In 2005 ‘podcast’ became the ‘word of the year’ according to New Oxford Dictionary. In 8 short years, 2013, Apple had 1 billion subscribers (find more podcast milestones).
Podcasts have become a way to inform, entertain and more. If you are considering starting one, read on.
Data…
- A Nielsen report finds podcast listeners are more diverse than the U.S. population; black, Hispanic, Asian podcast audiences are growing faster each year (2010 to 2019). Kids and family podcasts ranks high among Hispanic audiences. The report also shows the top 5 type of podcast for each audience.
- A 2020 report found that 25% of U.S. Latinos listen to podcasts monthly.
- A 2020 breakdown of podcasts by genre – men vs. women – found differences in listening: 63% of women listen to health and fitness podcasts, while 37% of men do and 64% of men listen to science podcasts, 36% of women do.
- According to a 2020 survey 61% said that podcasts are part of their daily habit.
- In 2020, during the pandemic, listeners were finding companionship and connection in podcasts. A 2020 YouGov survey found that we listen to podcasts to learn something new, for current affairs or entertainment.
- And read about the results of a dissertation project – a grocery store point-of-purchase podcast about omega-3 rich foods and how it influenced shopping behaviors.
The future…
14 predictions says look for more podcasts for kids and microcasts (shorter content). And in one niche market, Apple creates podcasts for Apple Watch users. Finally, an Australian digital executive predicts 3 minute podcasts in the near future when we can search podcasts to answer a specific question.
Nuts and bolts…
How long should a podcast be? Podnews thinks it should be as long as it needs to be. In 2019 the overall average podcast length was 37 minutes. Yet it’s important to think about what your audience may be doing while listening since podcast listening is a multi-tasking experience. One company adds polls to podcasts. Consider repurposing podcast content into blog posts. Find podcast books, blogs and other resources and more guidance from NPR. RAIN News’ (Radio & Internet News) podcasting section shares data about podcasts and podcasting.
Finding podcasts to recommend/different formats…
Below are podcasts representing different formats, different lengths and for different audiences.
Play Me a Recipe: Cook along as a cook shares a recipe, talks you through the recipe and tips you wouldn’t get from a recipe. Episodes vary in length. Recipes are in the show notes.
Active Towns: Helping communities create a culture of activity’ profiles people, programs, communities and policies.
Change Academy: Learn how to create sustainable nutrition and activity habits.
The Recipe Club: Chef David Chang and culinary experts prepare, eat and judge three different recipes of the same dish/recipe.
Citizen Chef: Hosted by Chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio as he explores food policy and politics.
Risky or Not: Hosted by 2 food safety specialists as they answer questions they’ve received in brief episodes as they explain how they arrive at their ‘risky’ or ‘not risky’ assessment.
Food Safety Talk: Hosted by the same food safety specialists with longer episodes covering several topics.
For youth…
Common Sense Media will develop recommended curated podcast collections for kids in partnership with Apple.
Mystery Recipe: Provides ingredient-themed episodes leading up to a grand finale – a recipe cook-along.
Brains On: Although not nutrition/food-focused, specific episodes are food-related such as Flavor facts: why Food is so delicious, Salty Snack Science: Popcorn, nachos and the Origins of Salt, Heat/Chill/Chop/Mix – 4 episodes on the science of cooking.
But Why? A Podcast for Curious Kids: Not nutrition/food-focused, specific episodes are food-related such as How Do You Make Ice Cream, Why Do Cookies Taste Better with Salt? and Other Cooking Questions, How Do We Taste Food?, How Are Noodles Made?, How Do You Make Bread?, How Do Popcorn Kernels Pop?, Why Do We Like to Eat Certain Foods?
Takeaways…
Nutrition education often involves relationship-building with an audience. If you are focusing on helping others change their behavior, support systems are important. Podcasts may be one way to extend nutrition education and form relationships, support groups in behavior change and knowledge-seeking. Once you have a loyal podcast following you just might want to have some ‘merch’ or merchandise.