Podcast: The Upward Trajectory

Bite-sized content seems to rule the world, especially as attention spans get shorter. However, there is a medium that doesn’t abide by this rule: the podcast. People enjoy the long-form content but you need to understand the geographics and demography of your listeners to do it right. Luckily, the latest survey from Anchor and Spotify can help you out.

While the podcast is still a relatively new content medium compared to videos or email marketing, its consumption has continuously increased, accelerated by the pandemic, and has become one of the most popular pastimes during our lockdown or Circuit Breaker period. 

As we transition into an endemic phase and resume a sense of normalcy, podcasts are not riding off into the sunset. They are here to stay. 

Are you engaging?

Take a peek at the podcast shows available on Spotify or Apple Music, and you will notice that podcasts are rarely under the 10-minute mark unless it is a recap or a highlight of headline news (e.g. NPR’s five-minute News Now). The podcast length varies based on the show’s category or genre, but the 25-30 minute range is often touted as the sweet spot, emphasising that podcasts stand out in an array of ultra-short content. 

Engagement is the measure for successful content, and podcasts are no exception. How many listeners can you engage for a whole episode? According to the survey above, all podcast listeners, regardless of genre, completed at least 72% of the episodes. Shorter podcasts (20-30 minutes), such as business and education, get within the 70% mark. 

Meanwhile, longer podcasts (40–60 minutes), such as comedy and true crime, obtain approximately 80%. Moreover, listeners who follow your podcast are up to four times more likely to stream your content than those who do not. This shows the loyalty of podcast listeners when you have successfully converted them. 

The overlap demographic

You may think that audio-only content is a dying breed, as most of the population are visual learners — particularly young people. This assumption is false, as evidenced by the survey above, Gen Z is discovering podcast content at double the rate of other generations. 

Popular podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience and The Tim Ferriss Show have also recorded their podcast sessions on video. They posted them on YouTube, maximising the reach and accommodating how consumers consume content. 

When it comes to the most popular genre, the Anchor and Spotify survey declared that comedy reigns supreme globally. However, as you look closer, different regions have a clear favourite; Asia-Pacific prefers religion and spirituality, whereas the US and Canada prefer podcasts on kids and families. 

Regardless, podcast fandom often overlaps, such as listeners who listen to education podcasts more often than not also listening to podcasts about health and fitness (43%). Conversely, educational podcast listeners are unlikely to enjoy true crime shows, with only 9% of respondents. 

This means that cross-promotions between two shows with overlapping fans can be beneficial. Whether it is placing an ad within the show or having a collaborative event where two hosts from different shows join forces and invite relevant guests. 

For example, if you are creating an episode on how to lose weight in 30 days, you may invite a personal trainer, a dietician, and a psychologist podcaster, combining the education and health aspects; how to lose weight properly and how it impacts one’s body and state of mind.

More often than not, podcasts consist of niche topics, enabling every category to have a slice of the pie.

Podcasts are borderless

Podcasting is the new way to stay relevant and differentiate yourself from the sea of short content produced nowadays. It knows no boundaries; you can listen to them anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. The same research above shows that, on average, a show with 30 listeners has users from five different countries. In fact, for every 10 listeners, you gain on average one new listener from a different country.

This proves that global reach is very viable, giving you more leverage with advertisers and allowing you to plan live shows, speaking engagements, and meet your listeners in person accordingly. 

However, remember that nothing is built overnight. It requires consistency and persistence to produce a good-quality show that offers value to your audience. Doing so will ensure that your listeners are engaged and keep coming back, increasing your metrics and reach. The research found that a podcast will find its audience and gain traction within four months.

So don’t be disheartened if your show does not take off as you would have hoped right away. After all, good things come to those who are persistent and patient!

Read more from Click2View:

1. Virtual Sets: Any Place You Want, Any Time You Want
2. Too fast too friendly: exactly how does ultra-short form content work?
3. AI Content Creation: The October 2022 Update
4. There’s a Fine Line Between Delightful and Annoying

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Click2View is Southeast Asia’s premiere full-service independent B2B content marketing agency servicing clients like Microsoft, Google, Visa, Prudential, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy.