Podcasting works, in spite of the commitment needed

This post by my friend Heidi Miller is right on the mark: 70 million Americans agree: podcasting is still cool. Heidi cites an Edison Research study that shows an 11% increase in the U.S. podcast consultation since 2006. I would guess that among business people, this progression is even higher.

Heidi also points out an vital benefit of podcasting: the commitment required to listen. She writes:

Podcasting is uncommon from newer social networking tools. Podcasting requires a commitment. Not just from the podcaster, but also from the listener. Sure, listeners can download a file or listen frankly from their computers, and Webster [presenting Edison's research] did point out that many listeners never even conveying the podcast to a mobile device.

Regular podcast listeners must not only subscribe to a feed, but also download the file to an mp3 player and commit to listening to the entire episode in a linear format. No skimming, no scanning, no tl;dr (too long; didn’t read). There is no shortcut for listening to a podcast.

You have to want it, not just “Like” it.

In this age of small attention span theater, how much value would a podcast listener bring to your organization? Someone who would be willing and keen to pay attention to your content for, say 30 minutes straight every week or month?

Some people would point to this commitment as a liability. Sure, it can be. And that’s why many communicators and marketers don’t rely on the podcasting channel alone.  But if you’re looking to engage with an consultation that’s truly interested in what you have to say, a podcast can be the perfect solution. Over the past five years, I’ve worked with dozens of organizations that have used podcasts to:

• Establish thought leadership in a niche
• Nurture a community
• Educate listeners on a particular theme (science, technology, health)
• Engage far-flung employees
• Build relationships with customers
• Get prospects interested in an thought, product or service
• Breed buzz before an event
• Make fascinating content during a conference or trade show.

These are just a few examples. What do you reckon about podcasting?  Is the commitment a liability or an asset?