There are over 5 million podcasts globally, with over 70 million episodes between them. There are 464.7 million podcast listeners. This number is predicted to reach 504.9 million by the end of the year. It is predicted that there will be over 100 million active podcast listeners in the U.S. in 2024.
Things to look for include:
The Rise of Live Streaming in Podcasting
It seems that with Instagram’s integration of Streamlabs and other third-party live streaming tools we may see a significant shift in this type of content. We may see a surge in live streams across various platforms, including Instagram, Twitch, and TikTok Live.
So, why is live streaming so important?
The main reason live streaming is so beneficial is that this is the type of content people are engaging with online. In fact, 80% of consumers would prefer to watch live brand videos instead of reading a blog post. Oh, oh…looks like I should have done this blog as a live instead!
When we live stream on social media, we turn a video into a conversation rather than simply broadcasting to our audience. Users can comment and share likes, which you can respond to in real time. Most significantly, we can build trust and engagement, which can encourage our audience to come back for more. As our viewers continue to give feedback, we can adapt your approach.
On social media platforms, live content is given a prime position in newsfeeds. Facebook is the perfect example here. When comparing pre-recorded and live videos, live streams enjoy six times the interactions—at least on Facebook. If you are an Instagram user, you are sure to have noticed that live streams pop up in the top left-hand corner, ahead of the video stories for the day. This means they are the first thing people see when they log onto Instagram.
I haven’t tried live streaming because I think you have to have a community of followers already established to make it worth the effort but thinking Facebook would be the place for me to try it. I’d want to have a compelling topic to draw people in. I can see this working well for coaches, mentors, and consultants that choose a particular lane to market themselves. Not sure what I’d do – Leadership is pretty broad but I’ll give it some thought.
Video Podcasting: More Than a Trend
The preference for video seems to skew young:
In a recent survey with consumers aged 18-34 only 35% of the respondents said they prefer to listen to podcasts that are audio-only without any video, while 64% said they prefer to have video elements either for actively watching or playing in the background while listening.
I do think that video builds authenticity and trust because you can see the sincerity of the speaker. It’s been a real practice for me to get over my inner critic about “not looking good enough” but I trust my listeners to take in the whole picture of me – someone who cares about them and wants to support their leadership efforts, no matter where they are in life.
You can see more about trends here:
Source: Ozeal Debastos is the founder of Pod Houston
https://podnews.net/article/houston-podcast-predictions-2024
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2022/09/20/why-and-how-you-should-live-stream-on-social-media/?sh=772551fa32f8
