Download Numbers - Do They Matter?

No.

But it’s not that simple.

During Grro's private alpha trial, our users expressed a strong interest in obtaining specific metrics to enhance their ability to strategically position ads or delve into specific audience research. Although we acknowledge the significance of metrics such as demographic data, geographic data, and download numbers—frequently requested by our users—we deliberately chose not to prioritise these metrics initially. While we plan to integrate them into Grro in the future, our current focus lies elsewhere. Why are we temporarily setting aside what appears to be vital information?

We can see the benefits of demographic data for conventional advertising where you want to place an ad for a product or service on a podcast.  Since Grro is specifically for podcast advertising (placing a podcast ad on another podcast) demographic information becomes arguably less important.  However, there may be benefits of showing demographic data for shows as an additional filter to our results, for sure.

Another request we receive is for geographic data. Why does this matter?… I enjoy shows from all over the globe with language being my only barrier to what I listen to.  But when it comes to branded podcasts this changes a bit, not as a listener but for the brand making the podcast.  Branded shows that are for brand awareness are often trying to target geographic regions with their shows. Sometimes it’s because the company mainly operates in certain countries, other times it could be that the launch of the show may coincide with a wider marketing campaign for a particular region.  Podcasts as an in-bound marketing channel may have similar concerns where their services or products are only available in some regions and they would want to focus on those places for their audience too.  Again, we are exploring adding geographic targeting in the future.

🤷‍♀️ So, why do we completely ignore the most coveted metric in podcasting; downloads?  After all more downloads = more ad revenue!

Firstly download numbers are notoriously difficult to gauge, even for the podcast publisher themselves who have accurate download numbers because not everyone that downloads a podcast listens to it. This article by Ashley Carmen highlights just one of the many issues around download numbers in the industry right now.  At Grro, we are also interested in podcasts that have a medium or small sized highly engaged audience and focussing on download numbers doesn’t help us unearth those shows.  To make this happen we examine how well a podcast is connected to other podcasts through its’ audience and listeners.  The better the quality of these connections, the more worthwhile it is to advertise a podcast there.

In short, 1000 engaged listeners with a well connected audience can mean more than 100 000 downloads, especially if you’re planning to use audience segments to fuel your growth strategy.

Find your top audience segments now: https://getgrro.com