After a great run delivering Corporate Podcasts, Audio Podcasts, Video Podcasts and more, PodWorkx has been acquired and has merged into with Shifted Pixels.

Results of recent study prove podcast usage continues to gain momentum as a marketing content delivery vehicle.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 10, 2006 -- KnowledgeStorm, Inc., the Internet’s top-ranked search resource for technology solutions and information, and Universal McCann, one of the world’s largest media services firms providing strategic services and consultancies, today announced the results of a joint research study on the emerging role of new media, particularly podcasts, on B2B technology purchase decisions.

This is one of the first surveys focused specifically on the B2B audience and it clearly shows that podcasts, blogs and other new media types are viable mediums for reaching B2B technology buyers.

The survey was completed by more than 3,900 business and IT professionals, representing a variety of job titles, vertical industries and company sizes. "The objective of this study was to explore the impact new forms of media, concepts of Web 2.0 initiatives, such as podcasts and blogs, are having on content consumption and purchasing influence within the B2B marketplace" says Matt Lohman, director of market research, KnowledgeStorm. "This is one of the first surveys focused specifically on the B2B audience and it clearly shows that podcasts, blogs and other new media types are viable mediums for reaching B2B technology buyers."

Podcast usage among B2B technology buyers is significant and growing; 41% of survey respondents claim they have listened to podcasts on more than one occasion, while 13% stated that they "frequently" download or listen to them.

Thirty-two percent of survey respondents stated their usage of podcasts has "Increased" or "Significantly Increased" in the last six months. The same question yielded 39% for blogs. And, there is plenty of upside as the innovative media types, like podcasting, blogging and RSS, are still gaining momentum in the technology buying community.

"With this particular study, our goal was to determine marketing opportunities with podcasts by closely examining the behavior of podcast users as well as non-users," says Stacy Malone, vice president, interactive media director, Universal McCann. "The results of this study prove that opportunities with new media are growing rapidly. In fact, podcasts have moved into the Top 10 most frequently accessed types of online content. This spike can be directly attributed to the addictive nature of this on-demand medium."

B2B technology buyers are listening to podcasts for business interests, specifically technology-oriented topics, according to the study findings. Respondents are listening to a combination of personal and business interests in most cases — 65% responded that they listen for both personal and business interests. Furthermore, these respondents are listening to technology specific topics — 72% claimed that they have downloaded or listened to podcasts on technology topics on more than one occasion. Twenty-three percent do so "frequently."

The study also revealed that B2B technology buyers want research content, such as white papers and analyst reports, delivered as podcasts. Nearly 60% of respondents said that information on business or technology topics, currently delivered as white papers or analyst reports, would be more interesting as podcasts. Fifty-five percent of respondents would be more likely to consume white papers and analyst reports if they were delivered as podcasts.

"Business and technology-related subject material is a perfect match for podcasting content," says Malone. "Podcasts are no longer being used only for pure entertainment value. They are turning into an indispensable, business-critical information tool."

"This survey presents a lot of encouraging findings for marketers considering podcasts as a content format. Not only are business and IT professionals tuning in, but frequent users are eager for more business and technology podcast content," says Lohman. "Fifty-seven percent of the frequent podcast users stated their biggest challenge with podcasts is the scarcity of interesting content. That represents real opportunity for savvy marketers."

This is the first in a series of joint research studies focused on the effect of new media with the B2B marketplace. Upcoming studies will cover topics such as: blogging, RSS feeds, Wikis, Webcasts and mobile technology.

From smh.com.au

Have you considered using Podcasts, blogs, webcasts or webinars to reach a larger audience for your business?

Do you actually understand what these web 2.0 initiatives can do to increase your exposure? Or do you think these are just buzz phrases used by marketing gurus who purport to be at the cutting edge of technology?

Stats from the US point to podcasts, especially, having a huge takeup rate in the B2B market and gaining strength in B2C communications strategies.

So why would you want to use them for your business?

From Smh.com.au Aug 11 2006

When Nathan Moss began podcasting his introductory psychology lectures last semester, he assumed no one was listening to them.

His classes stayed full and no one commented on the podcasts that he was taking up to six hours to prepare each week, until the time he was late putting them on the website. "I started getting all these emails saying, 'Where are the podcasts?"' said Dr Moss, a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology.

"It was really good because the [lecture] numbers weren't going down at all, so they were using them to revise," he said.

Podcasting has emerged as the latest innovation in university classroom teaching. Business and education lecturers are using it at Wollongong University, arts and medical lecturers are using it at the University of Sydney, and various disciplines are using it at Macquarie University, Newcastle University, the University of NSW and the University of Technology, Sydney.

UNSW started using podcasting this year through Lectopia, a technology developed by the University of Western Australia that is now licensed to 30 per cent of Australian universities. Lecturers request to have their classes podcast over the telephone and may provide PowerPoint presentations.

Students log in to use the recorded material on the internet and can download it onto an iPod or MP3 player.

The university introduced it for students with disabilities or poor English, only to discover other students were using it too, said Professor Tony Koppi, director of UNSW's Educational and Technology Centre.

At UTS the dean of education, Shirley Alexander, opposed a systemic rollout of podcasting on the ground that lecturers may limit interactive activities in class that cannot be recorded. "A lecture is not just a dissemination of information," Dr Alexander said. "Lectures can be and should be a lot more than that.

"[The US education thinker] David Thornburg said, 'Any teacher that can be replaced by a computer should be.'

"I would modify that and say any teacher that can be replaced by a podcast should be."

From Nielson Net ratings. July 12, 2006

Podcasting gains an important foothold among U.S adult online population.

Nielsen//NetRatings, a global leader in Internet media and market research,
announced today that 6.6 percent of the U.S. adult online population, or 9.2 million Web users, have
recently downloaded an audio podcast; 4.0 percent, or 5.6 million Web users, have recently downloaded a video podcast.

These figures put the podcasting population on a par with those who publish blogs, 4.8 percent, and online daters, 3.9 percent. However, podcasting is not yet nearly as popular as viewing and paying bills online, 51.6 percent, or online job hunting, 24.6 percent.

Podcasting is a relatively new technology that enables users to quickly and easily download multimedia files, including audio and video, for playback on mobile devices including iPods and other MP3 players as well as cell phones.

“The portability of podcasts makes them especially appealing to young, on-the-go audiences,” said Michael Lanz, analyst, Nielsen//NetRatings. “We can expect to see podcasting become increasingly popular as portable content media players proliferate”.

A New Way of Pitching Sales is Growing

New technology for getting and reaching clients and prospects is changing the way we communicate in business. In one example, on-line ordering portals for business are growing in ways that are replacing salespeople. Pod casting is another way businesses are getting their message out and driving sales to websites. An RSS feed is another way to reach prospects or an industry with new information. However, only about 12 percent of the population knows how to use an RSS feed today. Expect this number to change quickly in the coming months.

With the growth and adoption of web meetings, streaming media including audio and video, salespeople can multiply their efforts and reach more contacts. The bottom line is that salespeople must practice and sharpen their sales skills using new technology and communication tools.

Source: "Ezine Articles"

Online media metrics firm Nielsen/NetRatings just released some insight into the podcast world and the demographic configuration is almost cliquish. Though some headlines have indicated that the figures put podcasting above blogging in popularity, that's not quite accurate.

The study actually said that there were more people downloading podcasts than people publishing blogs, which is a strange comparison, unless it's just for the sake of perspective.

Nielsen//NetRatings found that 6.6 percent of the US adult population, or 9.2 million Web users have recently downloaded an audio podcast; 4 percent, or 5.6 million, have downloaded a video podcast. But what's more telling than the numbers, is who is downloading podcasts. This isn't your father's medium.

Here's a portrait of the average podcast listener/viewer:

• Between the ages of 18 and 44 (but mostly 18-34)

• Uses Apple's Safari or Mozilla Firefox to browse

• For audio, visits Macworld, Lycos Wired News, Slashdot, Niketown.com, Apple and iTunes, more likely in the 18-24 age group

• For video, visits StarTrek.com, Live365.com, Fark.com, eMusic, and Niketown.com, more likely in the 25-34 age group

Judging from that we could accurately say that the podcast audience is young, tech-savvy, early adopting, and (perhaps) more on the affluent side of the spectrum. It's Silicon Valley in a podshell.

Michael Lanz, an analyst for Nielsen//NetRatings believes this target will expand as portable media becomes more popular. "The portability of podcasts makes them especially appealing to young, on-the-go audiences," said Lanz. "We can expect to see podcasting become increasingly popular as portable content media players proliferate."

But for now, your podcast target is the geeky, hipster, upwardly mobile dotcom type who likes decent shoes for mountain biking and tennis, when he's not debating Kirk versus Picard :P

Click to Download - Podtech.Net - Whats Hot and Not In Corporate Podcasting June 2006.mp3 (9.91 MB)

John Furrier, podcasting pioneer discusses with PodTech.net Host Jennifer Jones how podcasts can build a company’s brand and better leverage visibility. John and Jennifer also discuss the importance of viewing the podcast as a means to build a stronger relationship with the customer.

Content copyright Podtech.net

In an interview conducted with the Bulldog Reporter (scroll down three-quarters way for the actual piece), New York Times veteran tech reporter John Markoff said that Steve Jobs told him he’s "getting interest from corporations about creating podcasts to reach customers and others directly — without going through [traditional media]. An example might include something like Adobe wanting a podcast for Photoshop users.” Is Apple eyeing corporate podcasting?

Reuters reports that Microsoft is developing an iPod and iTunes Music Store competitor From the article: . Few details are available, but it's known that Robbie Bach (the man behind the Xbox) is heading up the project.""Most iTunes rivals charge monthly fees to access a catalog of entertainment, but some allow consumers to buy individual songs for about $1 each. Microsoft's service will emphasize the pay-per-download, or a la carte, model, the sources said. A subscription component will also be offered, according to early accounts of the planned service. One source, who has seen a demonstration of the service, said it was an improvement over iTunes."

Click to Download - PodWorkx.com - An interview with Mick Stanic.mp3 (27.86 MB)

Today we had the pleasure of interviewing Mick Stanic. Co-Founder of ThePodcastNetwork and Ex Manager at Singleton OgilvyInteractive. We talk about the state of the podcasting industry aswell as how Advertising and Media companys can relate to Podcasting as a technology and as a marketing channel. Thanks Mick!

Click to Download - PodWorkx.com - An interview with Cameron Reilly from The Podcast Network.mp3 (14.09 MB)

Podworkx had the pleasure of interviewing Cameron Reilly, who is unofficially the first Australian podcaster ever. Cameron is the CEO of ThePodcastNetwork.com, the largest international publisher of independent podcasts on the Internet.

Download the MP3 Interview Here (15MB)

We ask Cameron:

• What exactly is Podcasting?
• Why did you start Podcasting?
• What demographic of people listen to Podcasting?
• How is Podcasting going to change over the near future?
• What rewards are there for early Podcasting adopters?
• How can corporations benefit from Podcasting?
• Which company's should be using podcasting as an internal knowledge sharing tool and which should be using Podcasting as an external marketing channel?
• What do you enjoy most about Podcasting?
• How do you deal with a negative response to your Podcasting content?
• Do you think negative feedback/publicity can actually be good?
• What you recommend to company's for translating existing business information into consumable and usable podcasts?

Quotes:

"If your a business or individual that feels no need to have a conversation with people then you don't need to play (in then podcasting industry)"

"Markets are conversations, and the more you participate in the conversation the better off your business will be ... podcasting ...  like blogging, like email, like instant messenger, like the telephone is just another tool that we have to create more diverse, more bi-directional and transparent conversation with our marketplace"

"Companies that are wise will be rapidly adopting podcasting and encouraging people inside their organisation to use podcasting as a tool to have broader conversations with their customers, partners, investors, etc. The companies that shy away from this are basically going to struggle in the 21st century"

"Companies that have customers should be using podcasting externally."
Does that mean consumer product companies or business customers?
"I was specifically broad."

In response to who should be using podcasting:
"Its like asking which kind of companies should be using the telephone."

As discussion about the growth of podcasting percolates in the industry, we thought it was a good time to release some statistics from the point of view of the world's largest manager of podcast feeds (FeedBurner.com).

1. FeedBurner alone manages more podcasts than there are radio stations worldwide
2. Podcasting is outpacing the speed of adoption of the last "most successful consumer product launch in history" (more on that in a minute)
3. Podcast directories are growing, and driving activity back to podcasters' originating Web sites. As we saw with text feeds, distribution begins as a mechanism to drive traffic back to the originating source and then evolves to become its own consumption medium

You can read the full article here. Definately worth the read!

Industry watchers are betting that Google is planning to launch a Podcast search engine. The same holds true for other successful platform owners like portal providers Yahoo and MSN, and retailers likeAmazon and eBay. And then there are the upstart aggregators, directories and search engines.

View the full article

It has been rumored for some time that Yahoo is building technology for users to search for RSS content as a separate query. This will allow users to find RSS content (Podcasts) more efficiently. This will create even greater visibility online for Podcasts. Users will be able to subscribe to the Podcasts and put it directly on their "MyYahoo" homepage with 1 click.

From an ABC media release issued this morning:

Just over 175,000 mp3s of ABC Radio National programs were downloaded in the week ending 26th February and this was the major cause for a record week for the ABC as a whole: the organisation surpassed 350,000 downloads for the first time.

ABC Radio National continues to extend the number of programs available to download as mp3s. So far in 2006, Radio National Breakfast with Fran Kelly, The Book Show with Ramona Koval, Saturday Extra with Geraldine Doogue, By Design with Alan Saunders, Counterpoint with Michael Duffy,The National Interest with Peter Mares, Rear Vision, Perspective and Radio Eye have been added, making a total of 26 different programs.

Over the next few months a further 12 programs will be made available.

Its looking more and more like podcasting is a natural extension for public broadcasting.

Source Article at Corporate Engagement

Podcasting appeal transcends geek factor
Sheena MacLean
09mar06

IT'S less than a year old, but radio podcasting is rapidly moving from the realm of hip and hype into serious media. The ABC, the country's main podcaster, recorded 368,000 downloads last week compared with fewer than 50,000 a week when it started its serious push into the area last May.

There are 83 radio shows across ABC networks offering podcasts with specialist content on Radio National, especially science and health, and programs from the youth network Triple J the most popular.

Commercial broadcaster Austereo, which operates the metropolitan FM networks Today and Triple M, also reports a huge jump in demand. In less than eight months, downloads have grown from about 5000 a month to 400,000 for February. Podcasts are digital recordings of radio programs or show segments that can be downloaded to a computer or portable MP3 player and iPod and listened to when you want.

Gordon Taylor, manager of podcasting for ABC radio, said content from 23 of Radio National's programs comprised nearly half (177,000) of last week's downloads. There were 88,000 downloads from Triple J, 63,000 from news and current affairs shows such as AM and 28,000 from Radio Australia, with the remainder spread across other networks.

In something of a surprise, the heaviest consumers of RN podcasts are not youthful geeks but people aged between 40 and 54.

"Obviously that wouldn't be the same for Triple J, but we found that incredibly encouraging," Mr Taylor said. "We thought the early adopters would be younger and we're getting people from older demographics embracing the technology as well. We're quite surprised."

As with early internet take-up, podcast usage had been skewed towards "younger male, more geeky people", but that was quickly changing, he said. If take-up continues at the present pace, the ABC expects that in a year it could be close to 500,000 downloads a week.

An extensive ABC survey last year found an even split on how podcasts were listened to: about half via computer and half on an iPod or MP3. Contrary to expectations, many people preferred to download hour-long podcasts of entire programs rather than shorter segments or snippets, Mr Taylor said, which showed that the convenience of time-shifting was an important factor.

The study also showed that some programs attracted a huge overseas audience of new listeners, sometimes higher than 40 per cent. People had found the ABC through searching for special interest topics on the internet.

Karl Kruszelnicki's hour-long chat about science on Triple J, as well as RN's science shows including All in the Mind, regularly made the list of the top 100 podcasts in Britain and sometimes in the US. "Some of the stuff we are making, the science and health programs in particular, are some of the best in the world and there's a limited amount of it so people are seeking it out," Mr Taylor said.

On Triple J, one of the most successful shows among young people is the current affairs program Hack, with 46,000 to 47,000 downloads a week.

Mr Taylor said the ABC had looked at whether it should charge listeners for podcasts. "We've decided not to at the moment. We're establishing ourselves, finding out how things work, as everyone else in the market is. I think the ABC would be able to do it but it's a fairly high-level policy decision and certainly there's been some work done on it. As of now, we've decided to keep going the way we are."

In March last year, Austereo launched a compilation of its breakfast, drive and night shows in a 25-minute podcast on the Today Network and began offering a daily podcast of its main shows towards the end of last year. Listeners could choose between four to five-minute snippets or a 25-minute segment.

Austereo's head of multimedia Martin Jones said it had increased its offering from five podcasts a week up to 60. He said the biggest demand by far was for comedy-based material, followed by news, music and information, celebrity news and sport. Full music downloads are not available because of copyright issues.

Austereo does not charge and is building its podcasting business on a sponsorship and advertising model.

DMG Radio Australia's under-40s station Nova also offers podcasts and Vega's Sydney and Melbourne stations launched podcasting this week. News talk station 2GB began a news video podcast in February.

Mr Jones said he expected the novelty value would lose pace and many of the small, home-based amateur podcast services would fall away. "That's an opportunity for serious, commercially based operators to try to build a viable business model around podcasting," he said. "I think you'll see that happening in the next 12 months."

Two signs point to rising corporate interest in podcasting. First, Frederik Wacka points to the American Association of Petroleum Geologists' first official corporate podcast. Meanwhile down under, Cameron Reilly says that over the last couple of days he has been having a very interesting conversation with a senior manager from a tier one US company who is interested in engaging his services to help produce an internal podcast for a certain segment of their staff around the world. Anecdotally, I have heard about other companies looking at podcasting. This year not only will podcasting increasingly become a popular tool for corporations, but also for celebrities and musicians who want to stay in regular touch with their fans.

Here is an interview with a McDonald’s senior executive talking about their Blogging strategy. This is a great example of corporate marketers using the blogosphere to influence consumers and more importantly create a conversation and build a community.

Download the MP3  From PodTech Network Source Link

Apple Computer on Thursday announced that  iTunes podcast subscriptions topped one million in the two days since the company launched the service.

Apple included support for podcasting in version 4.9 of the popular music software, which shipped on earlier this week.

Since them, people using the free software have subscribed to more than a million podcasts from the new iTunes Podcast Directory.

The upgrade has tools for discovering, subscribing, managing and listening to the audio files, which are available through professional organisations as well as personal websites. Content ranges from comedy and music to rants from individuals.

Podcasts could be downloaded from iTunes to Apple's equally popular iPod portable music player. Apple's Podcast Directory lists about 3000 free audio programs, including ABC News, BBC and Disney.