Podcast Advertising Transcends Audio: Podcast-first Omnichannel Campaigns Drives 84% Listener Action, Acast Study Finds

Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company, today released its Podcast Pulse report, which reveals 84% of podcast listeners have taken action after seeing brands promoted in a podcast-first omnichannel campaign. Of those, nearly 60% have thought more favorably about the brand and 44% have made a purchase. Acast defines omnichannel campaigns as those that reach audiences through podcasting as well as on other platforms, such as social media, YouTube, live events, and more.

The report, which explores the most notable trends in podcasting today, also uncovered that 80% of listeners tune in to niche podcasts with content made for people with specific interests. Additionally, among these niche podcast listeners specifically, 94% have taken action after hearing a podcast ad.

“In today’s algorithm-driven content consumption, podcasts provide an incredibly unique experience because they are sought after by audiences rather than served to them. This means that every single touch point a listener has with a podcast is entirely intentional. Today’s report proves how this intention creates a more engaged audience and drives action for brands,” said Chief Business Officer at Acast Greg Glenday.

Acast created Podcast Pulse with research of more than 1,000 podcast listeners in the United States conducted by Edison Research. The report is divided into three distinct themes: the multiverse of podcasts, genuine influence, and beyond the podcast.

The Multiverse of Podcasts

In the report, Acast defines the multiverse of podcasts as the way each listener creates their own uniquely curated experience with the medium.

According to the findings, two-thirds of listeners say podcasts are the best way to learn about the things they are interested in and 92% listen to learn more about specific topics. These interest areas are wide-ranging, with listeners saying they tune in to an average of six separate topics across their podcast feeds.

These interest areas can also be very specific, with 80% of listeners saying they tune in to niche podcasts. Sixty percent of listeners say these niche shows are more engaging and they are 63% less likely to skip ads on these shows. Additionally, nearly 60% of listeners say they are more likely to trust recommendations on niche shows.

The research also shows that podcasts offer an opportunity to connect with topics in ways that are not being satisfied by traditional media. In fact, 64% of listeners agree podcasts cover topics not typically covered by traditional media and 60% agree podcasts feature voices and perspectives not typically found in traditional media. Another 92% say they listen to podcasts because they cover topics more in-depth than other forms of media.

For advertisers, the highly curated podcast listening experience creates an unmatched opportunity to reach audiences with targeting tools, like Acast’s First-Party Data Targeting and Conversational Targeting, that connect them with the most relevant listeners.

In fact, 79% of media buyers agree that podcast advertising has effective targeting methods and listeners have taken note, with 56% saying that podcasts have ads that are relevant to their interests – the most of any tested media.

Genuine Influence

One of the many differentiating factors of podcasts compared to other forms of media is the sense of community they foster among audiences. According to this study, more than half of listeners feel they are a part of a community when listening to podcasts, ranking first above social media, YouTube, TV and radio.

Podcast audiences are also highly engaged with these communities. In fact, one-quarter of listeners have purchased merchandise from a podcast and 80% say they will consider a brand or product promoted by their favorite podcast host. An additional 88% of listeners have taken action because of a podcast ad – this increases to 92% when looking at daily podcast listeners. Among the 88% of listeners who have taken action, 57% have visited a brand’s website and 41% have made a purchase after hearing a podcast ad.

Notably, podcast listeners even drive their own influence in these communities and are 57% more likely than average consumers to recommend new products, services, or content to friends.

Beyond the Podcast

According to this report, podcast audiences follow podcast hosts and engage with their content across a variety of channels. In fact, 80% of listeners say they follow media personalities across multiple platforms and 68% follow three or more podcasters on social media.

Specifically, 75% follow a podcaster on YouTube, 59% on Instagram, 54% on Facebook, and 41% on TikTok. This varies slightly among Gen Z listeners where 73% follow a podcaster on YouTube, 58% on Instagram, 53% on TikTok, and 31% on Facebook.

Additionally, nearly 50% of podcast listeners say they feel more engaged with podcast hosts they see or hear outside of the show. This has led to 77% of podcast listeners saying they have watched a video version of a podcast and half having commented or posted on a podcast’s social media account. This also leads to in-person engagement, with one in five listeners saying they have attended a live show or event.

For advertisers, this omnichannel influence of podcasts also creates more opportunities to engage with these audiences in ways they are receptive to. In fact, nearly 75% of podcast listeners say they will consider a brand from their favorite hosts on social media. Looking at YouTube specifically, 72% of podcast listeners say they will consider brands advertised by podcasters on the platform.

Most significantly, of the 84% of listeners who say they have taken action after seeing or hearing brands promoted in podcast-first omnichannel campaigns, nearly half have made a purchase and two-thirds have been introduced to a new brand. This proves that podcast-led omnichannel campaigns are valuable for driving consumerism as well as for discovering new consumers.

As podcasting continues to evolve and expand to other channels, Acast continues to lead the industry in connecting brands with the right audiences for the message at scale. Earlier this year, Acast announced its approach to omnichannel and integrated marketing campaigns to enable advertisers to reach these highly engaged podcast audiences beyond audio through social media, live events, retail, and more. Additionally, AI-driven solutions from Acast’s Podchaser brand allow advertisers to reach new, relevant audiences for their campaigns across more podcast content. Importantly, this also creates more monetization opportunities for podcast creators across niche content.

Download the full report