By James "Hollywood" Macecari
I frequently get asked how I got involved in Radio/Podcasting/Video Blogging. Another question I frequently get is how did I adjust with all the public attention and scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye? It's quite funny actually. I launched a small blog back in 2011. Never ever thought of taking it all that serious. I definitely never thought it would take off as it has worldwide. I've always had a creative streak. After all, my main vocation was tattooing and piercing. I've owed tattoo studios for the better half of 20 years. I actually published my first blog from one of my tattoo studios called Aberration Pro Custom Tattoo. Whenever it was slow I would just hop on the computer and post my thoughts on what was out there. Biker News became a passion. After all, I loved being a biker and experienced many of the things within the biker community. The first rule if you're ever going to get involved in podcasting or video blogging make sure its a subject you're passionate about. Don't try and make it a generalization of a mix of diverse topics. Stick to one Niche. Establish your following and when you accomplish your goal of where you want to be than go to other subjects.
It has taken me close to eight years to get to that point. This blog for example I'm able to address a range of diverse subjects. It took that long because I had to build an audience with Insane Throttle Biker News and then Motorcycle Madhouse. Once that finally happened I was able to write for fun. Put my crazy ass thoughts out there and if they were read great! If not, oh well lmao. For those who are determined and want to make a run at being a host of a show or blogging. Make sure to put all your time and effort into one niche. It's going to take years to be able to get where you want to be. This is a business that takes time, patience and drive to make it. Don't go on YouTube and listen to hacks talking about how you can make so much money right away. Don't listen to the hacks telling you that you can get so many people within a certain amount of time either. It's all bullshit!
So lets talk about podcasting for a second. Podcasting is the new radio. Gone are the days of air-wave radio. Everyone is flocking to IHeart Radio and Spotify for all their entertainment. Not to mention YouTube and Pandora. This is why you see many radio stations on the FM and AM frequency going under all the time. They cannot compete against the new age of entertainment. People like selecting personalized content now. This is one of the reasons you want to pick a niche and stay within it. Spotify alone has a reach of over 300,000,000 people worldwide. IHeart radio the same. AM/FM radio cannot even come close to those numbers. Its a dying industry. If you want to get in on the ground floor than podcasting/video blogging is the way to go. But again, its going to take many tedious hours and a lot of work to get somewhere with it. You have to occupy a good niche and more important you're going to need some luck.
Many people out there have these BS so-called seminars they give claiming they have the right formula on how to make it big. Yeah, No! Don't buy into it. It's in fact more like click bait. They are making money off the so-called program you buy. They are not generating the money on actual podcasting or video blogging. Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it? If they are not generating the money on what their subject is about and have to rely on sales of a "Program." What good is the information they are peddling to you? I never sought out any of these seminars. When I initially saw Insane Throttle taking off, I made a business plan up. First focusing on the biker news site. I focused on building its page visitors and page views. I also focused on getting other websites to pick up its RSS feed and getting ping-backs. That took years to accomplish. I wouldn't even move into the social media arena until I accomplished that. Staying focused on a goal is critically important. By placing all my focus into growing the news site I currently enjoy an enormous amount of page visits and views. Making it the number one biker news site on the net. Let's put it this way. My nearest competitors monthly visits and views I double in just one day over at the Throttle. This is because I remained focused on a goal and didn't try to rush it or buy into pipe dreams.
If you want to be successful, you're going to have to do the same. Remain focused and stay away from the pipe dreams. Its a fantastic thing technology has given to us. Never before was there a time when someone could go out and buy a mic and make a living at it. Before the podcast you had to go to a four-year college and know someone at a radio station. Not anymore. Anyone can do it. The catch is only a few will ever make it big. Once more, it absolutely depends on the amount of work put into it and what niche you're in. But here's the good news.
The double whammy of doing your podcast and video blogging at the same
time on platforms like YouTube gives you the opportunity to explode. When I first started Motorcycle Madhouse it was only on podcasting platforms. Now I perform the show on YouTube and other multi streaming platforms. I reach more and more audiences than ever before. Done right so can you.
Many people frequently ask how I was able to adjust after the show took off. Its funny actually. I had a hard time with it. Why? Because I never had the expectations it would blow up worldwide like it did. It took getting use to. Especially all the emails and letters. Today, my email box on average receives about 1,000 messages. Everything from "I love the show" to "I hate your guts."Yeah, if you're going to get into this business you better damn well have a very thick skin. People will say all sorts of messed up stuff and even go as far as trying to spread false rumors about you. It took me time dealing with that. Especially when it comes in on a daily basis. Motorcycle Madhouse is on the edge. Many often compare me to the Howard Stern of Biker Radio. People have been doing that since the beginning of the show. Remind you now. We are currently on our 13th season. So yeah, fun times with the haters.
Motorcycle Madhouse is unique. I deal with the Biker Lifestyle. Everything from Motorcycle Clubs to Biker Rights. Its subjects a lot of people in the biker radio industry won't touch. I'm only one of the maybe handful that will. Being in this niche you always have to keep informing people the show is for entertainment. You would not guess how many people don't comprehend that. Sure, I express opinions as do the guest I have on the show. But they are solely opinions and entertainment based. Its fun having to answer emails that come in to say the least. The Biker Lifestyle is not use to Howard Stern type of tactics, and people have to be reminded all the time not to take things seriously. But that's the niche I decided to get into and love doing it every day. Despite all the haters and threats. The one reason why the Madhouse stands out like it does is because its on the edge and goes where most other biker radio shows will not. This is what you will need to distinguish yourself in a Niche. Trust me on that.
That's some of the advice I can give people looking to get into podcasting/videoblogging. Now to the other question I receive frequently. How did I adjust when things started taking off? One of the weirdest things that happens when you grow and become popular is people stopping you and asking for an autograph. Or when they stop you and ask to take a picture with you. I'm just a ordinary guy. It really doesn't go to my head. I enjoy meeting all the various people around the country. When I do events, it's a blast to say the least. It makes putting in all the long hours and aggravation worth it. It drives me to double my efforts to make the show even better. The lesson, nevertheless, is if you do make it big. Don't let the shit go to your head. Hopefully, you will be the same person you were when you first started your show. That's just my two cents. Those wanting to come into the industry I wish you good luck. You're going to need it.
JHM
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