Host Susan Finch

Tired of lackluster virtual and hybrid events? Do you want to captivate your audience, whether in-person or by logging in remotely? This episode will open your eyes to creative techniques for producing engaging hybrid experiences.
Join me as I speak with Howie Zales, an expert in live event production. With decades under his belt working high-profile concerts and stadium events, Howie knows how to make online viewers feel part of the action.
You’ll hear Howie’s tips for incorporating multimedia, leveraging technology seamlessly, and rehearsing for smoother execution. Discover easy ways to boost production value without breaking the budget. Plus, we’ll discuss how to maximize your investment by repurposing content long after the event ends.
If you’re ready to step up your hybrid event game, you won’t want to miss this lively discussion. Tune in now to pick up pointers that will stick with your team long after the stream wraps!
 
About our guest:
Howie Zales is an Emmy Award-winning Camera Operator who turned his passion for television broadcasting into several entrepreneurial endeavors. Howie created HJZ Productions, Inc. in 2000 to address the New York market's need for professional-level sports crewing/staffing. Under his leadership, HJZ Productions grew to a multi-million dollar nationwide provider of top talent in the broadcasting field. In 2019, Howie and his team founded Viridity Entertainment Services, Inc. (VES), initially focusing on staffing in non-union markets.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, they quickly pivoted to offering best-in-class, broadcast-quality live streams of professional sports shows and interviews, corporate interviews and meetings, and religious services. VES now focuses on meeting the growing demand for virtual hybrid event production.
Links from this episode:
Viridity Entertainment
Funnel Media Group, LLC
Viridity Entertainment Services on LI

Have you ever thought about how many keynote speakers are actually introverts? Think about the distance on the stage from the audience - even when you have an engaging speaker who includes the audience. Then think about podcasting and the intimacy of podcasting. You are putting the show in your ears - you are listening to them in your car, your home, while walking the dog. You build a personal relationship with the host and their guest.
 
I’ve been a speaker at events. I see the pluses, but I’ve also seen how limited the opportunity for that 3-5 day effort returned. The biggest benefit is strengthening the relationship with the organization that invited me to speak to its members. Most of my speaking is to private professional organizations, so nothing is recorded and definitely not published. Adding these events to my portfolio of speaking can be problematic as I usually speak on proprietary topics specific to the audience.  I’ve also spoken on behalf of my non-profit to large ballrooms, and conferences. It made a memorable event, but rarely outside that event led to much more than a few compliments. Even when the carrot to speak at the event was access to the list, the attendees were rarely decision makers, so they would read the subject, and typically, that was that.
Here is a recent post on this topic comparing the effectiveness of both options.
https://funnelmediagroupllc.com/speaking-gigs-vs-podcasting/ 

Tenlo's Chief Technology Officer and podcast host, Tessa Burg joined Susan Finch to talk about the recent merger with Mod Op. Tessa talks about the expanded opportunities for their team, their clients, and the beauty of having an HR department. Sometimes trading the owner hat for a W2 is a very good thing. Tune in for this 15-minute visit, "From owner to employee - when mergers align with your vision."
About Tenlo:
Tenlo is a digital B2B marketing agency. They use data-driven marketing for lead generation and customer retention. Digital and sales tactics are aligned to drive more traffic to your website, trade show booth and sales team. Their passion for increasing a digital marketer's contribution to sales is pipeline marketing—a discipline focused on results. Learn more: https://tenlo.com .
About Mod Op:
At Mod Op, everything they do starts with understanding their clients’ marketing opportunities. Then, they identify the unique methods to help them achieve those goals. That may mean launching a complete, integrated advertising and PR campaign or tapping into some of their more specialized expertise for a given project.  Learn more: https://modop.com .
They have experts in B2C and B2B communications with deep industry experience in consumer and lifestyle products, energy, media and entertainment, technology, and travel and hospitality. Currently, they have offices in New York City, Miami, Kansas City, Dallas, Portland, Los Angeles, and Panama City, Panama.

Before You Commit, Know the Answers to These Questions
WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS? Is it to launch an initiative? Build reputation? Boost egos of your executives or clients? Give value to your existing clients? Open the door for new clients/prospects? Have fun with your lighter side?
WHO WILL HELP? Anyone involved needs to know and commit to the time and tasks for their portion of the podcast’s success. Then you have to decide: If you have the money but not the time, how much can you outsource? 
WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE? Once you know this, you can determine where you can find them listening to podcasts, their habits, do they “listen” or read captions? At work or on the treadmill. What are you competing with when they hit play? Do they binge-listen?This is CRITICAL and where a lot of podcasts fail before the first episode. You MUST be realistic.
IDEAL LENGTH? Once you know all the players, the tasks, the audience you can determine the length. I have some shows that are always 25 – 35 minutes – a good “lunch” episode. Others do quick micro episodes of 4-7 minutes. Many combine – do the full show and later extract a nugget and create a new “highlight” episode from that. This will help you plan the time needed to record and edit. 
CAN YOU COMMIT? WHO IS THE TALENT? WHO IS THE TEAM? Potential hosts - this is where you may have to tell a hard truth or two. Just because they are good leaders, doesn’t mean they know how to lead an interesting interview. Some will be better than others. You may have to have a “casting call of unexpected hosts.
What if you are getting help from an outside company?
If companies simply send you links, videos and pdfs, you have to decide if that’s how you want to communicate with your producers. I know for Funnel Media Group, our hosts love the relationships we have with them and that we are very open helping them improve. Sometimes people have speech patterns or bad habits such as “EXspecially, rather than especially.  This may not matter to you. But, if you are sharing this with your networks, prospects, investors, clients, it may matter so that you are not distracting because of these patterns.  Can you hear the excitement in their voices.  Will they will be coming up with ideas on the spot as they get to know you and your goals. How do they share those ideas? If they have no new ideas regularly, they are not thinking about your account.
What is included?Host coaching. Will they tell you the truth when you need to improve? Do they care? Someone has to have the experience to help you improve fast.
Pre episode prep – testing with the guest? Creating a preview of the episode before publishing? Live option – If you want that. Vetting guests. Writing the post. Voiceover work? Template for each episode.
Production – are they in the recording session? Voiceover work as the overall host – intro, commercial, outro? 
Editing – what type of editing? How detailed? Can they correct bad audio when the guest chooses to show up from their car or in an airport? How do they recommend recording?
Publishing – posting the episode to hit all podcast apps, creating guest packages – what’s included in the guest package? What about a type of “Boost” package for host and guest teams to share it out.
Who orders the transcripts? Do they provide transcripts? What is the quality – AI or by hand?
Who pays for hosting? Who owns all the hosting accounts, feeds, materials? Music license.
Post – 2-3 months later – how are they going to help you use the content? Create a round-up post? What about milestones in your show – so many episodes, so many listeners, focus on topics – will they write those posts for you or will you?
Ask to talk to some of their hosts. Are they pleased with the results? What would they wish they’d known before they started this? Check out their presence on ListenNotes, Podchaser – are they all around?
Do they charge to update your commercials, intros/outros each time? What about if a host changes?
What is the turnaround time?
Is one person assigned to my account that we can talk with or is it all via email? Can we have recap meetings included?
Learn more about my courses at https://dmanc.org
 

We are regularly asked at Funnel Media Group how to jump-start a show's reach into new markets, and reach new audiences. This episode covers advertising, sponsors, and the change in best practices over the past two years. Consumer behaviors have changed - how they consume media. This is where our guest, Mary Ann Pruitt shines through her agency, Mosaic Media Agency. You will want to consider all of her insights and advice, as well as some great suggestions you can get started with today.
Who are we targeting?
How are we targeting?
What about the third-party cookie thing?
First-party data is available to you - you just don't realize it. It's time to invest in collecting your own first-party data.
Listen to this episode: Programmatic media buying has changed everything.

 
This episode was inspired by the great guests Interview Valet has been sending us for our hosts, and by a blog post, "Checklist Before You are a Guest on a Podcast". This episode covers expectations for guests hiring a podcast guest management firm, for those being contacted by them to have their clients on your shows, and what should be expected of all for a successful appearance on a show. You can read the post here. Listen to this conversation with my guest, Lasina Jensen, Client Success Team Manager at Interview Valet.
Please listen to this episode and share it out to your circles that are podcasts guests and hosts.

In this 13 minute episode we cover our favorite podcast equipment and the reasons we prefer one over another. There are some additional items we suggest to give you a more professional look and sound.
Podcast Microphones - Rode USB Condenser mic , Yeti
RiversideFM has more ideas:
If you’re on a tight budget or just want a mic that doesn’t have a huge learning curve, consider one of these plug-and-play USB microphones:
Rode Procaster ($250)
Rode NT-USB ($177) 
Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB ($80) 
Webcams - Logitech BRIO
Pop Filters and Mic Muffs
Sound Panels
Backgrounds vs. greenscreens (no link tells you we are not fans of greenscreens)
Lighting kits article
Recording Zoom vs. Riverside.fm
Mixing boards article
Amazon, BHPHOTO
Headsets for recording and editing
Teleprompters
RiversideFM has additional podcast equipment lists you may find helpful.
Need help with your set up or editing, let us know. susan@funnelradio.com

You know the music, you know how it works. Play along with our version - Funnel Feud to hear the answers to these questions:
1. What is a reason you would want a do-over with a guest?
2. What is the reason your podcast failed?
3. What is your favorite podcast equipment?
We asked 100 podcast hosts, producers and teams and the answers in this episode are what they said. You can get the full list from us - just email us. If you want to know our favorite equipment, we'll tell you that, too! It will be part of another upcoming episode on Behind The Mic - Funnel Media Group's favorite equipment and tools for producing podcasts.