You’ll find some great perspectives on podcasting from Mark Glaser and his overview of NPR’s strategic and successful move to the media format. Key to their success (so far) is their willingness to rethink their business model for the on-line world, to explore new content that’s more suited to niche markets (not just repurposed radio content), and to reframe their relationship with affiliates to get content flowing both ways.
Another key, according to Kris Jacob, VP of Business Development for PodShow, is to remember that podcasting is not about pumping old content through a new pipe:
”The fundamental mistake that media companies, large and small, make is that they adopt the model but not the philosophy,” Jacob said. ”They look at things as the adjunct to the core product that they’re providing, and not as a fundamental shift in the way that they are creating media itself…. What listeners tell us is that mainstream programming converted to MP3 files and redistributed and called a podcast is interesting to a point, but it’s not what they are really compelled by. What they are compelled by is unique independent niche programming that appeals to them and allows them to develop a relationship that they can’t forge with mainstream programming.”
Think short. Think focused. Think compelling. And rethink everything about the structure and balance of your conversation with your audience.
