I first met Seth Rubinroit when he was helping the AVP with all their NBC Volleyball data while also continuing to run a site all about USC basketball. Right then I should have known his passions should run to the eclectic, and he saw opportunity in things other may not have.
Fast forward and young Seth has been helping craft and expand all the audio platforms at NBC, and has been at the forefront of what some have called next gen audio content.
This week I was able to catch him for a few minutes as part of Sports Business Journal’s Media Innovators event, talking with Andrew Levin about the growth of spoken word and how it has adapted. His thoughts really paint a worthwhile picture for anyone interested in spoken word, or podcasting, or those trying to figure out what the growing value of audio is today.
Some key points he raised.
“There was a time when podcasting was just a place to put content. That paradigm has shifted to where our interviews are now audio centric & we then use that audio for other mediums.” Not too long ago, way back before Zoom made audio easier to access and let you have a great video stream if your Wi-Fi was decent, the quality of podcasting was very hit and miss. It could have all kinds of issues on either end of the receiver, and it was usually JUST something to listen to. Now because of the advances of streaming, audio can become video that can be broken down into segments more easily, and if you choose, can cherry pick segments that can be put into a transcript and used for print…and all can be broken down for social. Seth talked about getting access to high level athletes and then making that one session into a multimedia bonanza that can not only feed all of NBC’s video channels. But regional networks and locals stations as well, and then it can be turned around for print web use. Whereas audio was an afterthought, it is now the driver for all forms of content.
Podcasting Gives The Expanded Reach Other forms of Media Cannot. The ability to listen to clear audio can happen at any time on any device and makes it much more user friendly than video or print. While we saw the rise of spoken word drop a bit as commuting habits changed early on in the pandemic, people have now adjusted and are listening more than ever, since their at home routines have now adapted, and ease of use in audio gives them the ability to grab sound whenever they choose.
Deeper connections with an audience. Spoken word gives the consumer the ability to go deep on a topic and to do so at their own pace. The quality of audio via streaming now also present a more robust listening experience than ever before, where the nuance of the voice, almost as much as the images, takes the consumer on a deeper emotional journey. You can imagine that connection with print storytelling, but hearing it surround you makes you more emotionally connected.
Building Community vs Personality. Seth pointed out that there are some personalities that lead the consumer journey, more and more the personality is secondary to the overall community. The growth in audio is not being seen around one person, as it is around a team, or a league or a property or a sport or a film genre. People are coming to listen about wide ranging stories around a team…say the Denver Broncos…vs a media personality who may lead the charge. Not everyone can be Joe Rogan or Bill Simmons or Jon Gordon or Tim Ferriss or even Gary Vee or Kara Swisher. They can however help lead a series around a common subject that an audience can be passionate about. It is easier to build followers and the tribal nature of fandom lends itself to a topic, or a team, than it does to a personality.
Finding the Right Niche. The key is to find topics that have engaged audiences and create content that the niche is passionate about vs trying just to go wide with a topic. If you have a POV and can build a share of voice around women’s soccer and the market is underserved, then build and speak to that audience. Trying to cut through the clutter of a Yankees audience may seem like an opportunity for millions of listeners, but unless the content is unique and strong and has its share of voices contributing, the effort may literally fall on deaf ears.
Discoverability and Promotion Is Key. Making sure the community knows what the content is, where to find it, and why they should care is vitally important in growing even a small audience. The best content with the most unique POV and the best guests can fall short if you are not promoting to the right audience and making sure that audience can find you. You can’t just post and run away, you need to use all means possible to engage and then build audience. It is a crowded field, but quality content can speak to a consumer anywhere he or she is, so long as they know how to find it.
Now there are many challenges to podcasting, not the least of which is how you get people to be podlistening as well. NBC like most large-scale media platforms, has the ability to slice and dice content that starts with audio and then reshare and cross promote not just on its own platforms but with its partners and affiliates as well. That is something that a single proprietor will not have. However, what has improved greatly is quality of content and ease of improving user experience. Success is also based largely on the engagement of the community and in many cases the doggedness of the creator. You have to have commitment, grit and take the time to make sure you are connecting with an audience that is interested in what you are doing.
Improvements in ease of use on the technology side keep making spoken word a viable medium, and innovation in revenue generation keep growing as well. No building audience is not easy, but Seth has pointed out a solid primer on how NBC at least has managed to evolve and gain value from spoken word, and the examples are invaluable for all, especially as the audience grows.
Great points to read, and great content to listen and learn from.
