There's no question that learning content product marketers like podcasts. There are lots of reasons for that. They're flexible. They produce traffic. They produce sales. They contribute to reputation. What's not to like?

But why does the audience like podcasts?

Podcasts have gone up and down in popularity. However, even though they aren't the most fashionable media, they remain popular with a large portion of the public.

But why?

In this article I'm going to discuss what I believe are the top five reasons for the continuing popularity of podcasts.

1. They are personal.

Everyone wants to get to know the people they are dealing with. They want to connect with you as a person. They want to believe that they know you and can trust you. Because a podcast is a vocal recording of you and your opinions, it is a very personal product. The audience hears your passion. They feel your anger. They feel your joy. They feel your love of the subject. They touch your emotions and are touched by them in return. You can't fake it. It's either you doing the podcast or it's not. Your audience will know. (And it better be you if you are expecting podcasts to work for you!)

2. They are flexible.

One of the big advantages to a podcast is that they can be listened to anywhere. You can copy them to your MP3 player and listen to them on the train. You can save them to a CD and listen to them in the car while you drive. You can download them and play them while you work on your computer. Where ever you are there's a way to listen to podcasts.

3. They are easy to use.

Podcasts are easy to download and then load into your iPod or MP3 player. All you need to do is sign on to the website, insert the MP3 player, click on the download button and then point the download to the MP3 player. Simple. Easy. Then all you do is listen to the recording at your discretion.

4. They are short.

Let's face it. We're all rushed today. We've got far more work than we can deal with. We seldom have the luxury of listening to long presentations. Podcasts on the other hand are short. Because they last less than fifteen minutes on the average, they are perfect for commuting. They are perfect for squeezing into the extra space on the way to work.

5. They provide just enough information.

The other half of the time issue is that we're constantly being bombarded by information. Sometimes it gets to be too much. Podcasts provide a bit of a respite. After all, the podcast doesn't have enough time to be able to overload the audience with information. And yet, they can provide a high level overview of the subject.

Do you want to learn how to create information products (learning content)? Check out my new free eBook "7 Myths and Seven Tricks in Nine Steps": http://www.learningcreators.com/myths.htm

Do you want to read more free information like this? Go to my blog: http://www.learningcreators.com/blog/

Glen Ford is an accomplished consultant, trainer and writer. He has far too many years experience as a trainer and facilitator to willingly admit.

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