Livecasting

Years ago, two friends of mine and I decided we needed our own TV show. Our conversations were so entertaining and interesting (in our own minds, at least) that we believed we could have a show on cable access where we just talked about the issues as we usually do, and our water-cooler gossip would fascinate legions of viewers.

Little did we know, that a few years later, we could have done exactly that with our own Internet TV or radio show. After reading the chapter about livecasting in the Social Media Bible, I'm wondering if it's an excellent opportunity to reach a targeted audience.

I checked out VoiceAmerica.com, one of the sites that provide the opportunity to host your own show. I listened to segments of a few of the shows and found them entertaining but with varying degrees of professionalism. One of the health shows, called Good Life Fitness, sounded like it would be a topic I'm interested in but the actual show was severely over-modulated so it was annoying to listen. It's a reminder that poor production isn't acceptable. Other shows I dropped in on were well-done and professionally produced.

I couldn't find out what, if any, is the cost associated with livecasting a show via VoiceAmerica.com without registering and having someone call me. But the benefits include an in-house producer assigned to your show and a toll-free number for call-in guests.

VoiceAmerica.com also provides opportunities for advertising. According to the site, "online radio attracts an upscale, highly educated and employed audience", delivering 14% of the 18-49 radio buying demographic and one in five of the 18-49 year olds per week. The site also claims , "a minimum 'sticky factor' of 24-25 minutes per listener. Stickiness is anything about a website that encourages a visitor to stay longer or come back frequently. On the VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, it’s the quality of our content, talented hosts and compelling guests."

It's hard to believe that what seem to be obscure radio shows are doing that well. But then, I'm someone who still has a land line and watches TV on the television set, not the computer. Maybe the rest of the world really is moving toward more personalized and individual broadcasts, like VoiceAmerica or BlogTalkRadio. How long before everyone watches individualized programs online as a rule, instead of an exception?

It does make me wonder if we could take advantage of the medium by producing our own shows for the University of Nebraska. I haven't really thought it through, but perhaps there's a market for a show about the university. The key is how to market such a show and promote it in order to grow the audience. It's worth looking into.