Have you watched a podcast lately? Even if you haven’t been consuming your favorite shows on YouTube or other video platforms, many of your peers likely have. For the first time ever, more podcast enthusiasts watched a podcast in the previous 30 days than listened to one, according to a new report from Sounds Profitable. That’s pretty significant. As podcast fans migrate to video platforms, there is a profound opportunity for brands to follow, leveraging the collective power of podcast and video for big ROI.
What we’re talking about here is an emergent medium called vodcasting. The word itself is a hybrid of “video” and “podcasting,” and refers to immersive podcast content that blends audio and visual elements. In vodcasts, hosts and their guests sit down, record their podcasts, and distribute video footage of the episode. While vodcasts originally came on the scene as auxiliary, “bonus” podcast content, creators are increasingly making vodcasts their primary channel.
“Since mid-pandemic, the growth year over year has been pretty notable,” says Gretchen Smith, ARM’s Vice President of Media, in our recent vodcasting ebook. Some powerhouse vodcasts are garnering viewership that rivals some television programs. The Joe Rogan Experience, for example, has 16 million subscribers, and New Heights with Jason and Travis Kelce has nearly 3 million, as does The H3 Podcast. Savvy brands can capitalize on this momentum.
Vodcast subscribers tend to be younger: Gen Z represents 84% of consumers of vodcasts in a typical month. With $143 billion in spending power, capturing the attention of young, digitally native consumers can create positive momentum for brands focused on growth.
That’s not the only reason to consider integrating vodcasts into your media mix. Quick, substantial reach with precision targeting, fast results, and efficient rates mean that brands can test the medium without major investment. Vodcasts also allow brands with tighter budgets to have a presence on video platforms without the costs of developing video assets internally—and at the relatively low CPAs that podcasting is known for.
“Vodcasts are full-funnel performance drivers,” says Jennifer Christman, ARM’s Vice President of Client Success. Whether you’re engineering campaigns to produce brand lift or drive conversion, vodcasts are a viable path to meet your goals.
Even armed with all the research supporting vodcasting’s power, getting the first campaign off the ground requires a bit of a learning curve. This is where specialized agencies can smooth the process, as can resources like our latest ebook, Vodcasting 101: What It Is and Why You Need It.
In the ebook, we unpack why vodcasts have gained influence so quickly, how they work for brands, and best practices to launch a compelling campaign.
Ready to dive in? Read Vodcasting 101: What It Is and Why You Need It here.
