Podcast Movement ‘22: Tips & Tricks you need to implement now
Podcast Movement (PodMov ‘22) truly is the best place to deepen connections, learn about what’s coming, make memories, and let the magic of podcasting do its thing. If you missed it, this is the right article for you, as I’ve compiled the takeaways that podcasters need to focus on for the upcoming 6-12 months. From the need to use video, to which social media to focus on, to how audiences are discovering podcasts now, there’s plenty to get you busy in the upcoming weeks!
Video isn’t coming to podcasting, video’s here already
Video won’t kill the radio star, but it will help it reach more people. That’s the main takeaway from PodMov ‘22. Let’s start with some facts from the Edison Research’s Keynote Presentation that you should keep in mind:
94% of listeners over 18 of age listen to audio-only podcasts however,
72% say do watch audio + video while actively listening
Where people are finding new shows:
Personal Recommendation
Web search
YouTube
YouTube-specific information you need to know about:
While YouTube is the main video platform where listeners are collected - it’s also the ‘oldest one'. Platform presence matters more than just being on YouTube, ie, ‘meet your listeners where they are’.
Native content (uploaded directly on the platform) matters more than using links to YouTube and forcing the audience to exit whatever platform they’re using to watch the full show.
YouTube's audiences are different from Spotify and Apple audiences - you can’t put them in the same ‘audience bucket’.
“YouTube will push podcasts as recommended content (and audio too), if the listener is considered a ‘heavy' podcast listener.” - Kai Chuk, Head of Podcasting at YouTube
What does this mean for you:
While you don’t need to buy all the fancy equipment and hire a video editor, you can get creative in how you’re incorporating video in your podcast’s strategy.
Here are some options if creating a video podcast isn’t compatible with your concept:
Create animations of the first 1-2 minutes of the show, and let the rest of the show just be a static image filled with captions. Add this video to YouTube.
Use the video that you have: people are willing to consume less than perfect or ‘shaky’ video if they’re truly interested in the topic.
Create selfie-style videos to promote the episode (with a teaser at the end). These videos perform very well and help listeners connect with you, the host.
If you’re not ready to commit to any of these, most podcast platforms (Spreaker, PodBean, Sounder, etc) have the option to auto-publish your show to a YouTube channel. The standard video will just have a static image, title and description.
This has worked well for some of our clients who are doing audio-only. While the YouTube views on their channel represent a very small fraction of their overall numbers, we were still able to convert listeners to leads from there.
Where and how people record podcasts: it may surprise you
One of podcasters’ major issues is ‘COMPARISONITIS’. Everyone seems to believe that their competitiors or peers have better gear, better funding, better everything. While that may be the case for some podcasters, they surely don’t seem to be the majority.
Here are some facts released on Tom Schwab’s (Interview Valet) presentation:
76.4% of all podcast interviews in the first half of 2022 were recorded on Zoom. Skype, which accounted for a majority of interviews pre-pandemic, now accounts for less than 2%
74% of podcast interviews included video. This is up drastically from 2019 when pre-pandemic less than 1 in 5 incorporated videos.
Now onto gear: here are some fascinating stats shared by Jay Wujun Yow, producer of The James Altucher Show:
19% of hosts use the Røde
17% of podcasters prefer the Blue Yeti
75% of hosts use Headphones (a shocking number for me, I was expecting this number to be higher!)
62% of podcasters use a pop filter/ windscreen
What does this mean for you:
Zoom is still the podcasters’ favorite platform, as most people are used to it.
You can always upgrade, but don’t think that the equipment you currently have isn’t good enough to start. Don’t let that be an excuse to not start your show.
Social media tidbits
Success online isn’t down to ‘ONE’ secret platform
Every speaker highlighted different social media growth strategies. Here are the common threads:
Success came from hosts using the social media platform they were already spending time on (and not trying to be everywhere)
Hosts focused on building loyalty in a meaningful way (one listener at a time)
Twitter + Email Combo
With this in mind, if you don’t want to use video, according to Jay Clause, founder of Creator Science, and host of the Creative Elements Podcast, Twitter is a great way to create ‘an ecosystem’ that drives traffic to your email list and podcast.
YOU are more discoverable than your podcast. So consider growing your personal brand (instead of your podcast’s)
Promote your podcast immediately and consistently via email
Instagram Reels to grow your audience
If you follow us on Instagram, you probably know about Travis Brown already. He’s been in the creator and podcasting space for a few years, and I was thrilled to attend his presentation Go Viral on Reels: How to Create Massive Views and Follows on Instagram.
Here were my main takeaways:
‘Is this content worth leaving the platform for?’-> this is the question to ask yourself everytime you post content
‘Virality’ comes from predictability, not creativity. So test what works, and focus on that, not on reinventing the wheel.
Types of reels (that can complement your podcast’s content):
Tutorial
Showcase
‘Skits’
Behind the scenes
Insight / Tips
Great hooks to try if you want to see your reels perform better:
Secret (thing) for…
You won’t believe this…
X (thing) you didn’t know
Top (things) I wish I knew earlier
(thing) hack you didn’t know
(thing) it feels illegal to know
Watch this if you’re a…
The (thing) is amazing
TikTok’s still fertile ground for podcasters to grow (faster)
TikTok is the fastest growing social media platform right now. And while most hosts use it on a personal level, not that many did the jump to use the platform to grow their show. Here are some things to consider:
Unlike Instagram, TikTok is still uncrowded in terms of podcast competition
Because the platform’s style thrives in raw, unfiltered, and ‘real’ videos, you can experiment with selfie-style videos to promote the podcast - instead of having to focus on ‘aesthetic’ content.
Diversity in listeners
Podcasts are (finally) becoming more diverse. Here are the main takeaways from Gabriel Soto, Director of Research at
Edison Research:
“ People are still discovering the medium, it’s still the discoverability issue within the Latino/ Spanish shows”
“Another reason to invest in subtitles: people wanting to learn a language. They aren’t confident enough to listen without reading aids.”
The number of Black and Latino hosts has grown in 2022.
Different generations and genders listen to different shows, here’s a breakdown:
Listener growth and nurture
It’s time to think about your listeners as more than just download numbers.
Listeners are willing to support your content in a paid form, especially if they see the value from your free content. Don’t be afraid to pitch them access to exclusive content behind a paywall.
Pat Chung, founder of PodInbox, mentioned why every podcaster needs a fan page:
“For the long tail of podcasters, podcast growth is directly tied to their engagement activity with their fans. Because of this, podcasters need more than just a podcast website, podcasters need a fan site to engage their fans.”
Also, here are other ways to grow your audience, according to Jay Clause, founder of Creator Science, and host of the Creative Elements Podcast:
Guesting on other shows
Cross promos (or guest swaps) with other shows
Being featured in listening apps
Getting shoutouts from influencers
Slowly funneling listeners from other channels
Ads, ads, ads
Did you know that listeners don’t reject ads if they are aligned with the content of the show?
This is the outcome of the study designed by podcast and research industry veteran Tom Webster, in partnership with Edison Research. Here are some more takeaways you need to know about:
People will remember ads they listened to on shows.
If the ad matches the vibe (think inserting a mattress ad if the episode topic is about insomnia or if it fits the story the host is sharing), it’s more enjoyable, more memorable and more informative, listeners are more likely to buy.
Only 1 in 100 people will buy from you. To convert (listeners to buyers) you have to be consistent and persistent.
(Watch the full presentation for more stats)
Also, video ads have the highest ROI (Return on Investment) for advertisers, but also allows more capabilities for both the host and the advertiser.
What definitely turns podcast listeners off
Listeners are ‘out’ when they can’t hear one of the speakers.
TIP: Ensure that your audio is levelled, and speaker’s loudness matched. <- different from decibels or volume
If you enjoyed reading these, consider reviewing last year’s article: Podcast Movement 2021’s Tips and Tricks