Making Better Content for Audiences and Advertisers

They’re coming from film, television, and books. They’re coming with impressive backgrounds in entertainment, journalism, and sold-out talks. Podcasts have an undeniable pull for creatives. But why? We sat down with some of the best from our slate to find out.  

As you’ll hear, the podcast space is wonderfully symbiotic, allowing creators, publishers, and advertisers to interact, coexist, and flourish together. From the intimacy of the medium, to the freedom they find, to the authentic brand experiences, creators love the space—and that’s great for both audiences and brands.

The Strength and Power of Podcasts

Creatives from all backgrounds (and with some impressive resumes) are finding a new way to tell stories and connect with audiences.

It’s such an intimate medium

“We started podcasting a little over three years ago, and I immediately loved it because it is such an intimate medium. I think some of my favorite moments have happened on a podcast. People are very unguarded. Things get very real. The comedy is very organic. I think the format is incredible. I think there's a lot more exploration to be done in podcasting. I think for comedy, it's fantastic.” – Conan O’Brien, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

I feel like I can exhale

“I found that this is sort of my new love, which is so funny because when you’ve done all of the different things in broadcast and in media and you hit this podcast lane, all of a sudden, I feel like I can exhale. It’s like a warm hand on my heart... When you're doing a podcast interview like this, you actually get to sit and absorb. And I feel like in this climate, at this moment, we actually need to slow down.” – Hoda Kotb, Making Space

Growing the connection with our fanbase

“Podcasting came about, and we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, we could use our voice.’… So, here's another platform where we can talk, but we could just be us… We've realized even in the past month how much our impressions have been gaining because people want that podcasting from us and to see it all together. But you know, our story pretty much is we wanted to get into podcasting to continue to grow that amazing connection we have with our fanbase.” – Nikki Bella, The Bellas Podcast 

Partnership with Freedom and Support

At the heart of the medium’s growth is the partnerships podcasters are forming with publishers. Creators are finding a mutual respect that allows them to make great content.

Know when to get out of the way

“Something that was important for us when we were meeting with different people, it was like, 'Are you going to be there to support us and understand when to get out of the way?' You know, I think in trying to create an authentic conversation, you need people, you need the structure, you need the support, the resources… there was also a sense of like, are people going to trust us to be ourselves and our expertise. And that became clear in our meetings with Stitcher.” – Saeed Jones, Vibe Check

The freedom and control we were looking for

“More Sauce came with exactly what we were looking for as far as freedom and as far as creative control and as far as collaborating to push the show further to a new audience—because obviously you guys have so many great resources… It just made sense immediately.” – Rory Farrell, New Rory & Mal

Organic Advertising Relationships

With the intimacy and authenticity of podcasts comes the responsibility many hosts feel to be honest with their audiences. Brands have an opportunity to leverage that trust by giving creators space to share their experiences. 

A better return for the advertiser

“I don't just read the ads. I really want to make it organic because I also would be sort of embarrassed if my audience was hearing me just read a canned thing. So, I only accept things that make sense. I only accept things that I use. I only accept things that will feel organic because I think that's going to be a better return for the advertiser.” – Rachel Hollis, The Rachel Hollis Podcast

Things we can sell authentically

“...I don't think it always needs to be so serious… This life is precious. Let's take good care of ourselves… You know, there's so many different things that we can sell, well, I say authentically, because if it's not, if we don't feel it, we're not doing it...” – Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, Anatomy of Murder

"Let me just add something, which I think is important, is we know the subject matter is serious, right. We're talking about murder; we get that... We also have incredible integrity, and we've worked very, very hard for a very long time to have that. And I think there's a value to having integrity. And I think people would want to be associated with people who have integrity who work really hard within a very difficult space.” – Scott Weinberger, Anatomy of Murder

We are able to be honest

"With all the ad work they're asking me to do, everyone is saying, 'Get familiar with this product. Let us know if you actually feel comfortable about it, and say a little bit about your experience with these things.' And I found that really, really great...

You know, especially when it's queer folk and Black folk talking to other marginalized people, I don't want to lie to my listeners. I don't want to lie to them even about an ad read that will give us money for this show. And we've been able to, and this is thanks to Stitcher and the whole crew, we are able to be honest. In every ad that we read, they’re asking us beforehand, are you okay with this. So, it feels organic, it feels genuine, and it feels honest, which I like.” – Sam Sanders, Vibe Check

The power of podcasts to tell stories, including brand stories, is unmatched. And the opportunities for advertisers to connect with audiences with the SiriusXM Podcast Network are endless. Let’s talk about the right content for your brand.