Influencer Agency Pixly Forms Unit Dedicated To Podcasts.

The influencer marketing agency Pixly as launched a new division focuses specifically on podcasters. Mediapost says the new unit is designed to connect brands with podcast audiences, leveraging the connections that hosts have with listeners. NordVPN is reportedly one of the first clients to use the service. It has promoted its VPN service on podcasts including The MacRumors Show and GeniusBrain.

PQ Media says influencer marketing spending will grow 17.6% to $26.09 billion this year in the U.S., coming on the heels of last year’s 22% increase in spending.

“Influencer marketing has become a very effective promotional method for brands to partner with influencers to engage target consumers to achieve their strategic marketing objectives,” says PQ Media CEO Patrick Quinn. “If executed well, influencer marketing is a valuable component of omnichannel campaigns because it helps brands improve their social media reputations with high-quality content and to grow sales.”

Audio companies are already moving to aggressively go after the growing influencer dollars. In May, the iHeartPodcast Network held a one-day Influencer Summit that brought creators and brands together to discuss podcast advertising and how brands need to adapt, invest and create audio advertising that resonates with podcast fans.