In a mid-size survey study (156 respondents with census representation) commissioned by insights platform Knit, and produced by Cumulus Media’s AudioActive Group, we learn about effective types of podcast promotion.
Most consumers are open to finding new podcasts, which is a friendly setup for a study about discovery. Only 15% of respondents make the adamant claim that “I have my favorite podcasts I stick to and don’t try new ones. Another 32% rarely stretch out. On the more adventurous side, 53% like finding new shows in a range from “sometimes” to “always.”
Even more hopeful for shows seeking new audience, 80% of surveyed folks listened to a new podcast in the last month, and 52% restless listeners heard a new show in the last week.
But how to find? social media ranks #1 in a lost of discovery tools, with YouTube nipping at social media’s heels:
In a fascinating word cloud, Cumulus illustrates over 30 potential motivations for podcast listening. By what appears to be a large margin, “interest in Specific Topics” leads all other drivers, including entertainment value:
On the question of what makes an attractive podcast, 45% of respondents answered “thought provoking.” Being challenged drives listening in this cohort more than motivation (38%), Humor (38%), education (37%), inclusion (33%), and reassurance (30%). In that raft of metrics, it’s worth noting that even the least drive (reassurance) motivates 30% of this listening group.
When it comes to attitudes about advertising, the big word-cloud mandate is that the ads are connected to the podcast content:
There’s much more to this work; downloading the slide deck highly recommended. It is HERE.
