SOCIAL
A Mass-Reach Medium With Meaning

Conal Byrne, CEO iHeartMedia Digital Audio Group.
Any emerging medium starts out with a superfandom of early adopters who jump in first because they feel part of an early-day tribalism around that content type and the creators driving it. As mediums grow, if they survive across the first 5, 10 or 15 years of their life cycle, those superfans become, more simply, just fans. And, if that medium is truly fortunate, those fans then become a mass-reach audience.
Podcasting is now a mass-reach medium, and as such, it is proving to be unique. As the medium continues to grow—now reaching 120 million Americans a month and, perhaps even more compellingly, 89 million Americans a week—the more notable statistic is that individual engagement around the medium has doubled over the last five years from about a half an hour a day to almost an hour a day for weekly listeners. The fastest growing kind of podcast listener is a daily listener, with that cohort alone up 20% year over year. As the overall audience grows, individual engagement is growing, too; that’s rare. As the medium has become mass reach, its listeners are engaging more—not less.
These engagement stats extend into marketing effectiveness as well because marketers are actually seeing podcast mass-reach audiences behave like early adopter superfan audiences. For example, 75% of listeners trust podcast hosts more than social media; 65% of podcast listeners pay attention to podcast ads (compared to 39% on TV). As a result, 60% of podcast listeners have bought something because they heard about it in a podcast.
A Shifting Trend For Mediums
With this much engagement and trust, how is podcast listening affecting other mediums and content types? Because a listener trusts podcasters more than other mediums, does it mean that the listener is consuming those other content types less, or at least differently? When it comes to where this upward trend in podcast listening is pulling from, what are people doing less of?
Most would think that podcasts probably pulled primarily from other audio types. The statistics and facts bear out a very different truth: 70% are spending less time on social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and Instagram; 50% of podcast listeners are watching fewer YouTube videos to listen to podcasts; 46% of podcast listeners are spending less time streaming music, followed by activities such as streaming video and watching movies and so on. With these figures in mind, it shouldn’t surprise us that video-centric platforms are building podcast strategies, presumably to retain this audience and engagement. (We already see YouTube moving in this direction.)
Three Considerations For Starting A Great Podcast
With the growing trend of podcasting, it’s not surprising that companies across each and every industry are getting involved in the platform. When considering a podcast for your business, here are a few of the most important things to consider.
Cover a topic you’d be talking about “even if the microphone was broken.”
There’s no need to dig too deep for a podcast idea. The best shows are often born out of a passion shared by the host and their audience, establishing the type of authentic connection that makes podcasting unique. Any subject you can talk about endlessly is a great place to start, as listeners appreciate the credibility that comes from a host who understands the intricacies of a topic.
Keep it up weekly and year-round.
Conversation is an art form that can be learned. Going back and listening to the first episode of a hit podcast can feel shocking. The hosts sound different, a bit awkward even and nothing feels polished. When diving into podcasting, it’s important to remember that no one starts out as an expert. Hosts hone their craft the more episodes they record, the more guests they talk to and the more thought they put into their topics.
Listen to others.
Learn from others, but don’t imitate. Authenticity rules. Each host brings their perspective and personality to their show, and by crowdsourcing ideas and techniques from other shows, hosts can refine their own style and create an authentic identity. But avoiding direct imitation helps maintain originality, foster creativity and establish a distinct connection with the audience. This will help a host stand out in a crowded podcasting landscape and offer something truly unique and valuable to their listeners.
Conclusion
As a medium that is not platform-specific but rather publisher-centric, podcasting is a content type where creators have the first and last word, where they’re able to tell the story and have the conversation exactly as it should be—exactly as they see fit. In this light, it’s fascinating that podcasting is pulling from mediums where the content is often reverse-engineered from algorithms and discovery engines. (Specifically interesting here is the notion that podcasting is not yet a platform-optimized content type like SEO content on the internet more broadly is.) Is this a migration back toward longer-form, more creator-centric content?
At its best, a podcast is the human voice simply telling a great, authentic story—or having a thoughtful, engaging conversation—unchanged by platform specs or algorithmic demands, as it was meant to be. Is the rising demand for such a thing indicative of a larger shift in audience appetites? I believe that, yes, it is, and that such a shift might perhaps be good.
Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. Do I qualify?
SOCIAL
TikTok Encourages Creators To Make Longer Videos, With Focus On Ad Revenue 11/30/2023

A new report by The Information shows the company’s recent efforts to convince
creators to put out longer videos in order to provide more room for ad placements.
According to the …
SOCIAL
X Adds Option To Embed Videos in Isolation From Posts

Next time you go to embed an X post, you may notice a new step:
Now, X will enable you to choose whether you want to embed the video element in isolation, or the whole post, as normal.
And if you do choose to embed just the video (or GIF), it’ll look like this:
Which could be a helpful way to present X-originated video on third-party websites, and add context to, say, your blog post, without the clutter of the full X framing.
But it could also reduce brand exposure for X, which is likely why Twitter didn’t enable this before, though it did once provide an “embedded video widget” which essentially served the same purpose.

Twitter gradually seemed to phase that out as the platform evolved, and there’s no specific reason that I can find as to why it removed it as an option. But either way, now, it’s back, so you have more options for using X-originated content, and putting more focus on video elements specifically.
Though I don’t know why they didn’t also take the opportunity to remove the ‘Tweet’ reference. Since the re-brand to X, the platform seems to have gone to little effort to weed out all the tweet and bird terminology, but then again, with 80% fewer staff, that’s probably understandable as well.
SOCIAL
TikTok stars are using Fanova to generate income from social media

Image courtesy of Fanova
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.
In recent years, Latin American influencers and content creators have witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity. Despite boasting substantial and highly engaged fan bases, these influencers often find themselves in the shadows, overlooked for lucrative brand deals and partnerships. This oversight is especially pronounced, given their substantial influence over a diverse, global audience.
The moment is ripe for these creators to carve out a dedicated space where they can effectively monetize their exceptional talents. Such a platform would empower Latin American influencers and create fresh opportunities for profound collaborations and enhanced engagement with audiences worldwide.
This is where Fanova comes into play, revolutionizing the Latin American creator economy. In an environment where the creator market is still in its nascent stage, and many talented individuals remain underserved, Fanova is pioneering a new era for creators to make real money doing what they love.
Latin America’s creative minds have often found their potential hindered by a lack of opportunities. Fanova is here to break the barriers and provide a platform that allows them to monetize their content and recognize the value of their unique talents. The creator economy in the region is brimming with untapped potential, and Fanova seeks to unleash it. Creators with massive, loyal followings often find themselves unable to monetize their social media presence effectively or are overlooked by brand deals. Fanova aims to change that narrative.
With Fanova, creators have the freedom to set their monthly subscription prices, giving them the ability to provide exclusive content to their most devoted fans while ensuring a steady, reliable income month after month. Additionally, they have the flexibility to establish their own pricing for direct messages, creating a direct avenue for intimate one-on-one interactions with their followers.
By using Fanova, creators can deepen their connection with their audience by sharing a wide range of captivating content, such as behind-the-scenes glimpses, travel adventures, workout routines, insightful blogs, engaging podcasts, exclusive photos, and much more. It’s a dynamic platform that enables creators to monetize their craft and foster a stronger, more personal bond with their fan base.
Fanova is attracting top talent in the Latin American creator economy. Melissa Andress recently joined the platform. Renowned as @melissaandress on Instagram and @melipandaa on TikTok, Melissa boasts a significant and dedicated following of 1.6M and 13.7M followers, respectively. She uses Fanova to share daily behind-the-scenes of her life with her followers, treating it like a private story.
“I was immediately interested in the general concept of this platform: having a place to document behind-the-scenes content and not relying solely on brand deals seemed great to me,” Melissa explained.
Her impressive online presence has contributed to Fanova’s success in a significant way. Her engagement and credibility have introduced countless new creators and users to the platform.
Fanova is already leaving its mark in the Latin American creator economy, having attracted 150 creators. Even more impressive, Fanova has paid out over $100,000 to these creators. This is not just a promise; it’s a proven reality.
Fanova is a clean subscription platform, so nudity and explicit content is not permitted. The platform employs a team of moderators as well as artificial intelligence to monitor content.
For creators in Latin America, Fanova represents a new beginning. It’s an opportunity to be part of a transformative journey where your passion can be your paycheck. It’s a place where talent meets technology, and creators are valued. The new application is leading the charge to monetize content in Latin America, one passion at a time. For more information, visit www.fanova.io.
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