10 Stats On How Podcasting Wins Over Reels, Tiktok, & Stories!

Hey Friend!

Today we are doing a deep dive into podcasting stats. What does the DATA actually say about this platform and medium. How do you feel about reels and stories, Stef? What about LIVES and IG? Tune in and find out why podcasting is the #1 platform to grow your leads, convert sales, and build a profitable online business.

This info will help you stick to the plan, keep your head down and your mic turned UP. Way UP.

When the going gets tough, keep digging.

I pray this blesses you!

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTION:

(00:00):
Let’s have some real talk. You either have a podcast and you’re doing the things and you’re in the starting phase or the growing phase, or even maybe the scaling phase, or you’ve been hanging out for a little bit learning from me, but you haven’t decided to say yes yet.

(00:15):
You’re like podcasting? I don’t know, Stef. Maybe that works for you, but that wouldn’t work for me. Look, I know, I remember, I actually had a dream and it was like starting a podcast. And I truly knew that God had spoken that word to me in a dream.

(00:33):
And I woke up and I was like, ‘Excuse me, Lord?’ I don’t know how to podcast, what the heck would I talk about? All I’ve ever done is live videos. And I kind of had a blog. It was really bad, but I had one. But when there is His will, there is absolutely a way.

(00:50):
And I’ll tell you that podcasting has been the easiest way I’ve ever scaled and grown a business in my 10 years, 10 excruciating years of being a full-time entrepreneur. Podcasting has helped me connect with you guys in ways that I could never connect with you on video before cuz I was in the way.

(01:10):
Video was so distracting for me and it didn’t fit into my lifestyle. I like to be in my PJs and my comfies and makeup-less. I like to have my children home with me and escape for 15 minutes to bust out a quick episode, not put makeup on and find out how to have a perfect background.

(01:28):
And I don’t know, fight algorithms. I just wanted it to be easy and podcasting made all of that possible. And it also allowed me to connect with you in such a deeper way, which then allowed me to know what you guys really wanted, what you needed.

(01:42):
And I could help you, which led to Clarify Your Calling and PPU and P2P, which really has been the most incredible experience of helping people, at this point, over 1500 different people get clear on their calling so they can start an online business.

(02:02):
And hundreds 5-6-700 of you have literally already gotten through the point of launching a podcast, starting a business and hundreds of you have created the courses and the coaching offers. And dozens of you are making well over six figures, multi six figures and even some of you seven figures with this business model.

(02:20):
And my brain has officially exploded and I am laying on the floor. Not really, but I should be because it’s that insane. And so I’m just here to tell you today that if you’re still unsure about podcasting or maybe you’ve had like a rough go with it, cuz it’s a long game.

(02:38):
I’m not here to tell you that podcasting is the fastest way to success, but it’s the most sustainable. It’s the most foundational, it’s like you’re building this business of stone where you’re not fighting algorithms or hustling. You’re just showing up consistently, sharing your heart, trusting God and really pouring into what people need from you.

(02:58):
That’s it. When you’re letting the podcast, your voice, your heart and your belief do the rest. And I just want you to know that it’s not just me. I’m not just making this stuff up, but there is true scientific research data. That’s like published on the internet, which totally makes it true to back me up.

(03:19):
So, today I’m gonna be sharing with you 10 incredible statistics about podcasting. These 10 podcasting stats are gonna blow your mind.

(03:30):
Why is podcasting the top platform for massive organic, sustainable, I think that’s like the most important word here, sustainable growth and lead gen for starting and then scaling an online business. I’m about to tell you let’s get it.

(04:48):
Before we get into today’s podcast stats and why podcasting is gonna be the number one platform for massive, sustainable online growth for you. And you’re gonna trust me and you’re gonna love this today. I promise you. I wanna let you know that on Monday’s episode, there is a super-duper amazing offer coming your way.

(05:14):
It is gonna blow your mind truly. It is something I have never done before. It’s something I probably will never do. And it’s something that’s going to save you thousands of dollars. I have partnered up with two of my amazing favorite humans on the planet.

(05:32):
Two incredible kingdom entrepreneurs and we are coming together to offer you four courses for the price of one. So if you are ready to start a real business on Godly principles, get clear on your calling, you can start an online business.

(05:47):
Know how to actually create and implement a business plan, partner it all with faith, and then have the systems time and task management set up so you can actually execute. This is the bundle for you. I can’t give you any more details, but I can tell you it’s crazy affordable.

(06:06):
It’s the best deal you will ever see coming out of Stefanie Gass’s house. And it’s gonna give you so much value to make 2022 truly the most successful year yet.

(06:21):
Be sure that you are subscribed to this podcast, that you have a sticky note, a phone reminder, a phone appointment with me at 6:00 AM on Monday morning to come and listen to the show so you can learn all about the incredible bundle that we’ve set up for you, guys, that to truly change your life and bless your bank account.

(06:40):
That is happening on January 31st right here on the podcast. So don’t miss it. Let’s jam. Y’all I just basically went to DuckDuckGo, which is the server or the search thinging I use, and typed in like craziest podcast statistics because I’m over here spouting off about how podcasting is the answer.

(07:08):
And the only reason that I truly believe that is one, I know God spoke it to me; two, I’ve helped hundreds of you in Podcast Pro University launched successful shows; three, I’ve seen so many of you have massive success, but I was like, is this just in my head?

(07:25):
Is there a different avenue that’s gonna help you be more successful, sustainably building this evergreen foundational business? And so I went to the internet. Let’s find out what the people say and search for this. And I found so many statistics.

(07:44):
I have like 60 statistics written down, but I really paired it down to the top 10. And then I have a bonus step I’m gonna share with you. But these are from all over the place, guys. So I could totally cite a million websites, but I’m gonna let you know that these are from google.com.

(08:01):
So take ’em with a grain of salt. Obviously, feel free to do your own research. But I think what you’re gonna hear is a consistent message of podcasting can absolutely transform the trajectory of how you grow. Because it’s not about what you create or what you sell.

(08:21):
It’s not about how perfect your stuff is or how many places you show up and repurposed. It’s not about how much money you charge, high ticket, low ticket, tiny offer. No, it’s about how much you can grow organically because time is more important than money.

(08:39):
And do it in a way that creates trust authentically because those are the secrets to sales. Those are the secrets to actually making a profit in your business and helping people. If you’re not making a profit, you’re not actually helping anyone because all the stuff that we give away for free, guys, only 30% of people actually put that into practice.

(09:01):
But when you have money on the line, all of a sudden that jumps to 70, 80, 90% because people have something to lose. They have something to lose and you have something to gain. It’s a win-win to actually have a viable solution that costs money.

(09:15):
But how to sell it? You’ve gotta sell it on a platform that’s free and scalable and fun for you. Why are we making things hard and yucky and weird? Do the thing that you love.

(09:27):
And so I’m here to make my case for podcasting for 2022 and the next five years out for today because I know that we still are on this train right now of first movers advantage, massive growth and all of these stats just solidify this like big time.

(09:47):
So grab a notebook and pen, feel free to take some notes or just listen, whatever you wanna do, but have an open heart and an open mind, just let this empower you to keep doing the things or let this inspire you to get started with doing the things.

(10:05):
Number one, there are over 2 million podcasts. This is just absolutely crazy, guys. There is 48 million episodes in 2021. Now don’t let this scare you away. Like, oh my gosh, there’s 2 million podcasts. How many Instagram accounts are there?

(10:25):
How many Facebook accounts, YouTube channels, blogs, or books? Like no matter what you’re gonna pick, there’s going to be millions of them. So pick your place, pick your plate. Just write down one thing today. Pick my place.

(10:41):
I didn’t say places. I said place. What’s your place? Where are you gonna put down your foundation? Where are you gonna build the house? Girl, stop moving. Pick your place, put down your roots. Let’s go. We gotta plant some trees. We gotta put up a white picket fence. Like we are here to stay.

(11:01):
But why I love this so much is the growth. There’s massive growth in these 2 million podcasts. This means that people are coming, they are showing up, they’re using their voice and there is a place and a house for you.

(11:14):
What else does this mean? It means that build it, they will come. So what we’re seeing is this trend of people are podcasting because it works. But I’ll tell you a secret that these stats aren’t gonna tell you. Most people quit. And most people quit after three months. I think it was 80%.

(11:34):
I don’t even know what, it was 80 or 90% of people quit podcasting after a year. If you go in and you actually search for your keywords on the podcast app, how many of the podcasts do you find are still active?

(11:48):
Probably very few. And that is a huge perk for you because while there’s lots of podcasts, how many of them are still active? How many of them have built their house and not gotten distracted?

(12:01):
Number two, 78% of Americans are aware of podcasting. This is insane. In 2006, just over 20% of the adult population in the US know about podcasting.

(12:16):
Fast forward 15 years and 78% of Americans are aware of this. That is crazy. It’s like Christmas. Have you ever heard of Christmas? This is what’s happening with podcasting. Get your foot in the door.

(12:31):
Number three, almost 60% of US consumers listen to podcasts. Oh my goodness. This means that over half of US consumers, people that spend money and buy the things are actually listening to podcasts. And that number has doubled either way over the last 10 years.

(12:55):
Again, a growing trend. This is super important for you to understand that when people come and they’re a buyer, they have buying power and their choice of hanging out and learning and personal development, or getting a piece of information or being poured into or inspired or transformed, or they have a problem they need to solve is podcasting.

(13:21):
And it doesn’t say that they listen to a podcast once, it says they consistently listen to podcasts. That’s crazy. If you talk about, who’s just listened to a podcast, that’s over 160 million, 160 million Americans have listened.

(13:35):
So this stat, just again, is proving to us that we are on a growing trend and it’s only growing higher, faster, quicker, and more than ever.

(13:45):
Number four, the fourth one eight, podcasts are listened to per week on average. This is crazy. So according to the Infinite Dial 2021, US podcast listeners averaged eight podcasts in the last week. That’s nuts.

(14:07):
So I’m asking you to find your house. Where are you? Where’s your place? Pick your place but what’s so interesting is our consumers are now picking their place. Let’s say that you have a favorite place that you like to shop. I only go to Trader Joe’s. It’s my favorite. I absolutely love it.

(14:31):
I love the prices, their healthy options. I like that they have tiny carts for my little kids. It’s so fun. The people are nice. The bags are reusable. You can tell it’s my favorite. But the point of this is Trader Joe’s set out to create a different type of experience for the consumer.

(14:51):
They did it their own way. They have their own voice and created their own thing. And because they’re a health-ish store, they even created their own price points that were totally outta line with the other health food stores that were having so much ‘success’.

(15:07):
And so the Trader Joe’s of the world set out to create something different. They picked their place and they didn’t look up and they fought and they did it and they showed up and the consumers started to love them. And then the consumer said, you know what? This is my place.

(15:19):
And so it’s like this perfect marriage of you deciding to do the things coming out and saying I’m going to show up with this over and over again, consistently, forever until blessing the people with what I’m called to create. And then your listener, your consumer is gonna meet you and they’re gonna find you.

(15:38):
And then here’s the beauty. They’re gonna listen to multiple podcasts of yours every single week, eight on average. I ask you, how many podcasts have you listened to in the last seven days? I have listened to at least three podcasts in the last seven days.

(15:56):
I’ve also listened to two hours of an audiobook. And so if I wasn’t listening to my audiobook, I would’ve been listening to podcasts and that would’ve put me at maybe the seven, eight-episode range. That’s a lot of marriage. That’s so much commitment. I am marrying to podcasting.

(16:13):
So again, this is showing you that not only are more people learning about podcasting, more people are actively listening. And on that active listenership level, they’re listening to more and more, which simply means get your foot in the door.

(16:29):
You still have this off opportunity to get in before a hundred percent of people know, before a hundred percent of people are listening to eight podcasts a week. Get in and don’t give up and you’re gonna be part of the last 10% still standing. If you know what I mean.

(16:48):
Number five, the fifth stat that I wanted to read you is the demographics of podcast listeners are diversifying. So when looking at race and gender specifically, it was showing that podcast listeners are becoming more diverse and varied. This is from influencermarketinhub.com.

(17:09):
In 2021 podcast listeners were still mostly white men. It had become much more popular among female Hispanic, Latino listeners during the recent years.

(17:19):
So what’s so cool about this is no matter who you are, who your Lola is or your avatar what you’re called to create, whether it’s devotionals or I’m doing food and macro planning for moms, or I’m doing business coaching for LinkedIn users, or I create Etsy necklaces.

(17:38):
And I just wanna tell people about my necklaces using podcasting, which you can totally do by the way, you can totally do that, Linda, listen up. It’s diversifying. So you’re gonna be able to reach more people than ever before, simply from your voice because people are finding out, learning about this incredible free opportunity for them to learn, be encouraged and find what they’re looking for.

(18:01):
I’m just writing down my numbers, cuz I always do this, what number am I on? Number six, our sixth stat. I’m about to raid you. It’s the average weekly podcast listener spends six hours and 39 minutes listening each week. So look, podcasts are so accessible. They’re free. Podcast listeners easily integrate them into their daily life.

(18:33):
How many of you are doing something else while you listen? How many of you are doing something else right now? Are you just sitting here staring at me through your speaker? If you are, I love your commitment. You and me girl, but you’re probably not.

(18:46):
You’re probably doing dishes, putting laundry away, driving somewhere, running at the gym or having one earbud in while you chase children around the house. Something, you are definitely doing something. I am that way. But the point of this is that podcasting doesn’t make it hard to learn.

(19:07):
If I wanted to go to YouTube, I’m trying to click the ads away and then I’m trying to listen, and then it gets interrupted for this short message and I’m so over this. Then I have to look at the phone to see the things. And then it’s highly distracting. I’m just not here for it.

(19:20):
I don’t wanna go to a blog and read the things, I have laundry to do, endless loads. Literally, right now, I probably have 10 loads of laundry to do, and so I just need to listen because your girl ain’t got time for the things. And I think that you probably feel the exact same way.

(19:39):
But six hours and 39 minutes again, telling us that podcasting is becoming a major, major force in media consumption. Crazy.

(19:51):
Number seven, 45% of podcast listeners have a household income over $250,000. Let me say that again. 45% of podcast listeners have a household income over $250,000. And this is nealschaffer.com. Why does this matter?

(20:15):
This matters because when we’re talking about consumer buying power and you are over here, blessing your audience with free value all day long, the great news is, is 45% of your potential listeners have discretionary income to spend with you.

(20:35):
So whether your course is $200, $600, a thousand dollars, it’s viable for 45% of your potential podcast listeners to say yes to it, just like that. You’re attracting the right kind of market. And I love this so much because so many of you are over there spending hours and hours on TikTok or reels or wherever.

(21:01):
And I really challenge you to think about where is your ideal avatar hanging out while it feels so fun and great to have a whole bunch of views or to have something go viral? Does it actually convert? Does your viewer have discretionary spending power to come over, listen to you for six and a half hours a week?

(21:24):
Not just a 30-second clip and then actually say, this person is my person, they can change my life. I’m actually really kind of married to this person. Like I’m here for them. I’m gonna spend my money with them. I don’t see that happening.

(21:37):
I don’t see that trend happening with some of the people that I know and work with and some of my mentors that are really heavy and deep into the social media space. And it’s just simply a fact. Because social media people are there to be distracted.

(21:51):
They have a shorter attention span and they’re not in a consumption mode. They’re not in a mode of spending money. They’re in like a mode of I need to zone out or I’m bored. Or I just have a habit of clicking this app and I don’t even know why I’m still here.

(22:08):
And if you guys are still there and feeling that type of way, and you’re so sick of social media, guys, I’ve completely quit Instagram. I have not been on Instagram, I don’t even know three months now, something like that. It was well before Christmas that I did a detox and I never came back.

(22:28):
My team posts our episodes there and that’s it. My business has grown, my revenue has exploded, my email list has exploded, our Facebook group and I’m not even on Instagram. I haven’t done a story. There’s so much freedom in knowing that you don’t have to be in the places that everyone says you have to be. You just have to pick your place.

(22:51):
Let’s keep going. The eighth stat. I’m about to read you. 65% of podcast consumers listen to podcasts through their mobile device. This is so great. Because what is the one thing we have with us? Pretty sadly, at least 10 to 12 hours a day. I know, not our Bibles, which it should be, but our phones, although there is a Bible app.

(23:18):
So I guess we can kind of save face, sorry, God. Guys, let’s swap out our phones for our Bibles. But the point here is you’re so accessible as a podcaster at any given moment, someone can go, oh, I wonder if Jen has an episode up. Oh man, I’m doing laundry, I should grab Jen’s episode.

(23:40):
And so it’s just so easy. It’s simple, not distracting, and actually very non-distracting. I think that it gives us, it gives our brains this time of rest. I know that we’re in a mode of listening and we’re in a mode of learning, but I still feel like the distraction melt away when I’m listening to a podcast.

(24:00):
My eyes aren’t glancing around or looking for the likes and the followers or the message alerts or emails dinging in, it just feels very calming for me to go, oh, I can just listen right now and do something else. I dunno if you feel that way but I love the feeling that I get when I’m listening to a podcast.

(24:23):
The ninth stat, in 2021 revenue from podcast advertisements were expected to grow by 35% and reach 1.1 billion. These numbers, they’re just proving that the growth is inevitable and it’s gonna continue. And the beauty here is that podcasting is free.

(24:50):
People can choose to listen and never spend a dollar, but what’s happening is people are throwing their money at their favorite podcasters and the things that they market. Why? Because they trust them because they say that this person has changed my life for free, I believe in them, I believe in what they’re marketing and selling.

(25:09):
I am going to say yes to this person because I believe in them because they’ve helped me. I can’t imagine how great their paid stuff is if their free stuff is this legit.

(25:21):
Which brings me to the final stat and potentially one of the most important ones I wanna read you today, which is 69% of listeners say that product advertisers or advertisements during a show, a pitch, as I call them, introduced them to new products or services.

(25:40):
And 38% of listeners actually purchase things that are mentioned in podcasts. That’s pretty crazy, guys. I teach in Podcast to Profit, a 1-2% conversion rate on your super fan number. This stat says that up to 38% of people may actually purchase your stuff, eventually.

(26:02):
And I totally can vouch that eventually everyone buys your stuff that commits to you, that decides you are their person. It’s so cool to know that all you have to do is show up, serve, give, pour out and service and know that it all comes full circle, that where you blessed, you will be blessed.

(26:27):
And where you serve, God will show up. And a podcast is simply that vessel for you to do all of those things. But I hope what today did was solidify that you’re doing the right thing. Keep showing up, keep consistent, keep remoting yourself, keep knowing and learning more and more about who’s listening to you so you can serve them well and don’t give up.

(26:49):
And if you haven’t started yet, there’s no better time than the present to say yes to picking your place. It’s time for you to put your foot in the door. It’s time for you to lay the foundation so you can start building your house, it’s time.

(27:07):
And what I want you to know is that anyone can podcast, yes, you, I don’t care what it is that you market or what it is that you think you’re gonna do. And maybe you’re still unsure. But the truth of the matter is, is that podcast works for anyone.

(27:24):
Any type of person, introvert, extrovert, anyone, no matter what your business model from lawyer to brick and mortar to I own a coffee shop to I sell a product, to I’m a coach, to I just have a devotional, to this is just a ministry. It doesn’t matter.

(27:39):
It works because your voice is all you need to touch someone in else’s heart and to change someone else’s life and God will equip you. And no matter how much you’re afraid of using your voice for impact, I promise you, there are other people in the world who are looking and praying for you.

(27:58):
And when you continue to stay silent, you are leaving those people behind, you are leaving those people leaderless. They are praying for you. Rise up, step up and speak up because it’s your time.

(28:13):
I want you to know that on Monday, in just a couple of short days, I’m gonna give you the opportunity to get Podcast Pro University and Clarify Your Calling along with two other courses from two incredible women that I truly know will change your life forever, to get four courses for the price of one.

(28:32):
And I want you on Monday morning to come back here, I want you to pray, first of all, take this weekend and pray, journal over what you think your show could be about and what you think God has placed in your heart. And even if you think it’ll just start for fun as a ministry or just to see what’ll happen.

(28:47):
I want you to just dream this weekend, just pray. And then I want you to come back to this show on Monday morning. I want you to listen to me and two of my greatest girlfriends talk to you about the seven components of a super productive power business.

(29:00):
And I want you to think about if this is the time, we’re gonna have an offer for you, that’s gonna be good for seven days. It’s gonna be super affordable, ridiculously affordable. We’re basically handing you, guys, all of our profit to help you get started in your business and it’s gonna change your life.

(29:15):
And if you’re ready to start a podcast and to get clear on your calling so that you can have a real business founded on godly principles, know how to set it all up right, have the structure and the systems in place and the time and task management to really get it off the ground, this is for you.

(29:30):
So Monday morning, I’m gonna meet you right back here on this show, bright and early. And we’re gonna talk about getting this stuff off the ground. And if you wanna go and check out the courses that I have to bring to the table, don’t buy them.

(29:42):
Wait until Monday, go to stefaniegass.com/courses, read, pray, journal. And I’ll see you back here on Monday. I’m so excited, I just can’t wait. And may God bless you, keep you safe and shine His light upon you.