Everybody’s Talking: Podcasts ‘R Us

Social Media Bible–Chapter 10: Talking about the Podcast

Talk about timing! If you’ve ever wondered if there is any tie-in between all this “media stuff” we’ve been talking about, here’s a great example:

I had just finished reading the chapter about podcasting in The Social Media Bible when I happened to be listening in my car on my Blackberry to another podcast from comedian Chris Hardwick (mentioned in a previous blog). Hardwick was interviewing comedian Jimmy Fallon about many topics, among them social media and how it has become important to their business. During the interview, Fallon talked about, and then played, a clip of a musical spoof they had done on his late night show on NBC. When I got to a computer, I went online to see the video of that clip. So, in just a short time, I was using my smartphone (1) to listen to a podcast (2) which then steered me to a website on my PC (3) where I watched a video clip (4) of something that had been on regular broadcast TV (5). Seems like a great example of convergence of several technologies.

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(For those who might be interested, the video clip was a really fun Glee-type spoof using the song “We’re not Gonna Take It” )

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The particular podcast had quite a few other discussions about social media, which I may include in a future blog, but for now, let me go on to tell about why I have some problems with parts of this chapter.

First, the good news: the author does a great job of explaining what podcasts are, how to record them and how to distribute them. I like his description that podcasts are “an effective way for you and your business to be heard—to capture the valuable mindshare of customers, prospects, and employees.” (p. 190) There’s a lot of good historical information in this chapter, also, including the fact that Steve Jobs introduced the first iPod in 2001… “a thousand songs in your pocket.” I also appreciate that Safko lays out the necessary four steps for podcasting: planning, recording, editing and publishing.

Now the bad news. Author Safko says

“Podcasts allow anyone, for the first time in history, to create one’s own talk show, interview, educational or training seminar, sermon, speech, presentation, or music file that can be distributed worldwide to literally tens, hundreds, or even thousands of people who can play or download it and hear what you have to say…for free. You can create a following of colleagues, friends and customers who care about what you have to say; and by podcasting, you’ve created a viral, entertaining, and informative medium through which you can be heard.” (p. 193)

Is that really what we need? More people putting just about anything online, claiming to be experts, or entertaining, or informative…or God forbid, all three…just because it’s free? And to make matters worse, when producing a podcast, Safko says “less than perfect is okay, even better…This holds true for all social media”  (p. 195) REALLY? Now it’s OK to have shoddy production values because the listeners won’t expect anything better? I absolutely disagree, as does Evo Terra in the Expert Insight section of this chapter (p. 204). And in listening to another podcast, I heard another comedian, Patton Oswalt, say there is no excuse for poor quality in a podcast, not when “you could improve the quality with items easily available at your local Rite Aid store.”

And then Safko says “With social media, the content is by the people, for the people. It’s ad hoc, fresh, spontaneous, unbiased and noncommercial.” (195) WHAT? Unbiased? Noncommercial? What podcasts are he listening to? I only listen to a couple, but they are definitely NOT unbiased and they all have a commercial sponsor attached to them.

One thing I do want to look into, because I’m not a legal scholar is when Safko says “If you aren’t smart enough to own a Mac, then you can capture a few seconds of copyright-free music from any recording, or from the Internet.”  Is that really legal? My experience at a TV station would say otherwise, but perhaps the rules are somewhat different for music use on the Internet.

I’m not sure why the ROI section is included in this chapter, because it has no mention of podcasting, but it does have a good example of how social media was used to tell the story of this funding crisis.

I really liked Evo Terra’s “Expert Insight” section…well written, with suggestions about using free software such as Audacity and Levelator to make your podcast sound good. Thanks!

Another rant is over…