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Are Those Podcasting Experts Really Experts?

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(By Troy Price) New Rule: No one can name their own course or training a ‘Masterclass’.

People name their training a Masterclass because:

-They received a subscription to the Master Class app as a gift and really liked it. -They think it sounds more sophisticated than training or course. -They know as much as ‘so-and-so’ and ‘so-and-so’ is offering a Masterclass. -They think you can charge more.

It seems like at least 80% of those offering training in the podcasting space today have rebranded their work as some kind of Masterclass. And, IMHO, not all of them will teach you to master anything and a few of them have no class. When you say you are hosting your own masterclass, you are both hurting you potential clients and you are hurting yourself.

There are two components of the definition of Masterclass that I think most of today’s Masterclasses fail to meet. These are:

-A Masterclass must be conducted by an expert in the field. I know a lot of people that know a lot about the different aspects of podcasting. I do not know anyone that is an expert in audio engineering, and digital recording, and audio editing, and web/media hosting, and RSS technology and… and… and… When you claim you are offering a Podcast Masterclass you are saying you are an expert in everything podcasting. If you are, please email me (my contact information can be found at the website below) I would like to meet you. If not, you are being disingenuous in what you are offering.

-A Masterclass must be attended by highly talented students. Most people offering Masterclasses today only ask two things of their potential students. 1) What they want to get out of the class and 2) Can they pay the $297+. You may be more selective in who attend your trainings (kudos if you do) but I don’t know anyone that is offering a Masterclass to only people that are currently good at podcasting. If you know of any, please email me the promotional material (my contact information can be found at the website below).

Lastly, naming your training a Podcast Masterclass hurts your searchability. I searched Google Trends and during the week of August 28 to September 3 the term ‘Podcast Training’ was searched by 100 people. During the same timeframe ‘Podcast Masterclass’ was searched by, wait for it, 0 people. More people are interested in finding a training than a masterclass.

Learning something new in podcasting or ‘upping’ your podcasting game by taking a course or a training is a great option for many people. It is much easier and faster than learning something new on your own. Further, on the flip side of things, I believe that each of us has some moral responsibility to share our knowledge and talents with others – offering trainings are a great way to share your knowledge. I am not bashing the practice, I just think the term ‘Masterclass’ is overused.

Troy Price is the co-founder of Front Porch Studios in Berea, Kentucky. He has been involved with podcasting for over a decade. Listen to his show “Podcasting Tips From The Front Porch” HERE.

Comments:

Harry Alexander -

Sounds like what a consultant does! Those who can do, those who can’t consult…


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