As we celebrate five years of sharing content through the Enablers of Change platform, one question we’re often asked is why we provide our information in three formats: videos, blog posts, and podcasts. The answer is simple—people have different preferences for how they like to consume information. Some of us enjoy the visual engagement of a video, others prefer the flexibility of reading a blog at their own pace, and many appreciate the convenience of listening to a podcast while on the go. By offering all three, we aim to ensure our content is accessible, practical, and tailored to meet the needs of our diverse audience.
When it comes to how our audience consumes content, there’s a clear split in preferences. Mailchimp, the platform we use for distributing the emails, tracks which links are clicked in the eBulletin. Blog posts lead the way, with 56% of readers clicking through to dive into the written word, showing a strong appetite for in-depth analysis and reflection. Videos follow closely, capturing 38% of clicks, appealing to those who enjoy visual and engaging learning experiences. Podcasts, while making up just 6% of clicks, tell a different story, as many listeners access those episodes directly through their preferred podcast platforms, without necessarily clicking the link in the eBulletin.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting: each format has its own “most popular” list—its own top 10. So, inspired by Spotify’s year unwrapped and other highlights we all love to see, we’re going to unwrap the last five years of Enablers of Change. We’ve graphed the top 10 episodes for each format as a handy comparison (click the images to enlarge). Whether you’re a reader, a watcher, or a listener, you might just spot your favourite—and perhaps discover something new along the way.
The blog posts show a strong appetite for the written word. Posts like What is the Technology Acceptance Model? and Understanding the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology have proven particularly popular, with thousands of views highlighting a desire for deeper exploration of theoretical frameworks. At the same time, practical posts, such as How to stop Post-it Notes curling and falling off, show there’s room for relatable, day-to-day solutions alongside complex concepts.
On the Enablers of Change website, we actively encourage our readers to share their thoughts and engage in discussions by leaving comments on our blog posts. This approach fosters a vibrant community of extension practitioners and professionals exchanging ideas and insights, while also helping us learn more from our audience’s diverse perspectives and experiences! During the five years since we began, over 1,000 comments have been posted, highlighting the value of two-way dialogue. Among the most commented articles are Bennett’s hierarchy: a simple yet powerful evaluation framework (34 comments), The modern evolution of agricultural extension (30 comments), and What is agricultural extension? (29 comments). These popular posts demonstrate the topics that resonate most with our audience, further driving our mission to support and connect enablers of change.
Our YouTube videos continue to be a major draw, with topics like What are the six adult learning principles? and What is agricultural extension? leading the way, each with almost 30,000 views. These impressive numbers highlight a strong demand for foundational learning and core extension concepts. Practical and actionable videos like How to stop Post-it Notes curling and falling off have also struck a chord with viewers looking for quick, practical solutions. The success of these videos suggests that many in our community appreciate the ability to consume information visually and in a format that allows for more engagement.
Podcasts, despite lower click-through rates, have their own favourites, and episodes like What is the Diffusion of Innovations theory?, What’s so wrong with the Diffusion of Innovations theory? and How we can use the Theory of Planned Behaviour remain popular, demonstrating their niche but committed audience. Podcasts offer a flexible way to engage with content on the go, and our numbers suggest they complement the broader mix of written and visual offerings.
Together, these insights highlight a dynamic and multi-modal community, where people seek out the medium that best fits their needs, whether it’s diving deep into a blog, watching an engaging video, or tuning in to a podcast while they’re on the move. It’s a strong reminder that offering choice ensures we continue to meet our audience where they are, in ways that work best for them.
While we’ve concluded our audio and video production for the year, we hope you’ve found this bonus episode with its analysis of our last five years of content creation useful and insightful. We’d love to hear your thoughts—please share your comments below the blog post!
Very interesting stuff. And I think multiple formats works for individuals, not just different groups – many of us will use at least 2 formats for the same topic over a long enough time. Its that adult learning tool of repetition of the same message I think One caveat for videos would be to add the view *time* for each. YouTube’s algorithms can work in mysterious ways and a video becomes viral in an unwanted way, popping up on feeds for people who weren’t interested in it so it gets a very short views. In one case, by far the… Read more »
Thanks Aaron, you’re right about the YouTube videos. We were going for simple metrics (downloads) and while many of the recordings have been watched an average of 6 or 7 minutes, the average is much less.