Here’s a list:
- The rise of video podcast analytics.
- Business leaders using multi-channel podcasting in marketing.
- RSS challenged by proprietary platforms.
- Always-on podcasts.
- New formats moving away from traditional interviews.
Those are five key takeaway predictions articulated by 28 podcast industry leaders in an end-of-year feature published by podcast hosting and solutions provider CoHost. Among the herd of prediction articles we’ve seen, this one is unusually deep and well packaged. (It is HERE.)
CoHost founder Fatima Zaidi deservedly takes the honor of headlining the feature with her own prediction, reproduced in its entirety below:
The invited experts are given plenty of room to detail their predictions. Podnews Founder and RAIN News guest columnist James Cridland foresees “A split between traditional, open RSS apps like Apple Podcasts and Overcast, and proprietary video-focused apps, like YouTube and Spotify.” That is the intro to a 155-word prediction.
Below, another TLDR summary; this one comprising advice to podcasters in the coming year, as culled from the industry predictions:
- Know your audience: Focus on creating content for a specific audience and understand their preferences, needs, and behaviors. Use engagement metrics over vanity stats to guide your content and promotional strategies.
- Balance production and promotion: Invest 50% of your effort into producing top-quality content, and the other 50% into marketing and growing your show through strategic outreach and community-building.
- Don’t discount video: Consider incorporating video into your podcast strategy, whether through clips or full episodes, to expand reach and stay competitive.
- Embrace authenticity and creativity: Stay true to your voice, create unique content that excites you, and differentiate yourself by offering something special that can only come from you.
- Build a community: Focus on fostering a community, not just an audience. Engage with listeners on a deeper level through platforms like Discord or Patreon, and connect with other creators to amplify your reach.
I’s important for any podcaster glancing through the predictions to do the deep reading in each one. That’s where the actionable wisdom is.
