I specifically recall a fellow MD, already deeply into blogging, who after careful consideration, decided against podcasting a communications medium for his material.

I had to respect his reasoning: it is easier and quicker to blog, as well as to read blog posts. But there’s really something so deeply ingrained in us as a species: the almost hypnotic quality of a good story, when spoken aloud. I’m convinced it’s a hard-wired thing.

As you and I have discussed, that’s why “radio,” in one form or another, will never disappear. Podcasting harnesses economies of scale in reverse to work for individuals, removing traditional barriers to broadcasting one’s passion. When people hear that passion and it matches their own, you have an audience, riveted.

Speak your passion to theirs, and they will stay.

The inevitable Goldrush syndrome will no doubt be repeated with Podcasting and New Media in general. However, just because the mania has fallen a bit doesn’t mean we’ve stopped buying gold. It simply means the market has stabilized.

This cycle can be associated with any new phenomenon over the decades. Podcasting and New Media are here to stay. The names may change and there will be many tweaks along the way, but the idea of on-demand information is here to stay. No longer are we content to listen and view information at the whim of a programming executive.

Keep the information flowing and they will come.

Best,
Mark

How we make those connections is less important than actually making them. But in the New Millenium, the medium of those connections will increasingly be Internet based, even in medicine, which trails other professions in adopting tech.

New Media like podcasting, blogging, and social networking aren’t substitutes for access to experience and your own hard work — you can waste time with a blog just as easily as anything else — but fluency with them WILL likely be a prerequisite to staying educated, current and relevant.

Also one of the reasons I attended a small, public honors liberal arts college (St. Mary’s College of Maryland). Every teacher I had knew my name and I still consider several of my professors mentors.

If I have to figure out how to pay for over 100k of learning expenses I want top value for my money (and the governments, and my parents, and aunts and uncles, and everyone else who helped pay my way).

My sister attended a large workshop “gown em and town em” school (VA Tech) and ended up attending classes in lecture halls so large she could sleep through a seminar.

Who’s gotten more bang for their college dollar? Hard to say.

We’re both working in fields our degrees are *supposed* to have prepared us for, but we’d also both agree we’ve learned more about the world of work from collaborating and commiserating than sitting through coursework and prereqs.

I don’t think I can achieve this, but you gave me some good ideas. I definitely want to cut down on my editing time.

I only attended the 2nd and 3rd Expo’s, but even to the eyes of this interested newbie, there was a progression from “Wow, how-to sessions! Like the Golden Age of Radio in spirit, but better!” to “How To Do It Efficiently Because We’re All Busy People” and “It’s Never About The Medium, It’s About Your Audience.”

If “Content Is King” was the fundamental mantra of Expo #2, “Provide VALUE To Your Audience” was the basic motto of this year’s Expo. Growing your audience, enhancing listener/subscriber loyalty and participation, social media tools…it all boils down to that. Or as Paul Colligan, Alex Mendossian, and Leesa Barnes might say, Find out what they want and need by asking them, then give it to them.

Even if that means using another medium — at least for a while — than podcasting, videocasting, or even blogging. Lots of presenters gave off the vibe of “Hey, give ‘em what they need, even if it’s not RSS.” When a medium’s frontfolk are cool with reminding you to reach your audience by whatever means necessary, even if it’s not theirs, you know they’re confident about their own value.

They know you’ll be back, and that they’ll still be here when you come around.

Great to see you in person. Thanks for the great questions and participation at my session.

I’m busy organizing my sites and uploading content based on everything we are learning. Check out my temporary “placeholder” at www.peaspodcast.com and also my sister site at www.cataniaglobal.com

The best thing about this new venue for creativity is the renewed energy it is giving many of us. I came back from the convention with new ideas and a realization that the many years of celebrity interviews and entertainment news just may prove to be very interesting to people! How fun to get back to my radio roots and sit behind the microphone with you and the ever-vibrant Tee Morris.

I’m holding you to your promise to be a regular health/medical contributor to Peas in a Podcast. Enough for now, I’ve got some podcasting to do…oh, by the way, I’ll send news from the upcoming OnLine Market World convention in San Francisco. (I’m taking Jason Van Orden’s advice and generating more SEO weaponry for my business).

Happy podcasting!
Cirina Catania

J -

You’re trying way too hard here. Everyone knows you were the “secret agent” guy and that you frightened several women who were concerned enough to contact show management.

You are the perfect example of marketing gone bad, and you refused to stop until we threatened to take your badge and throw you out of the event.

Tim

The best part of the Expo is meeting and networking with folks, which seemed to happen best, suprise, surprise, by attending the sessions and asking honest questions. It’d be hard to distinguish yourself and draw new folks to you, otherwise — it’s impractical to go peering around at everyone’s badges, and wondering if their shows were “interesting enough” to chat with them.

Ask questions at the mic, and afterwards, folks who’re like-minded introduce themselves to YOU.

Paul Colligan wrote an Expo tip in one of the mags: Talk to EVERYONE, you never know who that person sitting next to you is. Absolutely true, I’ve never given out so many business cards in my life.

The sessions themselves are awesome, every one was a winner from where I stood, and thankfully they were recorded and will be available for later review. Otherwise it’d be impossibly unfair to choose!

[Host’s comment: I’ve edited this comment of mine a bit, and removed a comment from an inappropriate poster. One of the duties you’ll have as a host - PB]

Think of your Podcast as a radio show, flaws and all. I hear control-room mistakes and mis-speaks on million-plus listener syndicated radio shows. We’re bound to make mistakes on Podcasts as well. Leave them in.

Since I’m a radio person, a Medical Professional can likely better relate this to a speech. The ‘umms’ and ‘ahs’ aren’t really all that important, but your message is. Also, the use of natural voice inflection will keep your listeners interested, because YOU sound interested.

Although over-used, ‘content is king’. I usually have a bullet list of items to keep my show on track, but never make a script.

At the end, I normalize the audio, which simply ensures where the peak levels fall, then tag it and save.

I’ll then listen and spot-check the show just before uploading as a quality-control measure.

The main point is not to get bogged down in post-production and over-editing. In the end, this also will make you a better public speaker, although 25 years later, I’m still battling the ‘umms’.

Keep up the great work.

Mark