How do podcasts propagate?
If you listen* to podcasts, think about how you came to listen to them. I suspect that the most popular answers, based on my own experience and discussions with others, are in roughly this order:
- I knew someone working on the podcast
- Someone I knew recommended the podcast because they listen to it.
- I heard a promo played on a podcast I already listen to.
- The podcast is attached to some other media product (TV series, movie, book series, video game, music, etc.) that I already consume.
- I did a web search for specific keywords.
- The podcast was recommended by iTunes.
- I looked in a podcast directory at the most popular podcasts (possibly within a specific category).
- I searched through a podcast directory.
Any others? (I suspect there are; please leave your additions in the comments.)
Now, look at the list again. The order is admittedly somewhat slanted to make a point, but I think it still accurately reflects the sentiment that I’ve heard from the people I’ve talked to, with a bit of reflection on my part.
Let’s simplify the list a bit, to make my point more clear:
- Social networking
- Commercial enterprises, advertising and prominent search results
- Directories