The Podcast Revolution

The origin of podcasts dates back to the 80s when they were known as “Audio Blogs”.

Like the first bloggers, these audios were the way for anyone to share their experiences through these recordings. However, due to the lack of technology to distribute this type of content, it took another 20 years before the genre took off.

At the beginning of the new millennium, with the rise in popularity of portable audio devices like the iPod, the idea of transferring these “audio blogs” to a portable player in an MP3 file became widespread and by 2003, people could download this new format on their iPod.

The British journalist and current editor of Wired magazine, Ben Hammersley, coined the term “podcasting” and first used it in a publication in The Guardian newspaper, in which he addressed how an amateur audio revolution was emerging through the podcasts.

In 2005, Apple officially added the podcast to its iTunes music library and after a long decade, in 2013, it announced that it had 1 billion subscribers. At the United States, the cultural breakthrough came in 2014 with a very specific podcast “Serial”, a piece of investigative journalism hosted by Sarah Koenig, narrating a non-fiction story over multiple episodes and which to date has more than 340 million downloads.

Podcasts are versatile since they address diverse topics capable of reaching any type of audience, at any time and place; it is not surprising that with the COVID-19 pandemic, we experienced an increase in the creation of informative and entertainment digital media and content, through which the audience was empowered thanks to the different formats and new ways of interaction. In 2021, the top five podcast categories are society and culture, business, comedy, health, news and politics.

At Improve Comunicaciones, we share with you why podcasts have revolutionized digital content and even radio:

1.- Attractive and convenient content

Unlike the written content of a blog, which must be read, or even videos that require the public to pay attention and sit down to watch; all a podcast follower must do is press play. Podcasts are the perfect content for multitasking people.

2.- Optimized content for mobile devices

69% of podcast listeners do so from their mobile devices. So, it’s easy for podcast lovers to consume this content while on the go, when they are at the gym, in the car, relaxing at home, or elsewhere.

3.- Increase in popularity

According to a 2020 study on podcast consumption in Mexico, the number of listeners has increased steadily and is projected to reach 31.5 million consumers in 2022. This number is estimated to grow further to 42 million podcast listeners in 2024.

4.- Loyal Audience

Podcast followers build relationships with hosts and are 20% more likely to connect with a brand on social media. Therefore, it is important to build a loyal and solid audience.

5.- Build leadership and reputation

One of the main reasons we develop content is to establish credibility and reputation as a thought leader in the marketplace. This is the reason why informative articles, case studies, guides and other content resources are so valuable, they help show the public that we provide useful information and solutions to their questions.

Podcasts are key to growing this reputation as an expert and credible source because the public will listen to you and your brand directly and without intermediaries.

Which are your favorite podcasts?

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