Jen's summary on podcasting for the book:
Podcast Summary
What is it?
Podcasts are (most often) digital audio files that can be distributed to a much larger audience than traditional radio. A key difference is that content is consumed whenever and wherever. Early podcasts delivered syndicated audio files, whereas now digital content includes video, text, and images (but the most common form of podcast is an MP3 audio file).
Podcasts are not restricted by the FCC or traditional broadcast regulations which allows for just about any subject to be covered.
Most podcasts cost nothing and are commercial free.
Listeners can subscribe to podcasts like magazine subscriptions so that the syndicated material is delivered, rather than having to search the internet for topics of interest. The podcasts can then automatically download to a portable MP3 player. Once the podcast is received from the internet via an RSS feed, it can be synced to an MP3 player. You don’t have to remember to check the internet for new feeds.
Itunes account for 75% of all podcast downloads, however, podcast is somewhat of a misnomer since you do not need an Ipod or a other MP3 player to listen to them.
The largest podcast user group is aged 18-29. Podcast downloaders tend to be young, male, educated. While awareness of podcasting has risen significantly, the number of people listening to podcasts has not changed that much over the past few years.
“One of the medium's strengths is that regular followers are hugely interested in the topic of a given podcast, allowing for a deeper host-listener (and therefore brand) relationship…” – emarketer website: http://www.emarketer.com/Article.aspx?id=1004938
Strategic Approaches
Currently, Non Profit Organizations are more likely to repurpose audio content like lectures or radio shows into podcasts, rather than creating web-specific podcasts.
Campaigns are trying to make their websites a hub of interactivity offering blogs, surveys, and RSS feeds. A national study of campaigns for senate (in 2006) showed that of 77 candidates, 5% were podcasting and 23% had blogs.
The hope is that with interactive political websites voter turnout will improve, particularly among the young adults.
However candidates have been perceived as participating on the web because they felt they had to. Some view the interactive campaigns as candidates taking every opportunity possible to reach out to voters.
Podcasting is one of several ways to reach out to people globally.
Traditional media doesn’t provide the whole picture – limited by time and space
Can only print so much of a candidate’s position.
Joe Carpenter of Citizen San Jose: Double edged sword: If a candidate made a promise that they were going to build parks, it becomes harder for them to get out of that
People can hear candidates say it in their own words in the context in which it was said.
Joe Carpenter: Think of podcasts as a magazine subscription – delivered whenever – the difference is that you can listen in your downtime, stuck on the train, waiting for kids at school, etc.
Takes you away from the computer, lets you be mobile.
The best podcasts tend to float to the top – don’t gain an audience if the content is uninteresting. There are tools and technology to let you know that podcasts are successful. Sites like Technorati, a ranking site, help listener determine whether podcasts are helpful and interesting.
Think of podcasts as a magazine subscription – delivered whenever – the difference is that you can listen in your downtime, stuck on the train, waiting for kids at school, etc.
Takes you away from the computer, lets you be mobile.
Use Cases
Citizen San Jose – Interview with Joe Carpenter
· Joe Carpenter began podcasting because he was interested in learning more about the technology
· Currently the Director of Talent Relations for Podshow – a company that helps independent media creators with distribution, pr, and technical aspects
· Citizen San Jose did a trial run during the 2006 mayoral election, broadcasting all of the debates
· Citizen San Jose’s main purpose is to provide access to all public meetings
· Currently it is one ‘uber-feed,’ but eventually it will be divided into categories (e.g. parks, parking, elections, etc.)
· Virtually impossible for the average citizen to get info from the meetings
· Just received a grant from the City to train people on how to record and upload the meetings so that there will be more complete coverage
· When it comes to CSpan type coverage, people don’t particularly want to watch because political coverage is not a visually interesting medium. With podcasts, you can walk the dog, be at the gym and follow the causes you’re interested in.
· “If indexed correctly, and people can find what they are looking for, imagine the learning”
· Feedback: Several responses of thanks when people couldn’t attend meetings or debates. CSJ received thanks for allowing the community to participate.
Creepy Sleepy – Interview with Dan Patterson
· Creepy sleepy was a college radio show started in 1998 as indy music, but left little room for the music because of format. Added political element with co-host to break up monotony of tightly formatted college radio station.
· Some referred to us as The Daily Show of podcasting
· Dan Patterson’s radio background lends itself to the radio dj feel
· Knew that no one would listen if we just ranted – so we made it entertaining as well
· The intent of our production was to take the best of radio – a tight fun entertaining show – but not at the expense of being relevant.
· Promoted via other podcasts, social networking sites (Myspace) developing relationships with other podcasters – “…you need to appreciate the online community.”
· The largest traffic driver is consistently producing good content – “People come to content. Social networking and promotion only get you so far.’
· CS has had a positive growth rate for 2 years : 6-8000 downloads per month; 2-3000 total number of listeners
· Creepy Sleepy is produced 3-5 times per month – based on content – “just pumping out content for content’s sake isn’t going to cut it”
· “The show has to be about the consumer – the listener is not as dumb as the mainstream media has treated them.”
· Audio nature of the delivery builds trust and consistency
Armchair President
· 39 year old man with no political experience (background in business leadership) is using grassroots efforts to get onto the democratic ballot
· He has a podcast called “Armchair President”
· He does not have the backing of the Democratic party, rather he is hoping for the support of individuals who will spread the word
· New podcasts come out every week or so and take him 10 hours to research and tape
· He covers current events and how the media spins them
· His podcast won a Podcast Peer award for best political podcast 2006
Pearl Harbor
· Demonstrates the interactivity that podcasts foster
· The Pearl Harbor Survivors project is an initiative to gather the oral histories of survivors as told by their loved ones
· The project will also serve to educate future generations about the importance of the Pearl Harbor attack in American History
· The audio files are available on an interactive website: www.pearlharborstories.org
· For those that are not internet users, the site has established a toll-free number where they can call and record their stories
North Carolina Ms Society
· Altyris Advertising provides pr/ outreach services for Central North Carolina Chapter Multiple Sclerosis Society on a pro-bono basis
· Society’s constituency is those affected by MS, which can affect vision and mobility
· Podcasts that cover research and interviews with those that live with MS make the Society’s work more accessible to core constituency
· Podcasts are 10-12 minutes long – the observed attention span of listeners
· About 200 people download the podcasts
· This is the first MS chapter to offer a podcast
· The ad agency noticed that using the term podcast was a barrier because of the association with ipods, but once the MS chapter understood that content was available to anyone with a computer, they were more receptive.
Technical Overview
· Basic sound equipment to create a podcast.
· Website to host
· RSS feed
Getting Started: (see podcasting white paper - Link: http://www.citidc.com/doc/whitepapers/CITI_AudioPodcasting.pdf)
· Create a website
· Get the recording equipment
· Record intro outro and other effects
· Conduct live or phone interviews
· Edit
· Post Production
· Syndication
Best Practices:
· Make it easy for listeners to find the podcast by linking sales-pitch-y text to the file
· Distribute the podcast via email for those that aren’t used to RSS feed technology
· Create press releases for significant podcasts to post on free pr sites
· Subscribe to your own podcast so that on line services like Yahoo and Google know that it exists
· Smart tags generate podcast traffic
· Interview interesting people
· Post comments on other podcasts and blogs with a link to your own podcast
· Get listed in directories
· Effective podcasts are those in which voices are enhanced with intonation or exaggerated expression
· Joe Carpenter: “If I were to advise a company: be sincere and passionate, know that it takes time, be consistent, allow it to evolve, don’t trap yourself in format – there are no rules.”
· JC: “understand the community”
· JC: “Need to be consistent and have good content”
Looking Forward
· More YouTube style mergers and deals
· Venture funding in podcast will increase significantly
· Podcast production quality and tools will improve
· Video podcasting will become more popular
· More women and minorities will get into podcasting
· Podcasting’s reach will triple
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