For marketers, branded podcasts have become more than just a creative experiment—they’re a full-fledged content channel. 

But while listener analytics are key to understanding performance, there’s one overlooked tool that can unlock different and equally important insights: audience surveys.

Surveys let you go beyond the numbers and hear directly from the people who matter most: your listeners. And listen, we’re always vouching for the importance of podcast analytics, so much so that we even built our own podcast analytics product for brands. 

But as us marketers know, there’s power in hearing directly from your customer, or in this case, listener. What do they love? What do they skip? What do they want more of? 

When done right, surveys can be the feedback loop your branded podcast needs to evolve, grow, and truly resonate.

In this blog, we’ll explore:

• Why audience surveys are a secret weapon in podcast strategy
• How to build a smart survey program
• What to do with the insights you collect

TL;DR: How to use audience surveys for branded podcasts

• Branded podcast data is powerful—but surveys add a crucial layer of qualitative insight.
• Audience surveys help brands understand listener perceptions, preferences, and behaviors.
• Use surveys to evaluate brand impact, test new content ideas, and strengthen loyalty.
• Keep surveys short, strategic, and human-centered to boost response rates.
• Apply learnings directly to your content, marketing, and brand strategy for greater impact.

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Why audience surveys matter for branded podcasts

You likely already have access to podcast analytics platforms that tell you who’s listening, how long they stay, and what episodes perform best… or at least, you should. 

But audience surveys provide the qualitative layer to your quantitative data. And by combining these two together, watch out, you’re unstoppable. 

That 65% consumption rate? A survey might tell you the drop-off is happening because your intros are too long. 

Your most popular episode? A survey could reveal listeners loved the guest’s humor, not just the topic.

With branded content strategies, this feedback is even more critical. You’re not just entertaining—you’re building trust, telling stories, and creating a long-term connection between your brand and your audience.

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What you can learn from podcast audience surveys

Now, depending on how you format your survey, obviously, there’s a ton you can learn. But not every question is worth asking—maybe because you can gather that data in your analytics provider, maybe it’s too challenging to get actionable insights, or maybe… it’s just not relevant. 

So let’s cover some different areas you should use an audience survey for in your branded podcasts: 

• Content preferences: What topics do they want more of? Less of? Are your current episodes hitting the mark?
• Listening habits: How often do they listen? Do they binge episodes or tune in occasionally? Are they watching on YouTube or listening on Spotify?
• Perceived brand value: Does your podcast improve how listeners perceive your brand? Does it build trust or feel too promotional?
• Brand awareness and reach: Did listeners already know about your brand? Or did the podcast make them discover it?
• Demographics and psychographics: Who are your listeners really? What are their interests, values, and motivations? Supplement this with your audience demographic data within your podcast tools!
• Feedback on production: Is your audio quality up to par? Are your episodes too long, too short, or just right?
• Marketing and distribution preferences: How did they find your podcast? What social channels or newsletters do they follow?

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How to use survey data to grow your podcast

Like any data, surveys are only valuable if you act on the insights. 

But we also understand that after collecting audience insights, it can feel a bit overwhelming to know what the next steps are to take and apply to your podcast. 

So, here’s how you can use the data from audience surveys in your branded podcasts:

• Content development: Use listener feedback to guide future episode topics, segment ideas, or guest selection.
• Audience engagement: Tailor your calls-to-action, social content, or bonus materials to match listener preferences.
• Brand alignment: Ensure your content is resonating with the right audience and aligned with how you want your brand to be perceived.
• Marketing strategy: Discover which channels are most effective at reaching and converting your audience.
• Episode structure: Make data-driven decisions around episode length, intro timing, and recurring segments.

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Best practices for podcast audience surveys

Developing your audience survey is all about having your audience in mind (duh). But seriously,  think about your listeners and the fact that they’re taking time out of their day to support your branded content. 

Here are some best practices we recommend: 

1. Keep it short and focused: 5-10 questions is typically a sweet spot for gathering insights, but also not exhausting your audience. Use a mix of multiple-choice and open-ended questions. But go heavier on multiple-choice/multi-select, I usually aim for 2ish open-ended, so it’s not overwhelming. 
2. Ask the right questions: Tailor your questions to your goals. Want to improve production? Ask about audio quality and pacing. Curious about brand impact? Ask how listeners feel about your brand after tuning in. Don’t try to cover everything about your show; otherwise, you’ll end up with a wide spectrum of responses that lack depth and actionable insights. 
3. Use the right tools: Platforms like Typeform, Google Forms, and SurveyMonkey are all great options. Embed surveys in show notes, link them in newsletters, or include a CTA in your episode outro.
4. Offer a small incentive: Want responses? Give listeners a reason to click. This could be early access to an episode, a shoutout, a piece of branded swag, or entry into a giveaway.
5. Promote your survey thoughtfully: Mention it in-episode, post it on social, and include it in your podcast landing page. Treat it like any other campaign—the more visibility, the more responses.
6. Follow up with your audience: Once you’ve collected feedback, close the loop. Share a few takeaways from the survey and how you plan to incorporate them. This builds loyalty and shows listeners that their input matters.

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Branded podcast audience survey example

Alright, now it’s time to show you what a branded podcast audience survey could (or should) potentially look like. 

Let’s say you host a branded podcast for a travel company. 

You’re podcast data is showing strong, consistent numbers, and you have relatively strong engagement. But leadership has been asking what this means for the brand. How has the podcast improved brand perception or increased overall reach? 

You can provide metrics like unique listeners, B2B Analytics, and consumption rates to give an idea of this, but hearing directly from the audience would just be that much more powerful. 

So, you decide to launch an audience survey. 

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Audience survey questions

You send a survey to your audience, asking the following questions: 

1. Before listening to this podcast, how familiar were you with our brand?
   
   1. Very familiar 
   2. Somewhat familiar 
   3. Not very familiar
   4. Not at all fam
2. Has the podcast changed how you perceive our brand?
   
   1. Yes, I have a more positive perception
   2. No change
   3. Yes, I have a more negative perception
   4. Not sure
3. Which of the following words best describes our brand after listening to the podcast? (Select up to 3)
   
   1. Trustworthy
   2. Inspirational
   3. Knowledgeable
   4. Relatable
   5. Trendy
   6. Corporate
   7. Salesy
   8. None of the above
4. After listening to the podcast, how likely are you to: (Use a scale: Very likely → Not at all likely)
   
   1. Recommend our brand to a friend?
   2. Explore more of our content or services?
   3. Follow us on social media or subscribe to our newsletter?
5. In your opinion, does this podcast feel more like:
   
   1. A helpful/inspiring resource
   2. A branded ad
   3. A bit of both
   4. Not sure
6. Have you interacted with our brand in any other way since listening to the podcast?
   
   1. Yes, I’ve visited your website
   2. Yes, I’ve followed you on social media
   3. Yes, I’ve made a purchase or booking
   4. No
   5. Not yet, but I plan to

What you learned from the audience survey

Now, let’s pretend you ran the survey and gathered responses. Here are some examples of insights you could potentially pull: 

• Improved brand perception: 64% of respondents said the podcast gave them a more positive view of the brand.
• Perception keywords: Most frequently chosen words to describe the brand were “trustworthy,” “knowledgeable,” and “relatable.”
• Increased engagement: 70% of listeners reported visiting the brand’s website, while 52% followed on social or signed up for the newsletter.
• High intent signals: More than half said they’re more likely to recommend or purchase from the brand since listening.

How to apply the learnings from the audience survey

And finally, applying what we’ve learned. So let’s say we’ve gathered the insights above. Now what? 

Here are some actionables that I would take from the survey responses: 

• Highlight key brand values: Lean into the traits listeners associate with your brand in episode intros, marketing copy, and guest curation.
• Use listener language: Incorporate the words and phrases listeners use to describe your brand into positioning statements and podcast promotions.
• Strengthen website and social CTAs: Given the jump in post-listen interactions, make sure your show guides listeners to those next steps.
• Share results with stakeholders: And of course, use the positive brand lift data in marketing reports and strategic planning to validate the ROI of your podcast.

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Make audience feedback your branded podcast superpower

Numbers show what’s happening—surveys explain why. And for marketers, that combination is pure gold.

Audience surveys don’t just fill in the blanks of your analytics—they uncover the stories, emotions, and motivations behind listeners. 

So here’s your action plan:

• Don’t wait for leadership to ask “What’s the ROI of our podcast?”—gather the data now.
• Launch a short, well-crafted survey to get closer to your listeners.
• Use that feedback to iterate smarter, market better, and build deeper brand loyalty.
  

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