16 Bullets from Podcast Movement 16

There’s nothing like spending two days with people who are “over the top” passionate about something.

In this case that something was podcasting with the excitement surrounding it on display at “Podcast Movement 16” in Chicago this past Thursday and Friday.

Some of our radio clients and friends have been asking questions like:

Is podcasting a “thing?” (Yes).

Are there revenue opportunities? (Yes, there are many - though they may be different than ones you’ve been considering).

Will it build my brand and my relationship with my listeners? (Yes, if it becomes a “must hear” – and that’s not easy).

Will it bring me higher ratings? (Maybe – it could introduce the station or talent to new listeners or it could give you another edge over a competitor. Again, it depends on the strength of the creative as well as other factors like focus and deadlines).

While radio attendees were clearly in the minority, the convention offered our industry ample food for thought - especially when it comes to jumping in.

Here are 16 bullets from Podcast Movement 16 that are worth considering in today's on-demand environment (comments paraphrased):

1. Define the show with 300 words; use this to pitch the show and to keep it focused as you execute it.  (Anna Sale, “Death, Sex and Money” podcast)
2. 35-million people over the age of 11 have listened to a podcast in the last week; that’s 12% of the US population. Among (Edison Research) diary keepers who listened to a podcast on the day they kept a diary, their podcast listening accounted for 32% of all their listening that day.  (Larry Rosin, Edison Research)
3. What content marketing is supposed to be is solving a problem that your business solves.  Through your podcast, prove that you’re s passionate about solving the sample problems the listener is. (Jay Acunzo, Traction)
4. Most commercial broadcasters haven’t jumped in because music radio doesn’t lend itself to podcasting. However many morning shows have a feature which listeners would like to time shift. A podcast is about a show. Radio is about a format. There’s a conflict between the show concept and the format concept. NPR already knew how to make shows. (Larry Rosin)
5. “It’s an incredibly robust time to be in the audio business…if you put out good content, you’re going to find a pathway to someone’s ears.” (Traug Keller/Sr. VP ESPN Audio)
6. We do good audio content and let it flow to the various platforms. That decision left us free to be a multi-platform entity. (Traug Keller)
7. As dynamic ad insertion increases, many different products will emerge. There will be shows created for ads that will command a premium dollar. (Sara Van Mosel/WNYC, Acast)
8. Less than 1% of all podcasts come from radio. (Steve Goldstein, Amplifi)
9. The vast majority of listening to pure plays is about 75% via the phone. For broadcasters, it’s now 50% on the phone. There’s going to be more phone consumption because there are more opportunities. (John Rosso/Pres Marketing Dev Triton Digital)
10. Scale doesn’t have to be about thousands, but about fifty or a hundred. (Erik Harbison, Aweber)
11. Build an audience that loves what you talk about, then sell them your solutions to their problems (Tim Paige, Leadpages)
12. When it comes to monetization, “many streams make a river.”  Grab a little money every month from different sources. (Aaron Mahnke, @amahnke; creator of “Lore” which is a very successful podcast that is now headed to TV)
13. CPM goes away when you’re doing local. (Rob Walch, Libsyn)
14. When they advertise on podcasts, local businesses don’t need to spend a lot of money on production; they just have to talk to you. (Bryan Moffett, NPR)
15. The Spanish language podcast audience is under-served. (Mignon Fogarty, Quick and Dirty Tips, Grammar Girl)
16. Always remember you’re forming a relationship.  (Anna Sale)

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As Forbes noted this spring, “…podcast content lives alongside music.  This is important to note, as it means users with no deliberate intention of seeking out podcast content will now encounter it…”

As an industry, we have some of the greatest talent and story tellers in the world who deserve to be “encountered” on the podcast platform as well. 

Ten Take Aways from Hivio Audio Future Festival (20-Somethings and Radio? See #8)

Audience, content and platforms – notably podcasting – were some of the more frequently discussed topics at the Hivio Audio Future Festival 2016 last week (see Hivio word cloud).

Mark Ramsey Media's annual Hivio event is a “hive” of audio ideas and actions shared by people who normally wouldn’t collectively make up a typical radio convention agenda – from NPR to ESPN to content providers to podcast sellers.

Becky Brenner (@BeckyBrenner) attended the LA event in person, I watched via the online stream (thanks, Mark for providing that!).

Here are ten of our takeaways:

1. Commercials: be relevant, funny and clever. Tell a story with a surprise. 15-second spots scored better than any other commercial length (Mark Ramsey and Novoodoo).
2. Apply the “rat in a maze” approach – allow audience to shift platforms but keep them on your content (Howard Lapidis)
3. The goal is to translate the best of what is happening in the talent’s life to Radio, TV and the web. Make a determination on how best to distribute content - from podcasts to building what the talent needs (Chris Balfe, Red Seat Ventures)
4. The focus on digital has been transformative – radio is an amazing medium and we can still be vital and fabulous. Podcasting is not detracting from the Radio Listening.  It is actually growing the audience. (Anya Grundman, VP Programming and Audience Development for NPR)
5. Rise above the noise by creating your own wave or riding waves around you. (Todd Beck, Beck Media and Marketing)
6. Podcasts are generally too long, not “social sized,” and it is an increasingly crowded universe (1,400 new podcasts per week) David Silverman Co-Founder Clammr
7. There is stupid money out there right now for these types of projects in video and audio. Peter Kafka, Senior Editor, Media, Re/Code
8. I don’t have a radio at home. Radio is ancient – it is like having a laser disc – I have so many ways to listen to radio without having to have another device.  Convenient and compact is what everything needs to be, nobody wants excess baggage. (Heather, Millennial)
9. Podcasting revenue been highly underrepresented in the press…probably $85-$100 million last year and it is going to be exponentially higher this year. Sarah Van Mosel, Chief Commercial Officer, ACAST @sarahvm
10. Content, Content, Content.  You can’t say it enough, or focus on it enough.  It was lost in deregulation and it has to come back into focus. (Advice for radio from Traug Keller, ESPN Audio

Albright & O’Malley & Brenner’s Becky Brenner has full notes and slides in the Clients Only section of AandOandB.com.

Comments paraphrased.