In the last 36 hours we’ve seen how the power of social media can help propel a podcast into the top 10 on the itunes podcast chart – still the best indicator of the popularity of podcasts.

New technology here at Golden Square now means we’ve been able to launch video podcast channels for Christian, Geoff and Iain, allowing them to upload daily vodcasts of interviews or behind the scenes exclusive material. With video content being pulled onto our own site, YouTube and iTunes, our listeners can watch online or download to iPods and portable media players and enjoy them on the move.

Iain Lee’s Shepherd’s Pie – the name his audience gave to his ‘telly’ channel – launched quietly on Tuesday night with only a short on-air mention. However by harnessing the power of facebook and twitter, it has reached the dizzy heights of number 8 in the overall iTunes chart and number 2 in the overall video section (within 36 hours). The social media buzz surrounding Iain and Absolute Radio has certainly helped this podcast – in the past we’ve launched a podcast and seen its popularity grow slowly and organically. By directly asking fans to subscribe, rate and review, we’ve helped the trajectory of the podcast… all that alongside the fact the content is very funny and exclusive to the podcast.

Last week was our best ever podcasting week with Frank Skinner’s exclusive midweek podcast delivering staggering results and extremely strong growth from Dave Gorman – both of whom achieved new records smack bang in the middle of our Faces for Radio campaign. Their download figures have helped them back up the iTunes top 30, with Dave reaching number 11 in the charts.

So, why not try a portion of Dave, Frank or even some Shepherd’s Pie…