Podcasts Are on the Rise and Telegram Is Suddenly Everywhere: What Happens When They Meet?
In the first half of 2020, podcasts suddenly took off in Taiwan. Individuals and brands alike jumped in, from YouTubers and livestreamers to the creative industries and finance. Some, like Bailingguo News, staked their claim before podcasts were popular, while others, like Gooaye and Taiwan's No.1 Commute Brand, became overnight hits.
ILING WuProduct Marketing Manager
photo by @jonathanvez
In the first half of 2020, podcasts suddenly took off in Taiwan. Individuals and brands alike jumped in, from YouTubers and livestreamers to the creative industries and finance. Some, like Bailingguo News, staked their claim before podcasts were popular, while others, like Gooaye and Taiwan's No.1 Commute Brand, became overnight hits.
According to the Digital News Report 2019, the main settings for podcast listening are at home (64%), commuting on public transportation (24%), driving or cycling (20%), walking or shopping (18%) and working out (16%). Another 16% listen to podcasts at work.
What's driving Taiwan's podcast boom?
The pandemic seems to have given podcasts a boost. In a recent interview between Bailingguo News and Joeman, they noted that with so many people working from home and missing the banter of coworkers, people want voices to keep them company, and podcasts seem to fit the bill.
Beyond established players like Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, SoundOn, Taiwan's largest homegrown podcast platform, entered the industry a year ago. Even KKBox announced its move into the podcast market in the past couple of days.
How podcasts engage listeners
Podcasts engage with their listeners in a few broad ways:
1. Write in to the show
The biggest name in listener letters and Q&A is Mark's Mailbox. There are plenty of others, too, such as Sex Chat's “Write Sex to Me,” where listeners share personal experiences about sex, and Before Midnight, whose listener letters get so long that the hosts devote entire episodes to replying.
2. Facebook page and Instagram engagement
Bailingguo News has consistently engaged listeners through its Facebook page and Instagram, reposting their Stories. After the hosts recommended “Universal Fried Chicken,” for example, many listeners went to try it, posted photos tagging Bailingguo News and got reposted by the show.
The most impressive recent example is Taiwan's No.1 Commute Brand: wherever the show appears, the comments fill up with “🦐 support.” These are all fun ways to interact.
3. Messaging app channels and groups
No podcaster seems to have launched an official channel on LINE yet, but plenty of podcasters have opened channels and discussion groups on Telegram. Besides post view counts, the metrics that matter are the number of discussions in the group and how active the group is.
Gooaye not only has a large channel audience but also an extremely active discussion group.
The finance podcast Gooaye does this best. Whether by channel views or group activity, it is probably the most active podcast right now.
Telegram is free, which suits today's low-cost community building. It also comes with fewer restrictions and keeps information sources clear and simple.
Conclusion
Bailingguo News has also talked on its show about podcast sponsorships. Because podcasts are an audio medium, ads may be more likely to be heard all the way through. Judging by the fact that every episode of the top-ranked podcasts carries a sponsor message, more and more advertisers are willing to try this new promotional channel.
The rise of podcasts and Telegram's sudden popularity are both just the beginning. What really matters is the number of users and the content being produced. A large user base motivates creators to produce more content, creating a virtuous cycle.
Recommended reading
[Podcast Deep Dive] Taiwan Podcast Industry Report, H1 2020
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