News

In pods we trust: the power of the podcast

November 24, 2020

I’m in my 30s, so my friends are all starting to settle down and start…podcasts.” As Phil Wang rightly puts during his Netflix Comedy Lineup appearance, every man and his dog now seems to have a podcast. And for good reason. It’s the fastest growing audio channel, with an increase rate of 35% year-on-year.

It’s safe to say we’re all a little podcast-obsessed, aren’t we? There’s even an International Podcast Day dedicated to the audible delights (September, btw!).

The golden age?

With 9.4 million podcast listeners in the UK in 2019 – an increase of 45% from the previous year – it makes us wonder, are we living in the golden age of podcasts? Will future generations turn to podcasts searching for nostalgia, like we do with vinyl and cassettes? Fun fact, vinyl outsold CDs in the USA for the first time in over 30 years during the first half of 2020!

Perks of podcasting?

Our busy lives often limit the time we can spend curled up with a good book or watching the latest Netflix doc. So, one of the things we love about podcasts is that they’re accessible entertainment and education all rolled into one – tailor-made for the multi-tasking-non-stop world. Commuting? At your desk? Out for a jog? Doing your ironing or the weekly shop? Whenever and wherever you are, thanks to the little devices in our pockets, you can just pop your earphones in and listen to content that can broaden and challenge your perspective.

‘Everyone has a podcast’ may have become the new running joke but that doesn’t make it a bad thing. One of the perks of podcasting is that no matter how obscure you think your interests are - serial killers My Favourite Murder, stationery The Pen Addict or amateur erotica penned by your parents My Dad Wrote a Porno - there’s a podcast for it! Can’t find what you’re looking for? Apps like Google Podcast will assess your interests and search for you. Gotta love technology…

Podcast ads

Global podcast advertising has grown 44% from January to June 2020 (thanks lockdown). Like all ads, first things first, make sure you know your audience. Listeners want to hear content that is relevant to them and in-keeping with what they’re listening to. Nobody tunes into a vegan lifestyle podcast, to be hit with ads promoting products that aren’t cruelty-free.

Many podcasters will make their own advertisements/jingles for your brand so be prepared for that; think RuPaul’s Squarespace or Squatty Potty ads. This way, they’re delivered naturally, in a tone of voice that the listeners are used to and doesn’t feel forced – positioning presenters as genuine product ambassadors.

If done correctly, podcast advertising really works. 65% of all people that listened to a podcast went on to trial a product or service that they’ve been recommended by the content creator, so it’s worth investing.

Want to know more about how podcasts can help your business? Get in touch…