Study: Listeners Want Podcasts Shorter, More Focused.

Get to the point. That is one of the takeaways from a forthcoming study that is a joint project between Point-To-Point Marketing and Strategic Solutions Research. It says one of the key findings from this study is that one out of three podcast listeners lose interest and abandon a show because the podcast started with too much “meaningless” talk.

“Three out of four listeners want the podcast hosts to either dive right into the main topic or at least keep the chit-chat short,” says Hal Rood, a partner with Strategic Solutions. He says that’s similar to what they see in our radio broadcast research. “A fast start is critical for podcasters and broadcasters alike,” Rood says. “A quick way to grow along with marketing is simply raising the bar on your product execution.”

Point-To-Point Marketing CEO Tim Bronsil says another key step is right-sizing a podcast, blaming execution errors for shows that are leaking audience. 

“One in three listeners stop early at least half the time,” he explains. “They cite reasons such as repetition, lack of structure, or episodes running too long. Eight out of ten consumers say they want podcasts to be an hour or less, and half want them to be under an hour.”

Even with some shows missing the mark, the study also offers fresh evidence of podcasting’s continued grow. Six in ten consumers surveyed report they’re listening more to podcasts over the past year vs. 11% who are spending less time with podcasts. And nearly half of all podcast consumers feel they will be using more podcasts in the future.

The Podcast Study is based on a survey of 1,200 podcast listeners who consume at least one podcast a month, although researchers say that nearly 9 in 10 listeners report that they listen or watch at least one podcast weekly, or even daily.

The Podcast Study will be released in three webinars, the first of which will be presented Thursday, Sept. 11, at 2pm (ET). The first part will focus on how podcasters can deepen loyalty and engagement with their existing audience. The second session will focus on strategies for discovery, trial, and conversion. And the third part will examine how contests, hosts, and branding drive long-term success for podcasts. Register for the presentations HERE.