This is the last episode of Turn Up The Volume On Your Voice. I know it's a bit out of the blue and also a bit random finishing on episode 95 when I could go to episode 100 but actually if it's the right time it's the right time. And this is the right time for lots of reasons - I explain how and why I'm finishing this podcast and what you can expect to hear from Charlotte Foster Podcasts in 2022 and beyond. Thank you for listening and being part of my podcasting adventures. Here's to the future and what it will bring us!

The Christmas adverts are on the telly, I’ve seen friends on social media putting their Christmas decorations up and my niece and nephew have even been to visit Father Christmas himself before he got too busy - apparently he’s got an Irish accent this year. (They don’t live in Ireland.) If you’re anything like me the sights, sounds and smells of Christmas are all around (and taste - hello gingerbread latte!). In today's episode I'm sharing a few things you can do over the festive break to get you ready to make 2022 your best podcasting year ever. Whether you have a podcast established already or planning on starting one.

I’m sure you’ve listened to podcasts and thought, hmm something doesn’t quite sound right. Something sounds unnatural. It jars, is stilted and just doesn’t sound like you’d expect. More often than not it’s because what your hearing has been written for the eye to read and not the ear to hear. In today’s episode I’m sharing the ways I make my podcast scripts sound as natural as possible.

Sometimes when I’m meant to be recording a podcast or reading something out loud I really struggle. Struggle with the seemingly simple task of speaking out loud. It’s as though my mouth and brain have decided they don’t need each other and are operating independently of each other. Luckily I've been doing this for 20 years so in this episode I share my tips to help on the days I just can't string a sentence together!

I don't think there is a better way to build awareness than podcasting. Especially if you are a charity or have a campaign. I'm putting that to the test this month by working with a client to produce 30 podcasts - one for every day of November to raise awareness of Pancreatic Cancer for Pancreatic Cancer awareness month. In this episode I explain my reasons for loving podcasts for awareness building and campaigning. And if you want to listen to those podcasts you can search for Purple Rainbow Podcasts in your podcast app.

All good things must come to an end. Even your podcast. You may well be flying high with your podcast but you should absolutely have an exit plan for your podcast. This week I look at why you might decide your podcast has reached the end of the line, and what you can do to end it and keep your audience happy.

It's thought around 75% of podcasts end in podfade. If that includes yours you are not alone. In this episode I explore what podfade is, why it happens and what you can do to get your podfaded podcast back up and running. Of course I'm going to make sure that getting your podfaded podcast up and running is the right thing to do first...

Normally there's a ban on Christmas talk before my birthday, but not when it comes to planning your podcast. You need to thinking about what your podcast is going to sound like across the Festive Season - it'll be here sooner than you imagine. There’s a few things you need to consider when it comes to Christmas and your podcast. What are you going to be talking about How are you going to schedule your episodes What your listeners are going to be doing If you want help planning your podcast grab yourself my Podcast Planning Toolkit and you can also book in for a planning session with me. Just head to my website.

The last few weeks I've been mainly talking about planning your podcast. But now the talking stops and we're going from planned to published. I know there are a few stumbling blocks though that stop you from taking that leap so in this episode I look at the mindset and technical issues that can hold you back.

I’m doing something altogether scary in this episode. I’m only planning the first half of it. I’m hoping I can illustrate a point about planned and unplanned podcasts. I of course make the case for planning and explain what happens when I fall back from my own planning...

All around me in rural Shropshire farmers are harvesting their crops. Which inspired me to think about how you can harvest the most from your podcast. Don't worry you don't need to grab a tin of beans from the back of the cupboard to chuck in the Harvest Festival collection. Instead I'm talking all the different ways you can reuse and repurpose your podcast and your podcast content.

I've just come back from a speaking gig at the One Voice Conference this weekend. And it got me thinking about a service I offered pre-pandemic, of creating podcasts of and around events and conferences. So as these start to return I'm sharing my reasons why I think having a dedicated podcast for your conference or event is a great way to create kudos, credibility and bring more people to you.

I’m still thinking a lot about my LIVE podcast episode recording that I did and that’s partly inspired this week’s episode. The other thing that has inspired this week’s episode is that people have told me they’re not sure if they’re supposed to be learning when listening to podcasts. And what that’s supposed to look like! They’ve said they’re a bit confused about whether a podcast is just an audio webinar. So I thought I’d compare podcasts and webinars so you can understand the differences and similarities and help you decide which one is better for you to deliver your message in the best way for your audience.

During my live podcast recording I held a question and answer session for the audience. This is the session.

Last week’s episode was recorded live in front of an audience. Virtually. Because it’s 2021 and also it was a sort of last minute decision. This week I want to reflect on the experience, the good, the bad and the ugly. Although I don’t like the word ugly - so let’s go with the good, the not so good and the OH THAT’S A SURPRISE!

I’m pretty confident you can come up with the main benefits of having a podcast. Let’s be honest I bang on about how a podcast helps build your community, boosts your profile, increases your authority and is a great way to produce long form content. But actually there are some unexpected and surprising benefits of having a podcast that I and many others I know - either as clients or as simply fellow podcasters - have also experienced. 1) This podcast saved my business 2) This podcast keeps me organised 3) Podcasting boosts your confidence 4) Podcasting brings new opportunities 5) Podcasting has helped me network and make friends

A podcast trailer episode is more important than you might think. And for too long I think they've been considered an afterthought by many podcasters (including me) But no more. In this episode I explain why a podcast trailer is vital for your podcast series and why you should treat it as an episode in it's own right.