Smaller Audiences, Bigger Impact: The Power of Engaged Listeners in Podcasting

Hi everyone,

Hello and Happy International Women’s Month!

I’m excited to welcome our new subscribers—and welcome back my OGs from my Substack! It’s wonderful to have all of you here.

I kicked mine off by speaking at my eldest kid’s school about my career in radio journalism and podcast show development. I won’t lie – I questioned my life choices the day before the event because of MIDDLE SCHOOLERS(!), but they took it easy on me, and I survived! The biggest bonus was meeting other parents and hearing about their journeys—like the fine artist, Elana Hagler, who designed the soon-to-be-released coin for the US mint commemorating Ida B. Wells!

Meeting these other parents and speaking was a wonderful reminder that every career and venture with passion – and can lead to something extraordinary, especially when we trust ourselves and find a supportive community. Which is my cue to talk about things ‘podcast and strategy!’

On My Mind

Last week marked a significant moment with the launch of my ‘Your Podcast Pipeline’ sessions! In these sessions, you’ll get to pick my brain effectively about areas of your editorial and audience engagement strategies that you’re stuck on. In real time. In this inaugural session, you’ll get real-time feedback on an area of your growth from an industry professional who gets it, has done it all, and can provide solutions. I can’t wait for our first group session on March 27! Sign up for your spot here.

Strategy Find: Researchers and advertisers are starting to recognize the value of smaller audiences.

According to Podscribe’s quarterly ‘Podcast Performance Benchmarks Report,’ smaller podcasts are more effective at driving listeners to brands than larger shows. In other words, smaller podcasts tend to have listeners that feel more connected to the show. And those more engaged listeners – who are also more likely to trust the host – are more likely to act on a recommendation presented on the show.

This isn’t the first report highlighting the benefits of highly engaged listeners. In 2022, Nielsen found that host-read ads have a brand recall rate of 74% among Black audiences.

Here’s another insight from the report that caught my attention: Longer ad reads perform well for advertisers, especially per dollar.

So what does this mean for you? Well, guess what folks, I have thoughts:

1: FINDING AN AD DEAL: Your message and audience are IMPORTANT. Brands are looking for targeted audiences, which usually means smaller audiences. So, you can afford to think about the kind of brands you want to work with. Finding one that aligns with your mission will make my next point easier.

2: WRITING YOUR AD SCRIPT: Aim to incorporate ads naturally into your content. Share what you genuinely like about a product so it feels authentic. Use those storytelling skills of yours! Stay honest! And know this: I won’t judge you if you say, “This show is brought to you by…” Just use jazz hands or something…

Give it a try! I’m excited for you!

That’s all for now! Look out for the next edition of YPP, where I’ll celebrate a narrative-changing community member and share updates, observations, and projects.

Christabel