I firmly believe that it’s only in a podcast such an interview is possible

Neighbours, in Australia to this day, twenty [odd] years down the track, for me, poses the odd problem. The old guard of casting agents in Australia still don’t take you seriously.

Post Neighbours [a] small role in [My Husband, My Killer] had people [saying] “Crikey, Craig, who knew” We think the boy may be able to act.

Craig McLachlan

On traditional media, it’s possible the guest would have been more guarded. I don’t know if that’s the case for McLachlan but certainly other guests have worried that they’ve caused trouble following a podcast interview.

As the interview went past its allotted time, Josh looked over the running sheet and started bumping other segments. 33 minutes later, all other segments had been bumped and it was time to finish the show. Having worked around the edges of mainstream media previously, I know this couldn’t happen; while a schedule isn’t set in concrete, it’s beginning to dry.

The key to this flexibility is a niche audience. While, by definition, the audience is small, it’s loyal and it’s interested. Without the boundaries of broadcast media, niche can take on a new meaning. Leo Laporte’s TWiT Network claims 2.6 million downloads a month — small compared to network television, but nothing to be sneezed at.

Advertising to a Niche

Advertising on traditional broadcast media, such as TV, is advertising with a scatter gun. Anyone could be watching: from a 34 year-old man to a 62 year-old grandmother. One will be more interested in the next generation iPhone than the other. Ratings will indicate which programme the 34 year-old is more likely to be watching but there will be a few grandmothers watching too and the network will charge for their eyes. How the television is being watched needs to be considered too: Are they watching while eating dinner? Reading with the sound down? Or have they left the room to make a coffee?

On a single subject podcast, every member of the audience is interested in the subject — so interested they’ve actively sought out a podcast. Using Boxcutters as an example, the audience may or may not be interested in the next generation iPhone, but they’d be interested in box sets of the Wire, the West Wing, Deadwood, and Six Feet Under.

If you need assistance setting up a podcast for your business, event, or group, Josh and Peter at Soupgiant can help.

Boxcutters is presented by Josh Kinal, John Richards, and, Brett Cropley.