I just reached up to remove the earbuds from my ears only to find that they weren’t there. The ears were where they should be, but not the earbuds. Strange, it FEELS like I’ve got earbuds on. That’s probably because over the past two weeks, I’ve been listening to podcasts on my iPod several hours every day. I get about 12 hours of power per charge on my iPod, and last Sunday I used it all in one day.

This week I started contributing to the show notes of my current favorite podcast (they’ve set up a wiki for this), I blogged about it twice, and I joined its community on FriendFeed. Today, I checked some of the resources I noted while listening over the past several months (I always keep a spiral notebook handy for such things) and came across another podcast on the same subject. So, I went to iTunes and subscribed to it, and downloaded about six episodes. I couldn’t resist listening to three of them right away. I’d still be listening except that my iPod’s charge is gone.

So what’s with the podcasts? I had to stop and think about it, but then I remembered that on a business trip last August, I had some time to kill before my flight home. I wandered past a library (ironically enough) and decided to go inside. Partly to enjoy the air conditioning, as I was in North Caroline in mid-August; partly because I’ve always loved libraries and no matter where this digital age takes us, I’ll always love libraries.

Anyway, there was a cart sitting near the entrance that featured recommended reading, and on it was a book about podcasting. It was dated by a few years, but it didn’t hurt to look. My learning curve on social media had exposed me to podcasting insofar as I knew it was part of the landscape, but didn’t know much beyond that. I found a comfortable armchair, opened the book and enjoyed the cool air. Within a few minutes I wished I was a local and could check the book out. Instead, I wrote down the title so that I could get it from my own library. Over the next hour or so I filled three pages in my notebook with references and ideas I wanted to capture.

As soon as I got home, I found the book and checked it out from my library, and spent the next three weeks studying it. I learned how to find podcasts on subjects that interested me. I learned how to subscribe to them for easy download to my computer and iPod. I discovered there are hundreds and hundreds of podcasts available for free; some of them good, some not so good. I downloaded recording software, just to see what’s involved. I read about how others organize and record their podcasts.

I don’t know if I’ll ever make my own podcast, but I do know that podcasts are a format that suits me for getting information I need and want. I find the best time for me to listen is while I’m cooking or doing house chores. If I hear something that needs to be written down, my notebook is always handy. I can always stop what I’m doing if I want to focus my full attention on what is being said. Some podcasts also post show notes containing links to sources and resources – very handy.

I’ve listened almost exclusively to one podcast “station” during the last four months. But, I’m going to start adding to that. I’ll share my favorites in the podcast bookmark of delicious.

I’m still listening to several For Immediate Release (FIR) podcasts each day, trying to catch up.  My goal is to be able to stay current and listen to each podcast as it is posted every Monday and Thursday.  There’s so much good information in these recordings and I want to be able to spend ample time reviewing the resources that are cited and maybe, one day, commenting and getting involved in the conversation. 

As I near the end of the list (four more to go before 12/28), I’m starting to feel the rhythm, and I’ve figured out a few ways to get the most out of my listening.  Some of these techniques are very similar to what always worked for me when I was in school, so I’m not surprised at how effective they are for me.  As usual, it’s just a matter of having a plan, and then putting it into action.

“Preview” the show before listening to it

There are numerous resources for doing this.  The podcast blog gives a brief summary of the show along with links to some of the topics discussed. As far as I can tell, this is on line soon after each show is recorded, so it’s often possible to scan it before listening. Show notes are listed on The New PR Wiki, which invites listeners to contribute not only to the show notes themselves, but to the wiki in general.  I find that a review of the show notes is particularly valuable when preparing to listen to a podcast.  I also like to look at the comments posted in FIR’s room on Friendfeed, as these are often referenced during the show.

Take notes while listening

This has to do with my personal style.  I carry a spiral notebook with me almost everywhere I go.  It’s always the same notebook (until I fill it up and need a new one).  Even when I don’t leave the house, I often bring it with me from room to room.  Writing stuff down has proven to be, for me at least, the most important step in getting stuff done. 

As I listen to the podcast I jot down key words that catch my attention and pique my interest.  I do this to reinforce the concept in my own mind, as well as to keep a list of ideas that I will probably want to explore further on my own.  I limit my notes to key words so as not to disrupt my ability to listen.  Knowing there are show notes published on the wiki that I can go back to later really makes this easy to do.

Now that I’m more familiar with the format of the show and the people who regularly contribute to it, I’ve started jotting time codes when possible (attached).  As noted earlier, listeners are invited to contribute to the show notes; and, adding time codes is one area where I might be able to add some value. I know that having them listed in my own notes has proven useful.  I’ve also started using a star system to mark my favorite parts of each show.

Review and use

Between the podcast blog, the show notes, and my own notes, I’ve got the viewable materials that ideally complement the auditory experience and add an element of concreteness to the many topics covered in the hour-or-so-long show. Of course, I can also listen again to any part of any podcast, if I really want to.  While all that information is nice to have, it’s no good to me unless I put it into action.  (Turning ideas into action is part of my value system.)  This starts with a thorough review of the ideas presented in the podcast, and those that came to me as I listened to the podcast.  I then give serious consideration to the ones that I can use within the next week.  I narrow them down and set short-term goals as a way of avoiding the information overload that we all feel these days.  There’s so much out there and there’s more to come.  I grab what I can handle and try to manage it so I’ve got room in my head and in my life, for more.

 

 

I’ve spent the better part of the past two days listening to the backlog of For Immediate Release (FIR) podcasts I’ve been collecting in my iTunes.  FIR is a twice-weekly, hour-long podcast produced by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson about the convergence of online technology, new media, communication and business.  I discovered it in August of 2009, although they’ve been producing it since January 2005.  The more I listen to it, the more I love it.

 

I try to listen to it only when I’m doing mundane chores so that I’m sure to not miss anything really good that’s being discussed. (I haven’t blogged about my thoughts on multi-tasking yet, but I have a very strong opinion on human limitations when it comes to trying to do too many things at once.)  I keep a notebook handy while listening so that I can jot down anything specific that I want to follow up on.  It’s not entirely necessary to take notes while listening, though, as Shel and Neville do a fabulous job of summarizing each show and provide links in The New PR Wiki. But, my personal learning style depends on note-taking.  Also, the notebook I keep serves as a kind of journal, which also appeals to me.

 

The amount I’ve learned by listening to these podcasts is unmatched by any other method I use as I try to develop my expertise related to social media.  Since last May I have been reading books, attending webinars and seminars, participating in all the most popular social sites, surfing the Internet, and experimenting on my own.  Yet, by listening to a few podcasts, I always come away with a deeper understanding of issues that I’ve encountered personally, a heightened interest in subjects that I’ve heard about but know nothing about, and a greater awareness of the many concepts that are being introduced to our industry on a daily basis.

 

As an independent consultant, having access to the kind of discussions that take place on the FIR podcasts is invaluable.  I always feel like I’ve stepped into a corporation’s conference room and am participating in a brainstorming or update session.  Although I’m not listening live, I know that I could if I wanted to.  And, even after the fact, I can access a number of different channels to read comments from other listeners – which is all I really need at this point.  One day, however, I hope to be able to contribute. In the meantime, though, I’m perfectly happy to absorb all the information I can, and to observe the discourse and debate on subjects that have me completely enchanted.  Even though I’m not participating in the conversations directly, I feel no less engaged.

 

Through all this monitoring and listening, I’m realizing that staying current with the developments in social media and the communications industry overall, is more than a full-time job.  It becomes increasingly clear to me that a business owner or even an executive team can’t expect to do the job themselves; nor would they want to.  They do, after all, have a business to run, and keeping up with all the innovations and intricacies of communication tools today would distract them from their purpose.  That, of course, is the need I will be able to fill.  And, with a resource like FIR and the incredible network of listeners and contributors they are attracting, I should be able to do that.

 

The meaning, purpose and value of social media is constantly changing for me.  The more I use it, of course, the more I understand.  I love looking back at the notes I started posting to my FB profile seven months ago (currently private, but one day will be “published”) and seeing the transformation in my perception of this phenomenon.  I still hear people saying that it’s just a fad.  But, I’m here to say, “It’s here to stay!”