Next time you’re on the train, bus or tram, have a little look around and chances are your fellow commuters are listening to audio on their smartphone. While a lot of them are listening to carefully curated music playlists, more and more are tuning into podcasts.

Australians are really jumping on podcasts, with a net 56% increase in podcast listening from 2016 to 2017^. Not only has the count of listeners gone up, but so too has the length of time they are tuning in with 59% of podcast listeners indicated they are listening to more podcasts compared to the previous yearØ. Further to this, marketing agencies and brands alike are alert to the power of podcasts and their ability to connect with customers in a more engaging way, with IAB research revealing that two thirds of Australian marketing agencies are regularly buying streaming audio (be it music or podcasts).*

Why are more people listening to podcasts than before?

  • Accessibility – Smartphones are the preferred listening device for podcasts with 74% of all listens being on itØ.  Podcasts can be consumed in more places than before, across a range of apps that can be found in your pocket on your smartphone (Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and many more). This allows people to access the content they want to hear at a time and place they want to listen to it, in the car, train, bus, on a run, in bed…anywhere.
  • In the room – There is a one-to-one feel when tuning into a podcast, it can feel as though you are in the room with interesting people who are putting on the show and that you are very much part of the conversation.
  • I choose – We live in a time where people are consuming more content on-demand and audio is no exception, with podcasting providing an on-demand audio experience, compared to traditional radio. Users are able to subscribe to podcasts in any area of interest, be it non-fiction or fiction, sport, lifestyle, entertainment, finance, self-help and the list goes on.
  • Learn – It’s a great way to learn. You can find a podcast on any topic you may be interested in mastering. Through podcasts, you get access to a wealth of information, and if you look in the right places you can access the minds of the very best people in any given field for FREE. Want to hear Arnold Schwarzenegger talk about physical form and governance, or how Richard Branson approaches his day? Well you can learn from these people for FREE.
  • Entertainment – For a laugh. Consumers like to be entertained and there is a plethora of great podcasts available to get your giggles on the move, Joe Rogan anyone?

Why brands are jumping on the train

  • Reach – The increased accessibility and subsequent adoption of podcasts by consumers through apps gives brands access to an affluent and educated customerΩ.
  • It’s just good content – It’s no secret that brands are producing more content, and looking for new ways to connect with their audiences as part of an ever-broadening content marketing strategy. Podcasting just happens to be the perfect addition to a content strategy, especially as it’s reach increases, and the intimate nature of the connection between consumer and medium continues.
  • Flesh it out – You create a great podcast or series and then you have a big, big asset. 5, 10 or 20 minutes of audio which can then be transcribed easily into a series of blogs or broken up even further to be tweets for social. Not to mention, you can share that audio across all owned channels.
  • It’s a bit natural – You can make your ad sound less like an ad. Including your service or product and offer can be as simple and raw as a mention from the podcast speaker. The audience typically has a strong affinity with them, so if they naturally mention your product, your ad can be completely integrated into the episode with a level of authenticity which can be difficult to obtain through other mediums. Your brand improves, immensely.

Some of our favourite podcasts…

Tim Ferriss

Joe Rogan

The Rentvesting podcast

The Gary Vee Audio experience

The Dollop

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Conclusion

The increase in podcast consumption is no shock to anyone at The Walk. You will regularly hear the team starting a discussion that goes a little something like ‘Hey, listened to this podcast last night and X person said Y, I’m going to try’. We are not alone, there are many others out there on the train being engaged and educated by Podcasts. We love talking about it, and are also keeping an eye on how brands are getting involved in developing these deep connections with their audience. Get in touch with The Walk if you want to chat about integrating podcasts into your content strategy.

* Source – http://www.campaignbrief.com/2018/02/iab-research-reveals-two-third.html

^ Source – www.abc.net.au/xmlpublic/radio/podcasts/Podcast-Survey-2017-Final-External.pdf

† Source – www.abc.net.au/xmlpublic/radio/podcasts/Podcast-Survey-2017-Final-External.pdf

Ω Source – http://www.edisonresearch.com/podcast-consumer-australia-2017/

Ø Source – https://www.abc.net.au/cm/lb/10382094/data/2018-podcast-survey-data.pdf