Posted on July 28, 2009 - by Wayne Sutton
Posterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform?
Buzz it
SharePosterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform?
I’m not sure if you have noticed but recently a lot of people have been posting various forms of multimedia content to their Twitter stream with the short url http://post.ly. That short url redirects to Posterous.com a Y Combinator startup that launched a little over a year ago. Posterous isn’t just a short url or multimedia content platform, it’s a social network, blogging platform that integrates with other platforms that allow you to post content via email and more. You can use Posterous as your blog which some have see: Steve Rubel , as a life-stream site or just post random pictures and photos to push to Facebook, tumblr or your other blogs.
At SXSW 09 Kipp Bodnar and I had a chance to meet and interview the founders Gary Tan and Sachin Agarwal about Posterous and upcoming plans for the platform. Also some have wondered how do you pronounce “Posterous” listen very closely as you’ll here it once from Sachin.
In the video the founders talk about how easy it is to use Posterous and upcoming plans for the platform.
Since SXSW I’ve created a Posterous site and configured it to post to a various social networks. As the founders stated in the video being that you can use email to post to Posterous I send pictures from my iPhone to my site. But since I have purchased the iPhone 3Gs I have used Posterous as a podcasting platform by emailing a voice recording message or for video blogging as I can send audio and video emails to Posterous and it automatically adds the necessarily embedded player.
If you thinking that Posterous is just another one of those here today and gone tomorrow startups, I suggest you take a look at some of the users and think again. Posterous users range from everyday bloggers to leaders in the social media marketing and technology space. Here are a few Posterous sites from users who you may recognize:
- http://chrisbrogan.posterous.com
- http://andybeal.net
- http://tedmurphy.mobi
- http://rah.posterous.com
- http://bwana.posterous.com
- http://ginnyskal.posterous.com
- http://georgegsmithjr.posterous.com
- http://idonotes.posterous.com
- http://jasonfalls.posterous.com
- http://jakrose.posterous.com
- http://tweetdeck.posterous.com
- http://ijustine.posterous.com
- http://holykaw.com
Recommended reading: Ten Tips to Get the Most Out of Posterous
Do you have a Posterous site if so let me know the url in the comments and how are you using it.
Posterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform?ShareRelated posts:
Author: Wayne Sutton
Wayne Sutton, Business Development/Marketing Strategist for TriOut. You can follow Wayne on Twitter, or on Facebook. Wayne can be reached via email at wayne@trioutnc.com
64 Comments 
34 Tweets 
27 Other Comments
143 Comments
We'd love to hear yours!
Leave a Reply
Here's your chance to speak.
Or Leave a Video Comment with Vidly:
Additional comments powered by BackType
-
About
Business development/marketing strategist for TriOut. Take a look around this site. I have some of informative post for you to enjoy. Leave me a comment if you read one that educates or inspires you. I can be reached via voicemail at 919-809-7328 or email at info at socialwayne dot com.
About once a month I send out a newsletter with tips, upcoming news and brand advice. Interested? Subscribe below:
. . . . 
PostRank Topblogs 2009 - #69 in Social Media
Last 10 TriOut Check-ins
Facebook & Buzz
Speaking and Conferences
Visit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Arpit Kumar said:
I would stay with tumblr :)
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Brett Kelly said:
I like Posterous a lot, but I’m not sure it brings enough to the table to get me off of Tumblr.
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Federico Bolsoman said:
I signed up some time ago then I’ve not been using it. I love tumblr and I see duplicated features. Anyway people using a social network drives its success, not features!
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Ribeezie said:
Retweeting @respres: Posterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform? via @waynesutton http://tr.im/uxJ6
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
wizardElite said:
RT @respres: Posterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform? RT @waynesutton http://tr.im/uxJ6
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins said:
Hah – it happens.
My dad’s name is John – I’m pretty used to it, so no worries. :-p
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
paulvalach said:
RT @respres: Posterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform? via @waynesutton http://tr.im/uxJ6
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
fla030 said:
I love posterous, Nice and easy and very clean looking!
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
jonmulholland said:
I think there are a few reasons, I’ve blogged about them here http://jonmulholland.posterous.com/my-comment-o…; and here http://jonmulholland.posterous.com/posterous-st…; (on my Posterous, of course!).
My feeling is that a new form of blogging is emerging – part sharing/lifestreaming, part writing/observing. Posterous (and Tumblr to a lesser extent) are platforms well built to support this trend.
In particular what sets Posterous apart is it’s ability to act as a hub for online activity. It actually is easier to post bookmarks, photos, videos and blogposts directly to it, knowing that they will be onward shared with other communities you participate in. Unlike other services – Tumblr, FriendFeed, even a hacked WordPress set up – it’s actually a push platform rather than a lifestream/subscription pull service. Use it as your online ‘base’ and it works really well.
The email post method shouldn’t be discounted either. The way Posterous handles posting by email makes it seriously mobile friendly. I’m not sure any other platform makes it so easy to post an update, article or picture to a blog, at the same time sharing it with favoured social networks, all at the press of one ‘Send’ button from a mobile phone?
Give it a try!
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Laura Bergells said:
I’ve only been on Posterous for 30 days.
It took one day to experience how powerful it is: easy to post, the transparency of stats, the integration with other social media communities — it’s amazing.
I’ve used it to test ideas and brainstorm with others. Because of its lean design, Posterous puts the focus squarely on content and community — exactly where it should be!
(I’m at http://bergells.com and http://mathsuey.com )
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Laura Bergells said:
My moo cards are running low, maybe I’ll cop your style & order lifestreaming cards instead! :)
This comment was originally posted on Vincent Gallegos
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Vincent Gallegos said:
@maniactive it’s definitely worth it! embracing the new will only get you more fans :) thrilled to hear that you are 1 month going strong w/ posterous :D
This comment was originally posted on Vincent Gallegos
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
dahlberg said:
Liked “Posterous: Is it the next big platform? (I think so!)” http://ff.im/-5PUrW
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Jim Gray said:
posterous rocks and i like it…i use it to blog through my blackberry when i’m mobile.
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins said:
One word: Utterli.
Friendfeed, Utterli, and increasingly through the use of third party AIR clients, Twitter are all wanting to be the third party push platform you talk about.
Here’s the deal with that, though: I’m never going to use a third party push platform that doesn’t both have an easy way for me to export my data at will (I refuse to get locked in to anyone) and doesn’t have an API.
Posterous fails on both accounts. Friendfeed, Utterli and even Twitter to a certain extent don’t fail in this regard.
Not to sound like a broken record, but you want a easily updatable push platform that won’t lock your content down like Posterous does, how about Wordpress + P2 + Ping.fm? Again, perhaps about five or six clicks, three radio buttons and a form submit or two, and your done.
You guys are not actually doing the best job convincing a guy that Posterous is that forward thinking, since almost everything being brought up as a selling point can be done with something two to five years old better faster and stronger.
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Mark ‘Rizzn’ Hopkins said:
Rah,
That’s partly right. I don’t see the big deal because I take the time to understand the tech, and realize that most of the things that Posterous does can be done in three steps or less.
You’re wrong about Posterous – 80% of the stuff that’s being pitched to me here in the comments as "the real reason" I’d use the service *cannot* be used by the email interface – you must log in and set it up.
And there’s definitely more than three steps in doing so (setting it up on Posterous, going to the other service it interacts with, setting it up there, coming back and pasting the proper codes)…
… let’s all be honest with one another: Posterous has the slickest account set up process we’ve ever seen. Wordpress doesn’t have that. Blogger doesn’t have that.
To actually make a usable service, though, you eventually need to log in and go through a bunch of steps certain to annoy geeks and non-geeks alike. And then, when you look at Posterous apples-for-apples, it’s just on equal footing with dozens of other services (except for the fact that it’s a closed service with no API, and thus doesn’t have millions of developers around the world tirelessly working to support it).
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Sachin said:
Mark, we do have an API. And the API has full export that lets you get your data out. We would never lock you in:
http://posterous.com/api
Mark, do you have an iPhone?
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Sachin said:
We do have an api:
posterous.com/api
And while you do have to register and setup autopost once, it sure is great to be able to post from home, work, mobile, anywhere from email without having to login to anything or worry about that kind of rich media i can send.
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
ACORD_Forms said:
RT @tweetmeme Posterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform?|Social Wayne, Wayne Sutto… http://bit.ly/ZHVVs
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
williduke said:
RT @tweetmeme Posterous: The who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform?|Social Wayne, Wayne Sutto… http://bit.ly/ZHVVs
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Jennifer Stocks said:
I created one a few days ago and I can’t stop posting to it! It’s so easy!
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Holden said:
still attempting to get into it…
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Jonathan Tanner said:
It’s taken me a while to get round to using Posterous after setting up an account ages ago. We have started using it at work to log docs and messages in a big cross team project. It really comes into it’s own as a collaboration tool. I have since started using my own one and it’s pretty addictive! http://yellowbag.posterous.com/
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Rahsheen said:
Maybe you tried to setup different services than me (I’m only posting to 7),
but it was as simple as putting in a URL and my username/password. There was
no "pasting of codes" or anything like that. I think Facebook may have the
most complicated setup, but it’s still just a bunch of clicking and with FB,
that can’t be avoided.
Even assuming WP and friends can be set up to autopost to all these
different services in 3 steps or less, it’s still going to be easier for the
average person with Posterous. Less steps.
This comment was originally posted on The SiliconANGLE
More from authorVisit My Website
July 29, 2009
Permalink
Franc ? said:
I’m loving Tumblr :)
This comment was originally posted on FriendFeed
More from authorVisit My Website
July 30, 2009
Permalink
Ribeezie said:
Reading – Posterous: The Who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform? http://su.pr/7L2rkq
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 30, 2009
Permalink
robhahn said:
RT @Ribeezie: Reading – Posterous: The Who, why & how from the founders. Is it the next big platform? http://su.pr/7L2rkq
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
More from authorVisit My Website
July 31, 2009
Permalink
dean collins said:
Google Wave is vaporware. it’s the next Orkut.
It’s doesn’t even have the most basic hooks built in, and as for monetising third pary apps….forgetaboutit.
http://deancollinsblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/googl…;
This comment was originally posted on Mark Evans Tech: A Canadian Take on the Web and Technology
More from authorVisit My Website
July 31, 2009
Permalink
joeflood said:
I love the design of your blog. Is it a Wordpress theme or are you updating with Posterous? Me confused.
This comment was originally posted on Vincent Gallegos
More from authorVisit My Website
August 1, 2009
Permalink
Vincent Gallegos said:
Joe! Posterous lets you use your own domain, but there is only one theme at this time (the one you see now). The folks at Posterous are making custom theming a priority, and I look forward to that. There have been a couple of times when I’ve wanted to go back to Wordpress– I like the control, but Posterous is so simple that it makes blogging fun. Give it a try. :)
This comment was originally posted on Vincent Gallegos
More from authorVisit My Website
August 1, 2009
Permalink
Vincent Gallegos said:
@joeflood And, yea, I dig the design!!
This comment was originally posted on Vincent Gallegos
More from author