Seven podcasting trends for public relations practitioners

Are you using podcasts to maximum effect to reach, engage and influence key stakeholders? These seven trends will enhance your organisation’s PR podcasting prowess.

By Nicky Garsten and Debbie West

Trend 1: There is increasing demand for podcasts

The number of podcast hours listened to in an average week has doubled, in the UK, over the last two years, to more than 110 million hours, according to Rajar's audio research in winter 2024. Whatever your view on the number of podcasts already available, there is a steadily growing audio audience ready to tune into new productions.

Podcasts are most popular amongst 25–34-year-olds, with the smallest number of listeners in the 55+ year old segment, according to the research. Podcasts are most listened to by employed, graduate audiences. Nevertheless, their appeal is growing among less formally educated people. Some internal comms directors have told us that uptake has grown among non-graduate frontline employees in the last year. Podcasts can also be a good way to reach distinct ethnic groups.

Trend 2: Think ‘podcast relations’ to secure coverage in popular podcasts

Securing interviews for your spokespeople or mentions of your organisation’s products or services are all feasible with well researched, and relevant approaches to popular podcasts. Some podcasts have dedicated episodes for listeners’ questions which can, with transparency, be related to your organisation’s purpose.

Often hosts’ unprompted shout outs are even better, as happened on an episode of the Charity Digital podcast which discussed the RNLI’s management of misinformation.

Trend 3: Thought leadership is the most common objective for branded podcasts

Branded podcasting enables organisational comms teams to showcase corporate expertise while educating and informing their listeners. Branded podcasts can be helpful for B2C, B2B and membership communications. For example, the CIPR’s series of Engage podcasts, is CPD-point bearing for its members. Audere’s client, Octopus Energy, aims to use its podcast to bring its purpose to life, while the Red Cross’s award-winning podcast We Are Voices communicates perspectives of asylum seekers and refugees. Podcasts designed for external thought leadership purposes can also provide employees with new perspectives on their organisation.

Rajar’s research also found feeling informed is a bigger draw for podcast listeners than having their mood enhanced. The predominance of solo listening (at over 90%), coupled with the preference to consume podcast content while doing something else (eg completing chores, commuting, exercising) means being able to utilise that time to also learn something.

Trend 4: Video podcasts are rising

Although podcasts were previously considered an audio-only medium, they are increasingly available as both audio and video productions, with about 13% of podcasts being viewed. This trend not only responds to the audio-visual expectations of gen Z, it also makes podcasts more searchable, given the browsing function of YouTube. Clips from such videos can provide engaging content for social media channels.

Trend 5: AI is redefining podcasts

The usefulness of AI to help reduce the workflow time in podcast production has been recognised in the podcasting industry for a while. A common example is in making instant transcriptions of recorded content, a feature that can help with the accessibility of podcast content by providing it in a readable format and in translating it into other languages.

A study by podcast firm Acast [where Debbie works] demonstrated that there are some aspects of AI use that American listeners are ready for and some they are less keen on. It’s interesting that 80% of respondents were keen on AI being used to enhance the quality of the listening experience through, for example, removing background noise, filler words or long pauses. Participants were less keen on voice-simulated content; a slender majority (53%) said that they support the idea.

Trend 6. Advertising on podcasts is growing

Podcast listeners tend not to skip ads, perhaps because they are often multi-tasking when listening to podcasts and because of their one-way parasocial relationships with podcast hosts. The most expensive ads are in the middle of podcasts where skipping happens least. Nevertheless, to what extent are perceptions of hosts’ authenticity tarnished by such advertisements?

Trend 7: Metrics go beyond downloads

Metrics grounded in the Amec framework are developing to evaluate podcasts. Outtakes, outcomes and impact go beyond the output of listenership and download figures. Good listener ratings on Apple, reshares and comments on social media have an impact on the perception of a podcast’s value. Episodes can lead to media coverage about specified areas of thought leadership. Relational impact can include new professional relationships and expanded networks that result from your podcasts including new business generated and the recruitment of talent.

Chartered PR Dr Nicky Garsten is associate professor in communication at Greenwich Business School. She sits on the CIPR’s editorial content board for Influence. Chartered PR Debbie West is a senior account director at Audere Communications and a founder member and former chair of the CIPR Podcast editorial board. Debbie has worked on podcast production for many global brands.