Digital & Social Media Marketing Mixed In With Casual Conversation

The name of my podcast is Tim Adkins Does Digital. It's been through a couple of name changes and changes in focus, and that was in the first few episodes. Now, I focus on digital media and occasionally have an interview or two. The podcast is expanding for Season Two. I describe the podcast officially as "digital and social media marketing mixed in with casual conversation". I'm thinking more casual conversation is coming.

My listeners so far are generally my friends, my Mom, and people I bug incessantly until they finally break!

OK, just kidding kind of. Really, my listeners are generally interested in making digital and social media work for them, but they don't necessarily know how to go about using it. I try to stay away from industry jargon and abbreviations that people don't know, and just focus on the regular Joe or Jill who just wants to understand how to make a Facebook ad or whether or not they should be on Instagram. I'm not trying to talk over anyone's head; I'm trying to keep it to where people can say "Oh, OK, I get it."

My background started as a radio broadcaster, because that's what I went to college for when I returned there (in my 30s). I always wanted to be a radio DJ, but radio was changing and there were no DJs so much anymore. While working at my college radio station, I would talk a lot in between songs. My voicetracks (the pre-recorded stuff DJs say) were always like a minute or two long. I talked way too much, but it was fun.

It was in college that I started doing graphic design as a side hustle, and to make this kind of short, graphic design led me to digital media (I joined Facebook while in college when it was only open to .edu accounts) and everything just took off from there. I got my masters in interactive media, which pretty much encompasses everything about making media online.

I still do graphic design, photography, web design, and all that these days. It's hard to keep a focus. I just like it all so much.

I started my podcast in 2019. It took me a while to make the leap because it always takes me a while to get the motivation. As someone who struggles with ADHD, it's always an effort to get started. It's easy when I do, but it's the "get started" part that's hard sometimes. I'm getting better at it. But Season Two has been baking in my mind for about three weeks now. I'm sitting here right now on my computer with my microphone like one foot away from my face. I should really use that. It's literally...right...there!

My podcast episodes have been intermittent the past year or so, but I'm committing to a bi-weekly schedule. You never get better if you aren't consistent, and I want to get better and be consistent, so I'm going to make a real effort on that. I work from home right now as an owner of an independent design and consulting agency (of one!) so I have time to do the podcast. I don't pay anything for hosting, and no one pays me either.

I gotta figure out how to get people to do that. :)

As far as investments, I own a really nice Audio Technica AT2020-USB mic which I've used since grad school, and a Zoom H2 mic which I could use when I want to record on the go. I need the Adobe CC suite anyway for design, so Adobe Audition is included in that, and that's what I use to mix the show. I've also used Audacity, the free audio mixer, and it's great too. But I don't use a paid podcast host because the free one I'm using currently does such a great job.

I don't take sponsorships right now. That may change later but probably not in the near future. I try to keep my podcast commercial free. Like I said, that may change, but a sponsor would have to be someone who doesn't want me to record a 30 to 60 second tangent about their product because I think when you go that long, it breaks the flow and continuity of the discussion. Plus, I'm not really that good at this yet, and I want any potential sponsors to feel like they are getting their money's worth.

OK, so hardware, like I mentioned before, includes my AT2020-USB mic from Audio Technica on my trusty old laptop, and Adobe Audition for mixing. Music beds are generally from the fine people at Envato Elements and the great creators that let us use their work. For interviews, it's Zencaster all the way. They let you have separate voice tracks for each person in the interview, so it's great for editing.

I don't need a mixing board and don't use one. Actually, no one really needs one in my opinion. I have a friend who podcasts and his audio sounds great, except for one problem. No pop filter. His P's were popping. Other than that, great audio all around.

When I suggested a pop filter to him, he told me he just uses his iPhone. So, no pop filter, but the audio he gets with just that is amazing. Moral of the story: You really don't need fancy equipment. Use what you have. The message is more important than the gear.

I bug my friends to death online. "Listen to my show. Listen to my show. Did you listen to my show? Here's another show. Listen to that one too. Have you listened yet?"

Being a social and digital media program, I use social and digital media heavily. So, there's a lot of Facebook links and Twitter links. Sometimes I'll post entire shows on Twitter through my podcast providers' links. I did YouTube for a while with captioning by Kapwing (a great free tool for it!) but it got to the point that I was spending more time editing captions and posting on YouTube than I was spending on actually recording the podcast.

These days, it goes as follows: Complete a podcast episode, post on Facebook and Twitter. Post a link on LinkedIn because they only offer 10 minutes of audio on site. If I'm feeling really good, I'll edit a 10 minute promo and post them both on LinkedIn and Instagram, making sure that the Instagram graphic is nice to look at because, well, it's Instagram. You're competing with really pretty people there. This is where my graphic design and photography skills kick in.

I don't do email marketing yet.

Then, I ask all my friends if they've seen my link to my show and tell them to listen to my show or I'll keep posting it on my timeline until they do.

Advice? My advice is just to get started. Try things. Get used to the sound of your own voice. People are usually shocked when they hear themselves. Don't be shocked, and you sound just fine! Don't overly criticize your efforts. If you're just starting, have fun with it. Every expert you know started as a beginner just like you. If it's not fun, you won't stick with it. Have FUN!

Also, don't compare yourself to other podcasters. You are who you are, and no one else has your outlook or your style. Listen to other podcasters and get ideas on production and vocal technique if you want to, but don't get discouraged by their professionalism. Many podcasters have entire staffs of people working for them to make that happen.

Remember, most people don't want glossy. They want real. Be real.

You can learn more about me and my podcast through my blog at timadkins.com.

My blog is at timadkins.com. You can also find me on Facebook (my page ID is timadkinsonline), Twitter (@timadkinsonline) and LinkedIn (you guessed it, timadkinsonline). If you are connecting with me on LinkedIn, please tell me you heard the podcast and would like to connect. Please don't try to sell me stuff on there. I'm not there to buy, I'm there to network.

If anyone wants to donate to my program (like I said earlier, I don't have sponsors), my venmo is timadkins19, cashapp is $timadkins19. Donations are always appreciated but never expected. I do this for the love of the game.