Ever thought about producing short, bite-sized episodes of your podcast to see if you can reach a wider audience? There’s a growing trend in mini-podcasting going on right now that you might want to take advantage of.
Podcasters are jacking the popular microformat of ‘daily briefing’ news podcasts (think: The Daily) and using it as a way to engage listeners who have less time to commit to a full long-form podcast episode when listening on the go.
If you’re like more than half of all other podcasters, it’s likely your episodes last between 30-60 minutes. But when you think about it, most of the common daily tasks we perform while listening to podcasts take less than the duration of an episode to complete; walking the dog, doing the daily commute, eating breakfast or getting ready for work in the morning.
So why do we feel the need to stay loyal to long-form audio content? Here’s a (suitably) quick dive into mini-podcasting and why you might want to give it a try.
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What is Mini-Podcasting?
Mini, micro, short-form, bite-sized, pocket-sized, whatever-you-like-to-call-it-podcasts are short episodes lasting anything between 1-20 minutes.
This type of short, deep-dive audio content was popularized by The Daily, which was Apple’s most downloaded podcast of 2018. Since then, daily shows have raged in popularity. By 2019, they’d already earned their own discoverability tag on Apple podcasts.
While daily news podcasts make up just 1% of all those podcasts produced, they account for more than 10% of downloads in the US. So clearly, there’s a huge demand for short-form audio content like this, and it doesn’t need to be limited to news content either.
Why You Should Try Micro-Podcasting
The benefits involved in mini-podcasting (for you and your listeners) are pretty vast.
For listeners, there’s less commitment involved. They can consume more information in less time, and this really taps into the global productivity obsession. New tools are even emerging on the podcasting market where micro-podcasts are sent to your smartphone by SMS so you don’t have to waste time looking for mini-podcasts you might like.
For podcasters, the benefits of micro-podcasting are huge too. One report by Reuters suggests micro-podcasting can help increase loyalty amongst listeners and reduce subscriber churn. And if that’s not enough, the same report suggests that producing short-form podcast content is a good way to engage younger audiences too.
We’re living in an age of micro-content, and there’s no reason why audio shouldn’t get a slice of the pie. Short snippets are easy to repurpose and cross-publish on other social platforms to promote your show. Posting these on Tiktok, Instagram and twitter could see you tap into a whole new audience.
And as you don’t need to delve too deep with micro audio content, this can make these shorter episodes easier to plan and produce.
Which takes us on nicely to the next point…
How to Start Mini-Podcasting with Mini-mum Effort
The good news is, you don’t need to start producing new podcast content every day to take advantage of this new trend.
In fact, when we tested it out, we found that we could create a week’s worth of podcast content (episodes lasting a few minutes each) in around 3 hours.
Check out this guide on how to create your own daily show and mini-podcast content.
I'm an avid podcast enthusiast with a deep understanding of the evolving trends in the podcasting landscape. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive exploration of the medium, both as a listener and as someone actively involved in producing and analyzing podcast content. I've closely followed the industry's growth, staying abreast of emerging formats and strategies that drive engagement and audience reach.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article about mini-podcasting:
1. Mini-Podcasting Defined: Mini-podcasting refers to the creation of short, concise podcast episodes, typically lasting between 1-20 minutes. This format gained popularity with the success of 'The Daily,' Apple's most downloaded podcast in 2018, leading to the widespread adoption of daily briefing news podcasts.
2. Trend and Popularity: The mini-podcasting trend has seen significant traction, with daily news podcasts accounting for just 1% of all podcasts produced but contributing to over 10% of downloads in the U.S. This surge in popularity prompted Apple Podcasts to create a discoverability tag specifically for daily shows by 2019.
3. Benefits for Listeners: Mini-podcasting offers listeners the advantage of consuming valuable content in a shorter timeframe, aligning with the modern demand for efficient, on-the-go information consumption. Tools are emerging in the podcasting market, allowing micro-podcasts to be sent directly to smartphones via SMS, enhancing accessibility.
4. Benefits for Podcasters: Podcasters stand to gain several benefits from embracing mini-podcasting. Reports, such as one from Reuters, suggest that this format can enhance listener loyalty and reduce subscriber churn. Furthermore, producing short-form content is recognized as an effective strategy for engaging younger audiences.
5. Tap into Micro-Content Age: The article emphasizes the current trend of micro-content and suggests that audio, specifically mini-podcasts, should not be overlooked in this landscape. Short podcast snippets are easily repurposed and shared across various social platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, opening avenues to reach new audiences.
6. Ease of Production: Mini-podcasting offers podcasters a more manageable production process. Due to the brevity of the episodes, planning and producing shorter content are less time-consuming. The article even suggests that a week's worth of mini-podcast content, consisting of brief episodes, can be created in as little as three hours.
In conclusion, the rise of mini-podcasting represents a shift in the podcasting paradigm, offering both podcasters and listeners a more flexible and time-efficient way to engage with content. Embracing this trend involves understanding its appeal, recognizing its benefits, and adapting podcasting strategies to align with the preferences of today's dynamic and diverse audience.
