As a podcaster, you upload tens of content every month, if not more. Some podcasters even have more than one channel, each catering to a different genre and audience. However, how do you know what your listeners like, which topics are more engaging, and whether or not you are making progress?
Here’s where podcast monitoring with the help of analytical data comes in.
Why is Podcast Monitoring Necessary?
Podcasters who opt for tracking and monitoring their podcasts gain the following:
- A better understanding of their audience.
- Fine-tuning the content by checking out what is a hit with the listeners.
- Increasing visibility among the target audience.
- A knowledge of how their brand is perceived.
Thus, to stay ahead of the curve, all podcasters need to track how each content is performing and also check out what their competitors are doing.
Which Podcast Metrics Should You Keep Your Eye On?
To be a pro at podcasting, you have to think like one. Thus, some of the podcast monitoring metrics that pro podcasters rely on are:
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Gross Listens
The total number of times a podcast is played, i.e., the number of times people hit play on a particular episode, counts as your gross listens. This feature allows you to get an overall idea of the success of your podcast.
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Total Streams and Downloads
The total number of streams is equal to the number of unique listeners per day who listen to a particular episode for a minute or more. Viewing this allows you to know which podcasts are trending and which ones your audience likes.
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Unique Listens
This feature lets you know how many new listeners are joining in per episode. Thus, it allows you the option to expand your listener base by shifting the focus to new joinees.
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Episode Downloads/Streams
By looking at how many times each episode is streamed or downloaded, you can learn what type of content is working best for you. This lets you know the kind of content you should focus on.
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Top Hours
Knowing the top or peak hours lets you know when your audience is most active. This feature helps you time your podcast to release when most of your listeners are online to target maximum audience engagement.
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Location
Knowing the location of your audience lets you know what kind of podcasts are more relevant to them. Thus, the geographical area from which your audiences belong is a good demographic to know when creating targeted campaigns.
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Device Distribution
A thorough breakdown of all devices that accessed your content is necessary if you wish to improve the experience for your listeners. By checking out device distribution data, you can learn what type of devices are accessing your content and then tweak your content to cater to them.
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Operating Systems
Some people sign in with Android devices and others with iOS. This option lets you know which type of device most of your listeners are using so that you can improve their experience.
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Podcast Players
This option lets you know which platform has the most volume of your target listeners so that you can better focus your marketing efforts. It also gives some idea of your audience demographic.
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Third-party Tracking Prefix
Not all platforms offer this tool, however, it is extremely useful since it gets insights from servers such as Podtrac and Charitable. You can compare your podcast with those uploaded by competitors and get detailed insights into more data regarding your podcast.
Now that you know what to look out for, it is time to evaluate podcasting platforms for streaming that offer these features.
Podcasting Platform for Streaming the Offer Advanced Analytics
Our choices that make the list of top Podcasting Platforms for Streaming in terms of Advanced Analytics are:
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Hubhopper
Hubhopper has one of the most detailed dashboards when it comes to tracking your podcasts. From basic features like how many times each podcast has been listened to or downloaded, to advanced stats comparing your podcast to that of your competitors, Hubhopper offers a lot. This makes it one of the best platforms for podcast monitoring.
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Cohost
B2B analytics, Podcast ROI, and advanced audience demographics are some exciting analytical tools Cohost offers for podcast monitoring. Thus, you know which podcasts are a hit, the impact it has on companies, and how you can better target your audience. This allows you to tailor your content and improve sponsorship sales for better monetization of your content.
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Simplecast
By providing detailed data on demographics, trends, and episode performance, Simplecast gives you tools to manage and grow your podcast channel. Thus, you can get an excellent idea of how to improve your work and expand your listener base.
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Blubrry
This platform offers advanced statistics for podcast downloads while accounting for destination, resuming downloads, and duplicates. This makes the data more reliable and accurate, giving you an exact idea of what is working for you.
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Megaphone
A podcasting platform designed for advanced users, Megaphone offers tools that allow you to publish, track, and monetize your work. It also has options for dynamic insertion of ads and targeting particular audiences. However, one small drawback is that it is a relatively expensive platform.
Take your pick from our choices and avail of advanced analytics on your chosen podcast platform for streaming.
Wrapping Up: Ready To Start Podcast Monitoring?
If you wish to join the leagues of the pros, podcast monitoring is the way to go. Check the kind of podcasts that are a hit with your listeners, learn what’s trending, and leverage this to improve your audience base.
Evaluate the different podcast platforms for streaming based on the monitoring tools they offer and choose one that suits you best. Then, all you have to do is make the most of the offered tools.