Podcasting’s paradox of choice

Why are podcast charts relatively stagnant, with so many marvelous and interesting choices available? Are the shows locked in at the top of the charts that much better, or is something else going on?

Welcome to the paradox of choice.

We are overloaded with options. Barry Schwartz made the case in 2004 in his seminal book, “The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less.” Schwartz says choice is far greater today, but consumer satisfaction is not. Too many choices make people anxious and less satisfied.

It’s easy to choose option A if there is only option B. It’s much trickier when there are options A-Z.

We live in a world of choice.

Looking for milk in the supermarket? It’s milk mania. You can choose whole milk, 1%, 2%, fat-free, oat, soy, almond, coconut, cashew, and lactose-free. Need toothpaste? Crest offers 61 different products.

Trying to find something to watch? It can be a paralyzing experience. Despite advanced algorithmic recommendation engines, according to Nielsen, the average U.S. adult takes 7.4 minutes to make a selection on a streaming service. Depending on how often you watch and how many services you use, that could be 45 hours per year.

Breaking that down a little more, adults 18 to 34 take 9.4 minutes, while 35-to-54s need 8.4 minutes. Viewers 50 and older abandon discovery after about 5 minutes and dive in.

Help me, I’m drowning
The problem of finding and selecting streaming video is remarkably like the plight of show discovery in podcasting. In True Crime podcasts, according to Podchaser, there are 12,000 titles. It’s impossible to evaluate and determine which shows have the best stories and storytellers. Who could know? That’s why people favor selection among the most popular. It’s true in the restaurant business, too. Some have big crowds, but there is always an excellent hole-in-the-wall restaurant waiting to be discovered.

People gravitate to brands and shows they know. They closely look for affirmation of quality or popularity, reviewing shows that top the charts. The chart from Nielsen shows the power of incumbency followed by recommendations of family and friends.

Overlooked and undervalued: the twin peaks of recommendation and description

In 2019, Andrew Davies, the Digital and Engagement Editor at the ABC in Australia, based on the work of the smart folks of the Insights Team, presented some fascinating data about how people choose podcasts.

Despite all the technology available, viewers and listeners most often get recommendations from friends and family.

More than 7 out of 10 people choose a podcast based on a recommendation.

Once again, all the advanced technology designed to serve what we want is overshadowed by a good recommendation from a friend or article.

Another insight from the ABC’s study is critically important for podcasters. Draw your eyes to the slightly bigger bubble at the right of the chart. 73% say episode description is a motivating factor in trying a new podcast. Writing the right description is an often-overlooked science and art. The same people that take so much time crafting and editing a podcast frequently slap together a description and show notes. However, as people rapidly scroll on their apps, instantaneous decisions are made by catching a keyword, topic, or guest presented in an alluring way.

Andrew says, “Episode descriptions and headlines are incredibly underrated when it comes to the way audiences choose to engage with podcasts.” Yes sir.

Make your show scannable

Apple gives you 4,000 characters for show descriptions, but that’s hardly scannable, and most apps – each is different - truncate words, so the first few words carry all the weight. This is where SEO kicks in. Relevant keywords are essential. Episode notes are also a valuable SEO tool. You have more room to position the podcast and dig in on the episode’s value. Guest names, episode summaries, and links live here.

The words you use must clearly explain why someone should listen to the episode of the show and yet be captivating. Think of it like advertising – short, sweet, compelling.

The fewer the words, the harder the job. Mark Twain is often credited with saying, “I didn’t have time to write you a short letter, so I wrote you a long one.” Actually, Ben Franklin might have said it, but either way, they weren’t writing for a podcast app where micro-seconds matter.

Combating choice overload

So why are there so many wonderful podcasts but few garner significant listening?

The bottom line is we live in this crazy world where we all find ourselves going down the “rabbit hole” of unlimited options. Even in the age of algorithms, it’s important to remember human behavior tops the list, and using simple and compelling language is the best way to influence choice. And most important, respect the clock. You have mere seconds.

Thanks to Andrew Davies for the great insight.