Podcast Paradox: Mainstream and Niche at the Same Time

Should podcasting still be considered new media Or is it mainstream How many people listen to podcasts Who listens and why What is the opportunity for advertisers and for publishers There are lots of questions to answer and many insights to share Let39s dig inWe are witnessing the transition of podcasts from a niche medium to an emerging mainstream media channelMore than Half of Adults Under 50 are Listening to PodcastsWhile reduced commuting due to COVID19 cut into radio listening traditional and streaming podcast listening continued to grow in 2020 Podcast listening grew across all age groups although it is higher among younger adults We39ve now reached the point where 50 or more of adults under 50 are listening to podcasts more than 40 of all adultsWe saw audience growth for podcasts with increases of about 15 of monthly weekly and daily podcast listenersDissimilar to the double growth we39ve seen for streaming video with increases in both audience size 8 and in time spent 127 the number of podcast listeners grew 19 but the average time spent listening to podcasts 5 remained consistent with last year overall and across age groupsIf your audience is under 50 podcasts should definitely be in consideration for your media mix for advertising or content distribution Listeners are tuning in and with greater frequency which opens the doors for marketers to not just tell a story but create a relationship when listeners are actively listeningBeing educated and informed are the top reasons for listening to podcasts making it more of a migration from visual to audio within print than part of the musicdriven audio on an advertising campaign39s media planPodcasts are Not the New Radio Yet amp8230Unlike traditional radio which is predominantly listened to in the car podcasts are listened to as much at home as when out and about In fact quotdoing household choresquot and quotcookingbakingquot are the No 1 and No 3 occasions for listening to podcastsDifferent from other media where we saw shifts due to COVID19 ie a decline in listening to radio in the car or an increase in daytime TV viewing there were no dramatic shifts in when people listen to podcasts as a result of the pandemic just a slight decline in listening while commuting 29 to 27 and a slight increase during cookingbaking 17 to 21During a year when pandemic and politics created stress and many of our normal activities were offlimits it makes sense that listening to podcasts quotto relaxquot and quotto distract myselfquot increased in 2020Marketers as you consider the role of podcasts in your marketing plans and the role of your brand in podcasts understanding why consumers are listening to them helps refine those roles Is it entertaining or informative What messaging will resonate best in that contextWhile listening to podcasts becomes a mainstream activity the podcast landscape itself remains more niche than mainstreamPodcast Listening Is Diverse and PersonalNews ampamp Politics leads as the most listenedto genre of podcasts with over one in three podcast listeners regularly listening followed by Comedy ampamp Music with just under one in four listening regularly But overall podcast listening is driven by personal interestsThe most dramatic difference we saw in our analysis was the podcast genres by age group News ampamp Politics was a top genre across all groups but Comedy is higher among adults under 50 Science ampamp Technology are markedly higher among adults 1834 while Religion ampamp Spirituality is a Top 3 genre among adults over 50 and Health ampamp Living rises to the Top 10 among adults 65Despite the apparent fragmentation once you39ve identified the specific audience for your campaign determining where to focus your presence in podcasts is a lot easier And consolidation of podcast programming into large networks will continue to make audience targeting and buying easierLeveraging data to understand the role of podcasts in your consumers39 life is key to creating contextual relevance and effectiveness for your brand in podcasts whether you39re advertising or creating contentIt39s a challenging time for marketers but uptodate data is available and helps a lot Media fragmentation has not slowed down and marketers must build reach and frequency with purpose Contact me if you39re interested in seeing this data and more broken out for your specific target audiences brands etc I39m here to strategize and helpClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Podcast Paradox: Mainstream and Niche at the Same Time

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Tamara Alesi

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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Podcast Paradox: Mainstream and Niche at the Same Time

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"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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