I have been further guity of stating that listeners/viewers will forgive lousy audio/video as long as the content is something they want.
While I still maintain my views, after reading Shel's entry on Content, Technology, and Podcasts, I feel that I must temper them somewhat. I now officially step down from my 'content is king' zealot box and step up onto my 'content is king as long as it's bearable' box. As Shel states:
Content is king. Nobody is going to listen to a podcast with content that sucks. To put a finer point on it, nobody will listen to a podcast with content that doesn’t appeal to them. So solid content rocks.
The problem is that lousy implementation of the technologies that underlie podcasting will keep many listeners from ever even getting to the content.
Much like the tree in the forest, is good content still good content if nobody hears it?
As Steven Lewis commented on Shels' post:
As the average standard improves, the willingness of people to listen to a guy shouting into a tin can on the end of a piece of string diminishes, however wise those words may be.
That's the key, I think. The "average standard" of podcasts and videocasts has improved time. Being an observer and enthusiast of podcasting, I have to adjust as the space grows and the time has come for me to change my ways a bit. Perhaps so much as to take a hard look at my own show and make sure that the techniques and principles I adopted 16 months ago are still relevant and functional in today's podcast space.
I agree Jon. Content is not the one and only factor that contributes to the success of a podcast.
The combination of production, content, promotion, and perhaps other more subtle components like relationship will also make a difference.
I think we have used the term "king" in this context quite ambigously.
Posted by: Hendry Lee | September 17, 2006 10:35 PM | Permalink to Comment