Winning Young Audiences: Strategy, Community, and Longevity
Engaging young listeners is about more than creating content, it’s about strategy, community, and building long-term habits. A recent session hosted by Remi Horgar, Head of Podcast and Youth at NRK, brought together experts to share insights on reaching and retaining young audiences. Speakers included Ida Lundqvist, Editor at Sveriges Radio, Juska Wendland, Radio Host at YleX, and Christophe Kohl, US podcast host at ORF.
Telling Stories That Matter
Ida Lundqvist emphasised that children want to learn about topics that have “changed the world” and that they respond to a good story. Her key takeaway: engage young audiences with content that matters and use video trailers to attract attention. She stressed that young people are curious about the world, and podcasters need to trust that interest.
Empowering the Audience
Juska Wendland highlighted the power of audience participation. The three pillars of success, he explained, are:
- Podcasts with 100 percent audience input
- Introducing nature and exploration for young listeners
- Experimenting with the community
By giving young people a real role in the creation process, one podcast generated 7.2 million views on TikTok and gained 18,000 followers in just six months. The lessons were clear: young audiences are smarter than you think, genuine participation creates power, and sharing behind-the-scenes content can become the main attraction.
Beyond the Podcast
Finally, Christophe Kohl, host of Inside Washington, shared that podcasts need to be more than audio shows. To engage young listeners effectively, storytelling must be reliable, fast paced, and conversational. Podcasts that move quickly, maintain credibility, and involve the audience in the story resonate best with youth.
Key Takeaways
Young audiences want meaningful, well-told stories, giving them a voice and making participation real, using video and social media to amplify content, with storytelling that is fast-paced, reliable, and engaging.
Reaching young audiences requires creativity, trust, and an openness to experimentation. When done well, podcasts can inform, inspire, and build a loyal community that grows alongside the content.
