By Sarah Threet, Advertising and marketing Guide at Heinz Advertising and marketing

Why I’m Making an attempt to Turn out to be a Podcast Listener 

Whereas I’ve labored in advertising for the higher a part of a decade, I don’t have a lot expertise with podcasts, professionally or personally. Listening to one thing in audio format (that isn’t music) may be troublesome for me; I desire visuals and subtitles (regardless that I’m a listening to particular person) and have a difficult time staying “tuned in” to what’s being mentioned both on the radio, in an audiobook, or in a podcast.  

Nonetheless, I’m making an attempt to apply extra mindfulness, get again into artistic hobbies, and considerably cut back my social media consumption. I’ve been utilizing social media for two-thirds of my life, and after the pandemic hit, my media consumption sky-rocketed. Whereas there are many advantages to social media, and whereas it’s at present a vital channel for selling your merchandise/providers, my little millennial mind craves extra which means in my life. I’m burnt out with the infinite scroll, the doomsday information, the shortage of empathy in discourse, and an algorithm that owns my time and a spotlight. I would like more healthy types of stimulation, to have the ability to create issues with my palms once more, and to devour extra information moderately than hype.  

Up to now, I’ve discovered that podcasts gradual me down, assist with my existential nervousness, are glorious for training extra aware listening, and permit me to multi-task to a sure diploma (cooking, strolling, taking part in with my cat, and making artwork). I can’t concurrently scroll on my telephone and actively hearken to a podcast, so I’ve to decide on the podcast!  

I’m not the one one who chooses podcasts for related causes. 

Why Different Customers Hearken to Podcasts 

Most shoppers hearken to podcasts for leisure and studying functions, although out-of-home functions of listening increase past these two well-liked causes, given the platform’s benefits with management of content material, mobility, and the convenience of “escape”. The situation of listening might change the aim of listening, as people are extra engaged whereas listening at residence or within the automotive than when they’re out-and-about, after they would possibly simply want one thing to cross the time. 

I resonated with some quotes from listeners in my age group who mentioned that they appreciated listening to podcasts as a result of they’re “extra passive” and permit for multi-tasking, that you’ve got extra management over what you hearken to, not like with radio, and that podcasts present a “various vary of stories concepts and ideas from vastly totally different folks”, which permits us to each pull ourselves out of “echo chambers” in addition to discover hosts who’re extra like us.  

Client causes for listening to podcasts additionally range by age: youthful listeners are likely to hearken to podcasts for leisure functions and to cross time, in addition to a way of change from simply listening to music, whereas older listeners desire to hearken to podcasts to be taught one thing new and keep updated on present occasions.  

What Podcasts I Hearken to, How I Found Them, and The place I Hearken to Them 

I had no concept the place to start out with my Podcast Journey, so I requested my followers and associates for suggestions. Like most shoppers, I worth private suggestions essentially the most, after which normally use supplementary suggestions via public critiques or from influencers and thought leaders I respect.  

I knew going into podcast-listening that I wished to prioritize academic podcasts; studying is stimulating for me, and I assume I really feel like I’m “losing much less of my time” after I’m studying new stuff. Nonetheless, there are such a lot of podcasts on the market (over 2 million – a quadruple improve from 2018), and I’m terrible at making choices; the variety of choices are overwhelming, and to be trustworthy, at first it made me freeze up from having too many decisions. That’s why I feel it’s so vital to advertise your podcasts via different channels, as a result of the app/platform areas are extremely aggressive. If an influencer I respect mentions a podcast or episode, I’ll go test it out – and albeit, having another person select for me is usually relieving.  

I’m an Apple person for my cellular units, so my most frequent platform is Podcasts, however I do additionally use Spotify for some lacking content material. For instance, my associate bought me an annual subscription to a podcast hosted by a thought chief he admires, as the 2 of us get pleasure from having deep philosophical questions and this supplied a way of getting subjects to speak about. However the podcast subscription was solely out there via Spotify, moderately than on Podcasts, so I need to break up up my platform use (minorly annoying).  

Lastly, I desire at-home listening the place I can meal-prep, make artwork, or entertain my very needy cat. I personally discover it troublesome to actively hearken to podcasts if I’m the one who’s driving, but when I take advantage of public transportation or my associate is driving, I get pleasure from it. Past that, I’ll activate a work-related podcast throughout work, or I’ll hearken to one thing whereas ready for an appointment someplace. 

Podcast Demographics: Who, The place, How? 

Who: 

Youthful, educated, and prosperous audiences are usually the bigger shoppers of podcasts. Latest research recommend that the common listener is 25-45, normally college-educated with an above-average family earnings, and leans barely extra male than feminine. 

Nonetheless, this knowledge is new and biased and didn’t survey folks of shade. Podcast listenership is changing into more and more various, with extra folks of all ages, genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds tuning in. This may be attributed to the rising reputation of podcasts as a type of leisure and schooling, with various subjects and genres, in addition to the growing accessibility of podcasts via smartphones, tablets, and different cellular units.  

Who’s your ICP, what ache factors would possibly they resolve listening to your podcast, and the way will you get them to hearken to your podcast given what you understand about what channels they might frequent essentially the most? 

The place:  

Weekly podcast listeners are likely to pay attention at residence greater than of their automotive, however car-listening is slowly growing (~60% vs 20%). Listeners over 35 pay attention from residence greater than youthful listeners, and youthful listeners pay attention extra cellular. Following these listening areas, 18% of listeners tune in whereas out-and-about (non-transportation or train associated), 16% whereas exercising, and 16% whereas at work.  

The common size of podcasts is often between 20-40 minutes and that is partly influenced by the point taken on the common commute, since in-car listening is well-liked. Within the Information {industry}, sure podcasts might prioritize posting their information earlier than the morning rush hour, and information like Publish Experiences from the Washington Publish are launched in time for the night commute (Digital Information Report). 

The place would possibly your ICP be hanging out? The place and when could be most handy for them to hearken to a podcast, and may that affect the common size of your podcast episodes? 

How:  

The preferred podcast platforms are Spotify, Podcasts (Apple), and Google Podcasts – 25%, 20%, and 16% respectively.  

Spotify has turn out to be some of the well-liked platforms for podcast listening for a number of causes: 

1. Integration with Music Streaming: Spotify already had a big person base of music streamers, and the platform started incorporating podcasts into its providing, permitting customers to entry each forms of content material in a single place (not like Apple Music and Podcasts – a frustration I do have!). 
2. Personalization and Discovery: Spotify gives customized suggestions for podcasts based mostly on a person’s listening habits, in addition to curated playlists and different discovery instruments to assist customers discover the newest content material. 
3. Unique content material: Spotify has invested closely in unique podcast content material, together with authentic programming, and unique distribution offers with well-liked podcasters. This has helped entice new customers to the platform and preserve them engaged. 
4. Consumer Expertise: Spotify has a user-friendly interface that’s simple to navigate, making it easy for listeners to seek out and play podcasts. 
5. Partnerships: Spotify has fashioned partnerships with quite a lot of podcast networks and producers, which has helped increase the vary of content material out there on the platform. 

Regardless of the {industry} namesake originating with Apple, Spotify jumped on the podcast alternative with extra fervor, investing cash and making partnerships to make podcast listening extra accessible to their massive person base. Whereas Apple might embody personalization as nicely, I’ve at all times personally discovered that Spotify will get far more area of interest with their suggestions.  

Lastly, listeners are usually invested in sure hosts, and if these hosts are friends on different podcasts, they’re prone to pay attention, or if that podcast host recommends one other podcast, listeners are prone to undertake.  

Podcast Demographics for B2B Shoppers  

What about your goal account – what podcasts would possibly they be listening to? General, the most well-liked forms of podcast content material for enterprise professionals are people who provide sensible ideas, insights, and recommendation that may assist them enhance their abilities and advance their careers. Listed below are some well-liked subjects your shopper could be listening to: 

• Advertising and marketing and Promoting: Common amongst entrepreneurs and enterprise professionals, these podcasts provide insights into the newest advertising developments, methods, and greatest practices. 
• Entrepreneurship and Enterprise: These podcasts are well-liked amongst enterprise professionals who need to keep updated on the newest enterprise information and developments. They typically characteristic interviews with profitable entrepreneurs and enterprise leaders. 
• Productiveness and Time Administration: Podcasts that provide ideas and recommendation on productiveness and time administration are well-liked amongst enterprise professionals who’re searching for methods to be extra environment friendly and efficient of their work. 
• Gross sales: Common amongst enterprise professionals who’re concerned in gross sales or enterprise improvement, these podcasts provide insights into the newest gross sales strategies, methods, and greatest practices. 
• Management and Administration: Podcasts that cowl management and administration subjects are well-liked amongst enterprise professionals who want to enhance their management abilities and handle their groups extra successfully. 
• Trade-Particular Content material: Many enterprise professionals hearken to podcasts that cowl industry-specific content material related to their work. For instance, these working within the tech {industry} might hearken to podcasts that cowl the newest developments in know-how or startups. 

In what methods is your organization a thought chief and what are some new insights you might be able to appropriately present via a medium like podcast episodes? What are you able to say that gives worth to your ICP? 

Accessibility Hurdles 

As a neurodivergent particular person, I knew entering into listening to podcasts wasn’t going to be simple for me, however that’s a part of the explanation why I’m doing it. That mentioned, I’ve observed a number of issues that may hinder adoption, and I at all times care about addressing inclusion.  

One instance comes from the podcast my associate subscribed me to; the host offers some shorter episodes which can be compilations of interviews that he has had on a selected topic, narrated by one other particular person offering context and the way all of the interviews align on that topic. Usually, this host’s podcasts may be as much as 2-3 hours and are dense topics. I feel it’s nice that he contains a few of these shorter, extra simply digestible compilation podcasts; they’re free they usually supplied me with sufficient data to inform my associate that I’d be keen to decide to a subscription.  

After all, that host’s target market will not be the everyday podcast person who needs one thing lighter, shorter, and simpler to digest. You’ll need to contemplate these choices in your personal ICP or extra personas.

What choices are you able to present which can be simpler to hearken to and illustrate your podcast nicely sufficient to encourage subscription? If you happen to’d desire to have your content material be free with sponsored commercial, what sponsors would possibly you contemplate promoting, and is the advert related to the episode and bringing worth to your ICP, or will it simply be a nuisance? How will you make the commercial simpler to swallow via alternative of placement within the episode and thru alternative of who says it?

Definitely, use your podcast to advertise your personal providers, merchandise, or different useful sources that you just may need in your web site or weblog. 

Lastly, relating to accessibility, fairness, and inclusion, audio codecs usually are not very pleasant for folk who’re laborious of listening to. There are strategies so as to add closed captioning to podcasts, however they’re not person pleasant and the way in which to incorporate them depends upon the appliance/platform. Nonetheless, I encourage having detailed, search engine marketing applicable present notes (episode descriptions) and together with a PDF to an official transcript which may be downloaded. One other useful piece is to maintain the formatting of your episodes constant and make the most of chapter markers (particularly for those who present longer episodes with meatier content material). 

Hopefully, these insights offers you extra data on whether or not podcasts are applicable in your ICP and how one can goal them successfully and mindfully.

By the way in which, our founder, Matt Heinz has an award profitable podcast, Gross sales Pipeline Radio.  He goes stay Thursdays on LinkedIn and YouTube.  Transcripts with audio and video hyperlinks are discovered proper right here on the weblog on most Mondays. We characteristic the brightest minds in B2B gross sales and advertising, sharing secrets and techniques to driving larger quantity, velocity and conversion of gross sales pipelines in any {industry}. We cowl the whole pipeline– demand technology, lead administration, gross sales effectiveness, know-how and extra– all targeted on serving to you discover, handle and win extra enterprise.