The podcast landscape continues to emerge in popularity, with many new podcasters and podcast format styles entering the space, venturing into diverse topics and subjects with a relatively low entry barrier. Along with the trend, many businesses have embraced podcasting as an integrated part of their marketing strategy, whether to establish credibility in their area of expertise, widen audience outreach or promote products or services.
Businesses also leverage this podcast marketing strategy to showcase their business’s products or services, utilizing owned media channels or advertising on popular podcast streaming providers like Spotify and YouTube. A recent report by Newstalk highlights how podcast marketing is a viable marketing strategy, with notable increases in customer purchase intent as high as 14%.
However, as podcasting continues to boom post-COVID-19 pandemic, general media use is on the rise, sparking concerns of oversaturation leading to listener fatigue and public perception of podcast sameness and lack of variety. This raises the question: Are podcasts starting to reach a point where they are becoming boring and stale?
In this article, we are exploring the evolving landscape where podcasts and their formats may face difficulties in remaining engaging and fresh in a saturated podcast market. Additionally, we discuss the innovative podcast formats businesses and content creators use to break out of podcast monotony with practical podcast format ideas that work and can help businesses in their podcast marketing strategies moving forward.
The rise in online audio streaming services like Spotify, Amazon, and Apple has dramatically boosted podcast listenership. As simple as conducting a Google search reflects that in 2004, there were roughly 6000 search results, while in 2021, that number grew to more than 1.9 billion search results.
The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated podcast growth, with podcast producers and audiences stuck at home. Although the number of new podcasts has decreased by over 750,000 in 2023 (compared to the podcast boom in 2020), the size of the podcast industry market has seen annual increases of an estimated 23.6 million in 2023.
The Podcast Saturation Problem: why Might podcasts become boring and stale?
As society has normalised post-COVID, there are signs that “podcast fatigue is real”, with listeners reducing the number of shows they consume, deciding to only listen to podcasts deemed as worthwhile. Eric Sui, co-host of the Listen to Marketing School Podcast, on April 4th, posted a poll on social media platform ‘X’ asking, “are most interview podcasts getting stale?” with 77.9% voting yes.
Hot Take 🔥
— Martyn Snibson (@Martyn_Snibson) April 25, 2024
Is podcast fatigue real in 2024?
I'd love to hear people's opinions on this topic! https://t.co/sjOczKCsKM#poll #podcasts #podcastfatigue #question
Mark Popkiewicz (as cited by BBC News) delves into the podcasting industry, noting that “despite an uptake in listenership… many ‘have-a-go’ podcasters [that have] created shows have since lost the appetite to keep going.” It also could have plenty to do with how initially snippets of podcasts could be seen everywhere, including on the short-form video content platform TikTok, which has seen a declining frequency in appearance due to changes in TikTok’s Algorithm.
The Future of Podcasts: A Podcast Format Marketing Strategy That Can Stand Out in a Crowded Space
We are undoubtedly entering a new phase of podcasting where listeners are becoming more selective of the podcasts they consume. This necessitates innovation to retain audience engagement and move beyond what has traditionally worked.
Interview Podcasts
Interview podcasts have unquestionably patronised the style of podcast format that content creators and businesses are leaning toward when creating a new podcast. The Pew Research Center, in 2023, suggested that interview podcasts (23%) were the second in top-ranked podcasts only to deep reporting podcasts (38%).
The repetitive flow of interview podcast formats, particularly when there is a considerable lack of prior guest research, can lead to audience disengagement. As LAinfluencersnark said in a Reddit post on February 2024, “I feel like a lot of podcasters go on each other’s pods, and it’s just a lot of repetition.”
In 2024, podcasters standing out actively listen to what audiences want, offering a fresh perspective and quality content that followers can build a community around.
Twisting The Interview Podcast Format – Bobbi Althoff’s ‘The Really Good Podcast’
Take the success of Bobbi Althoff’s, ‘The Really Good Podcast,’ which skyrocketed in 2023. Although her podcast format is a traditional ‘interview’ podcast, she twists her podcast strategy to intentionally add deadpan humour that would make her interview guests feel uncomfortable. Each podcast episode would be conducted in unique settings. The marketing strategy behind her podcast is to make it so people cannot stop talking about her, whether she’s “an industry plant”, her personal life or what big-name guest she would surprise her audience with following episodes.
A Fresh Take on Sports Podcast Formats
With their first interview podcast episode released on March 18 2024, ‘Mind the Game’ with LeBron James and J.J. Redick is another innovative take on interview/ talk-show style podcasts. Taken from the perspective of a current and former NBA player, their intentions behind the podcast were in response to basketball “losing its essence”, with the podcast seeking to teach its youth audience “what the game of Basketball really means” (Lebron James via Lakers Nation).
In the podcast, along with various guests, what makes their podcast unique from other interview podcasts and sports talk shows is derived from the views and opinions that offer a fresh perspective on the sport. They delve into the actual sport of basketball, whether it’s reliving past games, analysing plays, or even drawing up basketball plays and concepts to enhance listener understanding.
Compelling Ideas for Podcast Format That Work in 2024
- Interactive/ Participatory Podcasts.
- Mockumentary Investigation Podcasts
- The Debate Interview Podcast
- The ‘Day in the Life’ Interview
- Technology-Enhanced Interviews Through LinkedIn
1. Interactive/ Participatory podcast
Incorporating audience interaction and participation into your podcast strategy can help engage your audience and make them feel involved with your content. An example of this is American TV Personality Stephen A Smith, who started his own show, currently called the Stephen A Smith Show. A section that has garnered significant traffic was where he would answer funny questions submitted through ‘X’ (formerly Twitter). These audience questions would range from basketball. dating to even Fortnite Skins. This type of engagement would help Stephen A Smith present a more authentic version of himself than the sports personality fans are accustomed to seeing on his other hosted shows.
2. Mockumentary Investigation Podcast
This unique podcast style takes the format of a ‘fake documentary’; it merges the seriousness of investigative journalism by imposing satire to criticise or make fun of various subjects. The Mockumentary Investigation Podcast format offers a fresh and engaging way to dive into important topics by adding elements of humour, fun narratives, and creative atmospheric sound designs.
An example of this podcast format is the fictional podcast ‘Welcome to Night Vale’, presented as a radio show for the fictional town of Night Vale. Additionally, despite not being a true investigation, it uses elements of a mockumentary theme to explore the strange events occurring, including community, fear and the search for meaning. For a business exploring this podcast format, you could strategically hide aspects of a brand or product in your show or base your episodes on a theme related to your brand/ product category.
3. The Debate Interview Podcast
It is not necessarily a new podcast format; debate-style podcasts are effective at engaging audiences who enjoy exploring multiple perspectives, whether from the point of view of sports, fashion, politics, or personal values. It works well having guests with opposing viewpoints from different backgrounds. This allows listeners to acquire a well-rounded understanding of issues and join the discussion live or through social media.
Jubilee’s popular YouTube series ‘Middle Ground’, helps to provoke understanding and create a human connection. Furthermore, it is possible for a business looking to emulate this podcast style to choose topics related to industry trends and challenges. Inviting CEOs, business leaders or team members to understand their approach and learn a range of broad perspectives and approaches to various subjects is possible.
4. The ‘Day in the Life’ Interview
A refreshed style of interview podcast takes listeners through the day in the life of the inner workings of a business’s daily operations. This process would involve interviews and snippets of the key moments, whether they are conversations, meetings, or tasks that would take someone out of their comfort zone.
5. Technology-Enhanced Interviews podcast format Through LinkedIn
Conducting live interviews with guests via Linkedin (which can be transformed into an audio file for Spotify and other streaming platforms) is a great way to expand a business’s professional presence over LinkedIn whilst gaining unique and interesting questions from a real-time audience. 77% of Marketers agree that they see the best organic results on LinkedIn. This podcast format is a great way to build immediacy with an audience.
Conclusion
Podcasting will continue to play an influential role in how society gathers new ideas and knowledge on various topics. Regardless, innovation is paramount to avoid listener fatigue. By embracing these ideas and exploring new formats, creators and businesses can ensure their podcasts stay exciting, engaging, and informative.
When you finished your podcast, you listen back and it sounds urgh….. Well firstly lots of room ambience. (Mind I am very particular about such things) I'll decide if need to rerecord 🕵️🎙️😅
— Martyn Snibson (@Martyn_Snibson) March 28, 2022
Last modified 25 April 2024 at 3.00am
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