Around one in four Internet users listen to podcasts. Audio listeners tend to be younger than newspaper readers and also are more loyal. 

Many media companies have invested heavily in audio storytelling in recent years. So what works and how do we measure success?

Lauren Osen of Apple Podcasts joined the Newsroom Transformation Initiative’s most recent Webinar and delved into all things podcasting. Here are some great tips and insights from her:

Always include episode art

“This is a really powerful way to highlight guests on episodic shows or give more context for a limited-run series,” Osen said. “It really helps draw in listeners before they press play.” 

For news content, she said, consider using photos you have the rights to or licensed images.

Link directly to your audio

If users have to click multiple times to get to audio, many will drop out, Osen said. Link directly to the audio via Apple Podcasts or whatever podcast platform you use.

“Get people into the listening experience and meet them where they’re at,” she said.

Understand and analyse your metrics

Osen cited a few metrics media companies should pay attention to and also explained the differences:

• Followers: These are people who have clicked a button to auto-download the show — but that doesn’t mean they’re listening. They’re interested and more likely to listen, Osen said.

• Listens: These are the actual listens per episode — this is what Apple pays attention to, Osen said.

• Monthly listens: This gives you a good idea of how a show is tracking over time.

• Episode performance: “This is very useful if you have a seasonal show and you want to see how episode one of season three compared to episode one of another season or similar episodes in the same vein of a topic,” Osen said.

• Completion rate: How much of an episode is your audience completing? “If people are completing only 50% of an episode, it may be an indicator to shorten your episodes or break them up.” 

Optimise your existing work for audio

Keep in mind that your audience for podcasts will be different from broadcast or print, Osen said, so pay attention to how the audio is packaged and marketed. Make it accessible. 

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