Tag: Production

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The Magic of AI plus real humans in Content Creation

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Harnessing the Power of AI for Next-Level Content Creation

Artificial intelligence/AI is literally everywhere. Some people are terrified while others are excited.

Which side are you on? Does it help content creation and marketers or does it hurt us?

Stay tuned as we answer that and figure out how to Harness the Power of AI for Next-Level Content Creation on this episode of Content On The Go.

AI needs human validation.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is becoming increasingly prevalent in our daily lives. From the chatbots on customer service websites to the personalized recommendations on streaming platforms, AI is changing the way we interact with technology. However, as AI becomes more sophisticated, questions arise about its impact on creativity and content creation. Will AI eventually replace human creativity, or will it always require human validation?

In a podcast discussion on the topic, the panelists agreed that while AI can be a useful tool for content creation and marketing, it still requires human interaction and validation. Jensen Gleer, a growth hacker, stated that “you always need that human interaction to validate it because humans are the ones that are going to convert on it or be engaged in some way through it.” In other words, while AI can generate content, it is ultimately up to humans to determine its effectiveness and appeal.

However, there is also a concern that AI could eventually replace human creativity altogether. Natalie Rafeh, the founder and CEO of an e-commerce software company, shared a story about a fake Instagram influencer created entirely through AI. The influencer gained thousands of followers and even secured sponsorships, demonstrating the potential power of AI in the marketing world. This raises the question of whether AI-generated content could eventually become so convincing that it replaces human-generated content entirely.

Adapt to new mediums quickly.

The world is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and businesses must adapt to new mediums quickly to remain relevant. With the advent of artificial intelligence, businesses have new tools to create and market content in innovative ways. However, it is important to remember that AI is only a tool and that human creativity and input are still necessary for effective content creation.

The speakers discussed the potential of AI in content creation and marketing. They highlighted the importance of understanding new platforms and technologies, such as Unity and Solidity, to adapt to the changing landscape. For example, businesses can lower costs by replacing physical models with digital ones in e-commerce or build online courses with AI assistance in education.

The speakers highlighted the importance of understanding one’s audience and what resonates with them. While some may prefer face-to-face interactions, others may prefer digital interactions with AI assistance. It is crucial to understand one’s audience and adapt to their preferences to remain relevant.

AI cannot replace human interaction.

One area where AI cannot replace human interaction is in dealing with bespoke problems. While AI and machine learning have come a long way in recent years, there will always be situations where a human touch is necessary. When faced with a unique challenge or situation, there is no substitute for a one-on-one conversation with an actual person who can understand the nuances of the problem and provide tailored solutions.

Another area where AI falls short is in product finders. While algorithms can replicate basic human rules, there is still a level of confusion around what is AI and what is just an algorithmic process. When it comes to functional products like washing machines, there are different rule-based questions that need to be asked, such as the size of the apartment, the number of people who need it, and whether eco-friendliness is a priority. While these product finders may be automated, they still require a level of human input and understanding to provide the best recommendations.

Remember – AI cannot replace human interaction. While AI has its benefits, it still cannot replicate the level of understanding and empathy that comes with human interaction. Businesses must continue to find ways to incorporate AI into their processes while also valuing the importance of human input and creativity. As we move forward into an increasingly technological future, it is crucial that we strike a balance between the capabilities of AI and the irreplaceable value of human interaction.

What You’ll learn

  • Why we aren’t there yet
  • How AI compliments our natural human element
  • A unique case study of AI’s unique transition into social media
  • Why it depends on your audience
  • and more.

Panel Discussion Speakers

Nathalie Rafeh – founder and CEO and Splashup. An e-commerce sass platform that creates shopping experiences shoppers won’t forget

Genson Glier – growth hacker extraordinaire

Brendon Hill – content wiz and be investor

Daren Lake – Founder & Chief Content Creator at DLake Media/DLake Creates with a focus on fitness, health and wellness

Links & Resources (in progress)

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When Spotify gets the Market Share, Apple Podcasts should wake up

daren interviewing a man
Read Time - < 1 minute

Cool Story: I remember in 2018 when Spotify finally let indie podcasters (aka everyone) get on Spotify and I was so excited.

A lot of people kinda didn’t care and were like “meh”.

I was like “Yo, do you understand how hard it is to get people to listen to a podcast!! This will make it so much easier”

I yelled and yelled and then not even 4 years later, Spotify now trumps Apple as far as market share in the USA goes. HUGE!

While I’m not pro Spotify or anti Apple, I am all about getting more people to listen to podcasts in the easiest way. The biggest blocker of podcasts is that there aren’t enough people listening to them.

Content on Youtube, Instagram and even a blog or newsletter have a 5-10x or more chance of reaching the intended audience. Building a podcast on the other hand… GRIND TIME!

I’ll end it there, but yeah lessons learned are;

1- More ear balls in as many places for your podcast = Win (yes… I call them ear balls, haha)
2- If you have controlled an industry for decades, don’t sleep because the person/company with less money will come out from nowhere and take what you were sitting on right out from under you (looking at you Apple Podcasts)

Did I miss something? Disagree? Comment below.

PS – If you have a podcast/are looking to start one and struggling with growth – HIT UP US UP!  We specialise in bespoke storytelling (the good type of podcasting) and podcast promotion.

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Make Home Audio Recordings Sound Better

Read Time - 7 minutes

The below article provides help to Pod Paste clients with their home recordings during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond.

If you’ve somehow stumbled here from the powers of internet search, Welcome! Hopefully, we can help you podcast better, during these interesting and testing times. 

This information is also available as an infographic image, video, and podcast. Feel free to consume it however you would like.

Watch the tutorial on Youtube

Click above to listen to the podcast version

Click to see full image

Click To View “How to create great content from your living room”Presentation Deck

Imagine this: You’ve just received an email from your favourite podcast. They are promoting their new episode with a guest that you love. It’s a deep dive into the guest’s life, ethos and how they built their business. [Insert excited emoji]

You are so excited that you immediately open up your go-to podcast player and dive into the episode. It buffers for ten seconds. You wait patiently. It starts playing and you hastily pop your headphones on to commence a lean-in listening session. 

The interview segment starts, but you are confused. You ask yourself these rapid-fire questions in a foggy haze of disbelief: 

  • Why is there so much echo (sound-wave reflection)? 
  • Is that a jackhammer in the background? 
  • What kind of buzz is that; a fridge or an air-con unit? 

You wait and think it will get better. But at the five-minute mark, you can’t understand half the words that the guest is saying and you give up. [Insert dejected emoji]

We’ve all been there. It is the sub-standard audio quality zone. Do-do-do-do. [Cue twilight zone music] It’s a thing, and it seems like it’s invading a lot of podcasts from novice to experts. 

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Planning & Strategy (Pre-Production) | The Pod Paste Process Part 1

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The planning and strategy phase is Step 1 of The Pod Paste Production Process. Please go back to the introductory overview here to familiarise yourself with the full process. Alternatively, you can dive right into this part and figure it out as you go. We don’t mind either way as long as you get something out of this!

Pre Production – The critical work before you hit record

Ancient Asian cultures knew that the podcast pre-production stage was key, even before audio recordings existed. The Chinese philosopher, Confucius once said, “A man who does not plan long ahead, will find trouble at his door.”

What if a builder/carpenter built a house without drawings/blueprints from an architect? I am pretty sure there would be mayhem, wasted time, burned money, and a lot of stress.

What if a beat reporter for the local paper randomly wrote about whatever they wanted without any outline, topics, or interesting angles? I am pretty sure there would be a lot of re-writes, burned time, wasted energy, and much anxiety.

There is a parallel with this, podcasting and any media format. Becoming a successful podcaster and podcast host has a lot to do with the ability to plan ahead. Usually, the higher the quality of time spent on the planning and strategy phase, the better the interview, the episode, the season, and the whole podcast.

Below I’ll tell you a few tips and tricks that we’ve learned that help us immensely in the pre-production process.

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Episode Ideation & Pitching (Pre-Production) | The Pod Paste Process Part 2

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The episode ideation & pitching phase is Step 2 of The Pod Paste Production Process. Please go back to the introductory overview here to familiarise yourself with the full process. Alternatively, you can dive right into this part and figure it out as you go. We don’t mind either way as long as you get something out of this!

Picture this: You just finished recording seven episodes of the first season of your first podcast series. Things were going great until the guests from episodes 8-10 cancel (yes, somehow all three of them cancelled!).

Now the flow of the whole season is thrown up in the air. But, you don’t want to lose momentum by booking random people last minute. What’s a podcaster to do?

This happens to the best of weekly podcasts and there are many simple solutions;

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Recording | The Pod Paste Process Part 3

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The recording phase is step 3 of the Pod Paste Production Process. Please go back to the introductory overview here to familiarise yourself with the full process. Alternatively, you can dive right into this part of the series and figure it out as you go.

You spend a month prepping for your interviews, scheduling guests, and choosing your theme song. You’ve started a few mockups for your podcast artwork. To top it off, you came up with a couple of quick and witty tagline elevator pitches for those networking moments at the latest Podcast Movement Event.

It’s time to record which should be the fun and easy part. The interview hasn’t started and you realise your famous Instagram influencer guest isn’t speaking much during the warm-up chat. You chalk it up to nerves.

The record button is hit but your guest is a tad confused as to how to answer your questions with the correct energy. They begin to get slightly annoyed and give you one-word answers. The interview ends and you have that feeling that it was average at best and boring at most.

You are dejected and scared to listen back and make edits due to the negative events during the recording. But you soldier on because you are a bleeding heart optimist and say, “It can’t be that bad!”

You listen, and it is that bad. On the first listen back, you start hearing and noticing things that you didn’t during the recording, like;

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Content Editing (Post-Production) | The Pod Paste Process Part 4

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The content editing phase is Step 4 of The Pod Paste Production Process. Please go back to the introductory overview here to familiarise yourself with the full process.

Alternatively, you can dive right into this part and figure it out as you go. We don’t mind either way as long as you get something out of this!

Imagine wearing your favourite shirt that is half a size too small or too big? You would still wear it, right?

Or taking a beautiful photo of you and your friends with lighting that’s not so great. You wouldn’t delete it, right?

This is similar in the post-production process after recording a podcast. Just because there are a few audible blips and slip-ups doesn’t mean you need to throw the baby away with the bathwater. There is a fix for that.

In this article, I’ll be touching broadly about content editing. We’ll cover points around what we at Pod Paste like to do, why we do them, and how they are applied. This is where some or even all of the following creative services are used to help enhance the episode flow and listenability;

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Audio Editing (Post-Production) | The Pod Paste Process Part 5

ocean surf barrel waves by jeremy bishop
Read Time - 3 minutes

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash

The audio sweetening phase is Step 5 of The Pod Paste Production Process. Please go back to Step 4 – content editing to familiarise yourself with the critical process that comes before this step. Or go back to the overview and start from the beginning.

Alternatively, you can dive right into this part and figure it out as you go. We don’t mind either way as long as you get something out of this!

Some people love having a clean house, and some people don’t. You can choose to live in filth, mess, and disorganisation. Alternatively, you can have things neat, tidy, and sanitary so that when you want to do something, you can clearly see the path ahead.

You can pay someone to do this, or you can do it yourself. Some people find this therapeutic while others look at it as a masochistic activity that they want to get over and done with and reap the rewards of the final product – a clean house.

Bonus points, if someone visits, they will feel more comfortable at your house as they hang out in your living room or use your bathroom.

The same could be said with editing audio. You can choose to do it or not. You may want to do it yourself or have someone else do it. And finally, you can choose to have your fans /customers suffer through a messy audio listening experience, or clean it up for them. This allows them to, metaphorically, sit comfortably in your living room (the podcast).

In this article, I’ll be touching broadly about the audio sweetening post-production process (or the editing process as some people say). We’ll cover points around what we at Pod Paste like to do, why we do them, and how they are applied.

This is where some or even all of the following technical services are used;

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Publishing & Promotion | The Pod Paste Process Part 6

Read Time - 6 minutes

Photo by Greyson Joralemon

The publishing and promotion phase is Step 5 of The Pod Paste Production Process. Please go back to the introductory overview here to familiarise yourself with the full process.

Alternatively, you can dive right into this part and figure it out as you go. We don’t mind either way as long as you get something out of this!

Mistakes can often be avoided if you double-check your perceptions

“Carpenters and builders have learned to avoid making mistakes the hard way, thereby ruining valuable and costly material. Cut the wood improperly, and the piece is unusable. The saying measure twice cut once plays in their heads every time they are about to rip into a new sheet of plywood or to position their saw on a 2×4. 

It is a constant reminder that they have one shot at getting it right, or it will cost time, money, and even reputation. Measuring twice means making sure that one has thought of all the things that could go wrong before acting or making a decision. That maxim applies to human resource professionals as well.”
— Taken from Dale James Dwyer PhD

You’ve done all the planning and pre-production. You booked those hard to reach guests for interviews. You recorded in an excellent sounding studio space that was well treated and soundproofed. You even had a professional engineer come in to mix, master, and audio sweeten your episode. Now it’s time to send it to the world.  

Did you do your due diligence and double or even triple-check that everything is in its right place? When the world hears your podcast, will your audio waves make the biggest splash they can?

Below I’ll share a few tips and tricks that should help you with the last step of the Pod Paste Production process – Publishing and Promotion. The areas we will cover are;

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What Podcast Creation and the “À La Carte Menu” Have In Common

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The importance of flexibility when choosing the right services to create and promote your podcast

When I’m at a cafe or restaurant for the first time, I like to order a lot of different things from the menu. Some restaurants call it “à la carte.” I call it the sides menu. Same. Same. This way of ordering is beneficial in a few ways for me;

  • It allows me to sample items on the menu to get a feel for the overall style of the restaurant.
  • I only pay for what I want to eat.
  • It’s usually the most cost and resource-effective.

À la carte means “referring to food that can be ordered as separate items, rather than part of a set meal.” This gives the foodie a choice and again, they only pay for what they want. If you’ve ever ordered a main course meal and didn’t want something in there like the veggies or the white rice you know what I’m talking about. The ability to assemble your meal is a great thing.

Similar to a restaurant, we feel with podcasting there should be a choice. The choice to make it as dynamic or as simple as you want. Podcasting is still new for most brands, and a lot of people are trying to figure out how to make it their own. Because of how unique it is, we think you should be able to do it how you want. That’s why we’ve created a very extensive services menu to hopefully give you the exact service you need to create the best podcast.

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