show.jpg"> show.jpg" alt="radio-show" width="400" height="323"> Podcasting, which traces its roots back to "audioblogging" in the 1980s, has enjoyed a renaissance as smart phones have become nearly ubiquitous. But what does the future hold? The great hope for podcasting might be the emotional, immersive nature of the medium. It's a rich content relationship, not a digital "snack" and a unique opportunity to provide both entertainment and information. A podcast is a companion and the engagement level might make it ideal for business development.

Now that Tom Webster and I have 10 episodes of The Marketing Companion podcast under our belts, we thought it would be a good time to take a fresh look at the state of podcasting and its future. We also debut our line of clothing and exciting wearable technology: Google Pants. You have to hear it to believe it. By the way, if you would like to be a part of the podcast, email me an audio file with your comment or question and it might make it into an upcoming show. This week's podcast covers a lot of ground, including:

• The latest data on podcasting popularity and usage
• The promise of blogging to your ears
• Some of the problems and promises of podcasting
• Surprising observations about podcasting demographics and metrics
• Technologies and trends that could ignite podcasting
• The future of podcasting -- Mark and Tom disagree.
• Podcasting as a source of business leads

... and much more. Ready? Set? Well then, here you go: