Moms, Podcasts, and Media
Moms are special. They can be our biggest supporters, and they can also hate your hobby. My mom always told me I talk too much, so she was thrilled when I started a podcast and stopped telling her my law school stories. Good times.
But moms have unique listening habits that affect how and when moms listen to media.
Edison Research is a team of researchers and thought leaders who find information about Moms and Media through The Infinite Dial series. In addition to reading the study, I reviewed the YouTube video voiced by the Edison Research Vice President, Melissa DeCesare.
Since 2011, Edison Research has studied moms and their media habits; details ranging from how long moms use the internet to whether moms use smart devices. For this blog, we are discussing how moms consume media and why you should care as a podcaster.
What Moms Are We Talking About?
Edison Research conducted a nationwide survey of moms from age 18 to older than 55 years old. The average age of the moms in this survey was 41 years young. You will want to keep this number in mind if you have a niche podcast or a younger audience who may not be listening to your podcast.
What Are Moms Listening To?
Moms are listening to websites and podcasts.
The Edison Research survey found that 90% of moms listen to online audio, which is considered audio streaming online or through online radio websites. I imagine this is music playing in the background on a favorite radio station being played at the same time every day.
This number is important because moms reported spending more than 11 hours a day listening to online audio. Eleven hours. That is a long time. The bulk of the time is probably spent in the office or while working full-time hours (typically eight hours a day).
The survey accounted for this large chunk of time by asking moms whether they were working full-time (yes, 64%) and whether the moms were working outside of their homes (yes, 77%).
Moms and Podcasts
Moms like podcasts. In 2022,
65% of moms have ever listened to a podcast
48% of moms have listened to podcasts in the last month
32% of moms have listened to a podcast in the last week
Those numbers are gigantic because moms are busy. I am a mom and I can confirm that moms are doing 35 things, not missing a beat, barely breaking a sweat, and reading this blog all at the same time. I’m kind of joking.
But seriously, when their baby is watching Sesame Street or taking a nap, moms are listening to podcasts.
In 2020, only 57% of moms were aware of podcasts and 24% of moms had listened to podcasts in the last week. These numbers are greater because more podcasts exist now than in 2020, but also, moms are consuming more podcast content.
Almost half of the moms surveyed have listened to a podcast in the last month. More than a third have listened in the last week. This is important because moms are taking the time to enjoy podcasts so give them something great to hear.
How Are Moms Listening?
Since 2016, moms have been able to play podcasts with Amazon Alexa, Siri, Google Home, and all the other voice-enabled devices. 43% of moms live with three or more voice-enabled devices (aka Alexa and Siri), with at least 33% of all moms having one voice-enabled device.
And guess what this means for you, podcaster? It means that if your podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Google podcasts, or YouTube, then you can ask your voice-enabled device to play your podcast and it will happen.
On average, moms spend 4 hours using the internet every day. This number felt low to me, so I looked for the amount of time that most people spend online. This study from February 2022 explains that on average, people use the internet for 6 hours and 58 minutes every day.
Moms may spend fewer hours online because there are different demands on their time or because the moms are using apps to consume media, but either way, this is your sign to make sure your podcast is accessible on multiple podcast hosting platforms. Provide multiple options for a mom to find your podcast and enjoy your message.
Moms Have Entourages
Not only are moms listening to more audio online and enjoying podcasts more than ever, but moms listen to media with other people around. This survey found that 62% of moms are probably listening to media with other people around.
Sixty-two percent means that there are a lot of chances that someone will hear your podcast from their fellow mom and decide to follow you too.
This percentage is very high and the study did not specify that the other people were always the mom’s children. This data really stood out to me because if mom is listening to something, whoever is around them is also listening. Moms are not sharing control of the dial or smart speaker.
What Do These Numbers Mean?
Moms consume media and moms listen to podcasts. The Edison Research study did not touch on the topics that moms consume, but we know that moms are interested in listening to audio throughout their days.
Whether the mom is chasing a toddler around the house or enjoying online audio while they drive to their kids' afterschool activity, if moms are included in your ideal audience, there is plenty of opportunities for you to grab their ears.
