With so many trends, predictions and opinions flying about, and the industry constantly changing, it can be hard to stay ahead of the curve with your podcasting. If you’re thinking about starting a podcast this year, here’s what you need to know…
There are still more listeners ‘out there’
It’s easy to think that “everyone has a podcast these days” and you may be left wondering, “what’s the point in starting one of my own?” The good news is that podcasting has been a growing industry and continues to be so, with the number of listeners increasing by 20% in 2022. Listeners also downloaded 5.6 episodes a week on average, representing 3.8 hours of content. While almost twenty years ago, nobody had probably ever heard of a podcast, new listeners are joining the podcasting revolution every day and the medium is still surging in popularity. This means that with such a vast potential audience out there, you can really get your message heard if you’re looking to get started.
Are the number of new podcasts decreasing?
This month, The Guardian released an article claiming that the number of new podcast shows fell by almost 80% from 2020 to 2022 – that’s right, nearly 80%!
When you see a headline like that you might think “no one is starting a podcast, may be no one is listening, so why bother?” but…
While this decline may seem staggering, a big part of the dropping numbers is due to an artificial boom in the number of podcasts launched over COVID – with all that time stuck in the house, it’s no wonder. Rest assured, while the podcast market is growing, it’s not saturated, so don’t hesitate to start. There’s always a demand for you, your content and your story.
Podcasting gives people cleaner houses (and a more intimate relationship with your audience)
What are people doing when they listen to podcasts? Research from the University of York that came out this month, supported by BBC Research and Development, shows that 71% of people listen to podcasts on their headphones, with just 29% listening on speakers. This could suggest that, right now, podcasting is a much more intimate experience for the listener, as opposed to being a shared activity, listened to out loud. Not only this, but the top three activities that audiences enjoy doing while listening to their podcasts included housework (76%), preparing food (73%), and exercising (61%). Just something to think about!
Short-form podcasting is on the rise
Listeners are also seeming to prefer short-form podcasting over long-form. With attention spans dwindling in an era of Tik Tok and Instagram reels, bite-sized content is set to perform much better than long-winded, lengthy content. We recommend our podcast, Well Intel Daily with Anni Hood, as this wellbeing podcast delivers regular, short bursts of audio under 5 minutes long, ensuring that listeners stay engaged all the way through. Another great recommendation is Kate Cocker’s award-winning podcast, Everyday Positivity, which provides listeners with daily one-minute-long bursts of feel-good audio.
Research also shows that you can lose 25-30% of your audience within the first 5 minutes of your podcast. So, it’s in those crucial opening seconds that listeners decide whether they want to commit, which means that your intro needs to be top-notch (and we can help you there!).
Check out one of our latest LinkedIn posts about keeping your intro short!