Here us why the podcasting wave will continue to surge.

Here is why the podcasting wave will continue to surge. Iglu Radio White Paper #3

Edison Research publishes an annual report, The Infinite Dial, chronicling changes in media use among Americans. A few statistics in their latest study jumped off the page to catch our attention. One- Americans own fewer radios today. Overall, 79% of us have a radio in our homes. In younger adults, 18-34, the number owning home radios is just 68%, down from 94% eight years ago. Two- Smartphone ownership continues to grow. We are not at 100% yet (surprisingly), but 76% of Americans now own one. Among 12-24 year-olds that number comes in at 93%. With the group over 55, it stands at 51%. Three- Podcast listening is up. In America, 21% of the population listens to at least one podcast per month and 13% listen weekly. For those that listen weekly, the respondents say they listen to an average of five podcasts per week. Considering that the current interest in podcasting caught fire with the debut of Serial in December 2015, the medium's rapid adoption and penetration is really quite remarkable. When you layer in the fact that America's preference for an audio listening device is shifting towards smartphones, it is easy to conclude that one plus two equals the continued growth of three.

The online dictionary, Wikipedia, estimates there are approximately 115,000 individual podcasts in existence today. On the Mindset website, consultant Minter Dial estimates there may be as many as 150,000. That amounts to a lot of podcasters all trying to cram into iTunes, Spreaker, iHeart and others hoping to be found and heard.

With such a congested field, we believe podcasters should enhance their new media presence with their own show specific app. Podcasters such as Adam Carolla, Rick & Bubba, Dave Ramsey, On The House, Glenn Beck, Dr. Drew and countless others have stand alone apps providing audiences with direct access to their podcasts.

May podcasters have shied away from developing a custom app simply because they did not believe they could afford one. Most cost thousands of dollars to create and the inexpensive ones are do-it-yourself templates that just don't have the polish required to help your brand shine in the digital marketplace. To help podcasters forge ahead with this aspect of their new media digital strategy, Iglu Radio offers a low-cost $99 solution designed to professionally put your podcast in this space. To learn more, please visit www.igluradio.com.

Have questions on what is the right strategy to boost your podcast's visibility? Contact us at info@radio-linx.com or 480-993-3150 for answers in a non-selling environment. Iglu Radio Podcaster app A service of RadioLinx info@radio-linx.com 480-993-3150

Be Everywhere, But Own Your Own Shelf Space

Be Everywhere, But Own Your Own Shelf Space Iglu Radio White Paper #2

Talk with most podcasters today and you are likely to hear claims of being available on iTunes, Stitcher, Podbean, iHeart, Spreaker, and others. While we are firm believers of placing your podcast in as many places as you can within the digital landscape, we also understand the importance of owning your own shelf space. By way of example, let's talk about the White Castle hamburger. Once just a midwest burger phenomenon, Castle stores can now be found in Nevada, Kentucky, New Jersey, and others. The White Castle burger is also available in grocery stores like Whole Foods, 7-11, Walmart, Winn Dixie, IGA, and more. From a sales perspective, White Castle knows that when a customer walks into a Castle store, a burger will be sold. And if you've ever been into a White Castle store, you know you can't but just one. Conversely, a customer buying hamburger in a grocery store may or may not purchase a Castle burger. Castle doesn't own the shelf space and there are just too many well placed options to choose from.

Having a custom host specific app for your podcast puts you in control of your audience's listening experience. The app should contain a landing page with your logo, easy access to current and archive episodes, contact information, and links to your social media sites. Most importantly, a custom app is branded in your name making the app easy for you to promote and to be found in the app stores. Having this shelf space of your own also allows you to make autonomous business decisions regarding your podcast without having to solely rely on those made by others. Witness the frustration endured by podcast hosts on Live 365 when the company decided to close operations earlier this year.

Now let's circle back to our Castle example and imagine our hamburger shopper being a White Castle fan. Chances are, a favorable experience in the White Castle store predisposes them to the brand and increases the likelihood of making a purchase. It is in this same way that we believe a custom app should be an integral part of a podcaster's digital strategy. Just as with our White Castle scenario, podcast hosts with a custom app have an opportunity to enhance their brand with a pureplay application while improving recognition in the big-box podcast houses. And as we pointed out in our first white paper, advertisers appreciate the value of an audience that has had to make a thought based action when choosing a podcast.

In an effort to help podcasters create their own pure play custom app, Iglu Radio offers a low-cost alternative produced by industry professionals who understand both the visual and functional audio requirements of a podcaster app. To learn more about our offerings and rates, please visitwww.igluradio.com.

Have questions on what is the right strategy to boost your podcast's visibility? Contact us at info@radio-linx.com or 480-993-3150 for answers in a non-selling environment. Iglu Radio Podcaster app A service of RadioLinx info@radio-linx.com 480-993-3150

Should Your Podcast Have It's Own App?

Should Your Podcast Have It's Own App? Iglu Radio White Paper #1

Unless you are Adam Carolla or Marc Maron, chances are the majority of your podcast listeners found your program through social media, word-of-mouth, or by personal invitation. The fact is, most podcast listening that occurs today is "intentional" versus "accidental". Unlike a standard radio dial where listeners may scan for alternatives when they hear something they don't like, podcast listeners make a thoughtful action based decision when deciding which podcast to listen to. It is this very reason why advertisers find podcast audiences to be such an attractive sponsor vehicle.

We believe many of today's podcasters should reevaluate their "discover" strategy. While it may boost a podcaster's ego to be on one of the big-box apps with a million or more users, those apps also house tens of thousands of podcast hosts. With no reason for listeners to scan from one program to another, it can be very easy to get lost among the big names and myriad of others. This is especially true for smaller podcasters, those that are newly launched, and niche programs.

Listening to a podcast is a personal decision and podcasters could benefit by making access to their programs more individualized. One way to accomplish this is with a custom show specific app for your podcast. With an individualized app, fans can easily download your app from the Apple Store and listen at will from their smart devices. Unlike the big-box-apps, there are no menus of hosts to search through and no pop-up adds, just easy access to your podcast. A custom app can strengthen your brand and drive traffic to your social media sites.

Historically, a stopping point for many podcasters recognizing the advantage of a custom app has been the cost of entry. Many cost thousands of dollars to create and the inexpensive ones are do-it-yourself templates that just don't have the polish required to help your brand shine in the digital marketplace. In an effort to meet this podcaster need, Iglu Radio offers a low-cost alternative created by industry professionals who understand both the visual and functional audio requirements of a podcaster app. To learn more about our offerings and rates, please visitwww.igluradio.com.

Have questions on what is the right strategy to boost your podcast's visibility? Contact us at info@radio-linx.com or 480-993-3150 for answers in a non-selling environment. Iglu Radio Podcaster app A service of RadioLinx info@radio-linx.com 480-993-3150