PodMov Daily: Friday, October 4

Episode 58: Your Friday Freestyle

Tink: Connecting Authors to Their Ideal Podcast Audiences

As publishing and audio become increasingly connected, industry professionals are developing new ways to advance both mediums. Lauren Passell, formerly a “podcast-obsessed Social Media Director at Little, Brown,” recently founded Tink, the first podcast publicity agency for non-fiction authors.

Forbes’ Adam Rowe spoke with Passell about Tink’s beginnings and why podcast advertising for books is a natural fit. “People listen to podcasts to hear conversations with experts, to learn something, to get to know a new person or subject,” she says. With a listener’s interests established, books on niche subjects can be effectively marketed, leading to ads that add value to the podcast experience.

Although Tink just launched in July, authors and creators have responded with enthusiasm. “People are reaching out to me with really out-of-the-box ideas,” Passell says. “I want to talk to anyone who has an interesting story to tell. I want to get their stories out there, their books sold, and I want to make podcasts better.”

Beyond Downloads: How to Interpret Meaningful Metrics

Although it may be tempting to base your show’s success on download numbers, Dan Misener suggests podcasters dig a bit deeper. “Downloads are one of the few apples-to-apples comparisons podcasters can use,” writes Misener, but no single metric tells the whole story.

“If you want a holistic view of your show’s success, there are many important questions to ask.

For example: “Do listeners spend time with our show?” More platforms than ever offer audience retention charts and average completion rates, sometimes both. Knowing if your audience actually listens to the episodes they’ve downloaded is an essential part of improving engagement.

Misener shows how to determine the size of your reach, the efficacy of marketing efforts, and other useful data points. Knowledge is power.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's 2019 Podcast Survey Results

OzPod, Australia’s premier podcast industry conference, took place in Melbourne yesterday. Cath Dwyer of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation presented the results of the organization’s 2019 Podcast Survey at the opening the event.

The survey, completed by more than 2,500 Australian podcast listeners, reveals high engagement: Of those who “listened to a podcast in the previous week, an average of six podcast episodes were listened to.” However, in line with the industry’s massive growth, “1 in 2 podcast listeners (51%), claim to be overwhelmed” by the choices available.

The results answer why Australians are drawn to podcasts, what categories are enjoyed by different age groups, and much more. If you’d like to grow your audience anywhere in the world, check out the complete report PDF — major points for clear and colorful infographics.

Part of the Wave: A Cracking Day at Australia's OzPod

Happy Friday, readers, and congratulations to the presenters and attendees of OzPod in Melbourne. Laura Murphy-Oates, the presenter and senior producer of Guardian Australia’s upcoming flagship news podcast, has much to celebrate.

Cheers,

Team PM

Here's what else is going on:

• App battle: Vulture’s guide to picking the best podcast listening app reviews classics and recent arrivals. Pocket Casts comes out on top overall, but each has pros and cons to consider. Beyond the other “big 2,” it’s worth checking out the perks of third-party apps like Castro and Overcast.
• Listen out loud: Sophia Chang, “the first Asian woman in hip-hop,” has released an audio-only memoir about her life and career with A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan. The Baddest B*tch in the Room is a”360-degree, immersive” project, combining character dialogue and sound design.
• New tricks: Radio veteran Fred Jacobs knows that “the only thing worse than no mentoring is bad mentoring.” He identifies 8 pieces of bad advice given by Boomer broadcasters to young talent, thoughtfully addressing the generational “gulf” and what gets lost in translation.
• All aboard: Audiotrain has announced a new podcasting training course, set for December 6 in London. Led by David Prest of Whistledown, “Craft and Sell” will teach creation, promotion, and marketing skills in addition to lessons on rights issues and funding. Spots are limited.