Katie Larason is an aspiring public relations skilled from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is at the moment a senior at Purdue College learning public relations and strategic communication.
The variety of podcast listeners is on the rise — anticipated to rise to 464.7 million customers throughout 2023, in line with Oberlo. This standard format adjustments the way in which we eat media and engages faculty college students. Riverside’s “Podcast Statistics and Developments” knowledge says that fifty% of U.S. podcast listeners fall between the ages of 12–34..
As a school scholar with an ear for podcasts, I thought of my very own perspective of the digital media and requested fellow college students how podcasts match into their day-to-day lives.
College students shared how this longer type of media content material is nice for lengthy walks and commutes, whereas understanding, or whereas doing actions round the home equivalent to cooking or cleansing. A examine from Riverside discovered that “74% of podcasts listeners tune in to be taught new issues, whereas others pay attention commonly for leisure, to maintain updated, to loosen up, and for inspiration.” For some, podcasts can present a way of group and construction throughout this period of all the time being on-the-go.
School college students comply with the podcasting world via a number of streaming providers. A 2020 examine from Statista confirmed that Spotify was the “mostly used app for listening to podcasts in the US,” with 25% of listeners selecting this platform.
Widespread matters college students gravitate towards embody comedy, leisure, training, well being and wellness, historical past, information, politics, and true crime.. The scholars I surveyed are drawn to podcasts based mostly on who the host is and if any visitor stars might be included within the dialog. The vast majority of college students shared that they take pleasure in listening to personality-driven channels equivalent to “Workplace Girls,” “The Joe Rogan Expertise“ and “Unlocking Us with Brené Brown.” There was additionally a pattern in college students favoring well being and wellness podcasts like “The Mindset Mentor” and “On Goal with Jay Shetty.”
Many podcasts characteristic commercials as a manner for companies to achieve huge audiences whereas additionally serving as a income stream for podcasters. Knowledge from Advert Outcomes Media demonstrates that 51% of listeners usually tend to take heed to commercials on podcasts relatively than on different media platforms. When asking college students about advert placements, I discovered that they constantly skip via the commercials, however are extra persuaded to take heed to them if it’s the podcast’s host themselves selling the advert relatively than a random voice interrupting this system. When it comes to a extra common viewers, nonetheless, knowledge from Advert Outcomes Media discovered larger ranges of listener engagement, with 74% of listeners following up with commercials after listening to them throughout a podcast. The information reveals that selling commercials in podcasts could be an efficient advertising and marketing technique, however isn’t notably standard amongst college students.
Whereas college students use podcasts of their on a regular basis duties, the expertise additionally performs an element within the classroom. A examine on “The Results of Podcasting on School Scholar Achievement and Perspective” explores the function of podcasts as a “instructing enhancement instrument” the place faculty college students “may expertise extra success if faculty academics have been capable of personalize curricula” and assign content material in a up to date method. The examine discovered that college students benefited from the usage of podcasts and supported the expertise which supplied flexibility on when, the place and the way college students may entry their assignments..
Podcasts have develop into more and more standard amongst faculty college students as they provide handy approach to interact with media. As podcasts evolve, so does their potential to achieve new audiences, construct communities and act as a helpful instrument for private and mental progress.
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