The Latest in Share of Ear

Have you heard the latest about Share of Ear? Edison Research has just released The Infinite Dial 2018, and it’s jam-packed with amazing insights about the digital consumption in the US.

Quick takeaways:

Podcasting continues to grow in all ways; number of people that know what a podcast is, amount of time listening, number of podcasts listened to in a week

Smart Speakers are invading households! Up almost triple from last year, this is the fastest growing market ‘round these parts, faster even than the early days of the smartphone. In fact, if you own one Smart Speaker, there’s a 33% chance, you own at least two!

And, Amazon is winning the Smart Speaker race…BY A LOT.

What’s a r-a-d-i-o? Ya, most Americans don’t know either. Home ownership of radios is down heavily from a decade ago with nearly a third of all Americans tossing them entirely, with that number jumping to HALF if you’re under 35.

And even in the car, radio usage is declining.

Pandora is winning…for now. While Pandora remains the market leader, Spotify is on the rise.

Social usage is failing FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. Say, what???

Facebook is still the most popular, but Snapchat is the fastest growing (this research was done before the Kylie Jenner, or Rihanna insanity of 2018), and is the most popular platform for under 25’s.

So what does this all mean?

From a marketing perspective, marketers need to start figuring out podcasting as a channel. This asynchronous, audio-on-demand content is completely available to listeners, with very few revenue streams. All those dedicated ears, intimately tuned in, with nary but the narrator in their ear. So. Much. Opportunity. And with more and more people abandoning social, we’re going to need another channel!

Additionally, teaching Smart Speakers “skills” is going to be mandatory. While some brands have already figured this out, more are going to need to. And soon! Whether it’s teaching Smart Speakers how to tune into audio content, or how to make purchase, anyone neglecting this opportunity will be behind the pack before the end of the year. Imagine how easy Christmas shopping will be when you can say, “Alexa, order Marshmallow Only Lucky Charms and send them to my brother.” (please, no one teach my son how to do this)

Finally, social platforms need to figure out their long game. How will SnapChat monetize? How will Facebook keep from hemorrhaging users? How will Instagram stay relevant? Twitter? What’s Twitter? Too, marketers will need to watch the market carefully for key shifts, both for where to invest their budgets, as well as where to find audiences.

And if you haven’t already, The Infinite Dial 2018 is one of the best, underrated sources of data out there. Completely worth a read, or watch the recording!