Category: Latest Industry News & Trends

The #TopPodcast Research Center Is Open For Business

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Who doesn’t want a one-stop shop when it comes to the vast amount of industry analytic tools & data available, especially the industry insiders & audio sales executives that need information quickly.

That’s why #TopPodcast has incorporated the most relevant digital audio data compiled and distributed by the power players in the digital research world, including:

  • Edison
  • IAB
  • Bridge Ratings
  • comScore
  • Nielsen Scarbourgh
  • eMarketer
  • Pew Research
  • Tow Center for Digital Journalism
  • Knight Foundation
  • NiemanLab

Previously behind a subscription email wall, we’ve opened it up to the public for 100% unlocked access. Click on the below picture to enter the #TopPodcast one-stop industry research center!

CLICK HERE TO VISIT THE RESEARCH CENTER NOW

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What’s More Important to an Advertiser: Sales Results or Industry Accepted Measurements?

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Let’s, for once, look at Podcast Advertising strictly from the clients POV and not from the perspective of the IAB (Internet Architecture Board) or any other Agency that holds podcast measurement on a pedestal beyond any other digital medium.

As the IAB states in their Podcast Ad Metrics Guidelines,

“Podcast audiences represent a growing segment of effective marketable media but inherit challenges of legacy consumption platforms. This restricts the ability of advertisers to obtain the same data parity found in other digital mediums, limiting participation of some advertisers”.

Let’s be clear. It only restricts those advertisers that have failed to test the platform or lack the understanding of how podcast advertisers measure results.

A Complacent Digital Buying Community

Because the podcasting advertising industry has been adversely impacted by a digital buying community that has been complacent when it comes to understanding the value of the platform, many have accepted these limitations as defined by those that place podcast ads on the same ‘parity level’ found in other digital mediums.

By allowing others to define the podcast ad narrative, it’s no shock that we’ve accounted for less than 1/3 of 1 percent of digital advertising. Why have we allowed others to define this narrative? From a client’s POV, the most important derivative are sales results that justify an investment. Additionally, podcast advertising provides an opportunity to expose a brand to a new audience with years of brand loyalty to give.

Some Brands Have Figured It Out, per DigiDay

As I’ve previously pointed out, brands lick Mack Weldon have figured out the formula, a previously highlighted by DIGIDAY: 

“Podcast advertising now represents 25 percent of Mack Weldon’s overall ad budget per month, 100 times more than a year ago. The medium has become more effective than display ads for the company, because when people listen to podcasts, they are fully engaged and they can continue listening while making a purchase.“We paid for native and display ads on online publications before, but we found that readers could easily get distracted by 48 things on the homepage,” said Willardson.

The article in DigiDay also clearly stated:

“Podcast advertising also has a great potential for smaller advertisers who are looking for measurable ROI on their ad spend, because they can track each episode’s performance simply through promotional codes and vanity URLs told by the podcaster. Metrics aside, there’s a halo-effect around the advertised products and services that good content provides.”

Sales vs. Sexy Spreadsheets: What Matters More to Your Agency?

To the digital buying community, too often than not its the methodology and reporting unfortunately seem to trump sales. As long as they can provide a third-party spreadsheet that looks sexy, then the industry is doing its job. How often do you hear a 24 year-old digital buyer specifically inquire:

How many sales did you derive from this single campaign or what was your specific cost of acquisition?

 

I’m not sure if they even know how to ask these kind of questions…but they certainly have successfully mastered the art of providing pretty spreadsheets. Ultimately, if the sales results aren’t there, then reporting or methodology doesn’t much matter.

When it comes to digital advertising, the podcasting industry has allowed itself to be measured apples to apples, the same way the digital community measures VTC (video to completion rates), banner viewability, and/or CTR (click through-rates). If you didn’t get the sales results, how important is the measurement reporting? Show me the sales and I’ll show you a good report. And that’s where podcast advertising works.

Sales & Attribution: That’s All That Matters

No longer should the industry allow the narrative to be driven by an agency that calls out the medium for the lack of measurement. Yes, we absolutely need to drive technological advancements and demand that our industry is 100% unified in accepting and developing methodology for delivery. But the podcasting industry needs to amplify the fact that we hold ourselves accountable to what advertisers demand…actual sales results where true attribution…which can be measured in our industry by trackable promo codes and vanity urls.

The emotional connection podcasting advertising provides to its audience is unlike any other digital medium, let alone any other mainstream advertising platform. Its success can’t be defined by a third-party spreadsheet or convenient dashboard.

Together, through the power of advocacy and education, we can regain control and change the narrative. Yes, podcast advertising should now be a part of all integrated marketing conversations..and we must showcase it’s unique charm to drive sales.

Interested in advertising? Reach out to our powerful, agnostic PODCAST ADVERTISING NETWORK! 

A Courtship In The Making? HowStuffWorks & Panoply Team Up with Powerful Ad Targeting Marketplace

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Last week, it was announced that Panoply & HowStuffWorks (HSW) have created a “Podcast Distribution and Monetization Partnership”. Could this be the first step in what could be a future mega-partnership betwene these two premiere podcast networks? Only time will tell. But the move is certainly a game-changing one for both networks and and another indicator that future industry consolidation may be accelerating.

By adding a Herculean partner to their exclusive ad targeting MTM platform (Megaphone Targeted Marketing), powered by Nielsen, Panoply now provides HowStuffWorks access to their unprecedented audio ad targeting platform. One of the most recognizable names in the podcast marketplace, HowStuffWorks brings over 20 podcast brands that deliver more than 50 million downloads a month…including top shows such as:

Additionally, premium podcast network Panoply Media, has over 150 shows in their network and has been delivering unprecedented technology for advertisers and publishers. They also curate premium children’s content through the Pinna app. Panoply’s original podcasts include:

Brendan Monahan, CEO of Panoply Media noted in last week’s press release:

HowStuffWorks has been a pioneer in the podcast arena and we are thrilled at the opportunity to partner with them to support their global network of listeners,” said Brendan Monaghan, Panoply Media’s CEO

Panoply’s MTM Platform Delivers 9.5 Billion Devices Across 60,000 Audience Segments

So how does a podcast publisher connect advertisers and publishers to a specific verified segmented audience? You partner with Nielsen. And that’s exactly what Panoply Media did last summer when they announced their Megaphone Targeted Marketplace (MTM).

Here’s how the unprecedented MTM platform works:

  • Powered by Nielsen’s Data Management Platform, Megaphone’s targeting technology synthesizes on and offline data to segment and target podcast listeners across all shows and publishers in its network
  • MTM allows advertisers to target more than 60,000 audience segments to help reach your audience every time
  • The targeting can be done based on location, interests, demographic profile, purchase behaviors, and many more segments
  • Over 9.5 Billion device ID’s have been captured, allowing advertisers to deliver messages to a hyper-targeted audience no matter which platform they’re consuming content (Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher)

Panoply has attacked the limitation of podcast advertising head-one, with a firm understanding that podcast metrics are challenging. And that’s why they built Megaphone, through an unprecedented partnership with Nielsen.

Obviously HowStuffWorks foresees an opportunity here to accelerate revenues while at the same time, Panoply captures a disparate powerful network (HSW) into their ecosphere before someone else does…essentially building a moat around the HSW family of shows via their MTM platform.

Why Targeting Is a Gamechanger for the Podcast Industry?

A major objection many podcast publishers encounter is the limitations on granular audience targeting. Streaming audio powerhouses Spotify and Pandora have always set themselves apart because of the powerful audience insights they’ve acquired, allowing advertisers to target precise data sets within each network.

Additionally, with traditional digital mobile ad delivery, most mobile banner impressions are served to a scattered audience of unengaged strangers. That is, unless you utilize a People Based Marketing strategy where you on-board the data prior to delivery.

The MTM platform puts podcast advertisers on an even playing field against digital targeting powerhouses, and it can be argued that Panoply’s MTM platform may even be better, as it eliminates any waste and reaches a wider variety of legitimate data sets because of the more than 60,000 audience segments via Nielsen’s Data Management Platform.

And the nimbleness of the platform does not go unnoticed. Brands that utilize the Megaphone platform can change ads on the fly because the MTM platform is built around ‘dynamic advertising technology’ that provides tremendous flexibility to their ad partners, with host-read ads available for individual podcasts utilizing the distribution technology:

Podcasts and advertisements are recorded separately – even host-read mid-roll reads. Megaphone automatically combines ads and content using campaigns and targets. Set the rules once and everything happens behind the scenes in real time, capturing ad revenue whether an episode is one day or three years old.

Why a Panoply & HowStuffWorks Distribution Partnership Matters to the Industry?

Perhaps this is the first step in a Panoply/How Stuff Works mega-podcast-network, where two data-driven premium podcast publishers start their courtship by solving one major industry problem together…and that’s granular audience targeting with on-boarded data by a trusted partner like Nielsen.

Choosing to walk before they run, this may just be the first-step here in what could be a future marriage. Both podcast companies are well respected within the industry and curate powerful owned and operated content.

Together, They’d Be the Fourth Largest Revenue Generating Podcast Network

If you combined the top-line revenues of both companies, they would combine to be the 4th largest revenue generating publisher/network, behind Midroll, NPR, and the New York Times, according to many industry insiders

A Respect for Data & Curating Their Own Content

When you combine a successful focus on curating owned and operated content, a ‘beyond-the-industry’ recognizable brand, and a pioneering respect for ad targeting (the MTM platform), together they would become a behemoth in the industry.

Here’s how I see the formula: Recognizable Brands (HSW) + Unparalleled Access to Data (Panoply & Nielsen) x Experienced Content Curators (HSW and Panoply) = Unprecedented Premium Podcast Network

As Conal Byrne, President at HowStuffWorks mentioned in last week’s press release:

We are eager to maximize the capabilities Panoply has to offer,” said Conal Byrne, President at HowStuffWorks. “We are always looking for new ways to engage our listeners and feel that serving them relevant, targeted advertising will simultaneously increase our revenue stream while meeting the needs of our listeners.

 

The first two new shows we will launch on the Panoply/Megaphone platform are The Question Booth coming in late March, where every week we ask hundreds of people the same question – to collect the strangest, most creative answers out there – and Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe in early April. Daniel & Jorge break down the most profound questions of existence – from dark matter to black holes – in an incredibly accessible, inspiring way, so as to keep our tiny place in this gigantic universe in perspective. We are really looking forward to bringing these shows to audiences in a whole new way.

By teaming up with a new distinct ‘technology driven’ distribution channel, they both should benefit monetarily in working together. And no other networks currently have access to the industry leading data that Nielsen’s Data Management Platform provides via Megaphone, Panoply’s unprecedented technology for podcast publishers and advertisers.

At the same time, the announcement may accelerate future mergers, acquisitions and partnerships within the podcast landscape. It will encourage others to make bold moves…like the audioBoom & Triton Digital announcement in February.

Consolidation May Speed Up In the Latter Half of 2018

Consolidation in the Podcast Industry was always going to happen. Just look at the aggressive move audioBoom and Triton Digital are making, with audioBoom moving towards a ‘reverse takeover’ of Triton.

This proposed acquisition starts and stops with the data, complementing audioBoom’s vast network of 180 plus podcasts. Triton’s ‘software as a service’ (SaaS)-based offerings focus on digital audience measurement; streaming platform services; and audience engagement. In addition, their a2x technology allows clients to geo-target digital audio across a vast network publishers.

The future merger positions audioBoom favorably in the on-demand audio entertainment world, aligning effortlessly with the data and distribution capabilities of Triton. And Triton isn’t slowing down either since the proposed merger was disclosed as they just announced a partnership with Fusion by S4M (mobile advertising technology), purported to be the first programmatic buying marketplace for digital audio specializing in ‘drive-to-store’ campaigns.

What’s Next For the Industry?

audioBoom and Triton, with their powerful streaming audio solutions, and now Panoply & HowStuffWorks, embarking on a path utilizing a data-driven distribution platform powered by Nielsen reaffirms just how important data and technology platforms are in order for the podcast publishers to compete in an integrated digital world.

These partnerships reaffirm that on-demand audio is making a play for the more than $85 billion in digital revenues that were spend by brands in 2017, with only approximately 1.5% coming from digital audio. This means there’s still unlimited upside when it comes to ad spending allocated towards on-demand audio.

As AdAge noted in December 2017,

The proliferation of advertising on mobile has greatly contributed to digital audio growth. The first six months of 2017 saw $603 million in audio advertising revenue, a 42 percent increase over the first half of 2016. Mobile captured $448 million while desktop saw the rest, according to the IAB.

Bottom line, digital audio ad revenues continue to become a relevant part of integrated marketing strategies. And the IAB expects digital audio ad dollars to exceed last year’s full-year revenue of $1.1 billion. The Renaissance of Digital Audio is here. More and more brands continue to explore podcast advertising. And they’re quickly finding out that no other medium connects with the audience the way a podcast ad does.

Interested in Podcast Advertising?

TopPodcast delivers turnkey advertising solutions across most major podcast publishers and streaming networks. Contact us today! 

 

How A Podcast Will Make Your Small Business Stand Out

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Whether you’re a lawyer, an accountant, or someone that’s simply selling widgets via an e-commerce site, it’s imperative to be relevant, both online and within the industry you work within. Building relevancy, as an authoritative subject matter expert is contingent upon how you market yourself.

And remember, perception is reality!

A Consistent Podcast Adds Immediate Relevancy

Small business owners compete against those that are utilizing powerful integrated marketing strategies to drive people to discover them. But once the ‘prospective consumer’ discovers you, they ultimately will conduct additional research, especially for those that have a ‘service based’ business.

Educated consumers will review your blog, check your Linked-In, look for publicly posted reviews and feedback, and even possibly call your clients, asking for a referral.

But there’s another way that you can stand out from the crowd, once someone discovers you…it’s producing your own Podcast.

A Podcast Adds Another Touch Point to the Consumer

A Podcast, curated specifically for your business, will not only amplify your message across another touch-point, it adds credibility to your overall market position.

If produced effectively, here are the advantages of having your own business podcast:

  1. It Personalizes You To the Prospective Client: When someone listens to your podcast, the topics you are discussing are of interest to the listener. An engaged listener ‘opts-in’ to a podcast. It’s important, early in the podcast (possibly in the opening slate) to express the benefits of listening and what your company provides. Grab their attention by highlighting other businesses you’ve helped…and then, move on to the specific topic for that episode.
  2. An Introspective They Can’t Discover in a Blog or a Banner: Provide detailed insight about your brand or product to the listener. Consider interviewing a client as it adds depth that no other advertorial can provide. By adding a level of intimacy, this will drive listeners to activate or seriously consider buying
  3. Expand Your Network of Connections: A podcast affords you the currency to invite someone to participate in your show, providing an access point and connection that you may not have had prior to producing a viable podcast. An interview expands the intimacy with your audience while expanding your network. It is an indirect  yet masterful way to solicit future business.
  4. Public Perception as a Subject Matter Expert: Perception is reality, right? By having a podcast, and doing it consistently, no matter how many people listen to it automatically elevates your credibility (as long as your podcast sounds clear, concise, topical and professional). Expanding your message beyond blogs, newsletters, and web content will go far in how you are perceived in the marketplace, especially by your competitors.
  5. A Podcast Is Free – Your Product Is Not: By having a podcast, you are providing ‘free information’ for consumption of those interested. It’s a way for you to demonstrate you are here to help those that listen, based on your professional trade. If they ‘want more’, you have the ability to offer your services. Just as important, you can add revenue streams inside your podcast, adding incentives and discounts to those listening.

Conclusion: A Podcast Can Validate You As a Subject Matter Expert

Yes, a consistent podcast can be a valuable tool to the small business owner. It validates your position as a subject matter expert, and most importantly, allows you to create an authentic connection with a prospective consumer…who may one day need your services.

Bottom line, it expands your reach to another touch-point…providing you enhanced relevancy!

If you need help starting a podcast for your business, give us a call…we can help guide you in the right direction!

The Instersection of Digital Marketing & Podcast Advertising – Not an Oxymoron Anymore

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Do opposites attract? Psychologists say that couples who are too similar to each other are less likely to last. When it comes to digital marketing and podcasting, the collision course has been very complicated.

Why So Complicated?

The digital buying community, more often than not, perceives podcasting as the opposite of the digital medium…associating podcast advertising too closely to the terrestrial audio world.

Analyzing this pre-conceived notion more closely, it’s time to change this mindset. Here’s why:

Podcast Ads are the Purest Form of Native Advertising

The characteristics of podcasting ads– to the novice advertiser – dovetail with terrestrial radio. Many view it as a spoken-word format. But a deeper dive assessing the true characteristics of podcasting advertising drives a new narrative…one that advertisers must understand. Specifically, podcast advertising is the purest form of native advertising.

Beyond native advertising, many companies are now creating podcasts as a form of branded content, using it as a marketing platform for their organization.

Native Advertising Walks A ‘Fine Line’

In regards to native advertising, podcast personalities walk a fine line when it comes to host-read ‘advertisements’ vs. actual personal ‘endorsements’. It’s this murkiness, if you will, that has led many direct response advertisers to successfully find a home within the industry. Ultimately, digital marketers love native advertising, and there’s nothing more native than an organic live-read embedded into the fabric of a podcast.

Digital Buyers Typically Stick With What They Know

Generally speaking, birds of a feather flock together. Digital advertisers stick to what they know: SEO, PPC, video, banners, traditional native digital ads, e-mail, social, mobile, etc. However, podcast advertising is aggressively knocking on the digital door. We want to come in. We want to swim in your $70 billion advertising pool.

But because of a lack of clarity and advocacy, it’s been tough to get the respect we deserve, specifically from digital buyers.

Why is this? Because we have failed to aggressively demonstrate that we deserve to be treated on the same level of digital advertising. 

A Lack of Education Has Allowed Others To Control the Narrative

Because of the lack of education, specifically within the digital buying community, podcast advertising has not been readily accepted as a pure digital product. Despite the fact that podcast industry revenue continues to grow at a double-digit clip, it is a mere blip of digital’s massive $70 billion annual advertising take.

Just look at the typical ad agency. Many audio buying teams still manage podcasting buys for their clients. Digital buyers aren’t reallocating dollars to podcasting as aggressively as they should. Remarkably, many advertising agencies don’t even have podcast experts within their ranks, which again, creates a disregard for podcast advertising as a legitimate digital offering.

The segregation of podcast advertising needs to change, specifically for national clients focusing on direct response campaigns and storefront businesses that have capitalized on e-commerce strategies.

Podcast Advertising Delivers Multiple Digital Properties

Within the podcast industry, listener retention is high & engagement is exceptional. Podcasting Advertising is unique on the digital spectrum because:

  • Podcasting Ads are the purest form of Native Advertising
  • Podcast Ads deliver Content Integration
  • Podcast Ads can be Branded Content

While all three digital strategies are used interchangeably, it’s imperative that those of us that sell podcast advertising can tell them apart. If publishers & their sales teams fail to understand the distinction between native advertising and content integration and native ad placements, then we will fail to articulate how podcasting advertising can be integrated into any complex digital strategy.

Bottom line, it’s an integrated world we are living in and we must as educated as our clients…digitally.

ROI Is What Really Matters

Digital advertisers, much to their displeasure, are held to higher standards than traditional ad mediums when it comes to attribution and measurability. And measurability has been a crutch that has held the podcast industry back too.

While the podcast industry is challenged because of our lack of ‘internal’ measurement, it’s time to amplify the success stories podcast advertisers have when it comes to delivering actual results.

After all, it’s the ROI that matters to a client, not external third-party spreadsheets that highlight viewability, video-to-completion rates, impressions, and click-throughs.

Activation & Results Trump Pretty Spreadsheets

What does podcast advertising do best?: ACTIVATE!  While our self-inflicted limitations in failing to embrace an ‘industry-accepted delivery method’ inhibits advertiser participation, podcast ads deliver direct results that trump any industry prejudice. We must do a better job amplifying this narrative with new advertisers.

After all, how much noise did the industry make when comScore and Wondery released a study last summer saying:

Two-thirds of podcast listeners have engaged in various research and/or purchase related behaviors as a result of advertising exposure from podcasts. Among all forms of advertising on mobile devices, podcasts create the highest improvement in perception. And among all forms of digital advertising, podcast ads are considered the least intrusive.

Now that’s a powerful statement that most digital advertisers have no clue about!

comScore Says People Prefer Ads in Podcasts Over Any Other Digital Medium

We should have been screaming on the doorstep of every digital agency, in a unified manner, what this study means. Every publisher should have sent press releases to every agency, highlighting the message that this study uncovered. Yes, Ad Week headlined the fact that “comScore Says People Prefer Ads in Podcasts Over Any Other Digital Medium’ (June 3, 2016), but it’s not enough to rely on others to tell our story.

Podcasting & Digital Advertising – Not an Oxymoron Anymore

TopPodcast.com is here to Advocate, Amplify, and Educate! We will knock on doors to make sure that the digital buying community clearly understands what is occurring on this side of the digital-audio universe. But it’s high-time that the industry decides to unite together in becoming more digitally savvy, allowing us to communicate the power of podcast advertising more effectively.

Bottom line, when viewed through a digital lens, podcasting advertising is not incongruent, let alone an oxymoron anymore! It’s one of the purest forms of native advertising in the marketplace.

Interested in exploring Podcast Advertising? Contact us through our Podcast Business Center!

 

Turning Your Business Blog Into A Podcast…It’s Transferable!

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

While podcasting is not the newest marketing platform on the block, its growth trajectory is explosive — and interest in the platform continues to grow. It is catching the eyes of business & brands. Inviting colleagues, leaders, and influencers to speak on a business podcasts is common practice. You’ll find everything from parenting and religion to engineering and comedy to politics and conspiracy theories covered in the hundreds of thousands of podcasts broadcasted each day.

Podcasts intimately entertain us, educate us, and, if done correctly, always engage us. Bottom line, podcasts are an authentic way for brands and businesses to create a connection with a loyal audience. As a result, many businesses and marketing leaders are finding that podcasts are an ideal way to expand their audience reach, having their brand speak for themselves. And now, Companies watching from afar are beginning to want in. But does it really make sense to invest in the resources to create a podcast for your brand? Yes…especially if your business has had a successful blog…the transition can be seamless. 

Your Blog Holds the Keys To A Seamless Podcast

I know what you are thinking, especially as a business owner. How complicated is it to create a podcast, let alone advertise on one? In addition to elevating brand recognition, a comprehensive podcast advertising campaign will complement any integrated digital marketing strategy. You just need an expert to guide you on making the right show selections based on your target market (that’s where we come in). But what about creating your own podcast? What advantages could this have?

Creating your own business podcast, promoting your products or services, provides another touch point of content distribution. Not only are you pushing your product out to a targeted audience, but a business podcast delivers additional relevancy, especially when executed with a clear, targeted message.

We all know how important editorial content is, via blogs, especially when it comes to being discovered organically by Google. Many businesses use blogs to push out news & information to their target audience.  But image turning your blogs into audio platforms, via podcasts, creating another point of consumption and relevancy? You’re basically taking editorial content, and converting it into audio story-telling.

Maybe you regularly publish case studies, white papers, weekly newsletters, or even books, all of which give readers a detailed, in-depth look at a certain subjects, services, or products. But imagine pushing this content out with a consistent podcast, in the same manner you push out your editorial content?

Whether your blogs share industry trends, product information, a behind-the-scenes look at your business, or instruction on a lesser-known facet of the company, your readers appreciate the value that you provide them. It builds an authentic trust with your buyers. By pushing out content on a new platform, such as a business podcast, it drives a new narrative of credibility while also creating a powerful connection to those that opt-in.

Business podcasts are focused, like a blog, and create another touch point for your audience. As long as you provide something of value, your business podcast could become a powerful marketing asset. It also could be used as an internal resource for your employees, driving the narrative of your corporate culture.

The goal, with any business podcast, is not necessarily to grow a huge following, but rather focus on providing a feature or benefit appealing to the listener, or better yet, drive sales and activations. Those that read your blog, following you on social platforms, or receive your newsletter are more likely to listen to your podcast. It’s simply another form of content distribution, allowing you to harness the power of a multiple-touch point strategy.

Authenticity is the key and listeners appreciate that the business podcast publishers are focused on providing information and services that directly impact things that interest them.

Taking Your Already Existing Content & Making It Transferable in a Story

A Business Podcasts can take your valued content and make it easily transferable, creating a story line. The same subjects that you discuss in your blog can be moved to your podcast — and added to your marketing plan. But first, make sure you answer these questions?

  • Can you provide a consistent commitment to push out a valuable message to your customers?
  • Set a clear objective of what your goals are?
  • Will you provide an inside look at your company and brand?
  • Where can you distribute your podcasts? (Social Platforms, Newsletters, Emails, Employees)
  • Will a podcast make you stand out from your competition?

How Can A Business Effectively Dive Into Podcasting?

  • Use your already existing blog content to create podcasts
  • Provide authoritative content that your audience demands
  • Integrate & Highlight Success Stories
  • Provide unique offerings only available on your podcast (Customer Codes, etc)
  • Highlight corporate partners or employees that are making a difference with your business

The Final Verdict: Podcasting is a Good Investment

Podcasting is a fantastic way to amplify your companies message. If effectively produced and managed, it will be worth the investment. But your podcast isn’t going to be an overnight solution to a wider reach. It requires patience, planning, and consistency. It also requires you to work with an integrated marketing expert, like TopPodcast.com, who can help guide you on executing a strategy.  Our Podcast Business Center is open for business!

 

Apple’s Podcast Analytics: What Industry Experts Are Saying After Seeing Them

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Publishers and advertisers have long awaited Apple to finally divulge ‘inside information’ about individual podcast analytics, and the consumption habits of those that listen to them. Finally, content creators can finally see data about when listeners stopped listening to a particular episode.

Additionally, podcast advertisers always wanted to know if people are listening to the ads they pay for. That’s why, admittedly, advertisers typically want their spots to be in the first half of every podcast…to increase assurances that their spot will be heard in the event that a listener stops listening to a podcast.

What the new Apple analytics provides?

  • The Average Completion Rate of an Episode
  • The Total Time Spent Listening
  • Time Per Device
  • Which countries the listens are coming from

Surprisingly, there was much more ‘buzz’ well before release of the data than after, and we didn’t find that many publicly available comments made by industry titans. Most of the comments and insight came well before anything was released. I guess, most are just waiting to absorb the data and see how this plays out. Nonetheless, here’s what we found as far as publicly available comments that are ‘on-the-record’: (and feel free to send us yours and we’ll add it to the article).

What the industry is saying after absorbing the initial release of Apple Podcast Analytics data?

  • Steve Shanks, CRO at Ad Results

    He told Inside Radio that he is “optimistic about the idea that creators will have access to more data, as we feel it will create more efficiency in the marketplace. With increased data and insights, we’ll have the ability to better predict the potential winners and losers for our campaigns which should create even better results for our clients.

  • Seth Resler: Jacobs Media Strategies:

    Many of us podcasters feared Apple’s analytics might show a ton of podcast listeners who check out a podcast for a few minutes and then drop off….the Average Consumption looks really solid – often over 80%. “Apple is tracking unique devices (not listens). Radio Futurologist James Cridland pointed out that this could be problematic, because one device (in a car) could reach more than one person.

  • Jason Cox, CTO at Panopoly:

  • He told Fast Company In the short term, the biggest changes will likely come from content creators due to the increased visibility in listener engagement. With the new analytics platform, they can make data-informed decisions on content strategy, such as episode length or topics.” Additionally, “We predict there will be more granular reporting that accounts for dynamic ad insertion”

    Mobile App Daily:

  • The dropped time of listeners will help the podcasters better their content length and quality and analyze where they need to improve”

    Recode:

    The data Apple is providing only comes from people using its newest software: iOS 11 and iTunes 12.7. So it won’t be complete”

Conlcusion: There’s Still A Long Way To Go

It’s a great first step, no doubt, and demonstrates Apple’s slow pivot to embracing the podcast industry, which includes the vast amount of data that comes with over 10 billion annual downloads from 2016 (we can’t wait to hear the 2017 download numbers).

Podcast creators now have the ability to receive data based on devices, not individual user behavior. Transitioning from server based reporting, where they only knew the number of podcast downloads, certainly is a major first step. And Apple has made it known that they want your feedback too & seem open to improving their reporting tool.

Apple’s First Step Is Still In Its Infancy

Bottom line, Apples first insight provides enhanced data, but still remains in its infancy and the impact it will have on the industry is still unknown. Digital buyers still have to remove their mindset beyond comparing podcast advertising to digital campaigns. Most have yet to embrace the the power of organic live reads withing the podcast and the direct results for advertisers that comes with it.

As I like to say…and I’m preaching here…

Podcast advertising is the purest form of native advertising…and remains ‘the ultimate referral’.

Interested in Podcast Advertising, CONTACT US HERE…we have access to most major publishers and can align your marketing objectives with the right show. You can always call us at 844-670-7747 as well!

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Nielsen Validates the Power of a Podcast Advertising: Host-Read Ads Outperform Pre-Roll In Driving Purchase Intent

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Another study continues to validate why major brands are pivoting to podcast advertising, which was highlighted earlier this week in Inside Radio. Bottom line, the study demonstrated the power of host-read ads which are providing ‘the ultimate referral’ for brands.

According to a study from the ‘Nielsen Digital Media Lab’:

70% of those exposed to podcast advertising agree the podcast ad they heard increased their awareness of new products and/or services. 62% of respondents correctly recalled the brand advertised within the podcast clip and indicated the ad made them consider new products/services

Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company

Host-Read Ads Outperform Video Pre-roll

This fact can’t be understated: 

More than half of the podcast ads tested outperformed video pre-roll in driving purchase intent lift

Additionally:

  • Of the 46 podcast ads tested in the study, 26 outperformed a comparison video pre-roll ad in driving lift in purchase intent for brands advertised
  • Of the 26 out-performers, 85% included sponsorships that were host read

‘Authenticity’ of a Host-Read Advertisement Matters

According to the study:

Host read ads included in the study were significantly more likely to be described as authentic and believable, and two times less likely to be perceived as forced.

What this study means? 

The study validates that podcast advertising’s biggest asset is the ‘lean-in’ experience between the listener and the host. LIVE-READS within podcasts aren’t going anywhere despite the fact that programmatic and dynamically ad-inserted spots are becoming more relevant in the industry.

The unique connection between the host, the listener, and the brand is real…and while social media gets all the attention when it comes to ‘influencer marketing’, there are no stronger advocates for brands than powerful podcast hosts. Because a podcasters are ‘storytellers’, live-read ads comes across in a connected manner to the listener. And the audience is compelled to ‘act’ as they know that the sponsors support the show…or the show might disappear.

Advertisers will gravitate to the shows & hosts that maintain the authenticity and charm of a LIVE-READ spot…which ultimately walk the fine line between native content & sponsored content, aka a paid endorsement.  Nonetheless, brands and digital buyers need to take note of the power of live-reads within podcasts and the success direct response advertisers are experiencing.

An Inquisitive Listening Audience Challenging Themselves

Additionally, the respondents were asked why they listen to podcasts:

  • 66% selected ‘to learn something new’
  • Nearly half listen to a podcast to relax or be an informed citizen
  • Over 30% responded ‘to challenge my current perspective’

The Hosts Influence on a Product Matters – It’s the Ultimate Referral

As previously noted, I’ve always said that a podcast advertisement read directly by the host comes across to the listener as the ‘ultimate referral’….which is the purest form of native content. 

And the respondents agree:

  • 83% agreed that ‘the host is authentic and natural in delivering the ads
  • 78% said that they don’t mind the ads/sponsors because they know that the brands support the podcast
  • 74% said that the sponsors fit well within the content of the show
Copyright 2017 The Nielsen Company

The Digital Buying Community & Brands Need to Jump In Now

It frustrates the hell out of me, when visiting a digital agency, and hearing how many in the room actually listen to a podcast (about 60% typically raise their hand). Then, you ask how many of them have actually placed a podcast buy…and you’ll be lucky to get 10% of them to raise their hand. I experience this more often than not.

Bottom line, it’s time for the entire digital buying community and brands alike to start experimenting with podcast advertising. The time is now. Social Media Influencers have never been hotter, and that’s why it’s time to experiment with podcast hosts that are ready and able to to provide the ultimate referral.

If your business is interested in exploring the power of podcast advertising, reach out to us through our Podcast Business Center – clicking on the banner below. We can place your buy across most major podcast publisher networks and we know which shows derive the greatest returns. Get in touch with us today!

Top Political Podcasts Like Pod Save America Bring Balance To Current Tribalistic Political Environment

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Operating in an era of unprecedented political divisiveness, the podcast industry is delivering balance to an audio platform that was formerly owned, pre-Trump, by the conservative right.  Since last years Presidential election, more than 1,600 political podcasts have launched. You heard correctly…one-thousand, six hundred. And obviously, a majority of these shows have tried to counter-punch Trumps seismic move into the White House.

The leader of the pack, according to the podcast hosting company  RawVoice, is ‘Pod Save America’, hosted by three former Obama aides. The overwhelmingly successful podcast has nearly 120 million downloads to date.  And the success of PodSave America has brought balance to a sector that was previously dominated by conservative talk pundits.

What Tommy Vietor, Jon Lovett and Jon Favreau have accomplished at lightening speed cannot be discounted.  As Jason Zengerle wrote in a recent New York Times article titled “The Voices In Blue America’s Head”:

With a shoestring budget and no organization backing, its hosts seem to have created something that liberals have spent almost two decades, and hundreds of millions of dollars, futilely searching for: the left’s answer to conservative talk radio.

Just as important to the podcast industry is the massive awareness and revenues that the show is capturing. The article quoted an anonymous executive at an ‘un-named’ podcasting company (psst- The New York Times is also a Podcast company — they need not look any further than the insights of their overwhelmingly popular podcast The Daily, to make internal revenue assumptions)…they said:

…assuming standard industry rates, Crooked Media is most likely bringing in at least $50,000 in advertising revenue for each episode of “PodSaveAmerica” – which at two episodes a week is about $5 million a year.

For shits and giggles, lets do a little math…

If, as reported, Pod Save America averages 1.5 million downloads per episode…and lets assume each show has a minimum of three advertisers per show…here’s how the math shapes out if sold at a $15 CPM:

$22,500 per spot x 3 spots = $67,500 per show x 2 shows per week = $135,000 per week

If the show delivers a 50 week schedule, that means revenues could conceivably be approaching $7 million annually!  Not too shabby! Let’s just say that’s hitting ‘pay-dirt’…in only 1 year!

Bottom line, the heated political discourse in this country shows no sign of abating. And that means one thing…that political podcasts will continue to be overwhelmingly popular….and that doesn’t hurt the podcast industry!

So why not explore for yourself some of the top political podcasts — simply by clicking on the below icon of each show, you can ONE-CLICK LISTEN for your enjoyment pleasure!

TOP POLITICAL PODCASTS

 

Click To Listen

Click To Listen
Click To Listen
FIVETHIRTYEIGHTpodcast

 

 

Entercom’s Pact with ‘Cadence13’ Changes Podcast Trajectory for CBS Radio’s Talent

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

It will be a new day for CBS Radio and their podcast platform, pending final Justice Department approval (expected November 17) with their merger with Entercom. And let’s just say it’s an unprecedented opportunity for Entercom to harness the personalities and assets CBS Radio delivers. With iconic spoken word stations across the country, formats that align organically to the podcast industry, they’ve admittedly struggled in driving podcast ad revenues despite a vast roster of shows.

Their top executives (I know, because I used to work there) will be the first to admit that they’ve had a limited ‘podcast strategy’ and have yet to allocate enough resources to thrust the platform forward. Understandably, there’s been a wait-and-see attitude until the merger goes through to figure this ‘podcast thing’ out. <Full Disclosure: I turned down the opportunity to oversee the Podcast Sales Division at CBS Radio in April 2016, leaving to start TopPodcast.com and have massive respect for the current Digital leadership at the company> 

In what was a bold ‘pre-merger’ move, Entercom invested in Cadence 13 (formerly DGital Media), a move that will surely change the podcast landscape for the new company, bringing in an experienced team that accelerates podcast curation and surely revenues.

Entercoms Partnership With Cadence 13 Is A Big Deal For CBS Radio Talent

Entercom executives have been aggressive in shaping the future of the new company. The move (announced in August) in acquiring a 45% stake in the company for $9.7 million sent shockwaves throughout the podcast community.

Click To Visit Site

Not only does Entercom see an obvious opportunity to drive podcast advertising revenue, it is an acknowledgement that a vast media organization like CBS Radio provides a seamless transition to the podcast evolution. Why it has taken this long for radio to make a dominant move into the space (other than NPR and more recently iHeart Radio) is surprising…but better late than never!

A couple observations:

  • The partnership sends a clear signal that the podcast platform is one that Entercom and their executives takes very seriously
  • Entercom’s $9.7 million investment highlights a realization that they are salivating over CBS Radio’s unlimited podcast revenue potential via their spoken-word news & sports stations (and the powerful personalities within)
  • The move is a clear signal that Entercom is willing to invest in the podcast platform the that way NPR & iHeart have done (iHeart made big moves a year ago, bringing in SVP Chris Peterson to lead their aggressive podcast strategy)
  • Cadence 13 brings the experience necessary to control all facets of execution, from content curation, to production, to marketing…and most importantly, experts in the podcast field to help steer the strategy
  • CBS Radio made their own preemptive move, scrapping their confusing Play.it podcast network (thank god), and completely overhauling their Radio.com website and app (a great move by current CBS Radio Digital execs who have made tremendous strides over the last year prepping for the merger) – check it out by clicking on the banner below.
Check it out!

NPR Is The Perfect Podcast Mentor for the Newly Merged Company

In the same capacity that NPR is a news-gathering organization, CBS Radio is also a premier ‘news-gathering’ organization with their aforementioned iconic spoken word format (News, Sports, Politics)

An analysis of the success that NPR has had, with limited resources, turning their ‘news-gathering’ organization into a revenue-generating podcast powerhouse, must excited Entercom executives in regards to the assets they now control.

Even what was once considered an ‘old-school media outlet’, the New York Times has reinvigorated their digital properties, along with successfully capturing a massive loyal audience through their podcast “The Daily”.

Click to Listen

Why has NPR cracked the code in driving a tremendous podcast revenue strategy, one that other Radio publishers have yet to capture?

Click to Listen!

Here’s a few reasons:

  • NPR has been able to significantly monetize their podcast platform, using a formula that allows their ‘reporters’ and ‘spoken word’ formats to thrive in a new age of on-demand digital consumption
  • The podcast platform is one that is embraced at every level within the company, from programming to sales to marketing…it’s an all-in strategy 
  • Most importantly, they’ve significantly invested in the platform, nurturing and testing shows, all of which align with their audience…and they’re not afraid to have a bogey once in a while.
Click To Listen!

In my article “NPR: An Authentic News Gathering Organization That Has Always Leaned In”, I highlighted just how exceptional NPR has been on the podcast side of the table and why other Radio organizations could have mirrored their formula earlier.

NPR has clearly figured out the podcast formula & the execs at Entercom must realize the untapped opportunity CBS Radio delivers with their talent of on-air personalities.

Entercom Sees Significant Value in Spoken Word (especially Sports)

What does CBS Radio have that most Radio brands don’t? News reporters & sports radio personalities scattered across the country that come with their brand! They also partner with The New York Yankees, The Philadelphia Phillies, The Philadelphia Eagles, and the Chicago Cubs, to name a few of the powerful Sports Radio Networks they have.

The combination of news and sports stations provide an unprecedented opportunity to curate new custom podcast content, not just re-purposing current popular radio shows, of which CBS Radio primarily relies on.

It’s apparent that ENTERCOM  sees a major opportunity to drive podcast ad revenues. And that means that the best is yet to come for CBS Radio & their on-air personalities. 

The question will be how fast can Entercom capitalize on the reach and power of local personalities that dominate local conversations, curating content beyond the limitations of traditional re-purposed radio. And can they get their sales teams  to execute a revenue generating strategy that works or will they simply rely on Cadence 13 to drive podcast ad sales?

Local, Local, Local –> Personalities In Local Markets Will Drive Podcasting

A few weeks back, we featured both Wayne Cabot & Patti Steel, two on-air  CBS Radio personalities who host “News on the Rocks” on what used to be called Play.it — now Radio.com.

#TopPodcast Podflueners Wayne Cabot, morning news anchor at WCBS-AM 880 and Patti Steele, co-host of The Scott Shannon in the Morning Show on CBS FM, have taken it on their own to get their podcast off the ground. It’s just one example of the in-house talent just waiting for an opportunity to blossom.

Cadence 13 brings legitimate podcast expertise to the new company, delivering the much needed resources ‘in-house’ to catapult podcasts like News on the Rocks forward.

Click to Listen

 

‘Building a Bridge Between The Old & New Media World’ – The Conundrum Cadence 13 Can Help Solve

The podcast conundrum is just a microcosm of what has been a slow evolution for Radio organizations to embrace digital change, top to bottom. But the partnership with Cadence 13 changes the narrative for a major publisher and they bring immediately the following tools:

  • Original Content Creation Opportunities
  • Monetization of the Podcast Platform
  • Multi-Platform Distribution & Cross-Promotion

As podcast industry expert Nick Quah mentioned in his newsletter HOT POD, just after the DGital Media (Cadence13) partnership was announced:

DGital Media has always struck me as fascinating, exhibiting a blend of old- and new-school that turned out to be somewhat effective. Founded and built by Westwood One alums — a cadre that includes CEO Spencer Brown, President David Landau, and Chief Content Officer Chris Corcoran, along with many other imports up and down the staff directory — the podcast company has firmly worked off what you could call a familiar playbook: build a roster of personalities across well-validated genres (business, sports, comedy, politics), develop a portfolio of talk programming on top of them, and leverage their advertising expertise and relationships carried over from their radio days.

In a nutshell,  yes Cadence 13 “allows CBS Radio & Entercom to build a bridge between the old and the new media world, as Nick stated…but most importantly it implements a strategy that firmly aligns with the changing consumption habits of their loyal listeners”. 

And it’s about time…

 

 

 

 

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