Podcasting powerhouse Acast has partnered with Edison Research in a study called Podcast Pulse. It is supported by global agency Dentsu. Targeted to advertisers, this large, deeply researched, beautifully presented study advocates for a broader perception of podcasting and its listeners.
The Thesis
This work is motivated by the perception that podcasting is shifting. Much of that shift is related to podcasters broadening their footprints as content creators and brand owners.
“Podcasters are becoming multifaceted content creators, expanding their craft beyond the podcast to everywhere and anywhere people are getting their content fix — whether that’s video, social, live events and so much more.” –Greg Glenday, Chief Business Officer, Acast
So that outward movement is motivated by widening listener behavior. “Podcasts are still the main course, but fans are hungry for more,” says Glenday.
Breadth Of Content
It’s not just the audience which is broadened out. This study emphasizes that podcasting presents an enviable breadth of subject, and this encourages and enables listener dedication.
“Consumers find what they’re into, no matter what they’re into.” –Acast Podcast Pulse
Edison’s survey work, the backbone of this report, found that two in three listeners say podcasts are the best way to learn about things they’re interested in.
Sought, Not Served
As scope and enthusiasm are key reasons why advertisers should look at podcasting, Acast also emphasizes that listeners initiate listening; that is to say, they don’t rely on podcasting to push shows onto their screens. This spirit of initiative is reflected in a finding that podcasts outrank YouTube, social media, television and radio as the best channel to deliver topics of interest.
The enterprising nature of podcast listeners, perhaps naturally, leads to breadth of listening. Six different topics are listened to,on average, according to the underlying survey.
“Show preferences are multi-layered to fulfill their diverse interests, creative pursuits and career aspirations. There’s no one-size-fits-all podcast, slisteners’ feeds are a deeply personal curation of shows that matter to them.” –Podcast Pulse
No Joke
Podcasting is entertainment, of course, but there is a large component of seriousness among listeners revealed in Edison’s survey. “Podcasts do content differently. Compared to traditional media, listeners tune in to their favorite shows to learn about new topics and hear from different voices and perspectives.” (We enjoy the phrase “tune in” to argue that listeners prefer new media.)
With all this fine tuning which brings mission-driven listeners together with topic-specific podcasts, it’s no surprise that podcast listeners listen to shows with a narrow area of focus, made for people with specific interests. In this study, Acast calls that phenomenon “untapped value in the long tail. Four out of five listeners seek narrow areas of content focus — hobbies and niche topics.
Sixty percent of survey respondents say that niche podcasts offer more value, deeper insights, and are more engaging than mainstream shows.
All of this scrutiny of user preferences is interesting on its own, but Acast’s obvious mission here is to compel the case that podcasting offers effective advertising. A key slide in the deck (which, by the way, is HERE) quantifies that case:
The Trust Factor
After extensively documenting the tight relationship between podcaster and listener, the Podcast Pulse presentation measures the extension of trust from the show to the advertiser. This gets to Acast’s point, most concisely stated as “From influence to impact.”
Impact isn’t the end game, though — action is. The survey component of this deck tells us that 88% of listeners have taken some form of action because of a podcast ad. That gleaming metrics is enhanced with the further finding that 92% of daily listeners have taken action. Topping even that, 94% of niche podcast listeners have taken action.
It wouldn’t be a podcast deck without comparing those shiny numbers to other media. Here, we learn th at podcasts are perceived as authentic compared to social media (55% to 26%), and have more engaging commercials than radio (52% to 19%).
Takeaways
We have skimmed. Go deeper with the source deck HERE.
In the meantime, below are key summary bullets taken from the 43-page infographic with multiple data charts. These are advertiser takeaways. In the deck, each takeaway is coupled with an explanatory paragraph not reproduced here.
- Leverage the long tail
- Reach incremental audiences
- Tailor your creative
- Immerse your brand in the community
- Partner with trusted voices for instant credibility
- Listeners take action on podcast ads
