PodMov Daily: Tuesday, June 9

Episode 222: Testing, One Two-sday

Visual, Not Aural: Tom Webster on Audience Building and Discovery

On the heels of the latest Top 10 Podcasts ranker from Edison Research, SVP Tom Webster says the podcast industry has slept on YouTube for too long, on multiple levels. “Here is what I cannot emphasize enough: Joe Rogan is the number one podcast by reach, and number two isn’t close,” Webster says. “Why is the show so dang big?”

Building on his illuminating Rookies vs. Veterans presentation at Podcast Movement 2019, Webster reasons, “It’s easy to get hung up on definitions about what is and isn’t a podcast, but my interest here is on your show. I’m here to tell you that the most straightforward way to grow your show is to get it on YouTube.”

Webster questions the nuance capability of podcast recommendation engines, explaining that “YouTube is particularly effective for the discovery of audio content because I believe discovery is visual, not aural.” Presenting one’s RSS-only podcast on video may be strange territory, but this researcher is just “trying to equip you for a fair fight.”

Pex: Podcast Growth Doubles Every Year

According to new findings from Pex, the number of podcast episodes is “growing at an exponential rate, essentially doubling every year.” The music and video analytics company began scanning Apple Podcasts last fall, intending to collect data on the use of unlicensed music. It’s now indexed 32,402,790 unique episodes.

Pex’s Jennifer Crawford writes, “by the end of 2019, we counted 819,496 unique shows, of which 264,104 were started just last year.” This remarkable pattern has surely held with this spring’s huge uptick. Four months into 2020, Apple Podcasts alone surpassed 1 million distinct shows.

This study supports other researchers on dropping episode length. We’re down to 35 minutes from a peak mean of 45 minutes in 2015. For the most part, top categories remain consistent. Oddly, podcasts about swimming are named the “smallest” category. What qualifies as a category? A question for the next round of statistics.

The Why Behind the Buy: Expert Insights for Digital Engagement

Due to COVID-19, strong digital engagements are more important than ever to reach target audiences. The Why Behind The Buy, a podcast for marketers focused on finding and targeting their ideal customers at scale, is your expert resource for effective multichannel campaign execution.

On the newest episode, Mark King of Conversion Alliance and Bob Smolik of Tribune Publishing join host Monique Ruiz and Claritas’ SVP of Customer Success Jeff Bickel to deliver proven, actionable insights that turn outreach into a conversation.

How can detailed analytics improve performance? What adaptations can increase revenue while campaigns are in-flight? In support of Claritas’ new whitepaper, “The Smart Marketer’s Guide to Optimizing Campaign ROI,” their best practices will help you reach the right audiences more effectively through their preferred channels.

Ready to learn from the best? Stream The Why Behind the Buy wherever you get your podcasts.

Here's what else is going on:

• New planets: Frank Racioppi of Discover Pods explores the making of POD-115 Kessel Run, a science fiction show made by students and faculty at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The theatrical drama is “art converging with illusion and sonic wizardry.”

• Get schooled: Audio specialists Jack Soper and Craig Templeton Smith of the BBC will host an online podcasting workshop on Friday, June 26. Part of The Guardian's digital masterclass series, the paid course will cover technical, editorial, and marketing basics.

• The clubhouse: Podcast memberships have become a popular way to raise revenue outside of traditional advertising. Matthew McLean of The Podcast Host suggests exclusive content to offer, like bonus episodes and behind-the-scenes casual commentary.

• Middle seat: According to The Infinite Dial® Australia survey, “podcast consumption is not being led by the youngest Australians.” Though there’s growth across age categories, “it’s the 35-54 year-olds who are driving the monthly and weekly listening.”