As podcasts grow in popularity among Black American audiences, podcasters have an important opportunity to use their platforms to engage, entertain, and inform Black consumers on a regular basis.
by Tasha Mitchell
Of the podcast genres tested in Horowitz’s latest FOCUS Black: State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: Consumer Engagement 2023 report, comedy, sports, culinary, and pop culture (music, television, and/or film) podcasts top the list of genres for Black podcast consumers. Above all, however, Black podcast consumers gravitate towards Black-focused podcasts, with nearly half tuning in regularly. In that context, I’d like to share a few podcasts that highlight the Black experience from diverse perspectives.
Podcasts Build Trust
Podcast creators are in a unique position to build trust and loyalty among listeners in online communities. This is especially true for Black podcasters like Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, co-hosts of Earn Your Leisure, which provides “behind the scenes financial views into the entertainment and sports industries as well as highlighting back stories of entrepreneurs.” Co-founders Bilal and Millings have since expanded the Earn Your Leisure media platform, which boasts 900,000 subscribers on YouTube, to include live events that focus on financial literacy.
Podcasts like Earn Your Leisure serve the interests of 2 in 10 Black podcast listeners who consume content that focuses on business, finance, and entrepreneurship on a regular basis, according to the Horowitz study. The interest in this genre is tied to a desire to gain financial stability and build generational wealth on the individual level as well as for Black communities, which is why the majority of Black consumers surveyed say that it’s important or very important to buy from local businesses as often as possible. Supporting efforts to build financial literacy, including by supporting podcasters like Bilal and Millings, is a way for brands and media to engage meaningfully with Black consumers.
Social and Racial Justice Podcasts Are Popular
The Horowitz study shows that podcasts related to social justice, racial justice, and women’s rights are consumed more regularly by Black audiences than their white, non-Latinx counterparts. Moreover, almost 2 in 10 Black Americans consume science, technology, and nature-themed content. Jamie Broadnax – an author, writer, and film critic – is the host of Black Girl Nerds, a podcast at the “intersection of geek culture and Black feminism.”
Listeners of the weekly podcast can expect interviews with TV personalities and independent content creators, including streamers and gamers. The Black Girl Nerds online platform also features content on topics from politics and social justice to gaming and travel. Supporting podcasts and platforms like Black Girl Nerds is a way for brands to engage in leading-edge conversations with audiences in ways that advertising on mainstream platforms can’t deliver.
Music Podcasts Lead the Way
It’s not surprising that music plays a major role in the daily lives of most Black consumers: Almost 6 in 10 surveyed by Horowitz say that they stream music every day or almost every day. Additionally, almost 3 in 10 Black podcast listeners consume content regularly that focuses on popular music, television, and/or film. To meet the interests of Black podcast consumers who appreciate music, a new podcast series called Amplify Color educates listeners on the history of Black radio. Hosted by Ryan Cameron, the “Voice of Atlanta,” and produced by Warner Music Group’s podcast network, past episodes of Amplify Color feature inspiring stories on the first Black American DJ, the first Black-owned radio station, and Black radio personalities like Wendy Williams. Supporting podcasts like this that celebrate Black history and cultural icons will send a clear message to the Black audience that a brand sees and celebrates us.
The bottom line is that culturally themed podcasts and podcasters are creating unique, targeted platforms for brands to forge meaningful relationships with Black consumers in today’s media environment. I look forward to seeing how the Black podcast space will evolve in 2024.
The full FOCUS Black: State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: Consumer Engagement 2023 report explores different segments of Black consumers and their attitudes towards hot-button topics to help media companies, advertisers, advertising/marketing agencies, and PR companies make smart decisions about Black marketing and outreach. The survey was conducted in August 2023 among 555 Black adults 18+. Data have been weighted to ensure results are representative of the overall U.S. Black population. The report is available in total market, FOCUS Latinx, FOCUS Black, and FOCUS Asian editions.
Tasha Mitchell is a Marketing and PR Manager at Horowitz Research. She is passionate about connecting brands with a new generation of tech-savvy consumers.
For more information about the FOCUS Black: State of Media, Entertainment, and Tech: Consumer Engagement 2023 report, visit: https://www.horowitzresearch.com/syndicated-research/focus-black/. To purchase the report, schedule an interview with an analyst, or to request specific data, please contact Nicole Cicogna: [email protected], 347-738-1574.
About Horowitz Research division of M/A/R/C Research
Horowitz Research is a leading provider of consumer market research specializing in consumers and their relationships to media, content, and technology with a particular expertise in cultural insights among America’s Black, Latinx, Asian, LGBTQIA+, and Gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences. The company offers a full suite of à la carte syndicated reports as well as custom quantitative and qualitative consumer research for companies ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 500. Horowitz Research was recently acquired by M/A/R/C Research, a Texas-based research and insights firm. For more information, visit www.horowitzresearch.com.
