Jay Nachlis: How Podcasts Create Connection and Combat Listener Loneliness

Can a podcast make you feel less alone? I’m joined by Jay Nachlis from Coleman Insights to explore what research can tell us about community, companionship, and the relationships listeners build with podcast hosts.

Picking up on our conversation at Podcast Movement in New York, we discuss Coleman’s research with the Locked On Podcast Network and why listeners often describe their favourite hosts as friends. We also explore how those connections can extend beyond listening and bring people together.

Jay and I get into the rise of video podcasts, the role of YouTube and smart TVs, and why audio remains such an important part of the experience. We compare the challenges of podcast discovery with the increasingly frustrating hunt for something to watch across streaming services, and share lessons podcasters can borrow from radio.

We wrap up with practical ways to give your show a clearer focus: testing titles, artwork, and descriptions with Pod Predictor, and creating a trailer that tells people why they should listen. I also explain why a good trailer can keep working for your show long after launch.

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Also we added the Sound Off Podcast to the The Open Podcast Prefix Project (OP3) A free and open-source podcast prefix analytics service committed to open data and listener privacy. You can be a nosey parker by checking out our downloads here.

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