IF’s Podcast Review: SmallBizPod by Alex Bellinger

Description: “covers views and analysis of small business and enterprise issues with an occasional diversion into the worlds of PR and the media”
RSS: Link / iTunes

In this first installment of IF’s Podcast Review, we caught up with Adriana Cronin-Lukas from The Big Blog Company. Adriana enjoys listening to SmallBizPod by Alex Bellinger. SmallBizPod promises “news, interviews and practical advice for small and medium-sized businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs”. But does Alex deliver?

Adriana: “[Alex] has some experience with broadcasting and [doesn’t] just ramble. [He] is very professional, in fact, he does podcasts for companies.”

Robert: “I think Alex really shines in unscripted territory. While anyone can read cue cards during a podcast recording, spontaneous comments are where good speakers differentiate themselves. Alex consistently interjects relevant information during his interviews. As Adriana mentioned, this is partially due to Alex’s prior broadcasting experience. The other component for his success is his intimate knowledge of the subject area. It is quite clear that Alex understands small businesses.”

Adriana: “There is [a] very good summary of the topic, links and issues, that gives you an idea of what to expect before you delve in.”

Robert: “A schedule and summary are paramount for any podcaster. As Piers Fawkes mentioned last month on PSFK, the mp3 is a difficult medium for quickly finding information. Unfortunately, that is precisely how I listen to podcasts. Adding a schedule alleviates some of that pain. I often found myself writing down times and skipping to sections that I found interesting. Similarly, when a podcast interested me, I wanted more information. Alex provides links within his schedule for additional information.”

Robert: “My only negative comment about SmallBizPod is that it sometimes runs long. In my opinion, the perfect podcast running time is under 30 minutes. Fortunately, this is less of an issue for SmallBizPod because Alex posts a schedule. Still, I think that the show would benefit by changing the format slightly. I suggest one interview per show (instead of two) and additional commentary from Alex. An audible editorial might be nice.”em>

It seems that we agree with Adriana on SmallBizPod. Alex does deliver an excellent podcast. Additionally, his corresponding schedule and music track of the week makes listening more enjoyable. You can listen to SmallBizPod at http://www.smallbizpod.co.uk/. Our favorite is SmallBizPod #4 where Alex interviews Adriana on business blogs.

In conclusion, SmallBizPod rates 8 out of 11 on Victor’s Volume – IF’s new podcast rating system (like Spinal Tap, our amp also goes to 11).

Special thanks to Adriana Cronin-Lukas for her help. Adriana is a Partner with The Big Blog Company, a London based consulting group specializing in teaching companies how to use weblogs as a branding, marketing or communication tool.