- Podcasts stand out as the authentic and cost-efficient way to establish trust
- With an average runtime of 20–40 minutes, podcasts revolutionized how we consume content
- Podcasts are the most popular media channel for earning trust, study confirms
Podcasts (1,055) lead among the five most popular mediums in terms of Trust Building Score (TBS) created by DesignRush, followed by YouTube (1,013), social media (995), radio (861), and TV (654).
Trust Ranking | Medium | Consumers Familiarity | Trust Sentiment | Customer Reach | Ad Relevance | Ad Visibility | CPM | TBS |
1 | Podcast | 62% | 68% | 90% | 61% | 55% | $18 | 1,055 |
2 | YouTube | 82% | 62% | 82% | 59% | 58% | $100 | 1,013 |
3 | Social Media | 90% | 61% | 79% | 54% | 61% | $9 | 995 |
4 | Radio | 82% | 49% | 72% | 40% | 63% | $16 | 861 |
5 | TV | 80% | 54% | 75% | 41% | 63% | $25 | 654 |
Podcasts stand out for their remarkably high trust sentiment at 68% and an impressive customer reach of 90%. While they may not have the highest consumer familiarity (62%), their ability to engage and connect with audiences is evident. Their CPM is moderate at $18, but they achieve the highest TBS at a value of 1,055.
YouTube and other online video platforms boast high consumer familiarity at 82%, making them well-known avenues for advertisers. However, their trust sentiment is slightly lower than that of podcasts at 62%. They offer good customer reach and visibility but at a considerably higher CPM. Their TBS value is closely competitive to podcasts, standing at 1,013.
Social Media takes the lead in consumer familiarity with a whopping 90% but ranks lower in trust sentiment. It has a reasonably high customer reach at 79%, and its low CPM of $9 makes it a cost-effective option. Despite this, their TBS is the lowest among the digital mediums at 995, suggesting that while it is widely recognized, it may not be the most effective for specific advertising goals.
Radio shows moderate consumer familiarity at 82%, similar to YouTube, but it has the lowest trust sentiment. Its customer reach is relatively low, and its ad relevance is the lowest on the list. However, radio does have a moderate CPM of $16 and a TBS of 861, making it a middle-of-the-road option for advertisers who are looking for broader reach but are willing to sacrifice some trust and relevance.
Television has a moderate consumer familiarity like radio but with a lower trust sentiment. Despite this, it has a decent customer reach of 75%. Its ad relevance and visibility are not particularly high, especially taking into consideration a higher CPM of $25 and the lowest TBS value. This suggests that, while TV is a well-known medium, it may not offer the best value for advertisers when other factors are considered.
How Are Businesses Leveraging Podcasts?
The past few years have seen the podcast industry skyrocket in popularity. Podcasting has reached its highest numbers to date, with over 90 million Americans tuning in to podcasts weekly:
- 42% of Americans above 12 are monthly podcast listeners
- 62% of all U.S. consumers listen to podcasts
Due to its jump in popularity and proven effectiveness, businesses are increasingly turning their attention to podcasts as a powerful platform for advertising and brand promotion.
American bed manufacturer Sleep Number chose to grow its podcast advertising spend in the past year, after it provided the highest return on investments (ROI), according to Lisa Bailey, the company's vice president of media and content strategy.
The Weather Channel has also found success in running a podcast ad campaign with Pandora, increasing their overall brand favorability by 6%. Additionally, almost half of their target audience tuned in to four or more podcasts weekly, influencing their decision to test its channel on podcast ads.
Data revealed that podcast lead conversion rates rival or surpass those of other channels, with a significant 19% increase in average purchase conversions in 2022.
For additional details, take a look at our methodology sheet.
