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Is Podshow Growing or Dying?

I was just looking at the compete.com data for podshow.com, Adam Curry’s hyped audio and video podcasting network that hasn’t really achieved much attention lately (my guess, they will sell or close within the next year or so). The compete data seems to prove me wrong, but those numbers look awfully wrong to me. Look at this:

The numbers on Alexa show what is at best a steady decline:

Somehow, the numbers on Alexa feel right to me. The hype around podcasting has died down. iTunes is the default way of getting podcasts. The amount of interaction the general public wants to have with show producers is actually very low (that’s what podshow thought was going to drive traffic, I think).

Technorati Tags: podshow, adam curry, curry, podcasting, podcasts

Comparing media downloads to page visits is nonsense. It is widely known that alexa is flawed anyway, but I will say that we’ve been experimenting with several campaigns recently that are reflected in the compete analysis. I would expect a PhD to be a bit more careful about publishing such a poorly informed opinion about the longevity of a company, or any type of entity.

AC

Well, without resorting to ad hominem attacks, I would argue that what you were trying to do with Podshow.com was to create a social network for podcast listeners. Media downloads are one thing and that data is obviously not reflected anywhere in these numbers, but podshow is trying to do more than that.

I am aware that I can’t trust Alexa’s numbers — they usually do a good job at showing the general trend, though, and that trend doesn’t look very good for podshow (and I say they ‘feel’ right to me, not that they are right — the whole point of this exercise after all was to show how different these numbers are). At the same time, I don’t think any advertising campaigns on the podshow network would drive your traffic up 1000% either.

PodShow’s core business has always been the media. Since that data is indeed not reflected here, your ‘guess’ that podshow “will sell or close within the next year or so” is not based on fact, yet you elude that the “awfully wrong” compete numbers and the Alexa numbers that “can’t be trusted” support your theory.

Now that you’ve explained that your post was about showing the differences in the numbers, I’d say keep your eye on Compete’s data. We are definitely capable of generating these traffic increases and have only done small tests to date as we move to our own facilities in order to better manage the traffic.

AC

Adam, I will keep an eye on the data.

While I have been skeptical about Podshow’s success, I would actually like to see you guys succeed.

However, I yet have to see the mainstreaming of podcasting happen that I have been hoping for and the curve of enthusiasm I see among my peers and students for podcasting follows the Alexa curve more than the compete curve.

And to be honest, that throwaway comment about podshow closing down was really just to get some attention

So, instead of throwing out hurtful comments to gain attention, and believe me these statements do het read and do ’smart’ for the 70 people who work very hard at PodShow, perhaps you can be more constructive and throw out some ideas. That will surely get you attention, if they’re any good.

AC

Hmmm… If Podshow did indeed get a 1000% traffic boost from tweaking some advertising campaigns last month, I would guess that those 70 people couldn’t care less (and you really need 70 people to run this company? Talk about bubble…).

As for being constructive: you guys run your own company. I have done my fair share of things for podcasting (mostly in education), but when it comes to podshow.com, you’re the guys who have to make it happen yourself and given the fact how aggressive you are with your comments, I wonder if there just might be something to Alexa’s numbers.

p.s. those comments above come from such widely diverging IP adresses that I am not sure the commenter is actually AC

OK, if I don’t respond I get accused of ‘hiding’ and if I respond quickly then I’m also hiding something?

You clearly aren’t interested in intelligent conversation, so I’m unsubscribing from this thread.

AC

I am not saying you are hiding anything, but unless I see any data convincing me otherwise, I stand by my comment that I think podshow.com has peaked and is now on a slow but steady decline.

Also, just reading over your original comment, I am not sure how moving to your own facilities is going to help you increase traffic to podshow.com. But given that you have unsubscribed, I guess that question will go unanswered.

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