Podcasting’s Rise To Glory
Introduction
Clearly, the COVID-19 pandemic had a plethora of effects on many aspects of life, from people's health to their daily lives and so much more. Most of these effects were negative; however, one of the few bright spots that came out of the COVID-19 pandemic was the growth in podcasts. Podcasts are seemingly the newest trend taking the internet by storm, and its rise in popularity came thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a time when people were locked in their houses or cramped apartments with nothing to do, no one to meet up with, and nowhere to go, podcasts emerged as a way to have thoughtful discussions with friends or colleagues in the safety of their own home. Just a few years since the major rise in the number of podcasts all around the world, podcasts are now listened to daily by millions of people, it is a great way to advertise to listeners, and podcasts about any and all subjects have arisen.
How Much Did Podcasts Grow?
According to CollectiveMeasures.com, In 2020, an estimated 155 million Americans identified as podcast listeners. This is an increase of 26% from 2019 and 76% from 2018. Monthly and weekly listenership increased as well, with 37 percent of Americans listening to podcasts in the previous month and 24 percent listening in the previous week. The feeling of being bored worldwide during the pandemic, paired with the ability of people who already had even a small following to make a podcast, made the listenership in the United States jump significantly.
Also, according to MorningConsult.com, PRX (public radio exchange) which typically sees more than 70 million downloads per month, saw downloads increase by 33 percent from 2019 to 2020 for a total of more than 1 billion downloads. Wonder Media Network, an independent podcast company that creates educational content surrounding social justice topics, saw downloads remain high in August, typically a low month in terms of downloads industry-wide. Roughly one-quarter (22 percent) of U.S. adults said they’re listening to podcasts more due to social distancing and stay-at-home habits, according to a Morning Consult survey conducted March 23-26, 2021, a slight uptick compared to 18 percent who said the same when Morning Consult asked in March 2020. About 1 in 3 Americans (32 percent) said they now listen to podcasts at least once a week, according to the most recent survey. When asked to reflect on their pre-pandemic listening habits, 26 percent said they streamed podcasts at least weekly.
How Did This Growth Effect Advertising?
It's no wonder that advertisers have taken advantage of this expansion. 41% of Americans say they are more inclined to purchase a product or service if it is advertised on a podcast. Large brands have sponsored top podcasts in order to increase brand awareness and growth. This type of marketing strategy can connect with the listener on a more intimate level when combined with ad reads from podcast personalities. CollectiveMeasures.com says that For advertisers, podcasts open up a world of scalable opportunities. If you are looking for scale, any DSP gives you the ability to secure podcast inventory across a plethora of relevant vendors. In the case where your DSP does not have this ability, all relevant podcast inventory is available through a direct buy. Premium inventory that includes live ad reads and inventory on premium podcasts can be negotiated through a private-marketplace deal. Contextually speaking, most of these podcast companies allow you to layer on targeting based off the listener consumption habits. This is similar to any digital media buy in which marketers can reach their exact target consumer (or, in this case, listener).
How have Podcasts Grown Around the World?
At Variety.com, they saw a 200% increase from January to October in 2020.
At VoxNest.com they did a more in-depth look into specifically what topics certain podcasts touched on that intrigued listeners, as well as how much those numbers rose during the pandemic in counties like the US, Spain, and Italy. The Biggest jump between the three was in the United States, with design podcasts which jumped over 3000% in listenership during the pandemic. In Spain, the biggest increase was with science podcasts increasing by over 500%, And in Italy, the biggest jump was for true crime podcasts and it jumped over 1200%.
Top Podcasts During COVID
1. The Joe Rogan Experience
2. Anything Goes with Emma Chamberlain
3. Call Her Daddy
4. Morbid: A True Crime Podcast
5. MrBallen Podcast
6. Crime Junkie
7. 2 Bears, 1 Cave
Tips For Starting a Podcast
According to Master Class Articles, these are the best tips for podcasts to be successful
1. Create a podcast template
2. Improve audio quality with the right recording equipment
3. Record in a quiet environment
4. Explore free recording and editing software
5. Include intro music
6. Include eye-catching cover art
7. Include helpful show notes
8. Promote the podcast
9. Publish the podcast on multiple hosting platforms