineIn2).

Once you have done that, you should have everything you need to get started.

Bringing it Together

Now that you have all of the software you need, including two instances of LineIn, you need to bring it all together. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open up Soundflowerbed: The application will give you two new audio devices named 2CH and 16CH. Using the dropdown in the menubar, instruct 2CH to output to your headphones, usually default output but may be your USB headset.



2. Open Up Both LineIn Apps: Set the first one to direct your microphone to 16CH and the second one to redirect 2CH to 16CH. What this does is direct both your microphone and anything set to 2CH to 16CH so that channel gets ALL of your outgoing audio but you are only listening to your sound effects, thus eliminating echo from hearing yourself talk.



3. Configure Mac Jingle Player: Configure your cart machine, in this case Mac Jingle Player, to use 2CH for its output. This audio will be sent by LineIN to 16CH, along with your Mic, but will also be previewed over your headphones.



4. Set 16CH as the Default Input: Finally, set up your Mac under System preferences to use 16CH as the default input. This way, when Skype, Talkshoe and your recording software pulls in audio from your system, it grabs it from 16CH, getting both your mic and your sound effects. Be sure to check that your application does not override this setting.

If everything goes according to plan, what should happen is that MJP will play through your headphones and be audible to the person at the other end of the call. However, your audio should not be coming in over your headphones though the person at the other end of the call should be able to hear it. You should be able to call, talk and play audio between the two of you with great ease.

Also remember that both LineIn AND SoundFlower will have to be running to make this work. Likewise, keep in mind that this is not meant to be complete and robust guide, you may have to play with these settings, especially the levels to get it to work and sound exactly right. This is just an overview.

Recording the Call

If you use Talkshoe or another Web-based podcasting tool, there’s no need to record the podcast as it is done for you (Note: It’s easiest to use the Shoephone client with Talkshoe for this). However, if you use Skype, there are several low-cost options for recording the whole call.

However, both solutions are subject to the quality of the connection, which can be very fickle. There is an easy way to record a high-quality podcast and edit it for free. Though it requires a bit more work, the added time and expertise is not great and the improvement in audio quality is easily noticeable.

Next time, we’ll discuss how to take your free recording and edit it to make it sound as professional as possible, while still working within a budget of $0.

However, since the use of written text and pictures focuses on the visual learner, you could be missing out on attracting more visitors because you are ignoring other learning modes. I’m thinking specifically of auditory learners, those who prefer to gather information primarily through listening.

Although I’ve known about the theories behind various modes of learning for years, I didn’t really understand and appreciate the difference in learning styles between an audio and visual learner until I started listening to podcasts.

I found a couple of sites on topics I really wanted to learn more about whose primary mode of sharing information was through podcasting. At first I thought it was going to be wonderful. I was excited at the opportunity to be able to multi-task and listen to the podcasts while in the car, or doing menial tasks such as cleaning. I did enjoy listening, but I was also hugely disappointed in my ability to really absorb the information as well as I did when reading.

This mostly goes back to my personal learning style, which is heavily visual. I happen to learn and absorb information much better through the written word. For whatever reason (and there’s a whole lot of information out there on learning modes and learning styles), my brain is not geared to learn efficiently just by listening. I have to visually read the words.

This experience helped me realize what it probably feels like for those who are primarily auditory learners. Since I found myself wishing that my favorite podcast sites would offer transcriptions of their podcasts (and some of them are now doing that), it makes sense that there are auditory learners who would also appreciate being able to listen to blog posts in auditory format.

Therefore, depending on your blog’s intent, you may want to consider taking advantage of the audio format on your blog. If you have a few popular or high-demand posts, it might be a good idea to turn those into audio versions and offer those on your blog too. This could help you attract more visitors and you could also ask your audience to point you to blog entries that they would like to see in audio format.

Reading written text might be the preferred mode of learning for many, but don’t assume it’s true for everyone. Consider whether or not it makes sense to create a few audio versions of your posts and see, no wait, make that listen to what happens.

Oh and before you say it, I guess I should make an audio version of this post too, shouldn’t I?

But what does it take to make it big?

“You have to take it seriously.” explains Keith Malley of Keith and the Girl, one of the most popular and successful podcasts by any standard.

“If you say you’re putting out a show once a week, you should do it.” Chemda Khalili ^{(the girl)} adds, “Also, it is giving a shit. If you don’t care about your show then nobody will. If you half ass it then people will half ass listen to it. If you say its a comedy show it should probably try to be funny, and if you say you’re going to give this type of information, you should research it; whatever the topic you should stay consistent with it and be the best at it.”

In the beginning.

Three years ago Keith and Chemda began the show to promote their respective creative careers, Keith a comedian and Chemda a singer, and quite quickly it took on a life of its own; allowing both to quit their day jobs.
“We knew this would be another thing we were doing but didn’t know it would branch out this far.” Chemda explains, “We didn’t know that this would be the main project, we thought it would be another thing to have because being whatever kind of artist, be it a singer or a stand-up comic or writing books, we know that you have to go through different avenues, try different ways to get any kind of career that’s in the arts going.”

Now they have a legion of fans, 17 of which have the shows logo permanently inked into their skin, and two spin off shows, one a videocast Keith and the Girl TV, the other a voyeuristic sampling of “off air” content. Both of which join the show as being consistently ranked in the top 10 of podcasts at podcast alley thanks to those fans. “There is a community growing.” Chemda says about their websites forums where fans gather online, “A lot of people know each other’s names, they have their own meet ups. It’s really just incredible that we can go out into some town and hang out with people and do a show.”

Quitting the day job.

“We didn’t know it would monetize so well, that’s the main thing, we didn’t know it would be the source of income at all.” explained Chemda on the financial success of the show. The couple sell show related merchandise on everything from t-shirts to towels at their online store, as well as their creative projects.

“Originally the merchandise was helping the show grow and now there is advertising.” Chemda adds, “We did it on our own [advertising] and we had some fans that have bought ads from us… we contacted some businesses and some of that came through and some of that didn’t, so yeah we definitely tried on our own and definitely got some.”
Recently the show signed on with Wizzard Media to handle all their advertising sales.

Chemda gives this last peice of advice on podcasting for profit. “If you want to make it a business then it’s going to take up more time than you thought it would. Chances are you’re working as many hours at least as a nine to fiver.”

The couple living in Queens, New York, produce the hour long shows weekdays, often live, and “talk shit”. From current events to personal issues, they are honest and entertaining.

“If you hang out with Keith, and he’s comfortable with you, you’ll see him take out a pen and paper when you say something funny” Chemda explains. “And try not to be offended if I don’t.” Keith adds.

You can catch one of the KATG live event April 15th at the Village underground in New York, more details at keithandthegirl.com.

When you have your computer set up and your microphone working, it’s time to start recording. Take a deep breath and then follow these steps:

1. Jot down a few notes on what you want to talk about.
Nothing too fancy — just make an outline that includes remarks about who you are and what you want to talk about. Use these notes to keep yourself on track. All this — the checking of your computer, jotting down notes, and setting up your recording area — is called preshow prep.

2. Click the Record button in your recording software and go for as long as it takes for you to get through your notes.
I recommend keeping your first recording to no more than 20 minutes. That may seem like a lot of time, but it will fly by.

3. Give a nice little sign-off.
Something like “Take care of yourselves! See you next month.” and click the Stop button.

4. Choose File➪Save As and give your project a name.

Now bask in the warmth of creative accomplishment. Compressing your audio files

If you’re using an application other than Audacity, you may need to make your recording into an MP3 file. Many audio players that come with computers offer the capability to create MP3 files, but if your audio player doesn’t read or compress audio recordings to MP3 files, you can keep it fed by downloading iTunes.

After you install iTunes, follow these steps to convert your audio file:

1. Choose File➪Add File to Library.
2. Browse for the audio file you want to convert and then click Open.
Your file is now in the iTunes Library.
3. Find the audio file in the iTunes Library and click to select it.
4. Choose Advanced➪Convert Selection to MP3.
Your file is converted to the MP3 format.

Congratulations — you just recorded your first podcast. At least the audio part of it. Join us next time when we look into transferring your podcast to the web, and grabbing new listeners.

Be sure to Subscribe to our feed to get notified of my next post in this series.

But let’s dispel something right off the bat about podcasting: You’re not reprogramming your operating system, you’re not hacking into the Internal Revenue Service’s database, and you’re not setting up a wireless computer network with tinfoil from a chewing gum wrapper, a shoestring, and your belt. Podcasting, as mentioned earlier, is not rocket science. In fact, here’s a quick rundown of how you podcast:

1. Record audio and convert it to a download-friendly format.
2. Create a simple but specialized text file that describes your audio file.
3. Upload everything to the Web.

Yes, yes, yes, if it were that simple, then why is this a 4 part article? Well, i admit that this list does gloss over a few details, but a podcast — in its most streamlined, raw presentation — is that simple. The details of putting together a podcast start to finish will come within the next few articles.

Looking for the bare necessities

You need a few things before starting your first podcast, many of which you can probably find on your own computer:

A microphone: Take a look at your computer. Right now, regardless of whether you have a laptop or desktop model, Windows or Macintosh, your computer probably has a microphone built into it — or a jack for plugging in an external mic, and maybe even an included external mic packaged somewhere with the manuals, cables, and such.

Position the microphone to a comfortable spot on your desk or table. If you’re using a laptop, position the laptop to a comfortable spot on your desk or table (make sure you know where the built-in microphone is in the laptop’s housing).

Usually the built-in microphone in a laptop is located close to the edge of the keyboard or near the laptop’s speakers. Some models tuck it in at the center point of the monitor’s base. Consult your user’s manual to find out where the microphone is hidden on your machine.

Recording software: Check out the software that came with your computer. You know, all those extra CDs that you filed away, thinking, “I’ll check those out sometime.” Well, the time has arrived to flip through them. You probably have some sort of audio-recording software loaded on your computer, such as RecordIt (Windows) or iMovie (which comes pre-installed with many new Macs and can record voice as well as video).

An audio card: Make sure your computer has the hardware it needs to handle audio recording and the drivers to run the hardware. Some desktop computers come with a very elementary audio card built into the motherboard. Before you run out to your local computer vendor and spring for an audio card, check your computer to see whether it can already handle basic voice recording.

Getting and setting up the hardware and software needed to record is a start. The next step is using it. Stay tuned for part 2 in this series, where we will learn to record your first podcast, and compress your audio files ready for download.

Be sure to Subscribe to our feed to get notified of my next post in this series.