StoryQuest Blog

What do Duke University, IBM, Capital One, Newsweek, and Barenaked Ladies all have in common? Answer: they are all reaching out to staff, students, and customers with a new and powerful tool–podcasting. You may have heard about podcasting from your kids or the news, but podcasting is much more than a passing trend started by the music industry. Podcasting is a powerful communication tool being used to save people time, reach global and mobile audiences, and most importantly, connect powerfully with audiences in innovative ways. But, let’s take a look at what podcasting is, who is using it, and why it is so effective for both businesses and individuals.

First, let’s look at the size and scale of the podcasting phenomenon…

– A recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project found that more than 22 million American adults own iPods or an MP3 player, and 29 percent of them have downloaded podcasts or listened to a podcast that was “pushed” to them. That equates to 6 million people listening to podcasts. Market researchers and analysts continue to buoy up podcasting’s future with latest figures suggesting a US audience alone of 56 million by 2010.

– Jupiter Research recently predicted that US digital music player sales would grow to 56 million by 2010, up from 16.2 million in 2004. And by 2010, 75 percent of all people who own portable digital music players will listen to podcasts, a growth from less than 15 percent last year.

What is podcasting?
The term “Podcasting” is derived from the iPod (Apple Computer’s popular device for playing compressed audio files) and “broadcasting.” Whether you describe it as the greatest communication tool since email, or as an “RSS feed for audio,” podcasting is a way to electronically deliver, or “push” audio content to subscribers for nearly zero cost.

Podcasting allows anyone (me, you, IBM, or NBC) to post audio content that gets “pushed” out to subscribers and then loaded directly onto an iPod or MP3 player. Your audience can “subscribe” to a podcast and have new content delivered to them without having to surf the web, download MP3s, burn CDs or “tune in” to stations with podcasting. Podcasts simply show up on their desktops whenever new content is produced. And the reach is global. Anyone anywhere can tune in to your podcast and learn what you have to offer or say. You don’t need to be NBC with a global distribution infrastructure in order to broadcast your message.

Having originated in the world of blogging, some have referred to podcasting as “audio blogging.” For many, podcasting is a logical next step from blogging. As Business Week Senior Writer Stephen Baker observes, “The heart of the podcasting movement is in the world of blogs, those millions of personal Web pages that have become a global sensation. In a blogosphere that has grown largely on the written word, podcasts add a soundtrack.”

Now that you know what a podcast is, let’s look at where they come from; who is producing the “pushed audio content.”

Who is producing podcasts?
The answer is wide ranging. Teenagers, techies and rock musicians were early adopters. Today you see the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Business Week, ESPN and news programs of all types producing, distributing, and marketing podcasts. The number of podcasts available is growing at a very rapid pace. In late 2004, there were close to 500 podcasts available. Today there are over 10,000 different podcasts to choose from.
Now that podcasting has become more mainstream, corporate and non-corporate organizations are getting into the act, using podcasting to connect with customers, students, staff and partners. Here are some examples:

– Duke University handed out iPods to their entire 2005 freshman class so they could receive podcasts that include university news, class work and social content.

– Capital One University has handed out over 3000 iPods to support corporate training and communications. This includes leadership training, sales, customer service and other topics.

– IBM has created podcasts to show their thought leadership to customers, investors and prospects.

– Keane Inc. has handed out over 100 iPods to their global sales force to share training, customers’ stories, and organizational content.

Why have these and other organizations gotten into podcasting? Because they know their audience (internal or external) is inundated with text-based content: emails, articles, web portals and marketing messages. Podcasting allows them to use a unique and portable medium to reach and connect with their audience.

iPods will be part of Duke University’s new Duke Digital Initiative (DDI). “We’ve been focusing on iPods and other mobile computing, but our wider goal is to integrate technology broadly into the teaching and learning process,” said Peter Lange, the university’s provost and senior academic officer. “The iPods have helped jump-start this process, and we plan to keep pushing ahead.”

Listeners love podcasting because it delivers rich content directly to them, in a form that allows them to save time, control what they hear, and decide when they hear it. No longer is learning tied to a book, PC screen, or web portal.

Content is still king in any communication, especially recorded podcasts. Podcasting is merely the delivery tool. Compelling content ensures continuous listening and not a flip of the power switch or a turn of the dial.

Should you podcast?
Podcasting is not the answer to all your learning and communication problems. As great as audio is, like any medium, it has its limits. While audio can convey a compelling quality that reading simply cannot, it is not easily scanned like a written document– which means you must consider the listener’s needs very carefully. You must provide targeted value.

Corporate podcasting is different from individual or media podcasting. The standard for a corporate podcast is much higher than for individual or media. Your staff and customers expect certain things from your communication with them. You can’t just offer long-winded rants, self serving commercials, or cute content. You must have a very clear idea of the needs of your audience and how a podcast will deliver a solution. When producing that value, ask yourself, “How will you produce your podcast?” “Who will review it?” “Will you get it transcribed?” You will need to consider legal issues as well.

Despite these issues, podcasting can be simple. Once you have determined your format and established a process, it gets much easier. Still, podcasting takes a proactive effort, a planned approach, creative development, and the courage to try new things. But, if you are motivated to reach your audience in an innovative way and are willing to put the front-end work into it, podcasting and mobile audio can provide huge benefits.

If you would like to:
– Reach a global audience
– Connect with that audience in new and effective ways
– Save your audience time
– Share the passion, experience and stories of your business
…try podcasting – it works!

Tim Keelan is the founder of StoryQuest, Inc. a Chicago-based firm that produces peer-based mobile audio learning and communication tools. You can reach Tim at tkeelan@storyquest.us or by calling StoryQuest at 312-258-0111.