By Cliff Dumas

With the rise in popularity of podcasting, it has become increasingly essential to understand the analytics of podcasting metrics and how to best promote your podcast to drive listenership. In this blog post, we will explore the key podcasting metrics, the best ways to promote your podcast, and some of the most successful branded podcasts.

Podcasting Metrics

There are several podcasting metrics that brands should pay attention to, including downloads, subscribers, listens, and engagement. Downloads refer to the number of times a podcast episode has been downloaded or streamed, while subscribers refer to the number of people who have subscribed to your podcast. Listens refer to the number of times a podcast episode has been listened to, while engagement refers to the level of interaction and feedback received from listeners.

According to Apple, there are over 2 million podcasts on the Apple Podcasts platform, with over 80 million episodes available to listen to. Additionally, Spotify has reported that they have over 365 million monthly active users, with over 2.9 million podcasts available to listen to on their platform. These statistics highlight the immense popularity of podcasting and the potential audience that brands can reach through podcasting.

Promoting Your Podcast

One of the most effective ways to promote your podcast is through email marketing. Email marketing allows you to reach out to your existing audience and promote your podcast to them directly. By sending out regular newsletters and updates, you can build anticipation and excitement around the launch of your podcast.

Another effective way to promote your podcast is through social media platforms. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are ideal for promoting your podcast and reaching a wider audience. By creating engaging social media posts and leveraging hashtags, you can attract new listeners to your podcast and increase your reach. We suggest utilizing your podcast as the foundation for your content strategy. Cannibalizing each episode’s content to create multiple social posts about the specific topic being featured creates content for your social feeds and further promotes your podcast series.

In addition to email marketing and social media, optimizing your podcast for search engines is essential. By using relevant keywords and tags in your podcast descriptions, we can improve your podcast's visibility in search results and attract new listeners.

Successful Branded Podcasts

There are several successful branded podcasts that brands can look to for inspiration. One such example is the "Masters of Scale" podcast, produced by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. The podcast features interviews with successful entrepreneurs and provides valuable insights and advice on building a successful business. Ideas of Order, produced by Everything Podcasts for California Closets is another great example.

Content Genres with the Largest Audience

According to Titan Digital, the true crime genre continues to be one of the most popular podcast genres in 2023, with shows such as "Serial" and "My Favorite Murder" leading the way. Additionally, Signal Hill Insights reports that comedy and society & culture are also popular genres, with shows such as "The Joe Rogan Experience" and "Stuff You Should Know" attracting large audiences.

Podcasting presents a significant opportunity for brands to connect with their audience and drive engagement. By understanding the key podcasting metrics and using effective promotion strategies such as email marketing and social media, brands can attract a wider audience and build a loyal following. By leveraging successfully branded podcasts and popular content genres such as true crime and comedy, brands can create compelling content that resonates with their audience and drives engagement.