The phenomenon that is blogging is starting to pour out into other mediums. I take that back, it's really just pouring into one big medium right now, and that's podcasting. Podcasting is basically a radio show-style blog, and because it's so easy to do, it's quickly becoming the hottest thing to do on the web.
Why? I don't have a good answer for that, but I think it's because are starting to become bored with just surfing around the internet and reading plain and boring web sites (except those few blogs and fun sites). Podcasting allows users to listen to real voice and real opinion. Usually, they're not scripted either, so there's a big reality aspect to it as well, it seems much more real than words on a screen. Another reason is that podcasts, like blogs, are usually really tailored to a specific audience, which could easily create a built-in listener base before the first one is even published.
Before I left VML, I had been wanting to work blogs into a client site for some time. No one would really listen or seemed to care about doing something like this. When I got to SHS, they were all ears and a month later John and Tug started to publish the first Advertising Podcast – American Copywriter. It's really just a show for John and Tug to talk about whatever they want to, which is usually advertising, but they also get into the mindset of the ad world; which I think is very interesting. It's a funny show, you should check it out.
The implications of blogs and podcasts seem miniscule right now, how long can we actually care about reading someone's thoughts over and over again? Ask that question to Dave Barry, or other opinion columnists that are published on a daily, or weekly, basis. So are we just creating a world where more people's voice will undoubtedly vanish and disappear because other opinions are more popular and flamboyant? Maybe so.
But think about this... what if we used blogs in the corporate world? What if podcasts were used to build brands? Too late, it's already happening. Microsoft and other companies have opened their gates and are allowing their employees to blog about work, which allows the customer (or user) to directly access them and initiate conversation. And think about a podcast that is dedicated to Apple news, tips and tricks... if you owned a Mac, wouldn't you at least check it out?
I don't think the idea here is to create popularity for oneself – unless "you" are the one you're trying to sell. No, the big idea here is to reach your audience in ways that television and print ads can't. It's about talking to 75% of your audience instead of just 45%. It's about creating a brand that can be seen in many different mediums.
Blogging and podcasting aren't ends to the means, they're just the buzz-ways of getting closer.
To find out more on podcasting, check out iPodder.org. To see how popular podcasting is, go to audio.weblogs.com, take note of what number one is, then refresh the page 30 minutes later and see where number one moved to.
+ original post date: March 12, 2005 09:27 AM
+ categories: Web Stuff
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