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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Podcasts are one of those tools that learning content and information product marketers should at least consider. They produce targeted traffic. They produce high quality traffic. And they increase your credibility in the marketplace. What more could you ask for?

But why do people like podcasts?

It's obvious why learning content product marketers should like and use podcasts. But why does the audience? What makes them so popular with their audience?

In this article I'm going to examine five major reasons that your audience likes podcasts.

1. They're short and to the point

Let's face it. We're all busy today. And senior executives are usually even busier than you and I. The internet lifestyle? For most people it's sixteen hour days six days a week. And on the seventh they cut back to twelve. Or just plain collapse. Because podcasts are short they can be squeezed into available time. Driving to work? Listen to a podcast. Grocery shopping? Listen to a podcast while you're walking. Doing laundry? Listen to a podcast while you watch the laundry go round and round and... Sorry. Where was I? Oh, yes. Anywhere and anytime you have ten or fifteen minutes you can squeeze a podcast in.

2. They're flexible.

MP3 players are tiny. They go anywhere. Jogging. Commuting. Dining alone. But podcasts aren't just for MP3 players. Most podcasts are played on the computer while the audience is working on other things.

3. They're info bytes rather than detailed information.

Picture this for a second. You're a busy executive. Or a consultant. You need to keep your eye to the sky. You need to know what's appearing on the horizon. You don't need to know everything. You have experts for that. What you need is a little bit of everything. Just enough to know if you should ask those experts to investigate for you. Podcasts are too short to give detailed information. They're great at summarizing and hitting the key points for you.

4. They open up possibilities.

So why does the executive or busy consultant need to know the summary but not the details. Because they're looking for change. For innovations. For ideas that they can use to drive vectored change in their own organizations. After all, their job is to see the future and redesign their organizations (or their clients' organizations) to meet that future. Podcasts help them track what is happening on the edge of development.

5. They're personal.

Do you like to feel like you know your mentors and teachers? You do don't you? There's a reason I knew the answer. Almost everyone does. People connect with people they know. People like to know people they connect with. (Which isn't the same thing)? Podcasts are an audio product. Audio and video products are the most effective products at letting your audience get a glimpse of you as a person. They hear your passion. They feel your grief. They connect with you as a person.

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.

View the original article here