By Kaylee Lauriel, PR Intern
Originally thought to be a flight of fancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, podcasts have shocked the world by becoming a major part of content creation. Their ability to offer entertainment, information and education without distracting listeners from everyday tasks has skyrocketed their popularity. 64% of podcasters believe podcasts will be even more popular in two years.
67% of Americans between the ages of 18 to 30 listened to a podcast in the last year, and PR pros have pitched podcasts 20% more in Q1 of 2023 than in Q4 of 2022 and have gotten over five times the response rate.
A Closer Look at Podcasts
Almost 50% of podcasters look to current events for inspiration for podcast content, meaning that podcasts are an easy way to stay up to date with the world around you. Podcasts have become increasingly popular due to the mobile lifestyles of listeners and the convenience of listening.
On average, a podcast episode will last from 20 to 40 minutes, and more than half of all podcasters release new episodes once a week or more. More than half of podcasters will also record videos of the show, offering a visual experience as well as the default auditory one.
In a drastic up tick from last year, 81% of podcasts feature guests. It has been found that the opmal podcast has one guest and one host, and podcasters will prioritize organic guests over paid ones.
More and more podcasters offer premium content so their subscribers can access extra content that is exclusive to them.
70% of podcasters rely on social media to promote their podcasts, meaning that cross-posting clips across their platforms have become increasingly common. Most podcasters use three or more channels to cross-post on, the top four being Facebook, Instagram, their blog or website and Twitter. It is also the best practice for guests appearing on the show to promote it on their channels as well. Twitter is the best place to promote the show, as almost 30% of podcasts hosts have the largest following there.
More than half of podcasters believe there are too many podcasts, but the audience for them continues to grow. Find your niche because there are listeners waiting for you!
