Success of podcasting

By Jonathan Halls

As we head to the end of the first quarter of 2008, what has developed? Almost half of the population have now heard of podcasting. And 18.5 million people have listened to or watched one.

But probably the most interesting development is in the demographics. In terms of gender, it‘s split evenly. Edison Media Research revealed in a 2007 Arbitron survey that the podcast market is made up of 49 % women and 51% men.

And the largest age group among podcast consumers is 35 to 44. 25- to 34-year-olds come a close second. Together, these two groups make up almost half of podcast consumers.

The Arbitron survey also revealed that 49% of podcast listeners have a four-year degree. 24 % have an advanced degree. So they‘re an educated bunch. With many coming from households earning over 50k a year.

The research debunks the myth that podcasting is for teenagers, although they make-up a significant portion of the podcast listeners.

Interestingly, speech-based programming is what most people favor – not music downloads.

So what is the definition? Talkshow Communication has launched a free website offering an extensive list of articles helping people to make podcasts.

The site, which shares material that Talkshow teaches to its clients around the world, declares that a definition isn‘t yet set because podcasting is still evolving and finding its true identity.

As it stands, podcasting is audio available via the internet via aggregation feeds such as RSS. It‘s the aggregation that sets it apart from other forms of web audio such as streaming audio.

Audio podcasting is often compared to radio but there are as many differences as similarities. `

So what is it being used for? There are a multitude of possibilities because it expands what can already be done on radio.

For starters, podcasting has free global distribution, unlike FM radio which can generally only be heard within line of sight of an expensive transmitter.

The length of a podcast is dictated by the content, not the need to fill 24 hours of air-time. It‘s portable so consumers can take it anywhere, anytime.

It‘s on demand, so there‘s no need to follow a schedule or set a timer to record a favorite program.

The thought of making a podcast is seductive to some. People in garages are publishing self-indulgent content that has limited appeal.

Chief executives are using it as an internal communication tool because it has powerful potential.

Trainers are using it so learners can access knowledge more easily. Sales depart-ments are using it for their regular sales briefings.

Is it really as good as everyone says? And what are the challenges? Podcasting—whether it be audio or video—is good for some communication and stories. But not for others.

For example, it‘s great for general narrative but not for detailed subjects like finance – just talk to finance reporters working for radio networks about the challenges of keeping listeners interested. Knowing when not to use podcasting is a key skill.

Podcasting is also simple to do at first thought – simply plug a USB microphone into your computer and off you go.

But the key really is not the technical side which can be quite easily mastered. It‘s actually understanding the art of communicating, using audio. How to script your content so it‘s quick and easy for the listener to understand, how to integrate music and sound effects to make the narrative more powerful and keep the listener engaged.

Most podcasts which wallow at the bottom of podcast directories, with few or no listeners have little understanding of these issues. Getting these right is the key to success.

For more information about podcasting and to learn how to make yours work, check out Talkshow Communication‘s newly launched website, www.podcastersportal.com. It‘s packed with helpful advice on how to make phenomenal podcast content. It‘s one of the few sites that has an editorial rather than technical focus.