The Future of Podcasting, Media, and Audience Attention with Paul Riismandel

In Episode 347 of The Business Development Podcast, Kelly Kennedy sits down with Paul Riismandel, President of Signal Hill Insights and one of the leading voices in podcast audience research, to explore the future of podcasting, media, and audience attention. Drawing on more than two decades of experience in digital audio, podcasting, advertising, and audience measurement, Paul shares what creators, entrepreneurs, marketers, and business leaders need to understand about where the industry is headed and how audiences are consuming content in 2026 and beyond.

From the myth that everyone skips podcast ads to the reality of audience growth, community building, content discovery, and the evolving relationship between audio and video, this conversation is packed with practical insights and thought-provoking perspectives. Paul challenges conventional wisdom around virality, explains why community matters more than most creators realize, and reveals what successful podcasters are doing differently to build loyal audiences in an increasingly competitive media landscape. Whether you're a podcaster, content creator, thought leader, marketer, or business owner, this episode offers a valuable look at the forces shaping the future of attention and influence.

Key Takeaways:

1. Audience quality matters more than audience quantity.
2. One podcast listener is not the same as one passive TV or radio listener.
3. A hundred downloads can represent a room full of people who chose to hear from you.
4. Podcasting is a long game, not a viral lottery.
5. You need to know who your audience is and why they should listen.
6. Discovery starts by finding the audience, not just finding podcast listeners.
7. Audio is not dead, but creators need to remind people how and when to listen.
8. Short form content may be losing some of its hold as people want their attention back.
9. Community is one of the strongest drivers of podcast growth and loyalty.
10. Podcast ads work better than many people think because listeners do not skip them as much as they say they do.

Want to learn more from Paul?

Check out Signal Hill Insights and subscribe to Paul's newsletter. If you care about podcasting, media, audience growth, advertising, and the future of audio, it's one of the best sources of industry insights available.

Signal Hill Insights Newsletter

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Mentioned in this episode:

Hypervac - Revolution Vacuums