Are you a big time music listener? Or do you typically listen to a radio everyday going to and from work? You think you are engaging in self -development by being on the top of every “coldplay” song and eloquent on all of the political talking points and issues going on in the media.
To be honest the news is making you cynical and the music makes you dumb. Neither of these activities are causing you to become more productive, more influential, or more knowledgeable. They are stealing an hour or more of your travelling time each day. Time to turn on to podcasts.
WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?
A podcast is a blend of the word pod from “Ipod” and broadcast while some call it a portmanteau of portable on demand (pod) and broadcast. A podcast is essentially a kind of digital media in the form of series of audio, video or PDF files downloaded automatically on your mobile or computer after subscription.
Podcasts come in all shapes and sizes such as weekly football analysis to geek facts to bite sized global news. Audio podcasts have become particularly popular due to their accessibility which has allowed businesses and mobile developers to exploit this.
MOST OF THEM ARE FREE AND CONVENIENT
I have been listening to popular podcasts for more than a year and I’ve never paid a dime for any of them. In fact Apple has made podcasting even more convenient by in-building an app for the same on every apple device. Once you subscribe to a podcast feed, new podcasts are automatically downloaded to your computer as soon as they are available. They are available whenever and wherever you want to hear them. So instead of listening to useless pranks on the radio, you can listen to something way better.
EDUCATIONAL & INFLUENTIAL
An hour or two of driving or travelling each day to and from work or college can really add up. Fill that time with educational activities that you are passionate about or interested in. Learn a little Spanish, learn about personal finance, or learn about formal dining etiquette. You are influenced greatly by what you hear. Choose to be influenced by people who are already at the level of success you want to be at.
SELF ACTUALIZATION DUE TO PERSONAL TOUCH
Get to know about famous speeches, stuff you missed in history class, understand the intricacies of amputation and basic English hacks. We love listening to successful people share their tips on how they became successful and how they are continuing in their success. In a podcast, the content is communicated directly to you, the listener, either verbally or through video. That’s a much more intimate way of getting information than reading it from an e-mail or document. So why waste our time on Punjabi beats when we know what podcasting is.
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
A podcast provides a platform to companies in sharing their business ideas and expertise in the industry. Many podcasts are dedicated towards startup ideas and entrepreneur stories which allows an entity to add an air of authority to the information that is often lacking in the written advertisement. A podcast is a more personal way to reach out to new potential customers. The familiarity and consistency of regular podcasts helps develop a company’s brand to make it a household name.
Well-conceived podcasts are an effective, portable, convenient and intimate way to listen as well as produce meaningful content. So it is time that we stop scrolling through our social networking apps and fake news and start podcasting.
