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.
