New research released by Adobe Analytics has shown an increase in the importance that podcasts are having with regard to boosting a company’s bottom line. As small businesses are discovering that marketing and advertising on established podcasts is paying huge dividends, it has inspired many to also, begin development of their own podcasts. The following data is taken from Adobe’s report:
- The report, which surveyed 1,008 U.S. adults, reflects podcast listeners’ self-reported audio-streaming habits, in addition to Comscore data encompassing 193 million unique visitors to U.S. mobile apps per month from January 2018 through May 2019.
- According to the study, podcast mobile app usage has increased 60% since January 2018, with a quarter of current podcast listeners plugging in for the first time in the past six months. The Adobe Analytics team expects this growth trend to continue, as 45% of listeners said they plan to listen to more podcasts in the future.
- Podcast program discovery is happening primarily through online blogs and articles (41%), according to the report. Perception about the quality of podcasts is up as well, with nearly three-quarters of listeners saying the programs have been getting better.
- Overall, more than half (52%) of listeners said they listen to podcasts on the way to work or while working; 42% listen while in the car. However, regardless of the subject matter, the majority of listeners said they prefer podcasts be no longer than one hour.
- The study also found podcasts to be an effective platform for advertising. In fact, 60% of consumers surveyed reported that they’ve looked up a product or service after hearing an ad, and 25% of them have purchased a product they discovered through a podcast ad.
- Of the 72% of podcast listeners who’ve heard an ad while listening to a podcast, one-third said they find the ads to be more engaging than ads on other formats. Additionally, 40% find the ads to be less intrusive than other types of ads.
-Written by Kevin Sawyer
