Podcasters are the New Influencers in Town
By Cliff Dumas
The justified condemnation of the toxic effect of social media has gripped us all and our outrage has been further fueled by the recent news that Facebook and Instagram were aware of the debilitating effects of their respective platforms causing everything from teenage body dysmorphia to political discourse.
Brands are understandably re-evaluating their media strategies and social partnerships. For advertisers looking for new options and significant alternatives, podcasting can fill the void.
Move over social media, podcasters are the new influencers in town!
By the end of 2021, the number of monthly US podcast listeners will have increased by 10.1% year-over-year (YoY) to 117.8 million. Podcasts are mostly seeing traction among younger consumers—this year, more than 60% of US adults ages 18 to 34 will listen to podcasts monthly.
It’s not just the variety of interesting topics and hosts. It’s also the curated, brand-safe environment, and the personal connection and trust podcast hosts have with their listeners. For all these reasons, attention on the medium is mushrooming. According to the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) Podcast Advertising Revenue Study May 2021, podcast advertising revenue will surpass $1 billion this year and double that amount in 2023.
With podcasting, you get the same benefits that come with other digital media. It’s measurable, attributable, memorable and most importantly podcasts also have the benefit of greater curation.
As listening growth continues to soar and with a constant stream of new and interesting shows and episodes to discover, podcasting has established itself as the next media frontier.
According to Infinite Dial, listeners subscribe to an average of 6 different shows per week, with listeners actually listening to an average of 7 shows per week, an increase from 5 since 2007.
The loyal aspect of podcast listeners is proved by the statistic that 80% of podcast listeners listen to ‘all or the majority of each episode.
Need more proof of the power of podcasts? At the end of last year, The Daily (from New York Times) had approximately 4 million listeners per day, greater than the number of primetime viewers to the most-watched TV news network, FOX News. In fact, NPR’s weekly audience for their news podcasts exceeds 7 million persons per week.
Podcasting is a massive audience and coveted demographic. Ready to give your brand a voice?