Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - 2

This being Part 2 on a rather unique topic, I might suggest that "Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - 1" was written for those who aren't all that familiar with either podcasting or Internet radio.  This entry, on the other hand, is especially directed towards those who are already into running their own online shows. 

Why speak directly to those who should already know all there is to know about digital audio?  It's because, I think, they know more about podcasting than they do the Internet radio side of things.

With that, what I feel the need to emphasize is the way I'd previously distinguished podcasts from online radio.

If you'll recall from that earlier piece, listening to our favorite podcast can be awesome.  If you'll also recall, though, that can be a bit of a hassle, too.

Yes, if there's a problem, a podcast generally stands alone, it plays from beginning to end, and then that's it.  

I'm not talking about quality here, or the fact that some listeners might choose to replay a given episode again, and maybe even again.  Sooner or later, however, that is it, and the listener -- and even the hardcore fan -- has to move on.

Does the listener move on to another episode, or to another site hosted by a different podcaster?  I'm not sure that matters in the context of what I'm going to suggest, but I'll instead state that the amount of time a listen hangs around is probably only once through the recording.

Yet another question that comes to mind has to do with the number of times a podcaster's advertisement will play on the visitor's ears.  Hmmmm...      

Still another question -- and perhaps the one that I want to emphasize here -- has to do with luck.  I mean, a podcaster can promote and promote, but that's a lot of work -- for what?  Oh, I know that being in a number of podcasting search engines is important and helpful.  However, how much help is it really?  In other words, is a podcaster going to be found because of subject matter?  Of course, although that probably means it'll be buried among a kzillion other programs of the same type.  Is a program going to be found because of its name or its host's name?  Sure, but then listeners are probably going to find that program anyway, in any number of ways.

Enter the single themed Internet radio station.  For a start, the station is likely to be listed in all the right search groups.  Far better yet, though, and using my Internet radio station as an example, here's where improved luck comes in...

I know for a fact that a lot of folks come to Hockey Talk Radio purely because of their interest in my sport.

Almost hourly throughout the daytime hours, I'm promoting one or another educational prodcast, and during the nighttime I'm pushing a different NHL fan based show.  Each of those posts go to about 16,000 contacts in social media -- that's 16-thousand, which means that a lot of hockey folks are ultimately going to recognize the names of the shows I promote.

That's not the half of it, however.  For, the luck I've been getting at goes something like this...  A listener tunes in because he or she knows the show host I just mentioned, or listeners are initially attracted to the station because they're interested in something like skill development, goaltending, nutrition, mental or physical training, or talk about the NHL.

It doesn't matter what attracted them, but it surely does matter the way all the podcasters on my station luck into being heard by folks who initially tuned in to hear someone else.  Actually, a number of folks have told me it works exactly like that. 

Then, one more thing...  I'm a numbers guy, and I see something that others seem to be split over.  What I'm getting at is that one show promoting to maybe a thousand connections is one thing, and it's quite another if I promote our station with close to 20,000 followers, and then about 15 show hosts do the same with their 1,000-ish contacts.

In other words, take your pick... One show promotes by itself to about a thousand connections, or everyone works together to bring something like 30,000 or so followers to one Internet radio station.  To me, it's a no-brainer, that spells the difference between great popularity and working in a virtual closet.

Ya, the things I've outlined above just seems to make sense to me, but I'd surely like to hear from others who run their own Internet radio stations.  As Part 1 should have convinced readers, this whole online radio thing is new, and I suspect it's going to evolve as each of us station producers keep experimenting and learning.  Sharing ideas along the way would surely help further what is right now just the start of an Internet craze.

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Considering that we all live and learn, and considering that we're all human, I'm going to suggest a sports analogy when it comes to a program's involvement with a station.  Or, as I've mentioned sometimes to the shows I work with, there's a need for everyone involved with our station to work as "team players".  I notice that comes naturally to some, and not so to others.

As for the human part, guess what an old hockey coach does as he looks to spread those hourly promos...  It's human nature, I think, that I promote more often those earlier described team players, and often skip over those who tend not to help the other shows.  

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Something most individual podcasters can't do...  As I've been able to pull off over recent weeks, my station's feed can now be placed on any welcoming hockey website in the form of a Hockey Talk Radio player. 

Actually, both the player down below and the one over in the right sidebar can be clicked so that you can listen to the station in progress.  In any case, the popup window can be moved out of the way or minimized, so that a visitor can move around the site, browse and listen to the station.    

Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - 1

The more I read, the more I find I'm once again faaaaar ahead of the proverbial curve.

Ya, Internet radio is becoming more and more accepted, or it's being discovered by more and more fans of traditional radio.  But, if I'm ahead on something else, I'm also going to suggest that the biggest problem producers like me face today is a lack of understanding on the parts of potential listeners.

Here's what I mean...

Number One, although I'm sure most folks now have a sense of what a podcast is, I hear from some friends who don't understand how a bunch of podcasts can be strung together -- or placed back to back -- to make a full day and night of online programming.  

Secondly, while I often like surfing the Net for podcasts of my liking, I'm usually done on the host website when the program I selected is over.  From there, then, I have to either load another program from that site, or conduct another search for a new host site.  And, while that might be fairly easy to do on my laptop, it's not so convenient to pull off on my smartphone.

Thirdly, I'll suggest that a lot of folks don't realize how much can be accomplished online nowadays.  I mean, the radio station I now run can be listened to on a computer from my website.  Better yet, it can be accessed by way of a simple and free app that can be downloaded from either type of smartphone store.

Fourth, sports fans ought to recall that some traditional AM radio stations were told they'd never make it by switching to all-sports talk programming.  Ya, I can remember that happening in Boston some time ago, but that station took off like gang busters.  And today, biggies like ESPN have their own around-the-clock sports stations.

Part of the reason I'm writing this is because of a Facebook post I saw from an old teammate of mine back in Massachusetts.  Like me, he's into old rock music.  So, he was wishing aloud for a station that played everything from his teen years.  I countered with the fact that I'd actually built something like that a few months ago, as a way of practicing for the new Hockey Talk Radio station I had on the drawingboard.

That old rock station was actually awesome -- and it was super-easy to put together.  But it died a slow death, mainly because I was preoccupied with building the hockey station, and not able to promote it enough.

Again, though, it was easy as pie to put such a station online, and the friends who listened to it -- most of them being in my age bracket -- seemed to love the music.  The reason it was so easy, is because I was able to pretty quickly gather several hundred songs from about 1955 to 1965, place them in seven different orders, and then program each of those 24-hour collections into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and so forth.  From there, things ran smoothly, without much cause for me to change anything.  Oh, I'd have done a lot of things differently, if I was going to keep that station going.  But, since all that work was really just to get myself familiar with the required software and programming methods, I let it go after just a few weeks.

As I said, all that was purely practice for my planned "around-the-clock, all hockey talk" station.  And that, of course, was going to be quite different, and a whole lot harder to pull off.  Unlike a music station -- where the songs never really get old -- as long as they're not over-played, talk shows lose their newness pretty quickly.  So, such a station as Hockey Talk Radio requires constant attention, and a constant change to newer podcast episodes.

If the reader doesn't know, I've been an ice hockey coach for over 40-years.  So, I was especially excited about gathering a bunch of podcasters who like to teach, or who like to share their particular areas of expertise -- like in hockey skill development and coaching, nutrition, mental training and goaltending.  Those shows rotate through the daytime and so-called drive-time hours, while I had something different in mind for the late-night and overnight hours.  That's when a number of entertaining NHL, fan-based shows air, from about 9pm through the wee hours.  Mixed in between all the different shows is some truly upbeat "bumper music" and short advertisements.

Now, I hope I didn't bore anyone by explaining all that.  I did, however, want to give you a sense of the way an online radio station might go together and operate.  In other words, if you understand the rough workings of what I've done behind the scenes, it might make the final outcome -- an online radio station -- more understandable.

As I mentioned earlier, it's pretty likely you can find a ton of awesome podcasts online.  They're everywhere, and they're available in every topic imaginable.  As I also mentioned, though, it can be a hassle to play more than one episode at a time.  That's where an online radio station comes in handy, so long as it's playing the type of music or other content you really want to hear.    

Personally, I work an awful lot on my laptop, writing for this blog and my CoachChic.com site, promoting a lot in social media, and a whole lot more.  During those times, I have Hockey Talk Radio playing from my desktop.  I just lost my faithful little pooch, Raggs, but I long ago loaded a free app on my Android smartphone, so I could listen to my station as we walked the neighborhood during all hours of the day and night.  Better yet (LOL), I take my phone with me when Brenda drags my butt to places I'm not crazy about going, so I can listen to my station and keep smiling.

More recently, I found a way for my radio player to be installed on any hockey related blog or website.  It's getting out and around already, and I can envision the day when it will bring my station's hockey programming to hundreds of sites around the world.  

I happen to use a special service called Radionomy to host Hockey Talk Radio.  And, while my station can be listened to directly from there, I've done what most other broadcasters do, and also host the station from a pretty nice website.  There, I can have a page for each podcaster, so listeners get the chance to put some faces and background information with the voices they hear on the air.  I can also provide news there, as well as highlight a top "Show of the Week".

Now, there's a popular expression I've been known to use pretty often, mainly because I dare to dabble with things far in advance of others.  That expression:  "If you want to know the innovator, he's the one with arrows in his back."  Okay, it's not as bad as all that, but I have been knocked for some of my hockey inventions and drill ideas that later became mainstream, and I've also taken plenty of abuse for claiming something that didn't ultimately become accepted until 5- or 10-years later. 

In the case of Internet radio, I'm betting it's going to be a biggie fairly soon.  It's way too easy to listen to -- on a computer, walking or puttering around the yard, driving, wherever.  So, while I'm sure I'll take a few arrows in the back over this one, I sense it'll be like most of my other strays from the norm, and prove me right in the end.

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I've just added an Understanding The Latest Internet Craze - Part 2, and I've geared that more to folks who run their own podcasts.

Why You Have To Podcast

Now, while the article that sparked this post was released on January 27, 2016 -- only days ago, I have news for the author of that piece:  I put my very first podcast online on a Wednesday night, October 31, 2007  In fact, "My Hockey Secrets" aired online once per week until I had to close my Whitman, MA studio to move south three years ago.  Even that chaotic move didn't stall my belief in podcasting, though, because I eventually began a Florida-based version dubbed "Dennis Chighisola's Hockey Secrets Podcast" on Sunday, November 23, 2014.

Okay, so suddenly -- in early 2016, an article appears in an online sports mag announcing:

"The Podcast Era For Athletes Has Started And..."

:)  Better late than never?  No, not really.  I understand what the author was trying to say, because pro athletes aren't exactly Internet marketing gurus -- who have been podcasting for a lot longer than I, they're not business people (in the way we usually define business people), and they're not even advice-sharers (perhaps like this old hockey coach).

Getting closer to what was meant, that article began with, "While sites like Players’ Tribune and Uninterrupted look to create a player’s voice in the printed word or the visual, the spoken word in the form of podcast may be taking hold as well as a medium for regular expression, and even news."  And that piece went on to explain how "... L.A. Clippers veteran guard J.J. Redick would become the first NBA player (and only the second active pro athlete, joining A.J. Hawk) to take on a podcast during the regular season."

Except for following my boyhood favorites, the Boston Celtics (along with other Boston or New England-based sports teams), I'm not that much into b-ball.  None of us have to be, however, in order to get the gist of that article, in that podcasting can be super-helpful to anyone who wants to become better known or better understood by a broader audience.

A couple of interesting asides my readers might not have considered to date...

Ever awake on a Saturday or Sunday morning to your favorite radio station broadcasting shows featuring either a local lawyer, a local gardener, a local estate planner or a local auto repair shop?  I know those shows' hosts share a lot of valuable information with their listeners, but I'm also going to suggest that they border on being pure infomercials.  Trying to put a nicer spin on this, though, let's just say that they do share a lot of useful info, while at the same time hoping you'll have learned to like them, and hoping you might even call them the first time you have a related problem.

How about tuning in to your favorite radio or TV talk show, and hearing or seeing a favorite celebrity interviewed?  Actually, that's also a two-way street, in that the celebrities and hosts entertain us a ton as they interact, while the celebrity gets to hype his or her latest book, movie, CD or what have you.  (If you think about it, neither a radio or TV show could afford to pay for a famous actor to visit, for a pop idol to sing a song, or for a politician to make an appearance; but those types surely will go on a popular show -- for free, based on what's really at stake.) 

If you get my drift here, such shows -- be they on radio or television -- are aiming to suit a bunch of needs -- from their own to their advertisers' to their guests' to those of their listeners.

Now, tooting my own horn here for a few secs, new readers should know that I recently created the first ever online radio station that's basically all hockey talk.  I say "basically", because Hockey Talk Radio mixes in some awesome rock music during show breaks, and it also includes a number of instructional podcasts that aren't specifically about hockey -- like shows on diet or nutrition, exercise, mental training and more.

I tell you all this to also let you know that it hasn't been all that easy to fill 24-hours per day with quality shows.  Oh, I've managed, and I do have some awesome shows involved.  But what surprised me was how few people there are out there who are podcasting meaningful stuff.

For example, I thought it might be an unbelievable idea to have a hockey equipment specialist do something like a 15-minute segment per week -- on gear selection, on skate sharpening, and anything else the typical hockey family wrestles with on a regular basis.  And, although I belong to a Facebook group that includes hundreds of hockey pro shop specialists, I've yet to get one taker to run a podcast. 

You might think it would be easier for me to find guys or gals to share tips on hockey skills and coaching, but that hasn't been the case, either.  No, to date, only Jeremy Weiss and I do that (although I have been fortunate to feature a couple of great goalie coaches in Mike McCarthy, Justin Johnson and Chris Dyson.)

And, while I think we have one of the best motivators when it comes to physical training -- in one Gino Arcaro, I can't believe I haven't yet found someone to advise our listeners on specific exercises for hockey, training methods and such.

Smiling to myself a bit, I'm recalling about a decade ago, back in the Boston-area, when a local radio station dared switch to an all-sports-talk format.  They got bashed pretty good in the beginning, and the popular opinion was that such a format would never fly.  LOL!  Go through the AM radio listings today, however, and you'll find them all over the dial and all over North America.  My point -- and the point of that cited article, is that podcasts are here to stay.  And, let me add that, so is online radio.

Then, the article that got me going had something else I found interesting, and very much worthy of sharing.  For, "... podcasting as a medium is not new but it is certainly fast-growing across all genres. Podcasts like 'Serial' garner thousands of downloads and a cult following while Bill Simmons’ podcast quickly became a must-listen on any device for fans of sports and pop culture. With an audience now growing accustomed to listening as part of storytelling, it’s an easy one on commuting, walking, going to gym; audio is becoming big business."

Ya, "With an audience now growing accustomed to listening as part of storytelling, it’s an easy one on commuting, walking, going to gym; audio is becoming big business."  (I listen to Hockey Talk Radio on my laptop as I work, and then I use a free app to listen on my phone as I'm out and about.)  So, while I'll take the arrows in the back that come with being an innovator, I'm kind proud of the fact that I've created another first in an around-the-clock, all-hockey talk, online radio station.

Lastly, as most of the above suggests, there are still plenty of voids to be filled in a brand new field.  The online world is waiting for more knowledgeable people to share what they know, to stake claim to some notoriety, and to truly help advance their area of expertise.  And, if it has to do with hockey, I'll be here to help however I can.

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PS:  I was actually lured to Florida to be the GM and head coach of a new Junior team in a newly proposed Junior league.  How that all fell apart is an entertaining story, to say the least.  Still, what I discovered from Day One on the job was that the biggest challenge to building such a program is in recruiting good players.  Of course, making sure your program or league is well known around the hockey world is a step in the right direction, which has organizations going to great lengths -- and great expense -- to accomplish just that.  So, you can imagine how I smiled when someone from one North American Junior league recently contacted me about maybe doing a weekly show highlighting their players and teams.  "Oh, man," I thought, "wouldn't I have loved to have put my planned team on the map with such ease!"      

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Want to read the cited article?  Just click here:   "The Podcast Era For Athletes Has Started And J.J. Redick Is First To Create A Louder Voice"

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Many friends have been asking lately about adding a Hockey Talk Radio player to their hockey blogs and sites, and I tell them it's easy and powerful.  I just provide the code, the player looks just like the following one, and anyone visiting the site can hear the station -- 24/7 -- just by clicking the arrow...

Listen to Hockey Talk Radio

As a convenience to my many Hockey Diary visitors, I've placed a player here so that you might listen to Hockey Talk Radio.  All you need to do is click on the arrow on the player down below to hear that station in progress -- with lots of advice packed shows and fan-based NHL podcasts.
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-- Dennis Chighisola

Listen to Hockey Talk Radio

Again, this page has been created to give members and passersby a chance to listen to Hockey Talk Radio. For sure, you can always come here if it suits your needs -- you get to hear the station exactly like it airs from our dedicate site. However, I highly recommend two other methods.

- Many of our fans listen to Hockey Talk Radio from a special site at hockeytalkradio.us. There can be found profiles for all our hockey podcasters, a special area for Hockey Talk Radio NEWS, a highlighted "Show of the Week" -- which includes a sample show, and much, much more.

- Still, I'm sure a great many listeners access Hockey Talk Radio on-the-go, or with their smartphones.  I do that often, myself, as I walk my little cockerpoo several times per day and night.  Using the Radionomy app is really easy, and -- using the instructions on a special page about that, it's also easy to download and install on any kind of phone.

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Again, the Hockey Talk Radio website contains a ton of information and help, and it also provides ways listeners can become actively involved with the station. You can ask questions or add comments at the bottom of each show host's page, you can suggest to me ways I might improve the station, and there's even quite a bit of information about creating your own podcast and joining our all-star podcast lineup.

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So, please listen to Hockey Talk Radio any way you'd like -- either from the main website, from your phone, or by pressing the arrow down below.  And, enjoy...

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