We need to grow podcasting at the IBNMA! I’ve been asked by Paul Chaney to be the “stringer” for the podcast beat. I accept Paul’s invitation and plan to post regularly  bringing nuggets of information that can provide focus and fresh ideas to IBNMA members on the subject.

The IBNMA can and should play a critical role in shaping the podcast industry. There is still a great need for an industry association to speak for the podcast development community on various issues and to lead the way forward as blogging and podcasting challenge traditional media. There is little doubt that as a community we’re a force to be dealt with as traditional media declines with the onslaught of social media. However, if we’re to continue to advance podcasting in particular we must be more dedicated at sharing knowledge and best practices to increase its value.

What can be done? I plan on sharing information or knowledge on the following items:

• Provide bulletins for members who seek guidance and direction in their desire to increase the production value of their media. Potential areas of interest may be short tips, tricks and techniques related to production, product reviews, or select advisories regarding implementation strategies when dealing with aggregators or devices.
• Share and seek feedback in the development of industry standards. Focus areas include but are not limited to RSS feed descriptive data optimization, mobile device usability and UI implementations, as well as software tool workflows. There will be an appeal to bring hardware, software, and creative types together to make meaningful sense of the development space. A utopian dream I know–but one worth engaging.
• Report on critical industry news items that affect the industry and development of podcast media elements. Often times we miss out on valuable information due to its dispersal over the Net. I’ll try and bring the best of the best in one location for your benefit.
• Create opportunities to network one with another to solve common problems or just geek out! As a community we should know “Who’s Who” and what each are capable of doing. Let’s face it, everything is about networking so let’s create the connections so the IBNMA can thrive.

In order to make this work though we need participation from members! My goal is to raise awareness, peak interest, and where I can foster response through comments. I may resort to playing the “devils advocate” on occasion to intentionally provoke thoughtful discussion. Don’t worry–it’ll be intentional when it happens–but never in an ugly fashion. Just good old fashion debate to lighten the day!

I look forward to meeting IBNMA members and creating professional relationships as time goes by. Of course, by all means share the information with associates and friends and encourage them to become members in the IBNMA family. Stay tuned -