It’s a great time to revisit your podcasting strategy.
Learn about 2021 trends to look out for in order to keep up with what’s working now.
2019 was a big year for podcasting as Spotify tried to remove the gauntlet from Apple through major investments and acquisitions. Unsurprisingly, 2020 was tough as it introduced unexpected changes.
This year, we’re all preparing to do better.
So, if you’re considering starting a podcast or want to flourish further in your field, let’s check out what’s in store for you this year…
Podcast Trends and Tips This 2021
Tougher Competition Between Podcast Platforms
Needless to say, Apple and Spotify are leading podcasting channels.
While the two popular platforms allow you to potentially reach a large audience, a study showed that an average podcast listener in the U.S. uses at least three platforms.
So, whether you’re listening or planning to host your own podcast, it wouldn’t hurt to try other platforms and services.
As suggested by SingleGrain, the top alternative hosting platforms are:
- Podbean
- Buzzsprout
- Transistor
- Simplecast
- Captivate
It’s also worth looking at the following audio streaming services:
- Radio.com
- iHeart
- Google Podcasts
- Stitcher
- TuneIn
Ultimately, you want to stay on top of distribution channels. Consider alternatives as your target audience could be switching to other services and apps.
Consider Your Audience’s Listening Experience
According to MusicOomph, 80% of podcast listeners listen to the entire or almost the whole episode.
With a high engagement rate, you should step up your game as a podcaster to produce engaging content and elevate your audience’s listening experience.
Improve Podcast suggests omitting off-topic content and sticking to one subject per episode so that it doesn’t confuse your listeners.
Focus on educating your listeners so they can learn at least one new thing from each episode.
It’s also useful to summarize key points from the show. Increase engagement by making it easier for your audience to backtrack highlights that they might have missed.
The Firm Voice suggests making it easier for your listeners access to your content by removing blockers. Hurdles like having to sign up or download files first will turn away potential listeners.
Outstanding Podcast Content Quality
PodcastHosting showed that as of February 2021, there are 43 million podcast episodes and 1,750,000 podcasts.
Over 75% of the US population are already familiar with podcasts. Looking at the demographics, the largest and fastest-growing age group of listeners is between 12-34 years old.
What should you pick up from the rising popularity of podcasting?
As your listeners are bombarded with options, you need to produce particularly compelling audio content that inspires your audience to keep listening.
While you might be tempted to produce more content, be mindful of the quality.
Along with making your topics more interesting, you should also think about audio quality.
Produce clean and crisp audio that will allow your audience to listen and understand your episode while they are on the go. Be heard even when they’re doing chores.
Growth of Live Broadcasting
In order to boost audience engagement and monetize (by potentially charging admission fees), we will see an increase in live episodes.
These live episodes may vary from Q&A sessions, contests, and podcasting live events.
In-demand live broadcasting options include Twitch, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and Zoom.
Voice Search Optimization (VSEO) for Podcasts
SingleGrain highlighted that VSEO needs to be considered by marketers and podcasters this 2021.
According to Perficient, 55% of their research respondents see voice search as a preferred way to lookup information on their smartphones.
Considering that podcasts are included in Google Search results, you need to find a way to optimize your content for you to rank higher.
How can you make your podcast VSEO-friendly?
If you get your shows transcribed, your episodes will be easier to discover.
Castos suggests that you should run in-depth keyword research. Identify certain keywords that will influence your episode’s topic.
When you have transcripts for your shows, you can easily repurpose the content by creating a dedicated blog post.
Specialized Podcasting Tools
According to Exploding Topics, searches for the term “podcast microphone” have increased by 120% over the last two years.
Podcasters continue to invest in apps and other tools that will aid them. This includes AI-powered services that will automatically generate episode transcripts.
On the other hand, other podcasters would prefer the most accurate podcast transcripts available and would rather engage professional transcription services.
COVID-19’s Impact
Unsurprisingly the pandemic has brought changes to the podcasting industry.
According to Digiday, exclusive and educational podcasts had a significant growth during the pandemic.
Podnews cites one of the effects to be a 20% decrease in listeners and changed the peak listening times. With more staying home, the listening times have changed especially during the morning commute.
As the situation evolves, expect the audience’s behaviors to adjust further. For one, the global podcasting market size is expected to reach $41.8 billion by 2026. The industry’s projected growth is partly attributed to the rise of at-home listening.
Over to You
The podcast industry is ever-changing. If you want to have a thriving career in this form of media, you’d want to leverage today’s most effective techniques to stand out from the crowd.
Find ways to create and deliver content that you and your listeners will enjoy listening to.
If you want your episodes to reach a larger audience, consider investing in transcripts.
Depending on your budget and the level of accuracy you need, you can opt for automatic or manual transcription.
Either way, you can be sure that Scribie is a trusted platform that can cater to your transcription needs.
Need to get your podcast episode transcribed? Upload your audio file here.