Why Podcasting, Why Now?

I was sharing with a friend the other day that I have started up a blog all about podcasting and how to help bloggers and business owners extend their brands through podcasting. He asked me a great question.

“Why Podcasting, Why Now?”

As relayed on Chris Penn’s blog he tells a story from Blogworld last week where someone stated that Podcasting was past it’s “Golden Age.”

I sort of see where people are coming from that make this statement. They are missing out on just one tiny nuance, the truth. Let me lay it out as plainly as I can. People too close to a technology get wrapped up in the myopic scope of the market from their vantage point.

If by “Podcasting is past it’s Golden Age” we mean gone are the days that someone with little talent and less forethought could slap some dribble up on iTunes and expect to attract a decent sized audience? Then yes, we are past that, but then again I wouldn’t call that the “Golden Age.”

Based on the real numbers, a recent study by Edison Research’s Tom Webster “The Podcast Consumer 2012” podcasting is continuing to grow at a significant rate. Fold that in with the fact that mobile phone growth has been exponentail and will be for a long time to come. I would say that Podcasting is just getting warmed up. Well I would say that except for one thing…

We (the podcast producing community) really sucks at advocating our art and getting it into the general population’s consciousness.

If you are going to tell me you tweet and blog about podcasting every chance you get, mainly to your twitter followers (aka: other podcasters) and all over your blog, mainly read by podcasters or worse social media experts; then pardon me if I stop for a second and puke on my shoes!

No, Really, it is time that the podcast producing community, the folks that are serious about making this a viable media outlet, step it up and become proactive about marketing our craft. If the rumored iTunes split with a separate Podcasting app is true then we have no excuse, zero, nada, zilch that keeps us from taking this thing head on.

Mobile media is the future of media, bar none. As independent podcast producers we are on the verge of the tipping point. We can shape the future or watch it, podcast about it and blog on it. I for one am ready to shape it instead. With a little educating to the mobile market our podcasts have the ability to move the needle in a meaningful way over the titans of the media empires.

I truly believe we are on the cusp of a major paradigm shift like we have never seen before. In 2006 I started my little real estate investing podcast that grew to a half million dollar business. I did it by beating out the Wall Street Journal, Jim Cramer and the like for the top iTunes business slots. Today the stakes are even higher, it is not just about revenue and profits but instead about controlling the media and thus America’s conscious.

I am calling for a change, for a paradigm shift, for taking back control one mobile user at a time.

Toronto, California, 2007 Paul Colligan said it best…

“Who the media? You the media!”

But the fact remains the same, while the social media consultants continue to discuss how facebook and twitter will turn your dogged business into a winner, we can sneak in the back door and truly influence the American public.

Lets plan it, produce it, promote it and profit.

Think I am off my rocker? I am always open to comments below.