A Forecast for Podcasting: Trends, Predictions and Google Pants

Podcasting, which traces its roots back to "audioblogging" in the 1980s, has enjoyed a renaissance as smart phones have become nearly ubiquitous. But what does the future hold? The great hope for podcasting might be the emotional, immersive nature of the medium. It's a rich content relationship, not a digital "snack" and a unique opportunity to provide both entertainment and information. A podcast is a companion and the engagement level might make it ideal for business development. Now that Tom Webster and I have 10 episodes of The Marketing Companion podcast under our belts, we thought it would be a good time to take a fresh look at the state of podcasting and its future. We also debut our line of clothing and exciting wearable technology: Google Pants. You have to hear it to believe it. By the way, if you would like to be a part of the podcast, email me an audio file with your comment or question and it might make it into an upcoming show. This week's podcast covers a lot of ground, including: The latest data on podcasting popularity and usage The promise of blogging to your ears Some of the problems and promises of podcasting Surprising observations about podcasting demographics and metrics Technologies and trends that could ignite podcasting The future of podcasting -- Mark and Tom disagree. Podcasting as a source of business leads ... and much more. Ready? Set? Well then, here you go: