Podcasters: The Influencers Of The Future
25 years ago, there were only a few types of celebrities. Movie stars, pop stars, television stars, and a few reality tv show stars. But the word celebrity has become much more all-encompassing in the year 2022. With platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok bringing fame to individuals without ever even having to step foot in places like LA or NYC, it is easier than ever to become a celebrity.
While podcasting seems like an odd way to go about gaining fame, podcasters have cracked the code and made themselves just as recognizable as any Instagram model. But there is a certain genre of podcasters that have broken the mold and found fame as influencers. Yep! They worked backward and instead of building their following on social platforms, they began with gaining a following with podcasts and then made their move to Instagram, TikTok, etc. In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses the rising popularity of podcasters and how they are on their way to becoming the newest wave of influencers.
Call Her Daddy: Alex Cooper
Alex Cooper is without a doubt most famous for her raunchy podcast Call Her Daddy where she often brings on guests to talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to sex as well as answering questions from her loyal viewers. However, podcasting isn't the only skill Alex Cooper has in her toolkit. She has also amassed a massive following on her personal social media as well, with a whopping 2.2 million followers on Instagram, 1.4 million on TikTok, and 308 thousand subscribers on Instagram. But why? Well outside of the fame Call Her Daddy brought her, Cooper is a relatable 27-year-old that has recently become acquaintances with huge celebrities like Hailey Beiber, Miley Cyrus, Mia Kalifa, and more. Her podcast has its own extensive line of merch and Cooper has even made a huge switch from Barstool Sports to Spotify in a $60 million deal for Call Her Daddy's new home. So the next time someone asks you "who is Alex Cooper", take a seat, the answer is going to take you a while.
Impaulsive: Logan Paul
Logan Paul. Oh, where to begin. Even if you don't like Logan Paul and find the content that he puts out a bit annoying or maybe even unbearable, there is no denying that he is one of the most successful podcasters in the game. Especially when it comes to establishing a career outside of just podcasting. With an insane 22.6 million followers on Instagram, 14.7 million on TikTok, and 23.4 million subscribers on YouTube, Paul obviously has a huge reach outside of his podcast. Logan Paul may even be one of the few podcasters who is more famous outside of his podcast than he is within the podcasting world. Even without his massive social media fame, Paul has made a significant name for himself in the world of WWE. He even had a chance to face off against Floyd Mayweather, a former professional boxer. Paul is yet another great example, no matter how insufferable, of a podcaster crossing the boundaries into fame through other avenues.
The Tiny Meat Gang Podcast: Cody Ko and Noel Miller
Now call me biased, but this may be my favorite example on this list. Yes, I am a fan of Cody Ko and Noel Miller individually as well as their work on The Tiny Meat Gang podcast, but that doesn't negate the facts. Noel Miller and Cody Ko are comedic stars and influencer kings outside of their podcast, with numerous brand deals and sponsorships for each of them. Individually, each of them has over 1 million followers on Instagram, over 1 million on TikTok, and over 2 million subscribers on YouTube. That all being said, Ko is more popular on each of these platforms, particularly YouTube, with his comedic gold shining through particularly in his videos. Ko's videos regularly begin with a note from sponsors like SeatGeek, ExpressVPN, Credit Karma, Taco Bell, and even Old Spice. Way to go Cody! Get that bag. 
Jenna & Julien Podcast: Jenna Marbles
Now, I know this isn't the best example because Jenna Marbles did not originally gain fame from the creation of her podcast with her now fiance, Julien Solomita, but their podcast was still wildly popular and both of them have a significant following outside of it. Unfortunately, Jenna resigned from YouTube and podcasting around a year ago, after the negative attention began to outweigh the positive, and Marbles posted a video saying she was stepping away from the internet. However, Jenna Marbles' podcast was still extremely popular amongst her fans and gamers alike as she and her boyfriend often discussed gaming content and regularly streamed on Twitch as well. But Jenna wasn't just known for her podcasting skills. She regularly appeared in other famous YouTubers' videos, attended numerous events like the Streamy Awards where she was nominated for awards multiple times, and even released a line of dog toys based on her own pets, who were very popular in her YouTube videos. Ultimately, even though Jenna Marbles has now stepped away from internet stardom, she will always be a YouTube and Vine national treasure.
My Favorite Murder: Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
Now I am personally not a True Crime/Murder Mystery podcast type of gal, however, I am not ignorant to the fact that this is a huge genre when it comes to podcasts that people spend their time listening to. True Crime podcast recommendations are constantly all over my TikTok with thousands of people taking their shot at breaking into the niche genre. With all this competition, it is hard to imagine that anyone could make themselves as recognizable as Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark have. It is likely because the two women have found a way to combine two unlikely categories: True Crime and Comedy. While the two ladies may be the least famous in terms of following individually on this list, their podcast's Instagram has still racked up 970,000 followers and has provided the ladies with sufficient success that they were able to write a book and their fans have even coined themselves the name "Muderinos"
Eager To Learn More?
Read some more of our blogs to learn more about what makes podcasts such a draw a why you should be paying attention to them in 2022.
- Podcast Marketing 101
- 4 Keys to Consider When It Comes to Podcast Partnerships
- Podcasts Are The Future
- Top 5 Celebrity Podcasts
- The Transition From Podcasts To The Big Screen
Are you a pro podcaster? Want to share your marketing tips? Apply to become on our show "Marketing Mistakes (And How To Avoid Them)!"
