It feels like every man and his dog has a podcast now, and the DIY nature of podcasting has made it one of the most accessible forms of media. You can buy a cheap microphone, camera, and couch and set it up in a spare room, which is both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because you can connect quickly to a potential audience, and a curse because plenty of podcasts out there are woeful; let’s get it right.
While it’s challenging to compare and rank which arm of the entertainment industry has witnessed the most significant changes due to the internet, the podcasting industry has unearthed a genuine contender to traditional media like TV and radio. There’s a clear changing dynamic in how professional entertainers interact with their potential fan base.
When we refer to entertainment, we refer, of course, to the routes that some of the most prominent actors, comedians, and personalities take in their quest to become notable names in pop culture.
The Digital Casino Model
The internet has been driving so much of this change, and other areas of online entertainment are benefitting immensely from transforming their worlds from land-based ventures to global digital enterprises. Entertainment, podcasting, and vlogging have tapped into the same market that the casino industry cultivated in the early 2000s.
For instance, the casino industry was profitable but highly localized and fragmented; the internet turned it into a streamlined and global market. Not only could it mirror the quality of the gameplay to a much broader international market, but many found it more convenient, especially those who enjoy slot gaming.
Slot games are the lifeblood of the casino gaming world, and they were amongst the first to succeed in the new digital frontier. Real money slots continue to break new ground and offer many options for casino gamers who are partial to a slot game or two.
Slot gaming options on mobile and iPads are considered the market-leading way people play their casino games. They eliminate the need to travel to a casino and save gamers time and money. Podcasts have drilled into this same ethos that if you can bring a more convenient and personalized brand of entertainment right to the palm of customers’ hands, you’ll be able to carve out an audience, which many entertainers have done.
Social Media Impact
Podcasts aren’t for everyone, and for those entertainers who have more faith in their ability to write or craft material, social media is often the way to go. For better or worse, the cultural phenomenon of memes has become so profound that prominent TV shows and movies now aim to have at least one or two “meme-able” lines, as it acts as a highly effective marketing tool.
Instagram and Twitter used to be the leading platforms for comedians and entertainers.
While they still garner a significant level of success, there has been a notable shift in engagement to podcast clips, live shows, and comedians making a name for themselves over the last five years.
Comedians and entertainers must adapt to their audience’s viewing patterns, not vice versa. They need to look for their audience, measure their appetite, and try to get ahead of any trend—getting into the podcast market early would’ve been the most lucrative avenue, as highlighted by the enormous success of the Joe Rogan Experience.
However, there’s no denying the elephant in the room that the market is clearly becoming inundated with subpar podcasts, poorly constructed ideas, and a digital gold-rush style attempt to make “clippable” content by any means possible, regardless of the quality or craft.
Although podcasts are considered one of the most significant growth opportunities in many countries, including the UK, the market will plateau. Most importantly, the product needs to stand out and entertain people.
Conclusion
Although there’s an undeniable truth that podcasts are the new way that comedians and entertainers can bridge their product to a new audience, they utilize other avenues, too. It’s not good enough to be on only one social media platform in the current market; a multi-faceted approach must be adopted.
Having a popular podcast is an excellent platform and foundation. Still, without a presence across other social media channels, the ability to post clips on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, and the ability to engage directly with fans via these channels, the podcast may not reach as many people as it initially may have.
Without the multi-pronged approach, podcasts might not maximize their potential, but we’d say they sit right at the top of the pile in terms of being the most effective route for entertainers to cultivate a new audience. The real challenge for entertainers is standing out in an ocean of similar comedians with similar ideas and having the same conversations. The market is unbelievably saturated, with growing numbers of podcasts appearing and wanting you to commit hours of your week to their product – but if they can channel it and carve out an audience, then podcasts are the most effective current way to do it.
