Essential considerations for an audience-appropriate show.
If you’re planning a podcast for listeners under 30, this is a must-read blog post.
Whether you hope to reach Gen Z, or their close chronological neighbors, Young Millennials, you’ve probably already noticed some era-specific trends.
Don’t get us wrong. We’re not saying that teens and twentysomethings are all the same — by any means — but there are a few common threads here we shouldn’t ignore.
In this post, we explore some of their shared experience, and several things you need to keep in mind for an audience specific, rapidly growing, and truly enjoyable show.
The power of great design
Listen, great design is always important, but when it comes to your young listeners, the bar is through the roof.
If you want to reach your target market, there are three very important words you should keep in mind — esthetic, esthetic, esthetic.
In the era of social media, everyone is a creator, and our collective skillset (and standard) is at an alltime high.
Scrolling through TikTok and Instagram, we see a culture of creation, and rapid-fire exchange that is impossible to ignore.
The word that underscores the entire phenomena? Esthetic. (Need we say it again?)
In fact, as a general concern with beauty, expression, and style has become more and more prominent, the word has been completely redefined.
“Esthetic” is being used colloquially, and all over the internet, to refer to something that is esthetically pleasing.
Today, an “esthetic study nook” is a carefully curated feast for the eyes.
Would a dictionary agree? No — but language evolves, and sometimes, those evolutions speak to our culture and trends.
If you want to reach Gen Z, esthetic matters, and the design choices that surround your show will be more important than ever.
That said, we’d encourage you to get very creative. The under-30 demographic is all about exploration, and mold-breaking, as we see through trends like anti-design.
We’re not looking for formulaic beauty here, we’re looking for a truly exceptional, never-before-seen, totally stunning look.
So if you want a show that meets the sky-high standards of your trend-setting audience, don’t be afraid to invest in a pro.
Inclusive and accessible
We’re all about inclusivity, accessibility, and social responsibility here — and all three are essential to any great podcast.
But this is another space where young generations are raising the bar, so you’re going to want to develop a particularly keen eye.
The social conscience and moral compass of young people today is impossible to miss — and trust us when we say that they will catch any slip ups.
So, when it comes to your branded podcast, we’re going to make the same recommendation we make for all responsible content…
Review it with a fine tooth comb.
But that’s not all. We also recommend that you listen closely to what young people — especially members of historically mistreated groups — are saying.
Listen to BIPOC folks, LGBTQIA2S+ communities, folks with disabilities, and their many young allies, and take their well-intentioned advice.
Building a more inclusive world is a process of constant evolution, and young people today are making a stir that we should absolutely learn from.
Bottom line? Keep your ear to the ground, engage in the dialogue, and have all of your content checked once, twice, and three times.
And if you make a mistake, please just apologize.
Understanding pain points
If you’re reading this post, you probably already know enough about marketing to understand the importance of pain points…
But in this context, you might need a shift of perspective.
Normally, this is a blanket term for the problems your target market has that your product or service was made to solve.
But when it comes to your corporate podcast (and great content marketing of any kind), an understanding of pain points isn’t just part of your sales strategy.
It’s essential to offering real value, and creating a net-positive show.
Let’s take a look at an example. Say you’re creating a series full of financial advice aimed at Young Millennials.
If you plan to do this in a way that’s palatable, effective, and responsible, you need to understand their financial world.
Maybe 27-year-old Maddi makes the same as her mother did at her age — but homes in her market cost ten times as much.
Maddi is watching her grandparents collect a healthy pension while she’s already faced with the very real risk she will never retire.
What we’re trying to say here is this…
You’re going to speak about money in a completely different way when you’re talking to Maddi, than you would in conversation with her grandpa.
But money isn’t the only topic we should be concerned with here.
The collective struggle
To give you a better sense of what these pain points are, we’re going to turn to the data.
Deloitte conducted a global survey this year that examined the lives and perspectives of Gen Z and Millennials.
Here are the (devastating) numbers…
- Nearly half of this demographic lives paycheck to paycheck
- More than 40% feel professionally burnt out
- And less than half believe that efforts to sustain our planet will actually work
Looking at these numbers, it’s not really surprising that around 40% say that they are generally or perpetually stressed.
Obviously, we’re living in tenuous times, and it’s really not surprising that young people are feeling the effects of today’s issues.
So, if you’re not a member of these demographics, it’s absolutely imperative that you exercise empathy, and do the research to tune into their concerns, and their struggles.
Otherwise, you run the risk of totally missing the mark.
Putting your audience first
At the end of the day, a successful corporate podcast should be about your listeners — not your brand.
Great content marketing is all about value and connection, not immediate conversion or sales.
The goal here is to build a relationship, and your approach should vary greatly from one age group to the next.
If you want to foster an unbreakable bond with Gen Z and Millennials, you need to know what sets them apart —- and create a series that actually serves them.
Need some help getting your team on board? Check out the podcast consumption data for young listeners.
