By Dominick Sirianni, Vice President Interactive Education & Thought Leadership, Internet Marketing Association
Audio is about to experience a shift similar to what the DVR did to live television. Though only accounting for 2% of audio consumed by the average American right now, podcasts are growing so much that every business needs to consider them as an intimate way to connect with their audience. Consider the facts:
- 80% of podcast listeners “prefer to buy products from companies that advertise or sponsor” the podcasts they enjoy.
- 90% of podcast listeners have taken action as a result of podcast advertising with 40% reporting direct purchases because of advertisements they heard on podcasts.
- Only 6% of viewers of television or radio have positive comments about commercials. 67% of podcast listeners don’t mind sponsorships.
- 40% of podcast listeners have an annual income >$75,000k
- One in five smartphone owners are podcast consumers…think about how quickly the number of podcast consumers is growing simply due to the proliferation of smart phones
- Podcasts continue to be effective ways to reach affluent consumers who exhibit ad avoidance behaviors
- The fact is, audio is going “on demand” the same way television did back when DVRs first launched
In order to showcase to our members how important this movement is, the IMA launched a podcast of its own this year. We encourage you to subscribe. If you’re on iTunes, Android, Windows or any other platform, the IMA is bringing you the very latest thought leadership on Internet Marketing topics via the very latest in audience engagement platforms.
We’re also looking to showcase IMA members via our podcast series. If you would like to participate in the show, please e-mail podcast@imanetwork.org.