Podcasting - The "What, So What, Now What?" Method
A unique characteristic of podcasting is the fact that it is speech-based radio and, in Canada, just like in the U.K., we have a culture of expecting high quality speech-based radio as a result of the CBC.
Podcasting is essentially citizen media created by those who are closest to the story. And podcasting is truly about convenience. These days, people simply do not have the time or the ability to listen to things they want to listen to in "real time". As such, we as service providers have to react and perform to this reality.
In our view, podcasting is not just another fad or interesting technology blip. Rather, it's the wave of the future. Paired with the ipod, podcasts are informative, intimate and convenient. And because they are portable, they are conducive to complete and total communication.
And the great thing about podcasts is the fact that, while your audience is expecting to hear great content, it is not necessarily expecting great production.
The listeners who are the most affected and the ones whom you have "won" are the ones who download your podcast and essentially "take you with them". The only way you will get them to take you along, however, is to make it simple, easy and convenient - without compromising on the high quality content. We need to teach people how to "consume" podcasts to make sure that they can download and walk away with the technology in hand.
All the best, Suzana and Ian. --------
