Tune in to a new wave of media
It had its heyday about four years ago, but podcasting, it seems, is no passing fad. As the growth of new media fuels enthusiasm in an increasing number of consumers intent on having their information anytime, anywhere, this form of digital communication could prove to be one of the most under utilised medium today for advertisers and promoters, enthusiasts are saying.
Although not quite as revolutionary as it was pegged to be when the term began to appear on popular internet search sites in 2004, podcasting remains a potent business tool and niche medium whose time is yet to come.
In fact, a study conducted by market research and trend analysis firm eMarketer predicts that the audience for podcasting in the US alone will jump from 10 million in 2006 to 25 million in 2008.
That number, will double by 2010 and by 2012 will potentially reach 65 million people.
Of those listeners, 25 million will be "active" users who tune in at least once a week.
According to UK-based Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR), almost 12 million people listen to radio via the internet in the UK. Of this, more than four million admitted to having downloaded a podcast.
These numbers, say insiders, is enough indication that podcasting could be a goldmine for advertisers.
Dubai-based advertising executive Peter Hall is one enthusiast pushing the podcasting agenda in the UAE. "It has potential. Ever since we launched in January 2006, we've had millions of hits," he says of his website podme.org.
"The shows that were recorded two years ago are still being downloaded today. That's the beauty of podcasting – it's a gift that keeps on giving. So in terms of generating revenue, it has huge potential," he said.
Matthew Johnson, the head of programming for talk radio station, Dubai Eye 103.8, agrees. "This is a whole new revenue stream as we continue to diversify and offer sponsors a whole range of options to maximise their ad spend with us," he says.
"It's a tool to reach new listeners and further the brand online, which has been extremely successful for us."
Johnson says his station produces more than 35 podcasts a week from its flagship business programmes. "We find out how popular a particular interview is and see how many downloads it has had, and then use this information for new potential sponsors – this is a highly useful tool for any programme planner," he says.
Last year, a show produced by Hall and his team of podcasters made it to number one on the iTunes top sports podcast downloads, beating out the likes of the BBC, ESPN, Times Online and Nike. The podcast, My FC, was produced in association with portal myfootballclub.co.uk where some 28,000 members are owners of the Ebbsfleet United club in the UK.
Although, podme.org has managed to garner a couple of sponsors for some of their shows, Hall says UAE advertisers are still largely unaware of podcasting's reach – and that its income-generating potential is not been realised yet.
"Dubai as a market is incredibly cautious and it takes a long time for that first major company to take a jump," he points out.
Dubai Eye's Johnson says the general lack of investments in online ventures is to blame.
"Podcasting hasn't reached its full potential because of a lack of investment online and a lack of strategic partnerships between content producers and portals which have proven traffic," he says.
According to the RAJAR study, more than one-half of downloaders who responded said they would download free podcasts that included advertising while 31 per cent said they were willing to pay for ad-free podcasts.
But another big hurdle, says Hall, is the misconceptions about the medium itself.
"Many people still think you need an iPod or that they have to upload iTunes to listen to podcasting," he says. All of Hall's podcasts, covering a range of issues and created by a number of volunteers, are available on his website for free listen.
"The whole concept of RSS feeds is a fantastic way of keeping updated," he adds.
RSS feeds, which have largely been credited for sparking the growth of podcasting, is an aggregation of content from multiple web sources in one place where users subscribe to a feed by clicking an RSS icon in a browser. The RSS reader checks the subscribed feeds for new content and downloads any updates.
"What the corporate world needs to understand is that podcasting can be a value added service," says Hall, who is all set to launch a revamped website later this year.
But because of its niche target, podcasting might never pull in the big bucks, some argue. That, combined with the looming threat of radio and video sites is hampering its mass appeal.
Dubai-based design strategist Hink Huisman says the UAE's transient population is an issue that could hinder podcasting's pull of advertisers.
"We do not have any reliable research figures to go by to gauge its reach and so it's difficult to use it for a targeted approach," says the founder of Image Creators. "And because it is nothing more than a marketing tool, it will take longer to take effect than it would in more stable economies of the western world."
In October last year, internet service provider Yahoo! closed down its podcasting directory after two years. Analysts say the California-based giant was struggling with waning sponsor interests and competition from Apple's iTunes, which reportedly hosts a major chunk of all podcasts available online.
But Podme's Hall is confidant that podcasting's moment will come soon – and that the corporate world should begin to consider it.
"We are now including videos. We are also talking multilingual," he says. "In podcasting, you can target specific customers, deliver your message at a relatively lower cost and then that message sits on the internet forever."
podcast.com
Find a podcast, play and download audio and video entries from users all over the world and access them on any mobile device you use whenever you want.
podcastalley.com
Striving to be the biggest and best directory of podcasts available on the internet. Download to your iPod or any other portable media devices and listen.
podme.org
Free for anyone who wants a hobby with a difference and who's got what it takes to be a radio presenter. No experience in broadcasting needed, all you need is time, drive, passion, enthusiasm and lots of commitment.
businessenglishpod.com
Free weekly podcast for intermediate and advanced business English learners. From presentations and conversations to the art of persuasion, all you wanted to know about the business world is here.
Although not quite as revolutionary as it was pegged to be when the term began to appear on popular internet search sites in 2004, podcasting remains a potent business tool and niche medium whose time is yet to come.
In fact, a study conducted by market research and trend analysis firm eMarketer predicts that the audience for podcasting in the US alone will jump from 10 million in 2006 to 25 million in 2008.
That number, will double by 2010 and by 2012 will potentially reach 65 million people.
Of those listeners, 25 million will be "active" users who tune in at least once a week.
According to UK-based Radio Joint Audience Research Limited (RAJAR), almost 12 million people listen to radio via the internet in the UK. Of this, more than four million admitted to having downloaded a podcast.
These numbers, say insiders, is enough indication that podcasting could be a goldmine for advertisers.
Dubai-based advertising executive Peter Hall is one enthusiast pushing the podcasting agenda in the UAE. "It has potential. Ever since we launched in January 2006, we've had millions of hits," he says of his website podme.org.
"The shows that were recorded two years ago are still being downloaded today. That's the beauty of podcasting – it's a gift that keeps on giving. So in terms of generating revenue, it has huge potential," he said.
Matthew Johnson, the head of programming for talk radio station, Dubai Eye 103.8, agrees. "This is a whole new revenue stream as we continue to diversify and offer sponsors a whole range of options to maximise their ad spend with us," he says.
"It's a tool to reach new listeners and further the brand online, which has been extremely successful for us."
Johnson says his station produces more than 35 podcasts a week from its flagship business programmes. "We find out how popular a particular interview is and see how many downloads it has had, and then use this information for new potential sponsors – this is a highly useful tool for any programme planner," he says.
Last year, a show produced by Hall and his team of podcasters made it to number one on the iTunes top sports podcast downloads, beating out the likes of the BBC, ESPN, Times Online and Nike. The podcast, My FC, was produced in association with portal myfootballclub.co.uk where some 28,000 members are owners of the Ebbsfleet United club in the UK.
Although, podme.org has managed to garner a couple of sponsors for some of their shows, Hall says UAE advertisers are still largely unaware of podcasting's reach – and that its income-generating potential is not been realised yet.
"Dubai as a market is incredibly cautious and it takes a long time for that first major company to take a jump," he points out.
Dubai Eye's Johnson says the general lack of investments in online ventures is to blame.
"Podcasting hasn't reached its full potential because of a lack of investment online and a lack of strategic partnerships between content producers and portals which have proven traffic," he says.
According to the RAJAR study, more than one-half of downloaders who responded said they would download free podcasts that included advertising while 31 per cent said they were willing to pay for ad-free podcasts.
But another big hurdle, says Hall, is the misconceptions about the medium itself.
"Many people still think you need an iPod or that they have to upload iTunes to listen to podcasting," he says. All of Hall's podcasts, covering a range of issues and created by a number of volunteers, are available on his website for free listen.
"The whole concept of RSS feeds is a fantastic way of keeping updated," he adds.
RSS feeds, which have largely been credited for sparking the growth of podcasting, is an aggregation of content from multiple web sources in one place where users subscribe to a feed by clicking an RSS icon in a browser. The RSS reader checks the subscribed feeds for new content and downloads any updates.
"What the corporate world needs to understand is that podcasting can be a value added service," says Hall, who is all set to launch a revamped website later this year.
But because of its niche target, podcasting might never pull in the big bucks, some argue. That, combined with the looming threat of radio and video sites is hampering its mass appeal.
Dubai-based design strategist Hink Huisman says the UAE's transient population is an issue that could hinder podcasting's pull of advertisers.
"We do not have any reliable research figures to go by to gauge its reach and so it's difficult to use it for a targeted approach," says the founder of Image Creators. "And because it is nothing more than a marketing tool, it will take longer to take effect than it would in more stable economies of the western world."
In October last year, internet service provider Yahoo! closed down its podcasting directory after two years. Analysts say the California-based giant was struggling with waning sponsor interests and competition from Apple's iTunes, which reportedly hosts a major chunk of all podcasts available online.
But Podme's Hall is confidant that podcasting's moment will come soon – and that the corporate world should begin to consider it.
"We are now including videos. We are also talking multilingual," he says. "In podcasting, you can target specific customers, deliver your message at a relatively lower cost and then that message sits on the internet forever."
podcast.com
Find a podcast, play and download audio and video entries from users all over the world and access them on any mobile device you use whenever you want.
podcastalley.com
Striving to be the biggest and best directory of podcasts available on the internet. Download to your iPod or any other portable media devices and listen.
podme.org
Free for anyone who wants a hobby with a difference and who's got what it takes to be a radio presenter. No experience in broadcasting needed, all you need is time, drive, passion, enthusiasm and lots of commitment.
businessenglishpod.com
Free weekly podcast for intermediate and advanced business English learners. From presentations and conversations to the art of persuasion, all you wanted to know about the business world is here.
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