Why It’s Time (and How) to Start a Podcast, Be Your Own Casting Director, and More

Everyone Loves Podcasts, It’s Time You Started One

The podcast audience continues to grow exponentially worldwide.?

Series like This American Life and Crime Junkie satisfy our interest in stories and human behavior, while The Daily and Stuff You Should Know prepare you for dinner-party conversations now that we’re starting to have those again.?

But businesses and brands of all kinds are getting into the podcast game as another avenue for reaching their audiences directly. Trader Joe's , Blue Apron , SEPHORA , and Gatorade all have popular podcasts with wide reach.?

Podcasts are not getting less popular anytime soon. The industry is currently valued at $2 billion and expected to be worth upwards of $4 billion by 2024.

According to Demand Sage and Buzzsprout :

• The global podcast listening audience is expected to be about 424 million by year’s end.
• More than one-third (104 million) of Americans listen to podcasts regularly.
• Podcasts are most popular with people aged 12-34.
• North America and the Asia Pacific have the highest number of listeners.
• Podcasts are growing fastest in Chile (84%!), Argentina, Peru, Mexico, and China.
• Each week, more Americans listen to podcasts than have Netflix accounts.

There’s never been a better time to launch your own branded podcast. Incorporating audio content into your marketing strategy is an exciting way to reach new audiences and further build your brand.?

Find out how to create your own branded podcast, segment ideas, and tips for getting started.

Being Your Own Casting Director Is a Competitive Advantage

For branded content creators, the need for fresh, memorable content is endless. Timelines and budgets only ever get tighter. Challenging the status quo applies to process, too.?

Casting your own actors, model, voice artists, and production staff for creating content can add up to big impact in terms of:

• Cost?– Saving on casting costs can be massive.
• Time?– Top-notch casting tools mean no extra layer of work and faster turnarounds.
• Control?– Casting directly means there’s nothing between you and the talent you want.
• Accountability?– Casting from high-quality sources means skilled, reliable talent.

Find out what award-winning content production company Jersey Filmmaker has learned after five years of casting for branded content projects.

What Else You Should Know:

• This holiday season’s top ads target positivity and nostalgia for stressed-out consumers looking for some relief, says The Drum.
• YouTube has compiled its list of top trending videos, creators, and artists for 2022 , concluding that individual and online communities are more influential than ever.
• Marketing Dive analyzes YouTube’s top-performing ads of 2022 , telling a story of retail and consumer goods ad trends in a challenging market.
• As you get ready for 2023, resolve to take up some habits that will up your social media game .
• LaterBlog has a whole bunch of content creator resources and tips .

How Backstage Helps Branded Content Creators

Looking for a one-stop shop to find all the talent you need to crush your next branded project? With tens of thousands of talent profiles, Backstage’s vast talent marketplace has all the successful actors, models, creators, and more you’re looking for. And workflow tools enable you to easily find right-fit candidates in a fraction of the time. Find out how Backstage empowers you to create better content, faster and tell your brand story.