Darren Bruce, host of DJ Sessions which is a livestream podcast that also features the hottest electronic music DJs, live music, mixes and interviews.
During our podcast interview we discussed how Zoom has changed the game as well as rebranding and repurposing content to stay top of mind to our listeners.
How Zoom Has Changed the Game
When Darren first started interviewing, Zoom wasn’t popular nor was it the preferred method for conducting interviews, all of his interviews for the past 26 years were done in person even if it was a few interview on the Red Carpet or in studio.
Most people weren’t ready for recording on Zoom, they didn’t have the good looking backdrops with correct lighting, audio and branded visual set up nor were they comfortable talking and watching a “Brady Bunch” screen all that made for a terrible product.
However, in 2020, with the pandemic, all of a sudden Zoom took off and everyone jumped online, but it was hard to find good web cameras or USB microphones, but people were jumping online left and right!
It was the year of “look at me…look at me I’ve got a story to tell” and it was awesome. It was a boom that happened without a bell curve.
It was awesome, podcasting, online video and online streaming became even more popular, it was a big boom for everyone in the industry. DJ’s, that would never do a livestream swore up and down would never do a livestream, and were now playing live streamed events on Zoom and being interviewed via Zoom, including producers.
We started doing virtual Zoom, dance parties, karaoke virtual engagement meetings and a book was written on the subject by John Chen, Engaging Virtual Meetings.
However, with the new Zoom technology Zoom etiquette became an issue which many are still learning, like turning off your camera or mic when dealing with family situations during a business meeting. Thankfully with passcodes, Zoom Bombing has become a thing of the past, but it was a problem in the early days of Zoom in Corporate and Educational meetings.
Rebranding/Repurposing Content
We continued the conversation about the importance of not only keeping your brand out in front, but the importance of also repurposing your content. At the time of this recording Darren stated that DJ Sessions was about to launch something really big so head over to the DJ Sessions website to check it out.
We also talked about the importance of owning your brand with the first step being to get your own domain and getting your own website, domain name and making sure that that’s where you’re pointing everyone to go to.
Control Your Content
Darren suggests that all businesses get a private domain name; domains by proxy; a basic hosting account like Go-Daddy with WordPress on the back end, which is an easy installation. Connect to your socials but we both agreed that you should never build your business on FREE social media platforms. Use them to drive people to your website, brick or mortar or event site.
Use your free social sites to promote, and repurpose your content so that you get the SEO that you need to keep your audience engaged. A blog enables you to get more bang for your buck and speaking of more bang for your buck, you can no longer get it from Facebook as they want you to pay to play and when the money stops so does the promotion.
There are however, ways to earn money with your podcast or website including tier memberships, Patreon accounts, donations/crowdfunding and “pay per podcast” model and Buy Me a Coffee!
QR Codes made a comeback
QR Code when first introduced were misunderstood, many didn’t understand the squiggly black lines, but now, here we are 10+ years later and businesses are using QR Codes and users are learning how to use their Smartphones to access the information, now more than ever,
They’re great for branding, they are great for information that you can do so much with them. Create a QR Code to target a web page on your site, target your blog or specials, you can always update a QR Code with current discounts or specials and people will always have your QR Code on their phone so a refrigerator magnet is a great merch giveaway – QR codes are awesome.
WORDS OF WISDOM
When it comes to podcasting, if you’re thinking about doing it, Don’t worry about the budget, just start it and if you like doing it, then maybe spend a little money on a microphone. If you want to go into video, then spend $100 on maybe lights, padding, acoustic tiles, etc.. But you don’t have to drop a big budget to get started and some of these things, especially when it’s a hobby.
The best thing to do is just do your research, it’s the library, and every city. There’s this wonderful thing, we have called the internet. There’s a lot of people that have started doing this probably before you started doing it. So you got to find that type that in find those people, do your research and there’s a wealth of information out there for you.
To learn more about Darren, head over to his website djsessons.com