In episode four of PR Podcast Edge, hosts Mark Hunter (Podcast Studio Glasgow) and Lindsay Reid (Lindsay Reid PR) discuss an Acast report on podcast influence, based on polling of about 2,500–2,600 listeners across its platform, which powers about 140,000 podcasts.

They highlight that 56% of weekly podcast listeners trust podcast hosts most among influencer types, and that 62% trust recommendations and ads from favourite hosts, versus 15% for social media influencers. They explore why podcast trust is higher, citing longer-form listening time, repeated and personal ad reads, perceived creator commitment, and the development of parasocial relationships through authenticity and consistent value.

They argue that podcasts should be part of marketing, PR, and comms strategies and can save businesses money by building long-term trust and ri ...