Want to Win with Podcast Listeners? Creators Are the Key

How well do you really know the podcasting industry? For instance, do you know why it attracts 135M monthly listeners each month, or why it’s set to generate $4B in ad revenue this year?

We won’t make you guess: It’s the creators. In our latest webinar, Sophie Anderson, Associate Director, Sales Marketing, Podcasts dug into our Podcast Trends Report to show you how to partner with ultra-popular hosts to create campaigns that resonate, improve brand perception, and drive major ROI. And she did it with some help from one of the most influential creators in the game: Alie Ward of Ologies.

Tune in below for proprietary insights, fresh creator perspectives, and five major trends in the podcast creator world and the impact they have on this multi-billion dollar industry.

The Secret Ingredient to Podcasting

Highlight: “It's no secret that podcasting has seen rapid expansion in recent years, with 47% audience growth over the past five years and an expected $4 billion in advertising revenue this year alone. It's now a self-fueling, fully independent ecosystem. At SiriusXM Media, we believe that there's a secret ingredient to this thriving ecosystem, which is the creators, the people who saw the potential in this medium before anyone else and shaped it into what it is today. And if you're looking to cultivate an intimate, authentic, and transformative bond with your target audience, you need to tap into the undeniable relevance and storytelling skills that podcast hosts bring to the space.” - Sophie Anderson

The Main Hustle

Highlight: “The first trend is the Main Hustle, which speaks to the way the creators have doubled down on podcasting, with many creating spinoff series or companion content across other dynamic storytelling channels, including satellite and even video. Podcasting has become increasingly important to creators’ content strategy. And according to two in three Simplecast podcasters, that is something that they have continued to invest in more and more heavily. Meanwhile, the vast majority of Simplecast creators have been podcasting for over three years, meaning most are veterans in the space by now… Brands are also zeroing in on podcasts like never before, investing more heavily in the medium more consistently. The channel has finally gotten its flowers for being a powerful driver in both results and incremental reach.” - Sophie Anderson

Deliver Raw, Authentic Content

Highlight: “What I love about podcasting that I can't do in TV or other mediums, is really bring myself to it. And I didn't want to compromise on that, so this was a great way of doing both. I think a lot of people who listen to Ologies, or listen to podcasts in general, are getting a raw, more authentic version, more vulnerable version of you, and they feel like they're your friend—you just can't do that on TV as much.” - Alie Ward

The Shake Up

Highlight: “Podcasting has come a long way since its inception, when the majority of hosts were white men with public radio backgrounds. Now, we're in a time where 42% of creators identify as nonwhite and just over a third are women or non-binary. This is in part because of the prolific creators who have started podcasting because they saw a need for more diverse perspectives, which accounts for one in four of our Simplecast creators. For brands, this is really significant because diverse new podcast listeners want to see that representation carry over to the ad experience as well. In fact, two in three multicultural listeners say they want brands to collaborate with diverse creators. And 41% of women say they're more likely to consider a brand advertising on a female hosted show.” - Sophie Anderson

Trust Is Important

Highlight: “When you're looking at partnerships with brands, I think what my listeners are looking for is authenticity and accountability. ‘Are the brands we're working with feeling like they're held accountable to audiences at large?’…. One thing that I really like to establish is that I have faith in the brands that I promote. I use them, and I wouldn't promote them if I didn't believe in them. And that makes it really easy for me to do my reads and makes it really easy for me to pass it on. That trust is really, really important.” - Alie Ward

The Binge

Highlight: “This trend really speaks to the rise of seasonal content and miniseries and binge listening on the whole, which have really  created these viral moments in podcasting that rival all other entertainment mediums and create opportunities for extended brand storytelling. Over a third of Simplecast creators started podcasting to tell a specific story, which really speaks to the ‘why’ in terms of this pattern we're seeing of these series and seasons that are dedicated to a specific topic popping up more and more... Because, as Delia [D'Ambra] puts it, it really gives the stories more room to breathe. It really gives the creator the chance to delve into the details and create a more immersive experience.” - Sophie Anderson

Binge Content Allows for More Brand Massages

Highlight: “It’s important to keep in mind that binge content allows you to expand your messaging beyond a single episode. Listeners really appreciate when brands sponsor an entire seasonal or limited release, whether that's through a presenting sponsorship or a custom series. And they enjoy ads that are telling a continual story alongside the content that they're consuming.” - Sophie Anderson

Binge Listeners

Highlight: “When I'm creating stuff, I'm always thinking about, ‘What are the listeners going to be thinking about the rest of the day?’ Or ‘How are they going to see their lives a little bit differently?’ I get reviews and letters from people that are like ‘I started in episode number one, and I'm not skipping one.’ And I'm like, wow, okay. You got a lot of people that listen that way. They don't want to miss a single episode.” - Alie Ward

The Feedback Loop

Highlight: “The Feedback Loop really speaks to the breaking down of the fourth wall that we're seeing in podcasting now. Increasingly, creators are really inviting listeners to contribute to the content and weigh in more than ever before.” - Sophie Anderson

Bring Listeners to the Table

Highlight: “I want listeners to feel like they're in on the joke or that they're included and they're not just an audience. And to me, especially with science, I want to feel like they're my plus one at a party. I want them to feel like I've got eyes on them and that they're there, too. And I didn't engineer this, but I think that it ended up with people feeling much more invested in the show. And a little bit more like a friend relationship with me because they were on my mind. And I think that feeling like it's not just like me and a guest and you can sort of listen at our feet, but rather like, come on in is the kind of the inclusivity that I want to promote in science and just in general. Listeners are huge. They're at the table with me for sure.” - Alie Ward

Invest in the Listener Experience

Highlight: “Listeners are finding community and connection in podcasts even more so than they can on social or via streaming video. One in three listeners are saying that podcasts help them feel less alone, and 52% are saying that it's connecting them to this community of like minded people. In terms of what the takeaway is here for brands: It's important to note that it's not just about investing in a show, it's about investing in an experience and the relationship. Because with all of that trust and relationship building comes a lot of affinity. And we know that one in three listeners will say they even go out of their way to support brands that support their favorite podcasts.” - Sophie Anderson

The Collab

Highlight: “The Collab really is this pattern we've identified of brands increasingly leaning into the podcasts that they sponsor and allowing hosts to take a little bit more creative control over their own reads or investing in custom segments or ways to make the ad feel native to the content and blur that line between story and sponsorship. As you can see, nearly 80% of Simplecast creators are excited about monetizing their podcast. So I think it's important for advertisers to keep in mind that this medium is one where the vast majority of hosts are eager to work with brands and they want to find ways to create ad experiences that complement the content and garner a strong response from listeners. Two and three creators are also open to exploring new advertising strategies to enhance their engagement. So there's an appetite among creators to test in new formats and experiment with ways to really make that sponsored content shine.” - Sophie Anderson

Complement the Content

Highlight: “Monetizing the show changed my life. Hands down. I started this show freaking out because I spent $250 on a recording device, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, what did I do?’ And when I had the chance to work with SiriusXM to monetize it, you've been my only partner, and I've considered a lot of partners. And being able to have a voice in what brands really are for me and work for the audience and that flexibility and that trust has changed my whole company and my life. Without monetizing this, without these ad partnerships, I couldn't do that. And that's fundamentally changing the lives of the guests and people that we’ll never meet.” - Alie Ward

Key Considerations

Highlight: “I wanted to spend the last couple of minutes walking through some key considerations and ways that brands can really activate around these trends. 

• It's really important that brands start to grow along with the podcast media and expand your investment beyond a few show sponsorships here and there. Think bigger picture when it comes to podcast buys.

• Building inclusive plans that feature a diversity of hosts and voices is important for meeting the needs of our growing, diverse podcast audience. Be sure not to overdo it with the anti-targeting and the brand safety filters. 

• Be a part of the big moments by aligning with bingeable content that's sure to hit the top of the charts.

• The host-listener dynamic is so special. When you take that to heart and invest in creators like Alie who are building meaningful relationships with their listeners week after week, audiences take notice. And it can create a strong halo effect for your brand.

• Trust podcast to deliver thoughtful integrations that feel native to the content. There are so many ways to work alongside creators to really create sponsorship experiences that audiences will notice and appreciate.” - Sophie Anderson

Partner with SiriusXM Media

Highlight: “I think what you're doing for creators is huge. It's really changing lives for people who get to put out content that is meaningful to them, that's authentic. It's not just a podcast business, but you're letting people who are creatives be themselves in a space that's really special, and that is giant to creatives. And it's not just big for creatives. It's huge for listeners to be able to hear someone who's authentic, that that allows them to be themselves more. So this industry, this democratization of voices, being able to make a living doing this, making your art and being yourself, that's giant for humanity. So being able to do that and not have to go do a job that doesn't resonate with you is really giant for creators.” - Alie Ward

Now that you’ve heard the key take-aways from the conversation, let’s chat. And if you’re looking for more insights and trends in the podcasting world, download the Podcast Trends Report.