PodMov Daily: Monday, November 23

Episode 325: Your Monday Mix

Daily News Podcasts “Punching Well Above Their Weight” 

“Daily news podcasts make up less than 1% of all podcasts produced but account for more than 10% of the overall downloads in the United States,” writes Sarah Scire of Nieman Lab. This is according to a new report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, which looked at 102 dailies in six countries.

The Daily from The New York Times “gets a lot of credit in this report,” Scire says. Three years after launch, its influence has stuck. “Thirty seven daily news podcasts have been launched within the last year, including a number of “pop-up” coronavirus podcasts that, despite a warp-speed production process, found success.”

Reuters found that “these shows are clearly punching well above their weight with audiences,” which tend to be younger and better-educated. As listeners face an onslaught of urgent news, the daily format mercifully expands our options (“Deep dives! Extended chats! News bulletins! Microbulletins!”) for consuming it.

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The Responsibility of Podcasters in Civil Debate

Fresh off the ordeal of election coverage, Edison Research SVP Tom Webster observes how insulated our echo chambers have become. “Our filter bubbles are destroying our ability for civil debate,” he tells podcasters. “I don’t have anything grander to ask here than for all of us to ask ourselves as media creators, ‘am I helping?’”

Our conversations matter because listeners internalize them. “Podcasts have a unique opportunity to contribute to the public narrative, to the body politic, that other media simply do not — you start from a position of trust,” Webster writes. “Imagine what you can do with that, even on your board game podcast.”

Webster urges creators to talk politics (not that kind). “Politics, at its heart, is nothing more than the dynamics of a group making decisions to benefit that group. That means arguing to learn, not to convince,” he writes. “It means patience. And it means recognizing the good before allowing yourself to demonize the bad.”

Claritas: Acquisition Email Campaigns with Impact

In 2019, U.S. marketers spent an estimated $350 million on email advertising. Though 73% of them rank email as an “excellent” channel for delivering ROI, acquisition email campaigns are often perceived as “too hard” to execute. With Claritas, the reality couldn’t be more different.

Claritas has delivered over 300 acquisition email campaigns for clients. The results are clear: Marketers were able to seamlessly integrate email into their media mix, achieving open rates 2-3x higher and click through rates 5-7x higher than industry averages. In a new report, you’ll learn the top ten tips for driving success. 

Online consumer spending is projected to increase 18% in 2020. Now’s the time to leverage acquisition email campaigns. With Claritas’ experience, unparalleled data, and industry-leading methodology, you’ll deliver the right message to the right audience in the right inbox.

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Here's what else is going on:

• Human capital: YouTube will be running ads on some unmonetized videos without paying creators, reports Damien Wilde of 9to5Google. The change only affects those that are too small for YouTube’s Partner Program. If you’re under 1,000 subscribers, your content is now fair game.

• A toast: Ten female podcasters of color will advance to phase two of Spotify’s Sound Up U.S. program. The company introduces Krystal Cruz, Olayinka Sarayi, and other participants selected to move forward. By year’s end, Sound Up will have served 160 podcasters in six countries. 

• Legal pad: Are guest release forms really necessary for podcasts? “Yes. Always yes,” says Tae Haahr. “One simple signed piece of paper can work wonders for ensuring your podcast’s content remains solely dictated by you.” Haahr outlines key protections and several low-cost resources.

• Body positive: Podbean’s first Podcast Wellness Week begins on Monday. The free five-day event will focus on mental and physical health with well-known podcasters. Programming includes live-streamed sessions, panels, daily featured meditations and exclusive pre-released episodes.