Preamble:

I really like Victor Cajiao. I have talked with and really respect Robert Scoble. Mark Horstman is a management training leader. All of these guys podcast and all of them make videocasts (ie: video podcasts) from time to time. In Scoble's case, all the time.

I use the 60GB generation 4 video iPod. It segregates audio podcasts from video podcasts so that when I listen to my "Added Recently" smart playlist under "Music" I only hear audio downloads. If I flip over to the similar playlist on the "Videos" menu, I can see all of the audio and video podcasts that I have downloaded through iTunes, provided the video is formatted correctly for the iPod.

The Point:

In the last few days I have been catching up on some of the podcasts I monitor through iTunes. There were a quite a few in there that were videos, many from podcasters that normally program in audio. In Scoble's case, I monitored a few of his 'casts while I was preparing some dishes for a fun dinner tonight. Every single one of those videos sounded great as audio only podcasts. If it's just a couple or three or four talking heads then why don't these podcasters put out an audio only version of their material so that I can catch it during my normal commute?

Victor; as handsome as you and Scott Bourne are, close your eyes and listen to that interview. It totally works in audio only.

Mark and Michael; the interview cast videos work as audio too. Close your eyes and listen. Is anything missing other than Mark dashing from one side of the room to the other?

Robert; I liked the bestpartyever.com interview with Sally Strebel. The thing is, if it had not been a weekend I would not have had a chance to listen because I don't watch your podcasts. I didn't miss anything by not seeing you and Sally in Adirondack chairs on a golf course (I went back and looked later...).

Then I went looking for video casts that I could watch with my eyes closed. Most of the Beach Walks with Rox no problem. Command N? I'm listening now. Got that? Will and Amber, you're cute, but you're just standing there... When I just listen to you, you're smart. Come to think of it, there are a bunch of tech podcasts that feature good looking talking heads. Frankly I don't care about that. If your message is entirely intelligible when I can only hear you then all the content is in the audio.

Why don't you talking head videocasters out there release an MP3 of the audio so that I can catch you on my regular podcast cycle?

If traditional podcasting -- whatever the heck that is -- is dead, then I think it's because all of you folks playing with your video cameras have forgotten how important audio is.

If you are cute or handsome or move well then good for you that you look great on camera but if I can hear you and you impress me with your ideas -- regardless of whether I can see you or not -- then you are a good communicator too. So why don't you just release an audio version of your work at the same time as the video? What about vision impaired listeners? Why don't you do it for them and save yourself a bit of bandwidth in the mix?

Hey, you folks over at Podtech! Release MP3's on all of your video content. Do I really need to see the Seagate executive to hear about his latest financials?

Not releasing audio only versions of most of the available video podcasts that are out there is a huge marketing mistake. It's a deliberate self-imposed audience limiter and it relegates the real content of the media to the limited portion of the week that a person can spend tethered to a new media screening device. Okay, that may be my Apple TV; but most of us are not there yet and -- I don't know about you -- I'm spending considerably fewer hours watching TV these days.

Epilog:

Just in case some of you are already doing the audio only thing with your video, could you please tell me where the heck the feeds are? And please... will the leaders in this space (Paul Colligan, Leeza Barnes, Scott Bourne, Michael Geoghegen, Leo Laporte and the rest of you; get on this horse and let's make this a defacto part of every video podcast workflow).

I did not post in August but it's time to be boring again.

I've been on the road a fair amount of the time over the last 3 months but no trip has been more anticipated than the one I'm currently on. I'm in San Antonio for the 2nd Manager Tools Conference.

If you haven't got aspirations to do better at your life or your career (why the heck are you reading this?), then Manager Tools from Mark Horstman and Michael Auzenne has not shown up on your radar screen. If you are interested in leadership, teamwork and individual initiative that can lead to stronger collective collaboration then get on over to what is surely a revolution in management. It's a virtual re-discovery of the basics for a new generation of office bound boot-strappers.

For M & M there are no secrets. Okay, so that's not sexy but basics build businesses and I'm down with these guys for the sheer vitality and impact of their teaching approach. At this Conference we're going to talk about things like actually communicating -- in meaningful ways -- with co-workers, providing useful feedback and developing coaching techniques that are non-manipulative, realistic and effective.

Between in-office work committments and my travel schedule I had to choose between either spending 20 hours in a room listening to Horstman this autumn or darting off to another back-slapping Podcast and Portable Media Expo. My money's with Horstman.

Here's the thing. The most successful podcast I know is not getting multiple millions from VC wannabes, running obnoxious pre-roll ads or extolling the virtures of Gotomeeting or Godaddy. It's not pre-packaged with a "How to be successful in podcasting" book and it doesn't come with a maze of multi-level marketing hype. It's not out to sell at all costs and it gives away most of its product. It focuses on topics and techniques; not "content". It is intent on listener satisfaction and it's customers help the business owners come up with ways to develop revenue. Oh; and they know management backwards and forwards.

Stay tuned.