Mastering the Art of Capturing Podcast Listeners’ Attention
I once had a client (the CMO of a large consulting firm) say that her #1 goal with the podcast is to “beat their competition in the charts”. I loved that tenacity, because with so many opportunities out there for your audience to listen to something else, staying ahead of the competition isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity. As more brands recognize the power of podcasts in driving deep, meaningful engagement with their audiences, the space is becoming increasingly crowded. But for marketers and content creators like yourself, understanding who else is fighting for your audience’s time and attention is critical to ensuring your podcast not only stands out but thrives.
Here’s why keeping an eye on your podcast competition is essential and how you can use this knowledge to your advantage.
1. Understand the Landscape
Your audience’s time is limited, and the podcast market is competitive. By analyzing the podcasts in your vertical, you can get a clearer picture of what’s resonating with podcast listeners. What topics are trending? Which formats are gaining traction? Who are the rising stars, and what are they doing differently? Use tools like Chartable to monitor the charts (both globally, and in your country), plus Rephonic’s Podcast Audience Graph to understand what other podcasts are in your “podcast neighbourhood”. Perhaps there are some competitors in there that you didn’t even know of. These insights allow you to position your content strategically, ensuring that it’s not only relevant but also uniquely appealing to podcast listeners.
2. Identify Gaps in Content
Even the most crowded markets have gaps—unmet needs or underserved niches that your podcast can fill. By keeping tabs on your competition, you can spot these gaps and tailor your content to address them. For example, if other brands are focusing heavily on industry news, perhaps there’s an opportunity to dive deeper into personal stories, case studies, or behind-the-scenes content that offers a fresh perspective. This is exactly what we did recently for Deloitte, in conjunction with SAP and BBC Storyworks. With their podcast Resilient Edge, we zero’d in on AI, Sustainability, and Disruption, but through the lens of the industry’s leading thinkers, while using case studies and personal stories.
3. Benchmark Your Performance
Understanding where you stand in comparison to your competition is crucial for setting realistic goals and measuring success. Are your episodes being downloaded as often as your competitors’? You can use tools like Podchaser to get a rough episode of downloads (note: the number is never perfect). Are listeners engaging with your content as much as with others in your vertical? This is more challenging to measure (as you do not have line of sight into their consumption data), but you can measure the amount of conversation happening around the podcast through comments and social media. Benchmarking against the competition allows you to identify areas for improvement and celebrate your wins.
4. Innovate and Differentiate
Innovation thrives on inspiration. By monitoring what other brands are doing, you can draw inspiration from their successes and failures alike. But more importantly, it gives you a baseline to innovate from. How can you take a popular format and put your unique spin on it? How can you use emerging trends to differentiate your podcast? Remember, the goal isn’t to copy but to stand out by doing something distinct and valuable.
5. Stay Agile and Adapt
The podcasting world moves fast. Trends emerge, listener preferences shift, and new competitors can appear seemingly overnight. Regularly assessing the competition keeps you agile, allowing you to pivot your strategy when necessary. Whether it’s experimenting with a new format, adjusting your marketing efforts, or refining your messaging, staying aware of what others are doing ensures you’re not left behind.
6. Build Relationships
Finally, understanding your competition doesn’t just have to be about rivalry—it can also lead to collaboration. In the world of podcasts, cross-promotion is a powerful tool. Identifying complementary podcasts in your space can open doors to partnerships that benefit both parties. By sharing audiences, you can expand your reach and offer listeners even more value.
In a crowded podcast market, knowing your competition is key to carving out a space for your brand. It allows you to understand the landscape, identify content gaps, benchmark performance, innovate, stay agile, and even build strategic relationships. By keeping a close eye on who else is vying for your audience’s time, you can ensure your podcast remains relevant, engaging, and ultimately, successful.
Actionable Tip: Start by identifying 3-5 key competitors in your podcasting vertical. Listen to their episodes, analyze their content strategy, and take note of their audience engagement. Use this information to refine your own podcast strategy and continue delivering content that truly resonates with your listeners.
Stay competitive. Stay hungry.
5 Key Takeaways on Staying Competitive with Your Competitor’s Podcasts:
1. Understanding Your Competition is Essential: Knowing who else is vying for your audience’s attention helps you strategically position your podcast and ensure it stands out in a crowded market.
2. Identify Content Gaps: Even in a saturated market, there are opportunities to fill unmet needs. By analyzing competitors, you can tailor your content to address these gaps and offer something unique.
3. Benchmarking for Success: Regularly comparing your performance to competitors allows you to set realistic goals, measure success, and identify areas for improvement.
4. Innovate to Differentiate: Monitoring your competition inspires innovation, helping you to take popular formats and trends and put your unique spin on them.
5. Collaboration Over Competition: Understanding your competition can also open doors to collaboration, such as cross-promotion, which can expand your reach and provide added value to your listeners.
Roger transitioned from a 22 year career in advertising account management to co-founding JAR, a podcast podcast production agency. As CEO of JAR, he propels the company’s growth by prioritizing audience engagement and podcast marketing. Under his guidance, JAR flourishes with a global clientele, aiming to broaden its reach across North America and revolutionize brand connections through immersive storytelling.
