Podcasts are getting more popular every day.
According to eMarketer the number of monthly US podcast listeners will increase by over 10% this year to 117.8 million. 60% of US Adults 18-34 listen to podcasts, but fewer than 20% of US Adults over 65 do. That nets out to 50% of US Adults. Which is why podcasts are a $1 billion industry.
Hypotheses
about why people like podcasts includes human attraction to
"storytelling" and that they can provide "focused
relaxation." But neither of those
things lend themselves to merchandising. (Hotchkiss, 2022)
Per Marketing Charts, the top five podcast advertisers in first half 2021 were: BetterHelp, ZipRecruiter, Geico, Hello Fresh, NBCUniversal. (2021)
Do you listen to podcasts? Do you know others who do? Which ones and why?
Have you bought anything, or visited a website for more information about a brand you heard about on a podcast? Was it a :30 or :60 ad? Or was the product/service embedded in the podcast?
Hotchkiss, G. (2022, March 15) Why Are Podcasts So Popular? mediapost.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/372087/why-are-podcasts-so-popular.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline&utm_campaign=125607&hashid=c4hmrOYncfZiBl7GlC72xy3E6dw
(2021, November 2) Who’s Been Spending the Most on Podcast Ads? marketingcharts.com. Retrieved March 15, 2022, from https://www.marketingcharts.com/advertising-trends/spending-and-spenders-118776
6 comments:
I have never bought something based on a podcast. I will never buy something based on a podcast because I want to see with my own eyes in the product is like in a Youtube video. It's something I just don't really understand why they think it's a good idea to put an Ad in a podcast. I only buy items based on reviews and the results with my eyes. I really don't listen to podcasts unless I saw clips of it online. Before listing to the hour-long podcast I want to watch a clip of it and see if it's not a waste of my time. I could never get that time back after listing to an hour-long podcast that was extremely off-topic. I never waste my time looking up a piece more information about a brand because I just listen to it. I have more important things to do than just listen and if something important comes up I need to write it down or else I forgot about it. I am into more beauty, home, and lifestyle things its one of the things you need to see reviews on how it looks like or feels like. I get distracted easily and listening to a podcast is a bad idea because I would never end up listing to everything. Also, podcasts are extremely boring and for me, it needs to be a video to grab my full attention.
I personally do not listen to podcasts only because I find that I utilize my time doing other things, however, I have been interested in getting into listening to self-help and motivational or empowering podcasts. I would be interested in listening to the BetterHelp podcast as well. I actually do know people who listen to podcasts, whether it be every now and then or regularly. I even know some who have started their own podcasts and my friends and I have also discussed the idea of starting a podcast together.
Podcasts are growing significantly today and I remember a time when podcasts were perceived as almost "irrelevant" or very trivial compared to the prospect of downloading and listening to music on iPods or our phones, or just compared to the development of the Internet and other media as a whole. It is interesting to see this shift in leisure activities and media consumption. Especially in an age where many of our minds are scattered and it feels like today, our world is oversaturated with content, it is interesting that podcasts have a space to gain peoples focus.
Since I do not listen to podcasts, I have never bought anything based on one. I think it would be hard for me to go through with a purchase solely based on a podcast. If I were ever to get intrigued by a product I hear about on a podcast, I would need to do my own research for some time and browse through different websites and reviews. However, ads alone will not make me buy a product. Speakers on the podcast might need to really rave about the product in order to catch my interest.
- Nomi Q.
I have tried listening to podcasts, in particular there is one called Girl Trek, that tells stories about black history while you walk. While the content was very good, I found it hard to keep focused. I have a very short attention span and could never last all the way through a podcast. Additionally I am also a visual person just listening to someone talk without seeing their hand movements and facial expressions makes me lose interest as well. I did however buy a book that was advertised on the podcast so the marketing did work as the author was also a part of the talk. My husband listens to podcasts a lot and, in fact every day he listens to Joe Madison Show. A few weeks ago I saw Hello Fresh box show up at the house, he said he heard about it on the show and going to give them a try...I definitely would not have made that purchase because its not something we really need, and I had seen their ads before and I was never influenced to try it.
I am an avid podcast listener. I do know quite a few people that do listen to them. I love This American Life, Radio Lab, Revisionist History, Tanis, Rabbits, 99% Invisible, Swinndeled, and the list goes on. I love listening to stories, especially when I'm doing other activities such as cooking, doing mindless labor, working on my bike, making art, or just about anything that I can do that does not require the use of my ears. I tend to lean toward ones that are based in history, science, and sociology, but I also enjoy fiction-based podcasts.
I have never bought anything that was advertised on a podcast. In if I have, it was not because of an ad that I heard. However, I do enjoy it when the ads are embedded into the show and not a spot that was created by the brand.
I would consider myself a heavy listener to podcasts. I am always listening to an episode of a podcast, whether it is on the way to class or work, cleaning the apartment, cooking dinner, or just before I go to sleep. I find the storytelling aspect very intriguing. I listen to a variety of genres of podcasts including true crime, society and culture, business, and comedy. Some of my favorites are the Mile Higher Podcast, Morbid, Anything Goes, and Unhinged.
I do notice that there is always a lot of breaks for advertising in all of these podcasts. I heard recently that said that the most popular podcasts charge hundreds of thousands of dollars to companies that want to advertise on their platforms. To me, I am not very intrigued by the advertising on podcasts because I find that they are often very scripted and clearly crafted by the advertiser rather than the podcaster. Common companies in many podcasts that I listen to are Hello Fresh, Audible, BetterHelp, Express VPN, and Square Space. I think that I am a lot more willing to purchase a product based on an ad when it is in a YouTube video so that I can visually see what the hosts are speaking about.
Shohei Ishikawa
I started to listen to podcasts/ live-streaming recently because I am bored, and sometimes it is good to hear some information that is not educational. My girlfriend also listens to the same streamer because we have similar interests in topics. We listen to the Japanese podcasts on youtube for now, but I would like to explore American/ English podcasts.
I do not know if it is because my podcasts do not sell advertised products in the streaming. I have never bought anything from podcasts, but I believe I would buy something if they recommended products because I have some trust in them. They have youtube ads, but I do not believe that the ads do not have anything with them because it is youtube ads.
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