We can learn a lot from podcast’s most loyal listeners. For starters, they appreciate the advertisers that support their favorite shows and they’re willing to buy their products, just don’t overload them with ads.
Those are some key takeaways from a new report on podcast “super listeners” from Edison Research and PodcastOne. “Super listeners” are consumers who stream five or more hours of podcast content a week, representing about one-quarter of all weekly U.S. podcast listeners.
Among these avid fans, advertising in a podcast makes a brand look good, with 60% saying they value the advertisers who sponsor podcasts and 44% noting their opinion of a brand or company goes up when they hear their messages during a podcast. And that emotion can translate to action.
That emotion can translate into sales and action. That is something that marketers routinely ask about podcast advertising and podcast sellers need to be prepared to state their case. The Edison study offers some powerful data, with seven in ten avid podcast listeners said they’ll consider a new product or service they hear advertised in a podcast. Also, 43% of super listeners saying if price and quality are equal, they prefer to buy a product or service from a podcast advertiser.
One reason podcast ads are so effective is the podcast hosts themselves. Much like radio listeners value their favorite local DJs, podcast listeners are loyal to their hosts. So when a podcast host endorses a product, the audience pays attention. One in four super listeners said they have a favorable opinion of a brand or product when a podcast host talks about it.
But the survey also offered up some words of caution. Compared to other forms of media, heavy podcast listeners said podcasts have the smallest amount of ad time, but podcasters should tread carefully. One-third of heavy podcast listeners say ad breaks have gotten longer and half said there are more ads than a year ago.
The Edison study offers some other useful intelligence, particularly for radio sellers pitching clients on podcast sponsorships.
- 44% of super listeners said they pay more attention to ads in podcasts than any other media.
- 46% said they like are more likely to purchase a product they hear advertised in a podcast.
- 41% agree the ads they hear in podcasts are relevant to them.
At a time when local businesses have more choices than ever where to spend their ad dollars, from paid search to social to TV, radio and podcast sellers need strong evidence to grab dollars for podcast advertising. As the overall audience for podcast grows, the super listener crowd will grow, bringing more loyal and receptive consumers to the medium.
