Thread by @DannyBrownCA

For many podcasters, downloads are the key metric for a show's success.

Here's why you should maybe stop thinking about hard downloads, and instead look at what really makes for good podcast download numbers – growth and engagement.

A thread. 1/16 #tweet100 #podcasting

I get it – downloads are something that every podcaster wants to be as high as they can be.

After all, it’s – arguably – one of the main metrics podcasters ask about, and something to be used for sponsors.

The problem is, not all podcast numbers are "good". 2/16 #podcasting

- A download isn’t necessarily a listen (auto-downloads, queue for later, etc)

- Unless your podcast host offers IAB V2 Certified Analytics, then bots and scripts can skew the numbers

- High downloads aren’t a sign of a highly engaged audience 3/16 #podcasting

Additionally, a lot of podcasters worry about not having downloads in the high thousands per episode, as this is seen as the only way to get advertisers and sponsors. 4/16 #podcasting

While this can be the case to a degree, the best advertisers and sponsors won’t just be looking for high downloads, they’ll be looking for metrics beyond that. 5/16 #podcasting

In a previous life, I was a marketer in the B2B space, and worked on many influence marketing programs for clients.

Humblebrag alert – I also co-wrote a book on influence marketing that was recognized as one of the top 100 business books in America. 6/16 #podcasting

As someone who also works in the podcasting space, I get to see daily what kind of metrics are attractive to these brands.

And, yes, while high downloads are great, they’re just one piece of the bigger sponsorship pie. 7/16 #podcasting

- Consistency of numbers, and not just occasional spikes

- Engagement of listeners

- Retention rate of listeners over an episode (especially useful when it comes to dynamic content insertion)

- How likely listeners are to act on a call to action 8/16 #podcasting

These metrics, and more like them, are far more attractive to a brand, since it shows your listeners trust you and are more likely to act on something you recommend. For brands, warm leads are much more attractive than cold sells. 9/16 #podcasting

For a brand looking to sell a product or service, this warmer lead can be a much more effective partnership than someone who gets 10,000 downloads, but very little engagement or traction after the play button is engaged. 10/16 #podcasting

It's also key to keep things in perspective and context.

While it may be nice to look at numbers being shared by other podcasters, and use them as a springboard for your own goals, it’s important to measure what’s right for *you*. 11/16 #podcasting

You might have a really niche podcast, where 100 active and engaged listeners are the equivalent of 1,000 non-engaged downloads on someone else’s podcast. 12/16 #podcasting

That’s why it’s key to keep things in perspective when setting targets, and asking yourself what makes good analytics and metrics for your podcast. 13/16 #podcasting

- Set yourself a growth goal – month/month, quarter/quarter, etc

- Compare growth to changes in your format (changing from episodic to seasons, changing length of episode, etc)

- Compare listeners to newsletter subscribers, and how your podcast grows that 14/16 #podcasting

There’s a whole bunch of ways to measure your podcast, and how successful it is. Sure, high downloads can talk to that success – but they don’t tell the full picture. 15/16 #podcasting

We all want good "download" numbers for our podcast – let’s just make sure we’re measuring the ones that REALLY count for *our* goals. 16/16 #podcasting