With almost 100 million Americans listening to podcasts weekly, Signal Hill Insights has highlighted the growing significance of podcasts, particularly B2B ones, as a strategic tool for reaching high-level executives capable of influencing major corporate decisions.
Drawing on more than 12,000 surveys conducted annually among US adult podcast listeners for Triton Digital, Signal Hill Insights has been able to construct detailed profiles of specific listener segments, including senior executives, according to Signal Hill founder Jeff Vidler.
These executives, who represent 4% of all adult monthly podcast listeners, are predominantly in their peak earning years, aged between 30 to 49, with a significant concentration in the 35-44 age bracket. 73% of these senior executive listeners are men, indicating a gender disparity at the executive level even within podcast audiences.
Executives are some of the heaviest podcast users – 83% listen to podcasts weekly and almost a third listen to more than five hours of podcasts per week.
Senior executives demonstrate a pronounced preference for podcasts that offer more than just entertainment. While comedy ranks as the top genre among general podcast listeners, news, business, education, and technology podcasts are more favored by those in the C-Suite.
In terms of listening habits, a majority of these executives integrate podcasts into their daily routines, whether while relaxing at home, commuting by car or public transport, or during exercise, displaying a versatile approach to podcast consumption. Contrary to the general trend among podcast listeners, senior executives less frequently use YouTube as their primary platform, showing a slight preference for Spotify and Apple Podcasts instead.
These findings underscore the effectiveness of podcasts as a medium for reaching and engaging senior executives, offering B2B brands an opportunity to connect with a high-value audience seeking content that enriches their professional and personal lives.
