How to build a profitable podcast.
Want to keep your audience interested and expand your reach? Here are six podcast trends to be aware of...
Industry experts expect podcasting to rise dramatically in 2022 as on-demand audio becomes more popular, which makes sense. After all, podcasts can help you grow an audience, establish a relationship with your listeners, raise brand recognition, and so on.
The competition for listeners is consequently increasing. The most successful podcasters keep on top of relevant podcast trends to gain that needed edge.
We've compiled a list of six podcast trends you need to be aware of in this piece. Read on to gain valuable insights to help you grow your podcast this year and the next.
Podcast listeners increased by 29.5% from 2018 to 2021. This rising popularity of podcasts has increased the need for podcasting platforms. Podcast platforms store their content on servers created primarily for storing large media files for download and distribution.
Podcast platforms are constantly adding new features to enhance their service to help individuals and businesses run their shows. Many of these features make it easier to share your content across multiple channels.
bCast, for instance, has an auto transcription, so you can convert your audio content into written content. That’s great if you’re looking to build a web presence through blogging. That’s great if you want to run an inclusive show and engage with people who are deaf or have hearing difficulties.
Auto transcription features are great and will save you a lot of time. You can use a grammar checker to guarantee the quality of the written copy.
Podcast platforms have also made it easier for content producers to monetize their shows.
Many hosting platforms have affiliate features. Podcasters can sign up for affiliate programs to promote products, services, and exclusive deals to their audiences through the dashboard.
Aside from these efforts, several podcast systems are improving tracking data, providing YouTube channel integrations, offering auto-posting or scheduled publishing, providing unlimited storage, and so on. Additional features like the ones mentioned provide more value to podcasters, making it easier to run profitable shows using fewer tools.
Not many people associate podcasts with user experience, but UX plays a major role in defining the direction of a podcast. Using data from surveys, usability testing, analytics, and other sources, you can create podcasts that resonate with your audience and touch on topics that are important to your target audience.
As a podcaster, you need to get to know your audience. Create a consumer persona, come up with topics that address audience pain points, and take the time to gather feedback from your listeners.
You must take the time to do this. After all, if the podcast and episodes provide value, you will always have a loyal band of listeners.
You can use the information you gather from your audience to structure episodes, so listeners find it easy to consume your content. The Apple Podcasts, for example, lets you “split” your content into chapters, making it easy to navigate the podcast.
There are other ways to ensure your listeners have the best user experience. For example, don’t require them to sign up for anything before they can listen to your latest podcast episodes. Also, make sure each episode is engaging from the start. Edit your content heavily for engagement.
Podcasters are now savvier. They understand that their podcasts should put their audience’s needs above everything else.
Events and live streaming have become increasingly important for many businesses as a result of the epidemic. COVID-19 has forced numerous businesses to find new ways to engage an audience, and for many, that has meant broadcasting content to customers' homes.
Captivating live video content can help online businesses connect with their communities.
There are several events and live streaming options you can explore. For example, you can run a Q&A broadcast. These types of events are a great way to engage your core audience. They allow you to connect with listeners on a more personal level.
TED, for instance, shares its events as podcasts, even though it is available on the most popular platforms such as YouTube.
It is worth sharing your customer success stories and expertise to earn your audience's confidence and establish yourself as an authentic resource. Show off your streaming preparation or behind-the-scenes for entertaining material and establish a personal connection. The more you broadcast and interact with your community, the simpler it will be to generate new ideas, too.
Podcasts are a fantastic tool for igniting critical conversation and disseminating a message as widely as technology allows. Podcasts have emerged as forums for many different voices to connect, empower, inform, raise awareness about important diversity and inclusion problems, and advocate for change.
The format for such podcasts vary. Some podcasts feature in-depth discussions on racial isolation, the racial equity gap, workplace justice, and how varied groups of people's experiences play out in everyday life.
Other podcasters cover topics like neurodiversity, women in technology, gender bias, race, cultural differences in the workplace, and the diversity recruiting difficulty many firms face. For example, the Will To Change podcasts feature only true stories on diversity and speakers who are experts on the subject. Featuring expert resource persons makes The Will to Change one of the most credible and popular podcasts on diversity and inclusion.
You can create a podcast that assists leaders in fostering healthier and more productive workplaces, which ultimately drive innovation and business success. Aside from that, podcasts become an excellent vehicle for talks that encourage discussion and, ultimately, can help ensure changes for the better.
Position your podcast as a great resource by finding great people to interview and connect with. Use appropriate tools like Outreach.io, or an Outreach competitor to identify and send requests to potential podcast guests.
As voice search technology has advanced in recent years, the way many of us search online has changed. Also, with the advancements in speech recognition technology and the increased use of Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and Google Assistant, voice search has just become one of this year’s hottest podcast trends.
In fact, in the previous year, 58% of customers utilized voice search to locate local company information. You can only expand your audience by optimizing your podcast content for voice search - especially if you’re subsequently transcribing content published online.
Marketers are debating how it will affect the search business. Some say there will be lengthier search queries. Instead of typing a few keywords into Google, users will make full statements or ask complete questions.
In other words, based on this prediction, inquiries based on intent will become increasingly common. These questions will be more specific and personal, in the form of who, what, how, when, and where. Businesses will need more long-tail keywords for their branded entity and may begin bidding on branded keywords with Google Ads to dominate the search results.
That is a new challenge that will require new SEO and voice search tactics, including broad match keywords and mobile device optimization. So, instead of short questions in FAQ-style material, both the question and the answer must be longer.
Since 58% of customers use voice search to find a local business online, voice search will have a substantial influence on local business online presence, such as building listings in Google my business and raising favorable Yelp ratings.
Wherever there is an audience, you can produce and promote an ad towards them. In 2020, podcasting ad revenue was $842 million. That’s a great sign for podcast creators, as ads provide a revenue stream that supports you and the content you’re creating.
The availability of podcast advertising is more limited than that of traditional advertising. Podcasters can cooperate with an audio ad network or go out and find advertisers independently.
There are several types of podcast ads. For example, you can use dynamic advertising, which uses software to dynamically insert adverts into previously recorded podcast audio or the ad given by the podcast's host at a certain point in time.
There are also programmatic adverts where you don’t have to have a connection with the business. Programmatic ads are dynamically placed within your content. Pay attention to how programmatic ads are placed in your content, though.
Some podcasters have complained about ads appearing in unexpected places.
Last but not least, there are sponsored podcasts. Sponsored podcasts are one of the best revenue streams for podcasters. A sponsorship often covers the production and marketing costs of a podcast episode. With interest in podcasts growing, finding companies willing to sponsor podcasts with a smaller audience is easier.
These podcasting trends are shaping the industry. You're not only competing against other businesses when you start a podcast; you're also keeping your audience engaged and growing your reach. There's also a long list of podcast subject suggestions you may personalize to keep your content full of value. You may transform your love for art, science, or technology into a revenue-generating podcast.
We hope you found our list of the top six podcast trends for 2022 inspiring. The podcasting industry is constantly evolving, from tools to new platforms. As a result, following these trends may assist you in reaching your long-term business objectives.
