Mike MurphyAI Handyman
Subscribe
Back to podcast

Episode 39

The Google Show

June 3, 2016 ·

Ep39: THE GOOGLE SHOW What is Google Apps For Business? Episode Summary: What features do I use regularly? What are some unique ways podcasters and online brands can use Google Apps for their podcast or online business?

Episode Summary: What Google Apps for Work is, what’s included, and 4 concrete ways podcasters and online brands can put it to use — from episode tracking sheets to guest collaboration.

What You’ll Learn

  • What Google Apps for Work is and what it costs per user
  • The full suite: communication, storage, and collaboration apps
  • How email and domain aliases work for a podcast business
  • 4 concrete ways podcasters can use Google Apps day to day

Ask Mike Anything: Do You Need Expensive Headphones?

Question: Are expensive headphones necessary for recording a podcast, or are Apple earbuds good enough?

Answer: Upgrading from Apple earbuds is worth it if possible — dedicated headphones give a flatter, cleaner sound that makes it much easier to catch recording issues. Tip: still keep a pair of Apple earbuds around for quality control, since a lot of listeners hear the show through them — knowing how it sounds on common devices matters.

Headphones used here: Sony MDR-7506. Popular/recommended alternatives: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, M-Audio Q40, Beyerdynamic DT 770.

What Is Google Apps for Work?

Per Google’s own description: an all-in-one suite to communicate, store, and create. Google Apps covers the admin side of a business — email, calendar, word processing, spreadsheets, and more. Not the flashy stuff, but the stuff that keeps a business on track.

What Does It Cost?

$5/user per month for the base plan, or $10/user per month for increased storage and additional features.

What’s Included with Google Apps

Communication apps: Gmail, Calendar, Google Hangouts, and Google+. Storage: Google Drive. Collaboration tools: Google Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides, and Sites — see Google’s own collaboration tips.

Tip — email aliases: create unlimited prefixes on one domain — mike@, info@, hello@, feedback@, etc.

Tip — domain aliases: route other owned domains through the same account, so an address like mike@askmikeanything.com works too.

Google Apps Features Used Here

Gmail, Calendar, Google Drive, Google Docs (Docs, Sheets, Forms, Slides), and Google+.

Ideas for Podcasters

  1. Google Sheets (or Excel). Build a master episode list with notes and topics covered, plus resource lists of products, tools, and links.
  2. Google Forms. Create surveys, feedback forms, or audience contests (voting on a new feature, for example). Also worth checking out: Wufoo and IFTTT.
  3. Collaboration & sharing. Cuts out email back-and-forth, works well for coaching and client consulting, lets pre-interview questions get sent via Google Forms, supports co-host collaboration on scripts or show notes, and gives virtual assistants a shared workspace.
  4. Google Slides. Build keynote-style presentations and screencasts.

Show Notes & Links