I ran a test recently to get a feel for the acceptance of podcast versus video. Readers were given the option of a link to a video clip or a link to a podcast and they chose the video clip at a ratio of almost 10 to 1.
Until the average user understands that a video clip is one item, whereas a podcast is subscribing to a channel, the true value of them goes unrecognized. Unfortunately with limited resources, that means a lot more web videos before podcasting becomes a core part of the marketing mix.
On the other hand – it will come. Being excited about podcasting now is like being hooked on TiVo 5 years ago, you know it’s good, and you know that eventually everyone else will come along. We’ve had a new car for a half a year now and I still haven’t listened to or set the presets for the radio.
2 replies on “Podcasting – Not Across the Chasm Yet?”
Now I don’t feel as bad for not setting stations on my home stereo I have owned for over 2 years.
Tell us more about this. I am envisioning a Web page with options to subscribe to a podcast or view a video right there and now? Was there more info on what a podcast is, or how they can listen to it?
Now that I am blogging, I am becoming aware of the fact that many people don’t know what those little orange icons mean, and that there is a level of education that publishers need to “sell” on the value of a free service.
It wasn’t a very scientific test, it was an email newsletter that had a description of the podcast with a graphic at the top. And a paragraph 3 items down in the same message describing a video of a different presentation. Granted the comment was not the same, so it’s not much of a test, but the video got over 120 clicks and the podcast didn’t break 20.
I think we just have to go through an organic growth phase, slowly people will get addicted to podcasts as they find killer content they want.