Podcast Freq

The debate continues around the blogosphere whether podcasting is thriving or struggling to make the strides that people thought it would. First Read/Write web has an article asking Will Podcasting Survive?
Then there is a great article over at Podcasting News that challenges that theory, stating 7 Reasons that Read/Write web are clueless about Podcasting. Both articles have valid points and are worth reading.

I feel that podcasting is doing well - but as my school report used to say (!) it could do better!

Podcasters have enjoyed the initial excitement around the new medium, now we as a podcasting community instead of fearing the challenges - video, usability etc need to tackle the challenges head on. Radio did not die with competition from TV, bikes did not disappear because of cars.

We have to take the challenge by
1) Finding new listeners, maybe looking at how to use old media to attract people. Old media has the volume that we would love!
2) Standardising how to subscribe…making it easy for listeners.
3) Keeping the content fresh, keeping it of value.
4) Finding a way of ensuring the independent podcasts are not swamped by the corporate giants entering the fray. The attraction of podcasting was the spirit and independence…if the charts get swamped by companies or media repackaging sales messages or previously used content…podcasting will become boring.
5) Finding new ways to promote our work, our medium…instead of cowering away from the task when a little competition comes along or when we reach a plateau.

What do you think - surviving or thriving?

[tags podcasting, podcast growth, read/write web, podcasting news, corporate podcasts [/tags]

Nokia have launched new music services to rival Apple and the iPhone. Th new music services are explained on the music services page. The Nokia site also explains the podcasting application….

“The Nokia Podcasting application allows you to find, subscribe to and download audio and
video files over the air direct to your device. Preview podcasts as they download, and after
the download is complete, you can listen to or watch it when you want. Many podcasts also
include show descriptions, episode notes, links to comments, blogs and more to give you
a deeper experience while you’re on-the-go.

Browse default directories to find featured and recommended podcasts or search to find
topics of interest. Subscribe and get new podcast episodes downloaded to your device
automatically to enjoy any time. You can choose whether the Podcasting application uses
a wireless LAN connection (requires WLAN network access) or GPRS/WCDMA packet
data (requires a packet data plan) to download podcasts to your Nokia Nseries
multimedia computer. ”

The rivalry of Apple and Nokia can only be good for podcasting. Podcasting has stagnated or rather not grown at the level that we all envisaged. Mobile phones could really help get the medium out to more people. Most people have a mobile phone and if the new phones can deliver ease of subscription, ease of search…then this could help get the podcasting message out to more people.

nokia, iphone, podcasting, podcast directories, n series

Oh what a day yesterday - by 10pm last night I was having to remind myself that I podcast for fun, that podcasting is worth it! Why, well I posted the latest Podcast Sisters show and used all the same settings as I have always done. For no apparent reason, I got the chipmunk effect in the Blubrry player.

All tracks were at mono, 44.1. Project rate was 44.1. Bit rate at 64 which every other file (that work fine) was set at…..a mystery, if you have any ideas let me know as it is driving me mad.

Another lesson I got, was how giving feedback is an art. Many people informed me about the chipmunk effect and did it really nicely which was fab. But many sent me sharp e-mails that consisted of “this stinks”. That did annoy me. I understood their frustration of course but I had immediately posted on the blog that I was aware of the player problem and (despite the fact it was a bank holiday in England), I was sat trying to work out the problem.

My learning was - If you have feedback for a podcaster, like many of the people did with me,
- be constructive,
- understand that sometimes problems happen, sometimes there is no logical reason for a problem
- understand that podcasters do this for free and a little patience goes a long way!
- offer help if you can or internet links that may help. (Thanks to those who did, despite a solution not being found)
- add the reason you are trying to subscribe to the show - that it adds value to your life, as it gives the podcaster a much needed boost.

Continuing the series of promoting your podcast. This series is an A-Z of how to promote on a budget. Today we are looking at the letter U.

U= Uncover your own country’s directories. I am UK based and there are many local directories that specialise in UK podcasts. That is the same for many countries. Although the large global directories will drive significant traffic, the local ones are a great place to feature your talent. Often people want local talent, so ensure that you understand in your locality, be it state, country etc that you promote your show.

For me promoting is not about the tools in a sense it is about your mindset. Each week set yourself just 20 minutes to promote your show…be it e-mailing magazines, promo’s, commenting on other people’s shows etc A little and often will go a long way.
[tags podcasting, promoting your podcast, podcast directory [/tags]

Many podcasts are filled with feedback, filled with comments either audio or written, this can be soul destroying if you are not receiving any feedback. But you do need to consider the style of your show. It might be that your show is not suited to “having a conversation” Shows that breed feedback are often slightly controversial - courting comment, industry specific - courting people to give different views or indeed promoting their work, or aimed at people that are comfortable with the technology.

No feedback does not mean that people are not getting value, not passionate evangelists for your show. Think about your show is it more informational than controversial, is it aimed at non geeks who might not feel as confident about providing feedback?

Key is providing the tools - an e-mail address, a facebook group, a number or an audio recorder on your blog……your role is to encourage, to cajole, to offer the chance…it is not to become depressed if people don’t join in, it is not to demand feedback to ease your worries.

If your listenership is growing, if subscriptions are increasing then people are enjoying the content. They have opted in as a consumer of your “product”. That is feedback in itself, it is positive reinforcement for your work.

podcasting, feedback, commenting on podcasts, conversation, feedback, listeners

Penny Haynes has an interesting concept that may fit very well with podcasters. Over at Online Community Magazines she has developed a “the world’s first turnkey software that allows anyone to run an online magazine PLUS an internet radio and television station where ALL of the content is created by members of the community. The magazine also doubles as a Business Directory and Community Coupon Site.”

The site continues that this is perfect for people who

# are transitioning out of corporate America into owning your own business, or
# own ONE business and want to use the magazine as a way to network with and expand your visibility in your community, or
# are unemployed, and have a NEED to generate income and the self-discipline to work on it on a continual basis, and
# are comfortable with sales, as your income depends on contacting businesses to join the magazine

This software is a great tool to 1) Provide value to your community, 2) Advertise your podcast/co/blog, 3) Make some money while doing (1) and (2). I love tools that make ideas simple, I love ideas that bring making money and adding value to society together…this would seem to do this wonderfully well. Here is an example in action - Around Cherokee County

on line magazines, community, podcasting, making money online, small business, advertising

I was delighted yesterday to be contacted by Karin Hogh who is a journalist, media advisor, instructor and speaker. She has graduated from IT-University with a thesis about podcasting, so she is clever too! Karin is a wonderful evangelist for blogging and podcasting, check out her blog at The PodJournal. Karin and I spoke about a new service that she is providing - Podhandle.

I am a fervant supporter of any widget, any software that makes podcasting easier for the listeners or potential listeners. Podhandle is a new service which as the website explains has many interesting features…

User friendly and secure web based interface including:

* # Easy upload of files (images and audio/video)
* Help with required entries of tags and shownotes (SEO)
* Template for email-notification (newsletter)
* Approval of listener/viewer comments
* Choise of colourcodes, fonts and size of publishing-widget
* Generating of html- or Javascript for embedding on frontpage of website (selection of features) and complete size on subsite

In addition we provide:

* Choise of subdomain (ability to move feed without having to change adress)
* Statistics
* Hosting
* Support (via email - response within 12 hours)
* Surveillance and validation of feed

On your website users can see:

* Brief user-guide
* Flash-player (audio and/or video)
* Link to audio and/or videofile
* One-click-buttons to podcatchers e.g. iTunes
* RSS-feed to copy-paste
* List of previous episodes
* Email-notification (newsletter)
* Feedback-option

I like this concept and will be interviewing Karin about it on Sundays The Podcast Sisters show. I will also trial the service on Sunday within the show notes.

If we are to grow our audiences we need to find tools that help the consumer experience, that make it so easy to subscribe, to listen that why wouldn’t they? I will let you know more once I have used the service!
[tags podcast player, podcasting, karin hogh, podhandle, podcast + listeners [/tags]

Looking for ways to promote your podcast, but haven’t got a huge pot of money? This series of A-Z Of Promoting Your Podcast is for you. Today we take a look at T.

T= Twitter. Twitter is a micro blogging tool or in simple terms a way of publishing to the web in short snippets. Many podcasters use it to talk about their show, tell people that it has been published, promote up and coming shows. I am a member of Twitter but I am careful. I think just using it as almost spam marketing is wrong. Promote your show by showing your personality, by building a community around your personal brand. I have subscribed to shows via Twitter because the person is constantly giving me value in their “tweets”, they build up my interest in them, in their work. I want more of them, so check out their show.
[tags twitter, promoting your podcast, podcasting tips, blogging, marketing + podcasting [/tags]

I love working with companies on how they can incorporate podcasting as part of their communication strategy. I love working with companies that think creatively about how to use the power of audio. Here are some examples that I have used with companies.
1) Use it as a feedback tool to the leadership team. They found people interested in social media and who wanted to produce a monthly podcast as part of their ongoing development. They then interviewed people around the company - and the world - about the issues that they were facing and tips for the leaders on how they thought the company could save money, or grow their business.

2) As an instruction manual for customers, they gave written and audio programs to help customers with their new products. Syndicated from the site so that they receive product updates etc

3) A talent tool. A large corporation produced an arts podcast that showcased talent within the business - it included tracks from musicians, recipes from people who loved to cook, relaxtion ideas from a yoga expert.

Audio gives a voice to the words, it adds a warmth to the story. All these cases were taken on by potential stars as part of their development plan, the company won through a great product, the individuals got recognition.

Customer too liked the podcasts. Their feedback said

a) I hate reading, the audio really suited my style.
b) I liked the fact that the company showed their people, suddenly it felt personal rather than a faceless business.
c) It felt as though I got something for free!

podcasting, business, corporate communication, customer service,

Today we are going to continue on simple, free ways to promote your podcast. Not everyone wants to grow their audience but if you do it can be difficult when you have little or no budget. Today we will look at S, if you want to check back on A-R then click here.

S= Speak to larger organisations who may have traffic but who do not offer podcasts at the moment. See if you can produce a small - maybe 3-4 podcasts especially for their audience. Say that you will do this free of charge for them if they will promote your work. So let’s say you are love motoring, find a site and offer a small series on car maintenance or steps to reduce your garage bills. This is a win win as they then have a tailored podcast for their specific customers and you get promotion of your skills.

motoring, promoting your podcast, podcasting, building podcast audience+ marketing

I fear that because we are used to the media that we forget that the media is still new to many people. If you have been podcasting for a while then you can so easily forget what it was like when you saw the word podcast for the first time and wondered what it was, how you subscribed and how much it cost…..The way that we will grow podcasting is keeping those feelings at the top of our mind, to keep that naivety that we had at the beginning. Here are some questions to ask yourself

1) Would you have known how to subscribe to your podcast when you were a podcast “virgin”?
2) Do you offer the ability to play it from your site for people without MP3 players?
3) Do you explain that it is free?
4) Do you explain that a podcast is an audio file…a file that you can listen to?
5) Are you keeping the content fresh or do you find yourself repeating content of others?
6) Do you still get excited about recording or has it become routine?
7) Do you remember why you started the podcast, do you keep asking whether it is fulfilling your personal goals?

I am passionate about podcasting, I subscribe to a few new shows each week to keep listening to new presenters, to new areas, to new inspiration…..have I been complacent, I believe I have at times but I have notes in my diary to keep asking myself those tough questions each month so that I catch that complacency quickly.

podcasting, increasing listeners, podcast tips, subscribe+podcast

I have recently being running a series on the A-Z of Promoting Your Podcast, at the Podcast and New Media Expo I will be speaking more in depth on how to market your show. I have set up a forum post over at the event. I would love any comments on how you have grown your show that I can share with people.

The good news is that there are more and more podcasts out there, the bad news is that it is getting more and more difficult to get your show noticed. I know as a big consumer of podcasts that word of mouth is still a huge element, if a blogger that I respect or a social networking friend recommends a show then I am likely to listen to at least one show. In fact the research shows that recommendations have over 70% likelihood of ensuring people click through.

There is no short cut to building those networks, just like in real life. It needs you consistently to add value to others, consistently look for ways of connecting to other people, and finding ways of delivering on your personal brand promise.

I have been looking at how to promote your podcast when you have a limited budget. Today we look at R.

R= Radical. There are thousands of podcasts, so how do you stand out from the crowd. More and more people are trying what they call Guerilla Marketing techniques. Although this example is not podcasting and is involves money(!) it illustrates how to grab people’s attention. Carlsberg marketers have splashed money across London. Now thinking about cheaper ways, a friend of mine last autumn collected up the dead leaves in his garden, he then sprayed his website onto the leaves and allowed them to blow away! This brought media attention and also people picked the leaves up to see what the message was on the leaf. The key is to think “how can I disrupt people’s thoughts, how can I draw attention.

If you want to hear an inspirational story of how one podcaster - Heather Gorringe of Wiggly Wigglers - has used Facebook to engage with listeners and also market her business. She has not done this in an overt selling way but in encouraging the members to “join the conversation. If you want to hear how she has done it, her tips on how to grow your podcast community…check out The Podcast Sisters or listen to it over at the Blubrry community.

Would also love to hear any tips that you may have in using facebook as a “shop window” for your podcast.

Scott Bourne has announced a new podcasting group in response to the ADM group which he has concerns about. There are some impressive members of the steering committee.
Scott Bourne: Podango Productions, Apple Phone Show
Michael Geoghegan: GigaVox
Lee Gibbons: Podango
Judith Hutchinson, M.D.: Medical Minute
Leo Laporte: TWiT.TV
Alex Lindsay: Pixel Corps
Michael Mennenga: Farpoint Media
Doug Smith: Podango
Tim Street: French Maid.TV
Gretchen Vogelzang: MommyCast
Jeffrey Wilerth: Farpoint Media

You can check out the group by visiting the Industry and User Survey. On that site the purpose of the survey is stated as
“• Determine issues and concerns related to the establishment of the ADM, including their relative weight, universality and depth.
• Explore alternative formation methods, structures, fees, and agenda, and make recommendations.
• Explore the advisability of uniting behind one or more podcasting industry associations.
• Assess the importance of a broader mission and alternative focus to that of measuring downloads.
• Involve all who wish to participate in the process of the formation of an industry association.”

It will interesting to see how both this group and ADM move forward, as I said before because I am UK based, I feel a little out of the loop. However, I do feel that these groups could help the podosphere - I don’t want the sector to become some regulated that the essence is lost, but I do feel there are some areas that can be helped by standardisation. I will be watching the groups closely.