In the past month, how many times have you…

• Read a book for fun?

• Read an academic study?

• Read a newspaper article?

• Watched a full lecture on YouTube?

• Listened to a podcast?

The way we consume information is rapidly changing.

Let’s get one thing straight: professors are always going to publish important academic research. But younger generations aren’t engaging with academia the way people did in the past. And with colleges and universities facing increased scrutiny over their value and how much they actually serve their students, it’s more important than ever to tell your institution’s story in a way that will resonate with prospective and current students and alumni.

That’s where podcasting comes in. According to Nielsen research, the profile of an average podcast listener is young, educated and affluent:

• Comedy is the most popular podcast genre, listened to by 48% of podcast users, followed by educational podcasts (40%) (Nielsen Audio Today Report)

• 64% of the U.S. population is familiar with the term “podcasting” – up from 60% in 2017 (Edison Research Infinite Dial 2018)

• 44% (124 million) of the U.S. population has listened to a podcast; 17% (48 million) of the U.S. population listen to podcasts weekly (Edison Research Infinite Dial 2018)

• 16 million people in the U.S. are “avid podcast fans” (Nielsen Podcast Insights Q1 2018)

• 45% of monthly podcast listeners in the U.S. have household income over $75K, versus 35% for the total population (Nielsen Audio Today Report)

• 27% of U.S. podcast listeners have a 4-year college degree (versus 19% for the total population)

• Podcast listeners are more likely to follow companies and brands on social media

Current & Prospective Students

How many times have you seen a student walking around campus wearing headphones? 32% of Americans ages 25-54 listen to podcasts monthly. And there are plenty of ways to engage: Drexel University has a podcast to help students feel more connected with the faculty, and Baylor University features conversations with professors, administrators, and others serving their community.

Alumni

Audio content has the capacity to create an intimate relationship of trust with an audience that no other medium can match. That’s why Boston University, Cornell University, Longwood University, and many other institutions are engaging with their alumni with podcasts. In a rapidly changing communications landscape, alumni relations professionals need to get creative to cultivate meaningful relationships and mobilize audiences in support of your institution.

Athletics

It never hurts to amplify school pride. Add your sports voice to the likes of Duke Basketball, Michigan Football, and Texas A&M Athletics as a fellow podcaster. Because the barrier to entry is extremely low, podcasting can be extremely profitable — and if your athletic department boasts a substantial following, then podcast ads could provide an additional source of revenue.

Your institution is sitting on a gold mine of content.