It’s important for brands to balance the value of the podcast content with the value of the show’s audience —and avoid being too heavy-handed with branding.

Our latest article, "The Bright Future of Branded Podcasts," explores the growing trend of branded podcasts. They have become increasingly popular among commercial and nonprofit brands as a way to connect with communities. With nearly one in three Americans listening to podcasts each week, brands increasingly see podcasts as a great opportunity for content marketing strategies.

If reaching Americans aged 18-34 is a communication priority for your organization or brand, you should seriously consider podcasting.

New research from Voxtopica's partner Sounds Profitable shows how vital podcasting is for that age group: Podcasting reaches nearly as many of them as Radio or TV. What's more, heavy users of podcasting are 20 years younger than heavy Radio and TV users.

The research also shows how much more valuable podcast advertising can be for reaching younger audiences, who are likelier to pay for ad-free music and video content.

Check out Sounds Profitable for the complete study and follow Voxtopica to learn more about how subject matter experts in science, technology, politics, and public policy can produce outstanding podcasts that reach intelligent audiences of all ages.