The Meteoric Rise of “New Heights”

Launched in 2022, “New Heights” quickly captured the attention of listeners with its unique blend of NFL insights, personal anecdotes, and candid conversations between the two brothers. The show’s rise to prominence was further fueled by Travis Kelce’s high-profile relationship with pop star Taylor Swift, which introduced a whole new demographic to the podcast. As the podcast gained traction, it became a symbol of the shifting dynamics in the podcasting industry, where celebrity-hosted shows are pulling in massive audiences and even more significant advertising dollars.

“The Kelces’ emergent success over the past two years is emblematic of the shifting podcast landscape,” noted Anne Steele of the Wall Street Journal. “In a world where a few blockbuster shows are attracting the biggest audiences, ‘New Heights’ has risen to the top, exemplifying how a mix of sports, pop culture, and personal stories can captivate millions.”

The $100 Million Deal: What It Entails

The deal with Wondery, which runs for three years, is one of the largest podcast deals to date, putting the Kelce brothers in the company of other podcast giants like Joe Rogan and Alex Cooper. According to sources familiar with the agreement, Wondery will gain exclusive rights to distribute and sell ads for all audio and video episodes of “New Heights.” This includes access to the show’s back catalog and the ability to create international audio adaptations, further expanding the podcast’s global reach.

“We couldn’t be more excited to team up with Wondery for the next phase of ‘New Heights,’” the Kelce brothers said in a statement. “We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to ‘New Heights’! We are going to create some groundbreaking moments together through this partnership.”

The deal also includes a first-look option for new consumer products the brothers may develop, as well as opportunities for live events and other collaborative projects. Episodes will continue to be available across platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Amazon Music, with Wondery+ subscribers gaining access to ad-free listening and exclusive content.

The Podcast Boom: A Cultural Phenomenon

The Kelce brothers’ deal is just the latest in a series of high-profile podcast agreements that highlight the medium’s explosive growth. According to Edison Research, “New Heights” ranked No. 4 on the list of top U.S. podcasts in the second quarter of 2024, a significant achievement in a crowded market. This popularity is not just a reflection of the brothers’ star power but also of the broader appeal of podcasts as a medium that blends entertainment, information, and intimacy in a way that few other formats can.

If you listen to the Kelce brothers podcast you need to reevaluate your life https://t.co/cBn7w5oxvS

— FalcDawg (@fdtakeover) August 27, 2024

“‘New Heights’ on the surface is a sports podcast, and sports is such a well-listened-to category,” said Wondery CEO Jen Sargent. “But it’s become a cultural phenomenon—they’re in that cultural zeitgeist.”

The Kelce brothers are not the only ones benefiting from this trend. The podcast industry as a whole has seen a surge in investment, with platforms like Spotify, Amazon, and SiriusXM competing for exclusive content deals. Last month, Wondery signed comedian Dax Shepard to an $80 million deal for his podcast “Armchair Expert,” and Alex Cooper secured a deal valued at over $100 million with SiriusXM for her hit podcast “Call Her Daddy.”

The Risks and Rewards of Big Podcast Deals

While the headline-grabbing sums of these deals reflect the potential of podcasts to generate substantial revenue, they also come with significant risks. The podcast industry has experienced a boom-and-bust cycle in recent years, with some deals proving to be less profitable than anticipated. Distributors like Wondery are now incorporating more protections into their contracts, ensuring that they have multiple revenue streams, including ad sales, subscriptions, and merchandise.

The Kelce brothers’ deal with Wondery is structured to maximize these opportunities. In addition to the ad revenue generated from traditional podcast platforms, the deal includes provisions for merchandise development and live events, which could provide substantial additional income. The podcast’s existing fanbase, known as the “92%ers,” is likely to be a crucial factor in the success of these ventures.

A Bright Future for the Kelce Brothers

As they embark on this next chapter, the Kelce brothers are poised to continue their reign at the top of the podcasting world. Jason Kelce, who recently retired from professional football after 13 years with the Philadelphia Eagles, has joined ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown,” while Travis Kelce is set to begin another NFL season with the Kansas City Chiefs. Both brothers have also ventured into other media projects, with Travis hosting a 20-episode season of “Are You Smarter Than a Celebrity?” for Amazon Prime Video.

Kelce Brothers Sign $100M+ Deal for Their ‘New Heights’ Podcast https://t.co/AR5bTaj87N via @thedailybeast

Why would amazon spend money on to filthy alcoholics.

— Eed Ajd (@EedAjd79682) August 27, 2024

Their diverse media engagements, combined with the ongoing success of “New Heights,” suggest that the Kelce brothers are not just football stars but also savvy media entrepreneurs. As they continue to build their brand, their partnership with Wondery will likely open up new avenues for content creation and audience engagement.

The Podcasting Gold Rush

The Kelce brothers’ deal is a sign that the podcasting gold rush is far from over. With major platforms like Amazon and Spotify continuing to invest heavily in exclusive content, the industry is set to grow even further. For creators, this means more opportunities to monetize their content and reach wider audiences. For listeners, it means access to an ever-expanding array of high-quality shows that cater to every interest and taste.

As the Kelce brothers prepare to launch the third season of “New Heights,” their $100 million deal with Wondery stands as a testament to the power of podcasts in today’s media landscape. It’s a reminder that in the digital age, the microphone is mightier than ever.

“Podcasts are hot, hot, hot,” said media analyst Sarah Perez. “The Kelce brothers’ deal is just the latest proof that audio content is a goldmine, and we’re only scratching the surface of what’s possible.”

The Rise of Podcast Advertising

The podcast industry has seen a significant increase in ad revenue over the past few years. According to research from marketing agency Oxford Road and audio measurement company Podscribe, ads now take up an average of 10.9% of podcast run times, up from 7.9% in the second quarter of 2021. This increase reflects a broader trend of monetization within the industry. In 2024, podcasters collected an average of 6 cents in ad revenue per hour of programming heard by a listener, up from just under 5 cents in 2021 and a mere 2 cents in 2015.

These numbers represent a significant shift in the podcasting landscape. As Dan Granger, CEO and founder of Oxford Road, explained, “The growth in ad load is a direct response to the increasing demand from advertisers and the rising expectations of revenue from podcast networks and content creators. But this isn’t just about squeezing more money out of the medium; it’s about establishing podcasts as a legitimate, scalable business model.”

From Niche to Mainstream

Podcasting has come a long way since its inception. Initially, podcasts were a niche format, with a small but dedicated audience. The first podcast advertisers were often smaller, direct-to-consumer companies that couldn’t afford the cost of TV advertising. These early sponsors saw podcasts as a way to reach engaged audiences in a more personal and direct manner.

However, as podcasts grew in popularity, so did their appeal to larger brands. Today, household names with big budgets are flocking to the medium, drawn by its growing listener base and the deep connections that podcasters can build with their audiences. This shift has been facilitated by the rise of podcast networks and automated ad bidding systems, which make it easier for marketers to buy time on a large scale.

Despite this growth, the podcast industry has faced challenges in turning a profit. Audio streaming giant Spotify, for example, has spent more than $1 billion acquiring podcast studios like Gimlet and signing deals with high-profile figures such as former President Barack Obama. Yet, the company has struggled to recoup these investments, leading to staff cuts and a reevaluation of its podcast strategy. Similarly, other podcasting companies, including Malcolm Gladwell’s Pushkin Industries and NPR, have had to make layoffs due to slow growth in digital advertising.

Balancing Monetization with Listener Experience

As podcasts have become more commercialized, there is growing concern that the increasing ad load could alienate listeners. While the current ad load in podcasts is still relatively low compared to other media, some industry insiders worry that adding more ads could backfire.

“Podcasts have always been about intimacy and trust between the host and the listener,” said Pete Birsinger, founder and CEO of Podscribe. “If we push too hard on monetization, we risk breaking that trust. Listeners might tolerate a few ads, but if they start feeling bombarded, they’ll either skip through them or tune out altogether.”

This sentiment is echoed by podcast hosts like Claire Parker and Ashley Hamilton of the “Celebrity Memoir Book Club” podcast. The duo has been selective about the advertisers they work with, prioritizing brands they genuinely believe in over maximizing ad revenue. “We would rather work with fewer brands that we truly believe in and can sell to our audience successfully, rather than loading our episodes with cheap ads that people just fast forward through,” Parker explained.

The challenge for podcasters and networks is to find the right balance between monetization and maintaining the quality of the listener experience. Some podcasts have successfully integrated ads without alienating their audience by curating high-quality sponsors that align with their content. Jasper Wang, Vice President of Revenue and Operations at Defector, an employee-owned media company, emphasized the importance of ad quality over quantity. “If you can curate the right set of sponsors, you might have more leeway with your audience to add an ad slot here and there without compromising the listening experience,” Wang said.

The Big Bucks: How Much Are Podcasts Really Making?

The surge in ad revenue has led to significant earnings for some podcasts, with top shows generating substantial income. For instance, industry insiders estimate that popular podcasts can earn anywhere from $250,000 to $500,000 per year from advertising alone. High-profile podcasters like Joe Rogan reportedly make millions annually, thanks to lucrative deals with platforms like Spotify.

However, the revenue potential in podcasting is not evenly distributed. While top-tier podcasts bring in significant earnings, many smaller or newer shows struggle to monetize effectively. The disparity highlights the importance of business acumen in the podcasting world. As one podcaster noted in a recent discussion thread, “It really depends on how good they are at business. I know someone with a top 100 podcast making $20K-$30K a month just off sponsorships, while others make much less.”

Kailyn Lowry, a former star of MTV’s “Teen Mom,” recently revealed that her podcasting ventures are more lucrative than her television career. “My podcast was financially more successful than ‘Teen Mom,’” Lowry said, highlighting how the shift to podcasting allowed her to take control of her career and income.

The financial success of podcasts like Lowry’s is fueling further interest in the medium, with more creators looking to monetize their content. This trend is likely to continue as the industry evolves, with podcasts increasingly seen as a viable alternative to traditional media for both content creators and advertisers.

The Future of Podcast Monetization

As podcasts continue to grow in popularity, the industry faces both opportunities and challenges. The increasing ad load is a sign of the medium’s maturity, but it also raises questions about sustainability. Will listeners tolerate more ads, or will they push back against the commercialization of their favorite shows?

The answer may lie in innovation. Some podcasters are exploring new revenue streams, such as live shows, merchandise, and subscription services like Patreon, to reduce their reliance on ad revenue. These alternative monetization strategies can provide a more stable income while preserving the listener experience that has made podcasts so popular.

Despite the challenges, the future of podcasting looks bright. As Granger of Oxford Road noted, “Podcasts have proven that they can generate TV-level cash. The key now is to manage that success carefully, ensuring that we don’t sacrifice the very qualities that made podcasts special in the first place.”

In conclusion, podcasts are no longer the ad-free sanctuaries they once were, but their evolution into a profitable medium is a testament to their growing influence in the media landscape. As the industry continues to develop, striking the right balance between monetization and content quality will be crucial in maintaining the trust and loyalty of listeners while maximizing revenue potential.

Apple Podcasts is one of the leading podcasting services, but accessing content via the web previously required that users jump through hoops. Rather than having a central place to search and access content, listeners had to use search engines to find the podcasts they were interested in. The new web-based interface finally puts web access on equal terms as the app, providing a full-featured experience, much like Apple’s competitors.

Users without an Apple Account can browse and listen to podcasts, although there are limitations. Listening to explicit content requires the user to create an account for age verification. In addition, using an Apple Account allows listeners to manage subscriptions, as well as sync their progress so they can pause and resume playback on other devices.

Users can access the web-based Apple Podcasts at podcasts.apple.com.

Building an audience can be one of the most challenging aspects of starting a podcast. Spotify is trying to address that, rolling out Comments as a way to help creators and listeners alike.

For podcast creators who want to grow their audiences, building a stronger relationship with their listeners and fans goes a long way. And in order to amplify their presence, creators need tools that give them the functionality, insights, and flexibility to manage their shows and engage fans anytime, anywhere.

That’s why, starting today, we’re beginning to roll out a brand-new way for podcast creators to interact with their fans—with Comments—and introducing an easier way for all podcasters to manage their shows: with the all-new Spotify for Podcasters mobile app.

The company says the Comments is an expansion of its Q&A and polls features that were introduced in 2021. Spotify says 9 million listeners have interacted with either a Q&A or a poll in 2024 alone, representing an 80% year-over-year growth rate.

“As a podcast focused on the lessons we can learn from history’s greatest leaders, I’m always curious about which takeaways resonate most with my audience,” said Ben Wilson, creator of How to Take Over the World. “Comments on Spotify provide me that invaluable feedback, which makes creating my podcast that much more rewarding and allows me to build a stronger connection with my listeners.”

Spotify emphasizes the value Comments brings to its users.

We’ve found that listeners who interact with a show are four times more likely to return to that show within 30 days. They also listen to twice as many hours per month on average than those who don’t. So there is really something special—and something tangible—in enabling this connection.

The biggest value for fans is that they can now talk to their favorite podcasters on a whole new level, right where they’re already listening to (or watching!) their favorite show. And we’ve managed to do this in a way that still leaves a ton of control in the creators’ hands, since we know how important it is to have a say over what can show up alongside your content. I’m really proud of the balance we’ve struck here and excited for everyone to start trying it out!

Google killed off Podcasts, as of April 2024. The company has given users through July 2024 to migrate their subscriptions to YouTube Music. Unfortunately for users, however, YouTube Music is not as full-featured or capable as the service it replaces.

Emma, with the YouTube Music team, took to Reddit to promise a number of coming improvements:

Hi! I’m Emma and I work at YouTube Music, with a focus on podcasts. I know a lot of the conversations here are music focused, but I’ve seen a lot of discussion about podcasts on YouTube Music, too. I want to make sure you know that we see your feedback and we’re doing a lot on the podcasts front –

• you can now sort a podcast’s episodes from newest to oldest, oldest to newest, most popular, or default (the order set by the creator)
• if you’re a listener outside of the United States with podcasts in your Library, you’ll see podcasts on your Home screen, including a new “Recommended shows” shelf (this is already available to US users)
• improved search results now make it easier to find YouTube podcasts you love

This is only the beginning, and the Podcasts team is working on a lot more improvements! Let me know if you’d like more podcast updates here.

Despite the assurances, users were quick to point out their disappointment with the state of things. A user called lukeanstee wrote the following:

Hate to say it; but killing Google podcasts to integrate into YouTube Music, a service that has been fundamentally broken since it replaced Google Music (which was near perfect). Is one of the most misguided decisions I’m am aware of from Google.

I appreciate trying to do what Spotify does, but let’s get the fundamentals right first, surely!!

User cautionbug said this was par for the course for Google:

Don’t hate to say it. Shout it from the rooftops. Google keeps announcing stuff it’s killing off and IF there’s a replacement planned, the replacement is never ready with the same features or polish of the original. It’s tiresome.

As we pointed out in our coverage of Podcasts’ death, Google has a long history of killing off its products, leaving users in a lurch. The company has severe commitment issues, flitting from one idea to another, with little to no long-term commitment.

Until Google shows it is willing to stick with products and not abandon its users, people would do well to avoid its services.

Google has a long history of killing off its products, with the number sitting at a whopping 294, according to the Killed by Google website. Google Podcasts is one of the latest entries in that long list.

The company announced the update in a YouTube Music support document:

You will be able to use Google Podcasts through March 2024. If you wish to save your Google Podcast subscriptions, use one of the methods below through July 2024.

In the blog post from September of 2023, in which the company announced its plans to discontinue Podcasts, Google made clear it wanted to consolidate its efforts and make YouTube Music the main destination for both music and podcasts.

We’re living in the golden age of podcasts. We’ve seen creators and artists really embrace Podcasts on YouTube, and its incredible potential to boost audience growth across audio and video formats. That’s why, earlier this year, we launched the ability to watch and listen to podcasts on YouTube Music in the US, without requiring a paid membership. Podcasts on YouTube Music in the US already include access to downloads, background play in places like the car and on smart speakers as well as the ability to switch between audio and video podcasts. We plan to make Podcasts on YouTube Music globally available before the end of the year.

Looking forward to 2024, we’ll be increasing our investment in the podcast experience on YouTube Music — making it a better overall destination for fans and podcasters alike with YouTube-only capabilities across community, discovery and audio/visual switching. Later in 2024, as part of this process, we’ll be discontinuing Google Podcasts. As part of this process, we’ll be helping Google Podcasts users move over to Podcasts in YouTube Music. This matches what listeners and podcasters are already doing: according to Edison, about 23% of weekly podcast users in the US say YouTube is their most frequently used service, versus just 4% for Google Podcasts.

Users who want to save their subscriptions should be sure to migrate them before the end of July 2024.

In the meantime, Google’s reputation as a company with commitment issues remains firmly intact. In fact, Google’s reputation for abandoning products is so well entrenched that the company had to unveil Google Enterprise APIs in 2021 as a way of assuring its cloud customers that they could depend on the platform over the long term.

By now it should be clear: Relying on Google for anything outside of a few core services—such as Gmail, Search, Android, or Cloud—is a fool’s errand.

Dave Gerhardt, VP of Marketing at Drift, was recently interviewed on the B2B Growth podcast by John Rougeux who is VP of Marketing at Skyfii. Gerhardt discusses conversational marketing as a new B2B product category and how it is changing marketing from reaching out to you later to a conversation that is happening now:

Conversational Marketing is About Connecting You Now

Conversational marketing is a whole new way of thinking about marketing and sales. The traditional way of doing marketing and sales is all about later. Come to my website and fill out this form and somebody is going to reach out to you later, when it’s convenient for them. The big shift that is happening in marketing and business over the last five to ten years is customers have all the power today. You can’t make people wait. Information is free now.

I can find anything I want to know about a company without ever having to go to your website. It’s crazy to think that you are going to force people to go to your website, fill out a form, wait three days to hear back from your sales team, and then get a demo. Conversational is all about connecting you now with the people who are ready to buy now while they are live on your website.

B2P – Marketing to People

It’s not about buyers. It’s not about sellers. It’s not about sales. It’s not about marketing. It’s about people. That’s how people all communicate online today. I pressed one button in my car and I got a list. I ordered something from Amazon while I was here this morning to send back to my house and it’s going to be there tomorrow when I get home. There are countless examples of that. That is how we all behave online in our real lives today.

But then something happens weird happens. We go to our jobs in B2B and none of the tools that we use match how we actually buy as real people. That’s the most exciting thing to me about conversational marketing. It’s really closing the gap between B2C and B2B. We just call it B2P, marketing to people.

What Ties Our Products Together is Conversation

We have an email product and we have a landing page product. Black and white versions of those people would say everybody has email, everybody has landing pages. The thing that ties those together is conversation. That forces us to think about what is conversational email? What is conversational landing pages? What is conversational whatever? That one word forces our product team to think about how can we change this? If our fundamental stance as a company is that the internet should be one conversation, then how does that weave into everything that we build?

Ultimately what we care about is that email becomes a conversation. Meaning, the way that marketers have had to use email the last decade is a one-way channel. Email is meant to be a two-way channel. Marketers have been using it as, “John come to my webinar.” What happens if you actually respond to that email? Most of the time you can’t because it’s donotreply@ or it just goes to some inbox where nobody is answering it. That is a terrible experience. Our belief is that if you reply, “Hey actually I can’t make it. Can you reregister my colleague?” That should get handled. We are thinking of that from an evolution standpoint.

The same thing with landing pages. Most landing pages today are static. You go to the landing page, put a bunch of info in and you are gone. What if that was a real-time conversation on the page? That one topic has to weave itself into everything we do from a product perspective.

>> Listen to the complete interview with Drift Marketing VP Dave Gerhardt on the B2B Growth podcast.

Scott Heimes, Chief Marketing Officer at Zipwhip, discusses how two-way text messaging can be an extremely effective way to communicate with your customers in an interview on the B2B Growth Podcast:

76% of Consumers Have Received Text From Businesses

Over 76 percent of consumers have received some kind of text from a business. The most common are appointment reminders or bank alerts. This really just scratches the surface. Texting has so many applications beyond just alerts and reminders. There are sales and marketing, discount coupons and giveaways, customer support and service, recruiting and staffing, and internal communications at places like educational institutions. It’s so new and businesses are continuing to innovate in this medium. There are a lot of powerful use cases for businesses.

We have over 30,000 businesses using our software today. They range from very small businesses like yoga studios or lawn care services all the way up to multi-billion dollar insurance companies that are using our solution in their claim call centers. Industries include financial services, staffing and recruiting, healthcare, legal, and more. We have 156 professional sports teams that use our solution. They use it for ticket sales and customer service. There are lots of fitness gyms, radio and TV stations that use our text solution as well. It really does run the gamut of anybody that wants to communicate with their customers via this preferred medium.

Report Shows Increasing Use of Texting by Businesses

I just talked to the Director of Communications for the Sound Transit Authority, the public transit authority in Seattle, who uses our solution. They publish an 800 number to text or call when people see problems on the trains. Rather than get on the phone and calling, more and more people are texting those alerts. It’s really an interesting use case. Another one is during a recent hurricane down in Houston we had an insurance agent that was using our software to communicate with all of his customers in the area because the phone lines were largely down. Texting was working well to create engagement and communication during those tough times.

We recently created a report called the State of Texting which is a deep research study that highlights the adoption curve of text messaging as a business communication tool. It identifies how many consumers are already being texted by businesses as well as many other key insights and trends. One of the things we saw was that there are a lot of one-way texting tools where you get an alert from your doctor’s office, for instance, but you can’t respond to it. It was actually fired off by a CRM using an API that was just one way.

Text is a Great Way to Increase Engagement

Increasingly, consumers would prefer to be able to respond to those texts and have an actual interaction with a human on the other side to either reschedual that appointment or alert them that they are going to be five minutes late or something like that. We are seeing a trend where people want to be able to respond to texts and have an interaction as opposed to continuing to be one way.

For businesses, the communication channels of email and phone are just becoming less and less effective. Text is a great way to increase your engagement and responsiveness with consumers. They’ll actually respond to a text. One of the things we are doing as a company is everything we can to maintain the purity of the texting medium to make sure that spam doesn’t leak its way into this channel.

>> Listen to the complete interview with Zipwhip CMO Scott Heimes on the B2B Growth podcast.

Seth Freeman, Chief Marketing Officer of Buffalo Wild Wings, was recently interviewed on Adweek’s CMO Moves podcast with Nadine Dietz. Freeman discussed their new “game on” brand architecture that defines not just their new marketing strategy but really the heart of the business. “The purpose ultimately is really about inspiring legendary experiences between friends,” noted Freeman:

Turning Good Times With Friends Into Great Times With Brothers

When I think of brand architecture it really gets to the essence of the brand. There are three components to it in the way we framed it up.  They are the promise, the essence, and the purpose. We identified an insight out there that guys want to turn good times with friends into great times with brothers. More accurately, legendary experiences with brothers. That was the cultural insight that really framed our brand architecture.

When we think about our purpose we defined our promise as the great American sports bar that turned game time into stories worth telling. It wasn’t just about inviting folks to watch a game. It was about translating that into an experience worth telling. That’s what folks are really looking for. That’s the promise that we deliver on every single day. That’s why we get up. That’s why folks are going out there and doing the job that they do and delivering a great experience.

It’s “Game On” for Buffalo Wild Wings

Our purpose ultimately is really about inspiring legendary experiences between friends. The essence of the brand is around this idea of camaraderie and ritual and something that we like to call “game on.” It’s our ability to make sure that when folks come in to experience Buffalo Wild Wings that we have a game on mentality and that we bring them the very best of who we are. We have 80,000 folks out there working across Buffalo Wild Wings and they bring it every single day.

As we were talking to consumers, one of the things we learned was that some of the most impactful experiences that they talked about was with the bartenders and servers. They are influencing whether or not those folks come back. For instance, one of the most memorable experiences they talked about was the bartender remembering them when they came back.

That is our brand architecture, but it also lends itself to things we have done in rolling out this purpose to the broader community through our Brand Champ Initiative. That really is a cultural movement that we are employing across our franchises and corporate stores. We have over 1,200 locations where folks are trained to make sure that the brand architecture is translating to a way that is meaningful to the consumers and also meaningful to the folks that are on the front lines every single day.

Nirosha Methananda, Vice President of Marketing at Bombora, discusses the challenges of marketing without annoying your potential customers by bombarding them with marketing messages in an interview with Logan Lyles on the B2B Growth Podcast:

Marketing Is Really About the Customer Experience

As a B2B marketer, I get marketed to a lot. It’s something that I have increasingly noticed and I’m probably not the only one. That’s just becoming part of the experience in terms of being inundated with different messaging and different calls and this, that, and the other. Use this, do this, buy this, whatever it is. It’s really not a great experience. It doesn’t necessarily provide value. Marketers are so busy as it is, and I know that is applicable across the board with everyone we are marketing to. Being able to cut through the noise and having an understanding of all these different things is very challenging. 

Having on top of it being inundated with this constant flow of messaging like meet me, meet me, meet me, is not very helpful. That’s one of the things that I’m passionate about. It’s really about customer experience. I think that is something fundamental to marketing. I feel like we have gone down this path of almost over automating and having to constantly pounce on people without necessarily being conscious and mindful of what their experience is on the other end. From my experience, it’s leading to me switching off and ignoring messages. I’m sure I’m not the only one. 

Create a Marketing Strategy That’s Not Annoying

It also leads to this annoyance and irritation which leads to distrust of brands and that’s not great for this industry. From a customer perspective those bad experiences, unfortunately, more than good experiences, they stay with you for longer and you remember that. Another thing that we don’t necessarily think of is that it’s wasteful. It’s wasteful of time and it’s wasteful of money especially for marketing and sales where money is a precious resource. It’s not something to be wasted. That’s basically why I’m passionate about creating a marketing strategy that’s not annoying.

As an example, our Intent Event was our first flagship event that we did last year. It was a closed event so we did have limited numbers and we were limited as to what we could do with promotion. What we did was try to have mindfulness around what we were sending out and ensuring that it was helpful. Making sure that the recipients, the people that we invited, were given all the relevant information, but there was brevity in the communication as well as encouraging them to participate without forcing them to be there. 

There was certainly some urgency around some of our communication but it wasn’t you need to attend this and this is why you must attend this. It was more about being a bit more subtle in presenting them the idea and the concept of what it was, why it would help them, and exactly the information that they needed. What that meant was not sending out multiple emails, being very controlled around it, really thinking about what the experience was before the event, to during the event, to after the event. We were really focused on the customer and making sure that all of the content and communication was educational and helpful.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced its plan to regulate podcasts in an effort “to modernize Canada’s broadcasting framework and ensure online streaming services make meaningful contributions to Canadian and Indigenous content.”

The CRTC unveiled two new guidelines that will apply to the industry:

First, the CRTC is setting out which online streaming services need to provide information about their activities in Canada. Online streaming services that operate in Canada, offer broadcasting content, and earn $10 million or more in annual revenues will need to complete a registration form by November 28, 2023. Registration collects basic information, is only required once and can be completed in just a few steps.

Second, the CRTC is setting conditions for online streaming services to operate in Canada. These conditions take effect today and require certain online streaming services to provide the CRTC with information related to their content and subscribership. The decision also requires those services to make content available in a way that is not tied to a specific mobile or Internet service.

The agency will hold a third consultation to discuss possible further regulation.

“We are developing a modern broadcasting framework that can adapt to changing circumstances,” said Vicky Eatrides, Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer, CRTC. “To do that, we need broad engagement and robust public records. We appreciate the significant participation during this first phase and look forward to hearing a diversity of perspectives at our contributions proceeding in November.”

It goes without saying that the CRTC’s regulation is already drawing widespread condemnation, with many saying the move is an attack on free speech.

According to the company, its new transcript feature will be available to both Free and Premium subscribers:

Making transcripts richer and easier to follow: We’re launching auto-generated and time-synced transcripts to more creators and shows so you can read along with an episode, making the transcripts more visually and textually accessible. While listening to an episode, scroll down the Now Playing View to find the transcript, then tap the card to follow along on full screen as you listen to the episode. We’ll be rolling out transcripts to millions of episodes in the coming weeks, and we’ll innovate more on this feature in the future, including ways to add media to transcripts. This is all part of our goal to bring more depth to the podcasts you’re listening to.

The company is also making it easier to jump to the right spot in a podcast with expanded chapters:

Expanding Podcast Chapters: Earlier this year at Stream On, we announced Podcast Chapters, making it easier for you to jump into episodes at a specific topic or section. Mobile users globally can now find the full list of chapters by scrolling down the Now Playing View, giving them more control over their listening sessions and more info about every episode as they dive in.

Spotify is also adding to the Podcast Show pages to provide more information about a given podcast:

Updating the Podcast Show pages: Learn more about a podcast before you listen to the episode in full, with additional content available before you jump in, on an improved Show Place. As it rolls out in the coming weeks, you’ll be able to click the “About” tab to find descriptions, images, and episode recommendations from creators. Plus, you’ll get recommendations for other shows in the “More Like This” tab.

The features are nice quality-of-life improvements that should make listening to podcasts even more enjoyable.

When it comes to killing off tech and making confusing changes to its product lineup, Google wins the gold star, hands down. The company is making yet another such move, announcing it will kill off Google Podcasts in 2024.

The company made the announcement in a blog post:

Looking forward to 2024, we’ll be increasing our investment in the podcast experience on YouTube Music — making it a better overall destination for fans and podcasters alike with YouTube-only capabilities across community, discovery and audio/visual switching. Later in 2024, as part of this process, we’ll be discontinuing Google Podcasts. As part of this process, we’ll be helping Google Podcasts users move over to Podcasts in YouTube Music. This matches what listeners and podcasters are already doing: according to Edison, about 23% of weekly podcast users in the US say YouTube is their most frequently used service, versus just 4% for Google Podcasts.

The company says it will gather feedback to ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible:

In the coming weeks and months, we’ll gather feedback to make the migration process from Google Podcasts to YouTube Music as simple and easy as possible. Once we feel the migration tools are ready, we’ll release them along with clear guidelines on how they work.

We know this transition will take time, but these efforts will allow us to build an amazing product and a single destination that rewards creators and artists and provides fans with the best Podcasts experience. For now, nothing is changing and fans will continue to have access to YouTube, YouTube Music and Google Podcasts. We’re committed to being transparent in communicating future changes with our users and podcasters and will have more to share about this process in the coming months.

Given Google’s penchant for unveiling and then unceremoniously killing off services, relying on anything the company does outside of its core markets is increasingly a fool’s errand.

Podcasts continue to grow in popularity, but the language barrier can sometimes be an impediment. Spotify is working to address that, leveraging OpenAI’s latest innovations.

The company announced the development in a website post:

Today, we’re excited to pilot Voice Translation for podcasts, a groundbreaking feature powered by AI that translates podcasts into additional languages—all in the podcaster’s voice.

This Spotify-developed tool leverages the latest innovations—one of which is OpenAI’s newly released voice generation technology—to match the original speaker’s style, making for a more authentic listening experience that sounds more personal and natural than traditional dubbing. A podcast episode originally recorded in English can now be available in other languages while keeping the speaker’s distinctive speech characteristics.

As part of the pilot, we’ve worked closely with podcasters Dax Shepard, Monica Padman, Lex Fridman, Bill Simmons, and Steven Bartlett to generate AI-powered voice translations in other languages—including Spanish, French, and German—for a select number of catalog episodes and future episode releases. We’re also looking forward to including other shows, such as Dax Shepard’s eff won with DRS, The Rewatchables from The Ringer, and Trevor Noah’s new original podcast, which launches later this year.

The news is a big step forward for the podcasting industry, as well as communication in general.

“By matching the creator’s own voice, Voice Translation gives listeners around the world the power to discover and be inspired by new podcasters in a more authentic way than ever before,” says Ziad Sultan, VP of Personalization. “We believe that a thoughtful approach to AI can help build deeper connections between listeners and creators, a key component of Spotify’s mission to unlock the potential of human creativity.”

The New York Post learned that Amazon purchased Snackable.AI last year, intending to use its audio-focused AI to improve its podcasts. Mari Joller, Snackable’s founder and CEO, is now an AI and machine learning lead at Amazon.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Joller is “building AI-powered products at Amazon Music Podcasts.” She goes on to say: “Previously I was the founder and CEO of Snackable AI, an audio intelligence startup. Snackable was the second AI-focused business I’ve started (the first, Scarlet, was acquired in 2016), and one of many technology products I’ve built and scaled in collaboration with a lot of amazing people.”

Amazon has been under pressure to provide an answer to Microsoft and Google’s AI efforts. In his second annual shareholder letter, CEO Andy Jassy tried to reassure investors that the company was working on generative AI. Shortly after, Amazon introduced its Bedrock AI platform.

If the Snackable purchase is any indication, Amazon is clearly taking AI seriously, looking for ways to incorporate the tech in a variety of platforms and services.

Nirosha Methananda, Vice President of Marketing at Bombora, discusses the challenges of marketing without annoying your potential customers by bombarding them with marketing messages in an interview with Logan Lyles on the B2B Growth Podcast:

Marketing Is Really About the Customer Experience

As a B2B marketer, I get marketed to a lot. It’s something that I have increasingly noticed and I’m probably not the only one. That’s just becoming part of the experience in terms of being inundated with different messaging and different calls and this, that, and the other. Use this, do this, buy this, whatever it is. It’s really not a great experience. It doesn’t necessarily provide value. Marketers are so busy as it is, and I know that is applicable across the board with everyone we are marketing to. Being able to cut through the noise and having an understanding of all these different things is very challenging. 

Having on top of it being inundated with this constant flow of messaging like meet me, meet me, meet me, is not very helpful. That’s one of the things that I’m passionate about. It’s really about customer experience. I think that is something fundamental to marketing. I feel like we have gone down this path of almost over automating and having to constantly pounce on people without necessarily being conscious and mindful of what their experience is on the other end. From my experience, it’s leading to me switching off and ignoring messages. I’m sure I’m not the only one. 

Create a Marketing Strategy That’s Not Annoying

It also leads to this annoyance and irritation which leads to distrust of brands and that’s not great for this industry. From a customer perspective those bad experiences, unfortunately, more than good experiences, they stay with you for longer and you remember that. Another thing that we don’t necessarily think of is that it’s wasteful. It’s wasteful of time and it’s wasteful of money especially for marketing and sales where money is a precious resource. It’s not something to be wasted. That’s basically why I’m passionate about creating a marketing strategy that’s not annoying.

As an example, our Intent Event was our first flagship event that we did last year. It was a closed event so we did have limited numbers and we were limited as to what we could do with promotion. What we did was try to have mindfulness around what we were sending out and ensuring that it was helpful. Making sure that the recipients, the people that we invited, were given all the relevant information, but there was brevity in the communication as well as encouraging them to participate without forcing them to be there. 

There was certainly some urgency around some of our communication but it wasn’t you need to attend this and this is why you must attend this. It was more about being a bit more subtle in presenting them the idea and the concept of what it was, why it would help them, and exactly the information that they needed. What that meant was not sending out multiple emails, being very controlled around it, really thinking about what the experience was before the event, to during the event, to after the event. We were really focused on the customer and making sure that all of the content and communication was educational and helpful.

Dave Gerhardt, VP of Marketing at Drift, was recently interviewed on the B2B Growth podcast by John Rougeux who is VP of Marketing at Skyfii. Gerhardt discusses conversational marketing as a new B2B product category and how it is changing marketing from reaching out to you later to a conversation that is happening now:

Conversational Marketing is About Connecting You Now

Conversational marketing is a whole new way of thinking about marketing and sales. The traditional way of doing marketing and sales is all about later. Come to my website and fill out this form and somebody is going to reach out to you later, when it’s convenient for them. The big shift that is happening in marketing and business over the last five to ten years is customers have all the power today. You can’t make people wait. Information is free now.

I can find anything I want to know about a company without ever having to go to your website. It’s crazy to think that you are going to force people to go to your website, fill out a form, wait three days to hear back from your sales team, and then get a demo. Conversational is all about connecting you now with the people who are ready to buy now while they are live on your website.

B2P – Marketing to People

It’s not about buyers. It’s not about sellers. It’s not about sales. It’s not about marketing. It’s about people. That’s how people all communicate online today. I pressed one button in my car and I got a list. I ordered something from Amazon while I was here this morning to send back to my house and it’s going to be there tomorrow when I get home. There are countless examples of that. That is how we all behave online in our real lives today.

But then something happens weird happens. We go to our jobs in B2B and none of the tools that we use match how we actually buy as real people. That’s the most exciting thing to me about conversational marketing. It’s really closing the gap between B2C and B2B. We just call it B2P, marketing to people.

What Ties Our Products Together is Conversation

We have an email product and we have a landing page product. Black and white versions of those people would say everybody has email, everybody has landing pages. The thing that ties those together is conversation. That forces us to think about what is conversational email? What is conversational landing pages? What is conversational whatever? That one word forces our product team to think about how can we change this? If our fundamental stance as a company is that the internet should be one conversation, then how does that weave into everything that we build?

Ultimately what we care about is that email becomes a conversation. Meaning, the way that marketers have had to use email the last decade is a one-way channel. Email is meant to be a two-way channel. Marketers have been using it as, “John come to my webinar.” What happens if you actually respond to that email? Most of the time you can’t because it’s donotreply@ or it just goes to some inbox where nobody is answering it. That is a terrible experience. Our belief is that if you reply, “Hey actually I can’t make it. Can you reregister my colleague?” That should get handled. We are thinking of that from an evolution standpoint.

The same thing with landing pages. Most landing pages today are static. You go to the landing page, put a bunch of info in and you are gone. What if that was a real-time conversation on the page? That one topic has to weave itself into everything we do from a product perspective.

>> Listen to the complete interview with Drift Marketing VP Dave Gerhardt on the B2B Growth podcast.

Scott Tousley, Senior Team Lead of User Acquisition for all products at HubSpot, was recently interviewed on the B2B Growth Podcast by David Kelly, General Manager at Sumo Dojo. Tousley discusses how HubSpot is using Surround Sound Marketing Strategy to drive leads and sales:

Surround Sound Marketing Strategy Starting to Take Off

There is a very smart individual at HubSpot named Alex Birkett based out of Austin, Texas. He is working on this concept that is really starting to take off called Surround Sound Strategy. Essentially what that means is that it runs with the notion that marketers are selfish. All we care about is how do we drive more traffic to our website. I don’t care where it comes from. Whether it comes from search or social or referral traffic or email, it doesn’t matter. You’re always looking at how do I get more traffic to my website? The reality is that when we are trying to buy something you don’t go to one website. You go to multiple different websites when you are trying to make a purchasing decision.

For example, I’m in South Lake Tahoe right now. One search I just did recently was “best bars in South Lake Tahoe.” I wanted to see a list and I wanted to see some reviews from a couple of different websites. I also like to surf, so let’s say I’m in the market for a new shortboard. So I search for “best shortboards 2019.” First, I’ll read a listicle, then I will go back to Google and I will click on the next list. Then I will go back again and click on the next list. Then I will start to narrow my decision based on seeing the same thing over and over. Once I narrow it down I will do a versus search such as “lost puddle jumper” vs. “channel islands average joe.” I’ve narrowed my decision at that point.

We Want To Be At All Stages of the Purchasing Decision

What we are trying to do at HubSpot right now is figure out how to be everywhere. We want to be at all stages of that purchasing decision when people are searching for “what is the best blank that exists today.” Well, there are a ton of lists that are out there and a ton of review sites and HubSpot’s B2B software (has to be there). There are a lot of review sites just dominating search engines right now like Capterra, G2 Crowd, and Software Advice. A lot of those are pay to play. You have got to pay to get listed on what appears when you land via search. Most of them are.

But listicles are free. Not only are they free to get added to, but they are free to create. That’s one of the biggest things we are working on right now. How do we change our mindset from being so obsessed at driving traffic to our website? How do we make sure that HubSpot’s brand is everywhere when you are doing your product research and you are on many different websites? We actually sometimes prefer that we drive traffic to multiple different websites where we are listed versus just to our own. It’s good for social grouping.

Listen to the full interview with HubSpot’s Scott Tousley.

Companies large and small are getting on the podcasting bandwagon, striking deals with podcasters and vying for customers. According to a new study by IAB Media Center, via TechCrunch, the US industry hit $1.4 billion in 2021, is slated for $2 billion in 2022, and should surpass $4 billion in 2024.

“The report indicates significant growth ahead, with advertisers buying podcast impressions at scale while tracking delivery, effectiveness, recall, and results,” said Eric John, vice president, IAB Media Center. “Buyers will expect advanced brand safety solutions, audience targeting, and measurement, and we look forward to working across the ecosystem to create standards that serve creators, listeners, publishers, and brands.”

The findings will likely continue to spur investment in the industry, as companies fight for a piece of the profits.

The podcast market has become an increasingly competitive industry, with Apple, Spotify, and Google all competing for market share, in addition to countless smaller rivals. Facebook first announced its service in April 2021, but is now killing off Soundbites and its central audio hub as part of an effort to better focus on core business interests.

“We’re constantly evaluating the features we offer so we can focus on the most meaningful experiences,” a Meta spokesperson told Bloomberg in an email.

The move is not entirely surprising, given Mark Zuckerberg’s obsession with the metaverse and his company’s place in it.