Click here to view or download the slides.

Click here to view or download the deck presented at the Podcast Movement keynote.

Click here to view or download System1’s Listen Up! report.

Click here to view a 13-minute video of the key findings.

Last week, Podcast Movement was held in Washington, D.C. The conference featured speakers from the podcast industry who discussed the latest news and insights covering content, advertising, and podcast promotion.

The Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® presented a keynote last Thursday along with Amplifi Media and System1. The topic of the discussion was “Unleashing the Power of Effective Audio Promos” and included findings from a study conducted in partnership with Knit, a survey platform that collects video responses.

In September 2023, Knit conducted an online survey of 156 monthly podcast consumers. They were asked about their openness to new podcasts as well as what would have to be included in a podcast promo to entice them to listen.

“We were excited to partner with Cumulus Media | Westwood One on this research, leveraging our AI platform to empower their team to conduct this qualitative research at scale. Combining our technological capabilities with their deep expertise in podcast advertising, we uncovered crucial insights into what drives podcast discovery and listener engagement,” said Aneesh Dhawan, Knit CEO. “The study reveals the importance of relevant, thought-provoking content, the power of humor in capturing attention, and other key factors that make podcast promos truly effective.”

Here are the key findings:

Most podcast consumers are open to finding new podcasts

The good news for the podcast industry is that there is an appetite for new podcasts. Only 15% of those surveyed said they don’t try new ones. A third said they try new podcasts when they hear about ones that interest them.

Half of podcast consumers have listened to a new podcast in the past week; 80% in the last month

The appetite for new podcasts is validated in the Podcast Download – Spring 2024 Report conducted by the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® in partnership with Signal Hill Insights. The Podcast Download examines the podcast consumption habits of weekly consumers and found that regardless of when they started listening to podcasts, over half have started to listen to a new podcast in the past 3 months.

Social media is the #1 discovery tool for new podcasts, followed by YouTube, word of mouth, and other podcasts

Of those podcast consumers who have listened to a new podcast in the past year, 20% of them learned about the new podcast on social media. YouTube, the entertainment search engine, is number two at 18%. With the rise of video podcasts, YouTube remains a platform where new podcasts ought to be in order to be discovered.

An interest in specific topics drives podcast listening

When asked what made them listen to a new podcast, specific topics of discussion were most important. One respondent stated, “Usually when I am looking to find a new podcast, there’s different things that I look into. One – is it in the subject that I’m looking for?” Another stated, “The thing that made me listen to the newest podcast … is they had topics that I was very interested in.”

What the podcast audience want in a podcast promo: Thought-provoking topics and messaging that makes them think

Podcasts are a lean-in medium with high levels of consumer engagement and attentiveness. Podcast consumers pay attention to what is being said in podcasts as opposed to the more lean-back, in-the-background nature of music streaming.

With high levels of engagement comes an expectation of challenging, thought-provoking topics. Podcast consumers also prefer promos with messaging that makes them feel motivated.

Podcast promos haven’t hit the oversaturation point yet

70% of podcast consumers feel that they are hearing just enough podcast promos. Only 14% believe they are hearing too many.

What makes a podcast promo bad? Podcast consumers don’t like promos that aren’t related to the podcast they’re listening to

Context is important. Podcast promos that don’t match the context of the podcast are deemed as “bad” and sometimes consumers even zone out. Podcast promos need to align with the podcasts they’re airing in.

Podcast ads that were similar to the podcast in which they aired were considered good

When asked about what podcast promos get right, top responses include an alignment in listener interest, comprehensive product details, and an engrossing presentation.

Enough with boring podcast promos: Podcast consumers value humor, entertainment, and topic relevance in promos

Podcasts are unique in they satisfy two needs for consumers – information/education as well as entertainment.

When asked to imagine the ideal podcast promo that would capture their attention, podcast consumers value humor, similar to the Podcast Download finding that revealed humor to be a preferred aspect of podcast ads.

According to one respondent, podcast promos need to be entertaining. If they just wanted a dry education, “[they] would read a book”.

Orlando Wood, Chief Innovation Officer of System1, the leading creative testing service, says, “Entertain for commercial gain”

A dry and bland description of a podcast will fail to be noticed or stir any emotions. Successful advertising and podcast promotion is not just about selling. It must also entertain and amuse. 

In his book, Why Does The Pedlar Sing? What Creativity Really Means In Advertising, Paul Feldwick urges marketers, ”I would like to encourage all those who work in advertising and brand management to suspend their ‘delicate feelings’ about what really creates popularity and fame, and to embrace the idea that advertising is at least as much showmanship as it is salesmanship. It is time to rediscover the fact that advertising builds brands best when it is entertaining, popular, and memorable, when it is not just a pitch, but a performance.”

Key takeaways:

• Most podcast listeners are open to finding a new podcast: The majority of podcast listeners say they are at least open to finding a new podcast, if not actively searching. Only 15% of podcast listeners say they don’t try new podcasts.
• Context matters: Respondents said a good podcast promo is one that is relevant to the podcast on which it is being promoted. Podcast promos that don’t match the context of the podcast are deemed as “bad” and sometimes consumers even zone out.
• Showmanship is important: Video respondents said that being entertaining in podcast promos is a good way to capture their attention.

Recommendations:

• Promote on relevant podcasts: Even with a great podcast promo, if that promo is put on the wrong podcast, audiences will not grow. Placing podcast promos on podcasts that are similar helps ensure a receptive audience will be reached.
• Be entertaining and informative: Successful podcast promotion advertising is as much showmanship as it is salesmanship. While being informative is a top priority for podcast promos, the promos need to be entertaining as well in order to stand out amongst other types of media and other podcasts. As one video respondent said, “Be entertaining…or else I could just read a book.” Entertain for commercial gain.

Click here to view a 13-minute video of the key findings.

Download the slides:

Download the Podcast Movement keynote deck:

Lauren Vetrano is the VP of Advertiser Measurement & Insights of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group®.