How to Determine the SAM of Your Podcast

🤖 This post is part of our collection of AI-generated podcast resources helping you learn how to market & grow your show.

The Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) is a subset of the Total Addressable Market (TAM) and refers to the portion of the market that a business is able to serve.

For a podcast, the SAM represents the number of people who are able to access and listen to the podcast.

Determining the SAM is an important step in understanding the potential reach and size of a podcast, and it can help podcast creators and marketers plan and execute effective marketing strategies.

Here are three steps for determining the SAM for a podcast.

Identify the Platforms and Devices

The first step in determining the SAM is to identify the platforms and devices that the podcast is available on.

This could include platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and others, as well as devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers.

Research the Size of the Audience on Each Platform

Once the platforms and devices that the podcast is available on have been identified, the next step is to research the size of the audience on each platform and device.

This can be done through a variety of methods, including data from the platforms and devices themselves, as well as data from third-party sources like market research reports.

Estimate the Percentage of the Audience Interested in Your Podcast

Once the size of the audience on each platform and device has been determined, the next step is to estimate the percentage of that audience that is likely to be interested in the podcast.

This can be done by considering factors such as the topic and format of the podcast, the competition in the market, and any other relevant factors.

An Example of Determining the SAM for a Podcast

Here’s an example of how these steps might be applied to determine the SAM for a podcast about finance and investing that is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the podcast’s website.

  • Identify the platforms and devices that the podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the podcast’s website
  • Research the size of the audience on each platform and device: Look at data on the number of users on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the number of visitors to the podcast’s website, as well as data on the number of people interested in finance and investing.

    This information might be available through data from the platforms and website itself, as well as data from third-party sources like market research reports or online surveys.
  • Estimate the percentage of the audience on each platform and device that is likely to be interested in the podcast: Consider the competition in the market and the specific focus of the podcast (e.g. personal finance, investing for beginners, etc.).

    This could be done by looking at data on the number of other finance and investing podcasts or blogs available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the website, as well as the specific topic and format of the podcast.

Overall, determining the SAM for a podcast involves identifying the platforms and devices that the podcast is available on, researching the size of the audience on each platform and device, and estimating the percentage of that audience that is likely to be interested in the podcast.

By following these steps, and then applying what you’ve learned to calculate the Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM), you can get a better understanding of the potential reach and size of your podcast, which can help inform marketing and growth strategies.

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These resources were written by AI, and while they're certainly useful for explaining core podcast marketing concepts, they lack the nuance, art, and humanity that makes good marketing sing.

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