Podcasting: The Future of Business?

These days, new media seem to be emerging every which way. It can be pretty hard to keep up with. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what a podcast was until a few days ago. In fact, I didn't even know how blogs worked until I started this one! Well in order to catch up I did a little research on these so-called podcasts, and here's what I found:

I was first directed to the Edelman site, a company specializing in PR, and listened to a couple of the episodes from the site's podcast. The first one consisted of soundbites of Nora Gamin Barnes discussing her study on blogging. The study explored bloggers who write about business-related topics ,and their perspectives on the new media and its effectiveness. Another episode discussed a number of Edelman employees who volunteered in the clean-up efforts for the aftermath of Katrina. Both of these podcasts were completely audio. It was as if listening to a radio show. I found this podcast useful because unlike a radio show you have the option of listening to it when and where you want it. The Edelman Web page had lists and lists of possible podcasts with varying PR topics to choose from. Your pick! It also had the option of an RSS feed so that those interested would be notified of any new content published on that site that they might find interesting. Some of the features I found most useful were the option of sending in comments, either e-mail or MP3, giving the podcast an interactive and more personal feel, as well as the display of a timeline stating the topics to be discussed and the exact second they begin. However, being solely audio it could be hard to keep listeners' attention. I even found myself zoning out or doing other activities while listening to it, and was unable to give my full attention throughout. Not to mention the cheesy background music.

The next podcast I explored was hosted by AdAge.com. The podcast I found most interesting was "Why It Matters" hosted by Hoag Levins which discussed various hot topics in advertising. Two of the episodes I listened to talked about branded entertainment and consumer-created content. Each talked about different examples, how they evolved, how they are affecting traditional marketing and media, and what will they bring? I found these a bit more interesting to listen to, perhaps because it was an enhanced audio podcast rather than solely audio. However, the only added element of this podcast was the presence of accompanying still (and a few animated) photos; no video. But somehow having something visual to refer to made it a bit easier to tune into. It did lack a timeline, though, giving points to the Edelman podcast.

I mean sure they both lacked some useful element, but each had several bonus features that you can't get from traditional media: more control, convenience, interactivity with a business or industry. Ofcourse traditional media and information sources are far from becoming extinct, but new media like podcasts and blogs are definitely here to stay.