Tom Webster: podcasting's top researcher on how to tell the story of numbers

Aug 5, 2025

Tom Webster, a partner at Sounds Profitable and a key figure in the podcasting industry for nearly three decades, shares his insights on blending emotional storytelling with data-driven communication. He challenges the notion of choosing between data and storytelling, emphasizing how to craft compelling narratives with statistics. Tom also discusses the role of video in podcast growth and the importance of understanding qualitative insights for better audience engagement. His advice is grounded in real-world applications, making data not just informative, but also captivating.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Narrative Is Key for Data

Present data with a coherent narrative to inspire action rather than as mere trivia.
Cut irrelevant data and focus on clear transitions to engage the audience effectively.

ADVICE

Use Dream Headlines Strategically

Ask clients for their dream headline to clarify survey goals and audience.
This clarity helps determine sample size and research feasibility early.

INSIGHT

YouTube's Role in Podcast Growth

YouTube acts more as a discovery platform than a primary podcast consumption venue.
Podcast fans often listen mostly to audio, even if they watch some podcasts on video.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

We're presented with a lot of false choices in our work: Quantity or quality? Revenue or social impact? Sweet or savory? But few false choices are more worth challenging than this: Are you more emotional storyteller or data-driven communicator?

Our guest today is the perfect person to challenge this assumption. It's Tom Webster!

Tom is a legend in the podcast space. He’s a partner at Sounds Profitable, an organization which researches and seeks to grow the audio business. For nearly three decades, Tom’s insights and advice have helped steer this entire industry forward, and he’s led hundreds of audience research projects for organizations spanning six continents and shows ranging from Howard Stern to All Things Considered.

Tom's book is called The Audience Is Listening: A Little Guide to Building a Big Podcast, and just before this episode, Tom and Sounds Profitable won an award for Best Data Storytelling from the Content Marketing Institute.

It's only fitting that he shares with us in this episode how to tell the stories of numbers, as well as the 3 traits to a podcast or any project capable of finding passionate fans.

ABOUT ME, JAY ACUNZO:

Subscribe to my free newsletter at jayacunzo.com/newsletter
Work with me one-on-one: jayacunzo.com/services
Book me to speak to your group: jayacunzo.com/keynotes
Connect with me on social: LinkedIn, Instagram

I help experts differentiate and resonate. Together, I work with you to develop a distinct and memorable premise driving your platform, turn that big idea into signature IP you own, and help you embody it as a speaker and storyteller. Compete on the impact of your thinking, not the volume of your marketing. This makes it easier to win more and better clients.

You’ve done lots of things. Now it’s time to [be] a thing. Stop chasing attention and become more highly sought.

***

TO RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW:

Leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Leave a rating on Spotify

JOIN MY PUBLIC SPEAKING ACCELERATOR:
Enrollment is now open for my 8-week virtual program, with personalized 1:1 support and group coaching calls, along with video lessons, video reviews of your speech, and more.

Reserve your spot. Space is limited. Visit jayacunzo.com/signaturetalk — the next cohort starts September 8.