Feb
I don’t want to sound like an old-crotchety-cynical-email-will-never-overtake-fax-machine dinosaur but I don’t think podcasts or video blogs are all they’re cracked up to be. I’m the first to admit that I may be way off the mark here, because this is a somewhat counter-intuitive argument. The newer media of internet videos and podcasts seem like the next logical evolution of the written word, but think again. For the near future at least text-based information still has distinct advantages over video and voice.
The main advantages text has are: usability and searchability.
Usability
- Text is much more scanable. Most people on the internet still don’t read entire articles. They like to scan through and pick out certain parts. This is much more difficult with long videos and podcasts. Its just not worth listening to an hour and a half podcast for 5 minutes of useful information.
- Text is quicker and can be more to the point. I think this is the reason people still text-message or instant message rather than just picking up the phone and calling someone. It’s a more convenient way of communication.
Searchability
- Search engines can’t search video or voice. If you ever want to rank for anything you’re better off being text based.
So that’s the problem. Now, what’s the solution? - All podcasts or longer length videos should highlight the important parts with text. If this post were in vlog format:
(5:37) - Interview with Brian Thibault begins.
(9:29) - Brian talks about the significance of podcast usability, and states that podcasts are not usable nor searchable.
(12:14) - Brian says the way to fix podcasts is to highlight important events.
Documenting the events of the vlog or podcast solves the problems to a certain extent by:
- Making the podcast much more scannable. The listener can cut straight to the point by fast-forwarding to the time intervals of her choosing.
- Offering an alternative to actually listening to your podcast altogether. Someone can get the information they require either way.
- Adding text you make the podcast search engine friendly. You increase your chances of picking up many more long-tail searches like “+podcast +usability + searchable”.
I know this just throws a lot more work on your plate, but without it, don’t be surprised if your new vlog takes a nosedive quick.
» | Posted by Brian under 5 Responses to “Why your Vlog or Podcast will Fail in 2007”
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February 28th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
I’ve been considering podcasting for an upcoming project. You’ve pointed out some good things here. Should definitely include an index for each podcast, so people can jump to whatever it is that they specifically want to hear.
I wonder if there is a way to make ‘chapters’ within a single podcast? So users can jump to chapter 2, chapter 3, etc?
February 28th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
Article made me think of PodZinger - http://www.podzinger.com/about.jsp
March 3rd, 2007 at 6:39 pm
with regards to searching podcasts/vlogs. my brother in law is currently doing phd research into searching audio/video feeds….and…surprise, surprise…it works! Amazing accuracy and lightning fast speed. it will happen…but i agree, it won’t takeover text overnight.
March 4th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
That could be a whole new industry, enabling the ability to search through audio and video files.. it would probably require some advanced speech/language recognition and pattern matching capabilities. I wonder if google has been looking into that sort of thing. It seems like a natural service extension for them. Some small startup (maybe dan’s brother in law!) will come out with an initial design, there will a flood to market of imitations and google will buy the best one. I would definitely be an early adopter of that technology!
March 11th, 2007 at 6:25 am
Video blogs are an overall terrible idea. Video is not a simple medium, it’s quite a bit more complex than the written word. There are too many factors involved that go beyond the spoken message of the video. This visual presentation is something that video bloggers seem to completely ignore. Also, video required more effort because it is a continuous stream that either requires editting or an exceptional take in order to be done well.
Let’s face it, who wants to watch some random person babble through a point while they make uncomfortable gestures? This stuff needs to be scripted first, written out and refined. There’s a reason why news anchors read pre-written stories from teleprompters. Otherwise you’d see this uncomfortable struggling to get the point across on TV.
It’s simply a horrible waste of time to watch, and I honestly feel embarrassed for these people when I watch their blog entries. Please, stick to text. You bloggers need to improve your writing skills before you attempt speeches.