An update on our Pilot Competition for Emerging Women Podcasters.
By: Laurissa Cebryk
Women are closing the listener (and producer) gender gap in podcasting and it’s having an even bigger impact on the industry than you might expect. Discover the top three reasons women are crucial for the success of your branded podcast.
Plus, we’re going to introduce the shortlist for our Pilot Competiton for Emerging Women Podcasters in this blog post! So, buckle in and get ready for liftoff. Change is coming — and you’re about to meet some of the women making it happen!
Closing the Gap
In 2022, female listenership was on the rise, nearly coming up to match men for a 50/50 split in the US. However, when you look at top shows and podcast hosts, women have hardly scratched the surface — only about one third of chart-topping podcasts are female-hosted. This is a bummer for brands because women have a lot of power when it comes to clicks, conversions, and listens. Better yet, women know what they want in a good podcast — and so far, the industry is under-delivering. That means female listeners also present an opportunity.
Here’s what you’re missing out on:
1. Women have Excellent Brand Recall
According to Nielsen, women have about 73% recall power after being exposed to a brand. Combine that with the memorable power of an audio ad, and you’re looking at a whole lot of impactful exposure. Here’s where things get exceptionally interesting for the savvy marketer: In the 2022 Women’s Podcast Report, statistics showed that if a podcast were female hosted or produced, women were:
- 41% more likely to consider a brand.
- 36% more likely to recommend a brand.
- 31% more likely to purchase a brand.
- 26% more likely to spend on a brand.
At JAR Audio, we’re happily 50% female-owned and have a talented suite of female producers on the team. So, if you want a show backed by woman power, you know where to find us!
2. There’s a Desire for More Women-hosted Shows
Some think that because women make up nearly half of the listenership, it’s pointless to craft content catering to one gender over the other. However, audience data says that is NOT TRUE! There is a great need and desire for more stories that include specific female perspectives. Plus, we know from experience that when you focus in on an audience, you’ll have a better time creating content that actually adds value to your listeners’ lives.
Female listeners:
- Crave podcasts with more female stories and perspectives.
- Want to hear unfiltered conversations that aren’t found anywhere else.
- Are on the hunt for more representation from women of colour.
Oh, and over half of female listeners said they would listen to more podcasts if they were female-hosted. About 90% of monthly female podcast listeners already have at least one show on their roster that is female hosted or produced. Here’s a glimpse at what else each demographic currently listen to — Just a little something-something for your brand to think of while you’re finetuning your concept:
Source: Women’s Podcast Report
3. Women Share and Engage with the Shows They Love
Women build community in ways that are strong, multifaceted, and interconnected.This connectivity translates from the boardroom, to the playground and over to social media. For every woman actually listening— there’s a good chance she’ll share the message. This represents an excellent opportunity for magnified brand exposure. Statistics show that when a woman loves a podcast she is likely to:
- Engage with it on social media.
- Follow the podcast page.
- Follow the podcast host.
- Share a show/show’s content on their social media page.
If you don’t know the power of having a regular human share branded information — It gets about 8x more engagement than when shared by the brand itself.
What about non-social media sharing? Over 70% of monthly female listeners listed family or friend recommendations as their number one podcast source and 84% of listeners have recommended a show to friends or family.
The Pilot Competiton For Emerging Women Podcasters Shortlist
PHEW! That’s a lot of stats!!
With all those things in mind, we want to introduce to you some of the women we believe will help forge the way in the next phase of the podcasting industry. Here are a just a few of our shortlisted pitches for the Pilot Competiton for Emerging Women Podcasters and the brilliant women behind them.
But first: Thank you to everyone who submitted pitches! We received dozens and dozens of entries from all over the world. The outpouring of creativity and drive was incredible, and we can’t wait to see which idea the JAR Audio team will be helping to bring to life. The future is clearly female!
Annie & Ellie by Lana Schwartz
We love a fiction podcast here at JAR Audio, and Annie & Ellie caught our attention! It follows a dual storyline of two different women at different flashpoints of their lives: Ellie, seeking to thrive in the male-dominated world of television writing in the 1960s, and her granddaughter, Annie, who finds herself trying to find her way out of her grandmother’s shadow 50 years later.
From Lana:
“When I saw that I received the shortlist email, I was elated to learn that there were others who had the same confidence in my project as I do, and that this could stand a real chance of getting made. The most important thing you can do when you create anything is surround yourself with other passionate, talented people, and this is exactly what the JAR Audio competition offers. We need more female-driven podcasts because we need more female stories, period.”
Black College Girls: Unfiltered by Ellisa Oyewo
This promises to be an engaging narrative podcast that takes you on a journey through the honest and raw experiences of young Black women navigating college life. Through a series of interviews, listeners will hear firsthand accounts from three different girls who share their personal stories about college life, love, racism, beauty standards, finances, and dating. No subject is off-limits, and no experience is too insignificant to share.
From Ellisa:
“I was ABSOLUTELY elated to hear the news of my podcast pitch being shortlisted! The opportunity of elevating the voices of young Black girls in their own authentic tone could have an enormous impact and create community! Oftentimes, young females navigating through life, college, and daily responsibilities silently struggle with intense pressure from family, friends, relationships, and society as a whole. Many times we hear a plethora of leaders speaking on what the next generation wants, needs, or feels but with the Black College Girls: Unfiltered podcast, the girls themselves can take control of their own narrative and let the world take note!”
Aunt Jackie by Jackie Dives
Jackie is designing the blueprint for her childfree life in a pronatal (where most people are having children) world — and we are all along for the ride! This is not a podcast about choosing a childfree life, but rather a dive into what that life could be and how to become comfortable with your decision. Through interviews and insight, “Aunt Jackie” seeks have open conversations surrounding the choice more and more women are making: living childfree.
From Jackie:
“I’m thrilled that the team at JAR is interested in my idea. I know this topic has an audience and the possibility for this project to come to fruition, especially since it’s a project that centres women’s experiences, is very exciting.”
Stay tuned to find out which of our shortlist will take home the grand prize: a chance to get their pilot on the airwaves after working with the JAR Audio team to create their pilot episode. The winner will be announced soon.
