How Did This Get Made? is a movie podcast where the hosts recap terrible films and cult-classics. You may recognize the hosts from popular television shows such as The League, Grace and Frankie, and Black Monday. Hosts Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas have firsthand film experience and are not holding back when they critique the work of others.
For more than a decade these three hosts have been dissecting blockbuster films like the Fast & Furious franchise, as well as unearthing films that no one has ever seen such as Governor Gabbi. This podcast is interactive, to understand the episodes you need to watch the movie and host Paul Scheer does mini-episodes where you can call in and leave your own comments.
How Did This Get Made? is perhaps the most popular, longest running movie podcast still producing episodes. Check out the movies they’ve covered to see if there’s anything that catches your eye and then give it a listen!
On Phuck with Philly hosts M.C Ali, Rondo, and Keenan from Limbo bring you the most interesting people in the Philadelphia area. They’ve hosted activists, musicians, artists, athletes, comedians and much more. Whether you’re trying to catch up with Philly rap legend Cassidy or learn about the infamous Philly Elmo, Phuck with Philly has you covered. Enjoy chill vibes and irreverent comedy every week on Phuck with Philly.
Shocker alert. Nielsen is out with data that asserts host-ads are more effective than non-host read ads. Not that this is new to any of us who’ve been embedded in the podcast industry for years, but we figured we’d dive a little bit deeper into industry trends impacting host-read ads. To someone who’s been involved in the podcast industry before it became sexy, I’ve always been a proponent of the organic nature of the baked-in LIVE HOST READ AD, even more-so than a dynamically inserted host-read ad. To me, the measurement of a true host read ad is when it’s delivered natively within the fabric of a podcast.
As experienced marketers know, host-read ads (baked into the show) have always been the cornerstone of the podcast industry. With Radio media companies becoming more active in the medium (or taking over), some of us worried (and still worry) about the industry retaining the purity of ‘LIVE HOST-READ ADS’.
Dynamically inserted host-read ads are becoming the ‘name of the game’ as Radio looks to aggressively monetize their podcast networks. We literally are watching first-hand the slow death of ‘LIVE HOST-READ ADS’ within certain networks.
Nonetheless, in Nielsen’s unsurprising study, they found that 71% of respondents ‘recalled’ the advertised brand after hearing a host-read podcast ad compared to 62% of those that heard a traditional spot. Let’s dive a little deeper into these predictable metrics: Notable highlights:
Host-read ads outperformed traditions audio spots in causing the audience to seek additional information about a product
Produced a 33% lift in brand familiarity
Created a 67% higher increased affinity for a product/brand
When speaking to brands about the medium, I’ve always said that ‘live-host-read ads’ provide the purest form of native advertising. My friend at Pandora, Melanie Shiffman, stated it even better when she once told me:
A live-read podcast ad is the ultimate referral
I love that phrase and use it regularly when speaking to brands. Note that this Nielsen study said nothing about baked in ‘LIVE-HOST-READ-ADS’, which provide even greater uplift for brands than dynamically inserted host-read ads. I don’t need a study to confirm that for me.
As Radio companies slowly diminish the purity of traditional podcast advertising by relying on dynamically inserted ads (be it host-read or not) it’s going to be challenging to continue to say that podcast advertising provides the ultimate referral. Nonetheless, there is no better platform in attaining that highly coveted ‘lean-in’ listener that brands desire.
I’m not giving up on calling podcast advertising ‘the ultimate referral’…but the industry is slowly stealing the purity of what podcast advertising once was. Study that.
In September of 2006, the third season of The Office premiered on NBC, that season went on to win an Emmy and a Peabody Award. September 2019, Pam Fischer and Angela Kinsey of The Office unveiled just the trailer for their new podcast titled “Office Ladies.” With just the four minute trailer uploaded, the show sits at #1 on the iTunes Podcast charts. Office Ladies has amassed more than 3,000 5-star reviews without releasing a single full episode.
Likewise, Ron Burgundy has found a second life in the podcast world 15 years after Anchorman was first released. A-List actor Will Ferrell is now a podcaster. Chart-topping rapper T.I. began releasing episodes of his new podcast series “Expeditiously” with PodcastOne. Major media companies and podcast players are throwing bags of money at celebrities and putting even more money behind marketing their shiny new content.
The popularity of podcasts has continued to boom for several years. It was only a matter of time for sponsors and media companies to meet listeners demands.
Match.com is currently running an ad campaign that features Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson posing as a podcast host. This type of mainstream exposure is great for the podcast industry. It will be interesting to see if Match takes the ad-campaign further and actually produces episodes. That would be a great example of content marketing.
With the overall segmentation of media in the midst of the streaming wars, media companies are in an arms race for content. The podcast world is following this trend. The environment is ripe for new original content hosted by familiar faces, just make sure not to jump the shark!
For a few days early in August 2019, Apple took down their category classifications because they were making an update. Podcasters waited with bated breath anticipating what the changes could possibly be. Would it be better? Would it be worse?
What’s Changed?
As the podcast wars between Spotify and Apple grow more contentious, content creators like myself were curious what Apple had up their sleeve, turns out they were making their platform a tad more producer friendly. The addition of more categories and even further sub-categories allow podcasts a greater chance to get recognized and listeners a better chance of finding a new show.
The updated list of Apple Podcast Categories read as such:
True Crime
Comedy
Sports
Fiction
History
Business
Society and Culture
Kids & Family
Education
News
Religion and Spirituality
TV & Movies
Technology
Arts
Health and Fitness
Music
Science
Leisure
Government
In the past, many of these categories were trapped under umbrella terms or even homeless. The True Crime genre exploded, warranting its own top-level category, along with History and Fiction. This provides podcasters a chance to summit a new chart or chart where they otherwise would not have.
Subcategories
If your show is about a topic as broad as “music,” you now can be listen in several subcategories: Music Commentary, Music Interviews, and Music History. This same idea applies to the sports category, which now allows you to specify exactly which sport you are covering. There is now an opportunity to be recognized as the “Best Rugby Podcast” or to be recognized as a “Standout Wilderness Podcast” under the sports umbrella.
The following categories now have lists of sub categories available on the majority of podcast hosting sites:
TV & FIlm
Sports
Society & Culture
Science
Religion & Spirituality
News
Music
Leisure
Kids
Health & Fitness
Fiction
Education
Comedy
Business
Art
If any of your podcasts fall underneath these umbrella terms, go to your host sites and see how granular you can get. It may be worth taking a shot in the dark, if you host a sports podcast that has a movie segment, use one of your three subcategories for a chance to be seen by movie fans. It’s hard to get noticed in a sea of content, Apple is doing podcasters a solid and giving producers a chance to be found.
If you’re unsure how to specifically define your podcast series, we covered that in the last article we published. Otherwise, stay updated to Apple & Spotify’s ever-changing platforms. As the podcast space grows, content becomes more valuable. Stay optimized to ensure that you’re reaching the largest audience possible!
If you have been living in a cave, you haven’t noticed that many major brands are starting to branch out into podcasting in a big way. Podcasts are a natural medium for branding, and their narrative style is appealing to many brands that are interested in driving higher social engagement with consumers.
In terms of content strategies, branded podcasts run the gamut from the subtle to the saturated, with every conceivable variety in between. So here’s a 30,000-foot overview of how it’s happening in the marketplace.
Brand Alignment & Association
This is the low-key soft pitch approach. It relies on connections with intelligent, innovative content designed to appeal to an audience and create a brand connection with the listener.
The Message podcast, sponsored by General Electric, is the prime example of the subtle approach of alignment branding, associating GE with The Message. This groundbreaking podcast series, developed a couple years ago, was a major hit with listeners and is still considered a high water mark for podcasts and brand integration, in general.
All GE had to do was make a quiet, understated branding association: the producer credit was GE Podcast Theater, mentioned alongside Panoply Networks. In an archived article featured on Niemanlab.org, by Laura Hazard Owen, back in Nov. 2015, we found this statement by Andy Goldberg, that sums up the success of GE’s brand alignment:
“It’s like GE creating a TV show,” said Andy Goldberg, chief creative officer at GE. “I don’t consider it advertising. It’s a podcast show that just happens to be produced by a brand instead of a network. I’m not saying, ‘Hey, go out and buy a jet engine.’ It’s a science fiction story to connect listeners with what the GE brand is about, without selling the GE brand.”
Most importantly, they targeted the right audience with a unique message, using podcasting as a platform, to garner significant audience engagement & brand awareness. And they had pros, at Panoply, guiding them. Looking for a branded content play, look no further than Panoply to help.
Editorial Branding within Podcasts
A more direct approach to content marketing, internet powerhouse eBay ran the Open for Business podcast via Gimlet Media. The sponsor’s name and company is directly mentioned throughout the podcast, and often includes a feature or spotlight on an eBay associated business.
Open for Business shows how to build a business and talks to entrepreneurs about what keeps them up at night. Combining humor and intelligence, each episode tackles some of the most basic – and most difficult – questions new business owners face: How do you know when to quit your day job? What should you look for when hiring? And, it examines the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of starting a company.
They went on to state:
This podcast also marks the launch of Gimlet Media’s in-house creative agency, Gimlet Creative. Named one of the world’s 10 most innovative media companies by Fast Company, Gimlet was founded by veterans of This American Life and NPR . (You can listen to the story of Gimlet’s entrepreneurial beginnings in its own podcast, StartUp.) Gimlet Creative is all about working with brands to tell great stories, and reach audiences on a deeper level.
The content of the show focuses on entrepreneurship, and eBay was the shot caller on production throughout its run, allowing Gimlet Media to refine it using their journalistic style, which has become a hallmark of their expertise in podcasting.
Company Produced Podcasts focusing on their Products
When branding via ‘sponsor produced’ podcasts, everything is produced and distributed via the primary sponsor…completely in-house. These podcasts also give full attention to the sponsor’s primary business objectives and are produced to drive interest in specific products and to educate the public.
Many businesses are turning towards creating their own podcasts, featuring their own content…and working with networks to push out these individually produced podcasts. A podcast provides another touch-point, of which can be effectively promoted via social platforms and the companies websites & newsletters.
Sponsored Content Organically Embedded in Shows (Native Content)
As most smart podcast marketers know, this technique is the purest form of native advertising, branding that’s organically embedded in the fabric of the show. Often voiced by the hosts of each podcast, this form of native advertising has proven to be extremely effective in driving engagement, particularly for national direct response campaigns and e-commerce clients.
Companies already successfully on the podcast advertising bandwagon, like Blue Apron, Squarespace and Mailchimp have discovered this early. These brands allow podcast hosts to take advantage of their products and create personalized, quirky ads that fit their individual podcasts.
This form of ‘lean-in’ advertising has become a powerful direct response marketing tools for those that have discovered the medium…and they continue to expand their ad buys within the platform.
The Bottom Line: A Medium To Die For
As stated above, all other mediums are slowly recognizing that podcast advertising offers the purest form of sponsored native content in the marketplace…of which other platforms would die for! It’s time for other brands to follow! Have questions?
We can help put you in touch with the right industry leaders that can help take your business to the next level! Don’t hesitate to reach out to us within our Podcast Business Center!
For brands looking for the ‘secret sauce’ in connecting with an audience, look no further than Podcast Advertising. Essentially, it’s the ‘purest form of native content’ on the market. And in a world that’s becoming more and more diluted with digital advertising ‘trash’, podcast advertising is starting to take hold amongst some of the most innovative brands in the marketplace.
A Complacent Digital Community Neglecting the Podcast Trajectory
I hate to say this, but the digital buying community has become complacent in providing the same products, using the same metrics, and failing to expand beyond their comfort zone when it comes to integrated campaign creation. But it’s the agencies that are starting to take the podcast medium seriously are the ones that will reap the reward from their clients, especially as digital fraud becomes more and more prevalent in the industry.
As the on-demand audio space continues to see tremendous growth, cutting-edge brands are diving in. According to Statista, U.S. advertising spending in podcasts is estimated to reach $256 million U.S. dollars in 2018, up from $133 million in 2015. Sadly, these numbers dwarf the $60 Billion plus digital advertising forecast for this year. But why?
The Digital Buying Community Has Been Slow to Evolve to Podcast Advertising
Step inside any agency and ask the digital buyers how many of them are listening to a podcast? In New York City (because it’s more of a commuter city), you might see 1/3 of them raise their hand. Then ask them…’How many of you have actually placed a podcast buy for one of their clients?” Shockingly, you’ll be lucky to see any of them raise their hand.
I witnessed this first hand a couple weeks back at an event at Publicis Media, in New York City, with 70 digital buyers in the room.
Yes, it was a little shocking…but it sums up the current mind-set of the digital buying community. Agencies are fixated on using the products they’ve come accustomed to.
Digital buyers are also too hell-bend on the following metrics, discounting conversations about direct response advertising and activations:
Video-to-Completion Rates
Click Through Rates
Total Impressions
Granular Demographic Targeting
Pretty spreadsheets with lots of numbers on them
The Ultimate Referral
When it comes to pushing out a direct message to an engaged audience, there isn’t a better platform to do it on than the podcast medium. Think about these facts about the experience one has when they listen to a podcast:
People choose to listen to a specific host or show
It’s a one-to-one experience…lean-in listening
Advertisers receive a high share of voice (the platform isn’t diluted with many ads in one show)
No competing advertisers within any show
The LIVE-READ message, from a host, is the ultimate referral
Native Content Is King
Advertisers are investing more and more of their marketing dollars into creating native content that seamlessly is integrated into their messaging. No other medium, TV, Radio, or even Newspaper is able to embed a message into content as effortlessly as a podcast ad does.
Earlier this year, Fast Company predicted that advertisers will spend upward of $20 billion dollars on native content.
As marketing opportunities continue to splinter across a myriad of platforms and channels, at the same time as traditional interruptive ad intervals are ever avoided like a consumerist plague, brands need to find a way to get their messages across in ways we might actually want to see it.
This trajectory matters to podcasting because the charm of a podcast ad is that it is inherently native by nature. There is an intimate connection between hosts, advertisers, and listeners…and as an advertiser becomes embedded in the fabric of a podcast, there’s a trust that develops with the audience over time…hence, frequency does matter in podcast advertising, as it does in most other mediums. But the unique interaction from host, to brand, to listener is unlike any other traditional or digital platform.
Measurement, Attribution & ROI – But Agencies Are Too Comfortable With the Same-Old Same Old
Finally, as digital buyers slowly start to test the waters of podcast advertising, one thing must be shouted out from the rafters:
Podcast advertising allows advertisers to measure attribution via promo codes & pixeled landing pages. Digital buyers need to worry less about measurement and more on actual sales results.
So, if a client spends $10,000, the smart advertiser will measure how many units were sold and what the direct uplift to their website was from that specific buy. Many brands, or at least the smart innovative ones, test their podcast ads across multiple podcasts…and then they consolidate to the shows that had the most conversions. And once they determine that a show is performing well, and their KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) are being met, you will hear that advertiser over and over on the same show.
Trust Matters to the Listener –> The Ultimate Referral
Again, it’s the trust that the audience has in the hosts recommendation/endorsement (live read ad) that creates the ultimate referralin a way that other mediums are jealous of.
If you’re ready to explore the power of podcast advertising, click through to our Podcast Business Center and let us connect you to the right show!
It’s time for your brand to experience The Ultimate Referral!
In our #TopPodcast Publisher zone, you’ll discover the industries top content curators and easy access to effortless discovery of their shows. You can literally listen with one click.
From PodcastOne, to audioBoom, to Midroll, to NPR…we make it easy for you to find the major players…and the shows they push out.
Visit our #TopPodcast Publisher area by clicking HERE!
When it comes to the podcasting industry, you’re going to hear the word authentic used over and over and over again! So what does this have to do with a podcasting article? Read on…
The Word Authentic Means Everything To A Podcaster & Publisher
The word ‘authentic’ is used often used when it comes to the podcasting industry. There’s an authenticity that radiates in the manner that a show, a story line, or a podcaster connects to their audience. Podtrac (who provides measurement technology to many shows in the industry) even extended a sales arm to their company last year, calling it Authentic.
The Authenticity Paradox
An article in the Harvard Business Review, on ‘The Authenticity Paradox“, highlights the clear definition of authenticity:
Authenticity has become the gold standard for leadership.
So why are we filling you in on the depth and use of the word authentic within the industry? Because in our humble opinion, there’s no podcasting publisher that has captured the authenticity of originality more so than NPR. And they have the statistics, revenue and track record to back it up.
NPR – The Authentic Voice of the Industry
NPR, a clear leader in the podcast industry and their powerful directory of shows has captured an authenticity unmatched by most. The word AUTHENTIC screams at you when you listen to a podcast on the NPR platform. It’s no surprise they are trailblazing a path within the industry.
Shows like Hidden Brain, Ted Radio Hour, Embedded, Planet Money, and Invisibilia are driving younger, tech-savvy audiences to discover and embrace a love of on-demand listening. To some, it’s surprising that NPR is leading the way. But to me, it’s obvious they’ve uncovered a formula that works. And they are executing a strategy that other publishers are feverishly trying to mirror.
Their podcasts create ‘authentic’ connections to their audience, a lean-in experience captivating and connecting to their millions of loyal listeners.
Early Adaptation to Platform Well Prepared NPR
The success of their shows have allowed NPR to expand offerings, test market new podcasts, and expand offerings across their entire on-demand platform. Most importantly, NPR has been producing podcasts for over a decade, as they were one of the ‘early adapters’ of the medium. Hence, they’ve made it look easy in ascending to the top during this historic post-Serial craze.
The ‘mainstreaming of the industry’, thanks to cord-cutters, changing consumption habits, and fact that 81% of Americans now own smartphones, has placed NPR at the heart of the podcast galaxy.
Lean-Forward Messaging Connects
An article by Brent Lang, in Variety back in December, regarding advertising on NPR mentioned:
“It’s a very lean-forward messaging,” says Bryan Moffett, COO of National Public Media (a division of NPR) “Everybody has taken the approach of not being too crass or commercial. They’re more conversational.” The loose format of podcasting also has an impact on the way journalists tell stories. “Embedded,” for instance, which “takes a story from the news and goes deep,” serves almost as a reporter’s audio diary. “They’re looking into topics more experientially,” says Grundmann. “Ten years ago that was kind of a no-no. But that’s what audiences are connecting with, and we feel it’s helping them understand the stories better. We’re taking them on a journey, but we’re not compromising our journalistic integrity.”
Bottom line, there’s an inherent kinship with their audience, an authentic connection that NPR has successfully harnessed by using the power of the spoken-word format. They’ve figured out a formula, incubating new shows that deliver a compelling one-to-one message to their audience.
NPR’s success in podcasting has also correlated into a substantial revenue for the company. Some public reports have stated that nearly 30 percent of NPR’s revenues are derived from podcasts. Maybe they’ll fact-check us here…but no matter how you slice it, revenue growth has been exponential.
News Gathering At Its Core ‘Correlates’ Into Success
But what really separates NPR from other publishers? It’s the fact that NPR is a news organization at its core. An alliance of professionals that literally, each day, compile news and effortlessly packages it in audio format. Hence, NPR understands the meaning of authenticity...specifically when it comes to curating content, and they understand how to tie it up in a bow for their audience.
NPR’S Muted Messaging Style Works
Finally, NPR has also capitalized on compelling marketing strategies that businesses have come to embrace….delivering brand messaging in a connected manner to an engaged audience. In an article in Ad Week, Gina Garrubbo, President and CEO of National Public Media said,
NPR’s self-described “muted” messaging style for ads is also important. It’s not a hit-you-over-the-head message.”
Discover An Authentic Love For NPR
In a nutshell, this is what makes NPR & their powerful platform of Podcasts AUTHENTIC! Brands hold the NPR audience up on a pedestal, and it’s primarily due to the fact that NPR creates quality, authentic content that’s consumed by a valued listener.
We urge you, the newpods that are discovering on-demand listening for the first time, to make NPR and their portfolio of shows one of your first stops! You can also discover & download their app directly in our Top App section.
DISCOVER EVERYTHING NPR, by going to their website: NPR.ORG – click on the below banner to discover their authenticity…or simply take one of their shows for a test drive here, at TopPodcast.com!
Are you working to find a way to drive people to discover your podcast? Have you been growing your show incrementally? If so, we want you to become a part of the TopPodcast Independent Podcast Network. In the coming months, you’ll see a listing of Independent Podcasters on the primary navigation bar of our website.
What Does This Mean?
Look at our independent network as:
A funnel for the major publishers to learn about the up-and-coming podcasters starting to make an impact
We require absolutely no registrations, no fees and no hassles for indepedent podcasters
Our job is to allow content creators to have a home that hopefully helps you cut through the white noise of the industry and stand out
We will help find advertisers that may be interested in having you do a live endorsed read
Use our brand to help promote your podcast
As highlighted above, whether you have 500 listeners or 50,000, we will contact you if we find an advertiser that’s interested in your becoming a sponsor on your show! All we need to know is what you require as far as a minimum fee for advertisement, and we’ll do the rest. That’s right, get listed with us and we will work to provide advertisers that align with your show.
A New Podcast Is Like A Start Up – And You Need Press
We know what it’s like having a start-up…and understand that it may be tough to get the attention of the ‘big players’ in the industry. And it’s way too easy to get lost or drowned out. That’s why our home for Independent podcasters hopefully becomes an authoritative destination for for publishers looking to sign new shows for their networks.
Our team also will be developing turnkey PR solutions for podcasters, to help expand your reach and drive immediate relevancy. Stay tuned for new and exciting news on how TopPodcast.com will provide additional P.R. services for new podcasters listed within our Independent Podcast Network.
Why Get Listed With Us? We Will Drive Discovery & Relevancy
Networks & Publishers Are Looking for Content Creators & May Discover You Here
Drive Relevancy & Downloads By Being Listed
We May Feature You on our TopPicks Section (90 for 90)
You May Be Invited to be a Featured Podfluencer on our Homepage
Use the #TopPodcast Hashtag for Viral Promotion of your Show
Our job is to help you take flight. The process is simple: GOT A SHOW? LET US KNOW HERE #TopPodcast
Everyday, decision makers are faced with driving sales and justifying ROI. Measuring attribution is one of the more painful tasks marketers face every day. Additionally, the vast choices they have as to where to allocate their advertising dollars is daunting.
Their in-box fills up weekly with dozens of emails from digital companies saying that they can provide better solutions to drive sales. The decisions that these seasoned marketers typically make are often bias towards vendors and suppliers that they are comfortable with. And it’s this complacent attitude that can hold companies back from exploring new channels to drive growth.
Complacency Within The Digital Buying Community
Yes, many agencies have become complacent using the same digital tactics that have turned to massive profits via ‘behind-the-curtain’ relationships they have with the third party providers. Complacency is holding back brands and agencies from exploring the podcast medium.
I disagree with the story on Ad Exchanger last week that highlighted three issues keeping brands from going ‘all-in’ on Podcast Advertising, highlight the lack of measurement? I call B.S.
It’s Not Because of a Lack of Measurement
I frankly don’t buy the ‘lack of measurement’ as an excuse. It has more to do with the ‘lack of education’ and abundance of ‘complacency’ in the marketplace…and the fact that the digital buying community has been more or less complicit in maintaining a status-quo with their clients.
Additionally, their clients get comfortable reviewing ‘pretty’ spreadsheets and attractive dashboards, reviewing the same tactics used year-over-year (click-through-rates, video-to-completion rates, justifying reach and targeting). Granted, determining attribution can be challenging…and is typically the most important element in measuring ROI. And I agree, that’s why measurement is critical.
Mack Weldon Figured It Out Two Years Ago
Has the broader digital buying community failed to notice the brands that have successfully dived in, like Mack Weldon, have figured out a powerful way of determining attribution with podcast advertising? So what’s all this about the lack of measurement mentioned in the story last week on Ad Exchanger?
Back in 2016 (yes, two years ago friends), Mac Weldon told DigiDay how podcast advertising has doubled underwear sales.
Collin Willardson, of Mack Weldon told 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.
You can’t tell me that Mack Weldon is not measuring their key performance indicators? You can’t tell me that the lack of an industry accepted standard measurement has hurt them? Let’s just say that they’ve left many brands in their wake…and they’ve been advertising in the space for over two years.
Time To Go Beyond Pretty Spreadsheets & Cute Dashboards
But it’s time to digital marketers to look beyond a spreadsheet. It’s time to test new platforms, like podcast advertising, that utilize different tactics that many digital buyers still don’t understand.
So let me give you a three facts as to WHY advertisers should consider and ‘all-in’ strategy to podcast advertising, or at the very least, start to conduct test campaigns to measure uplift…and yes, you can measure attribution in a granular way!
So, for those of you that are considering placing your first buy, I’ll give you three facts you need to know:
1. Opt-In Listening Makes Podcasting Uniquely Different – The Purest form of Native Advertising
First and foremost, the on-demand audio experience is one where the listener ‘opts-in’, so they are welcoming you to deliver your brand message to them…and typically, they listen and engage with it. But activation typically depends on how you deliver the message…and who is delivering it.
So determining the right show and the right personality is so important to an advertisers success when it comes to a podcasting campaign. That’s where the experts at TopPodcast come in, assessing multiple publishers, networks, shows and hosts that make sense for your brand.
What’s so compelling about podcast advertising?
Brands are discovering that there’s a substantial difference in ad delivery when you are able to ‘capture your consumer’s mind’, especially when they aren’t distracted by multiple screens.
Despite the fact that many people multi-task when listening to a podcast (driving, flying, making dinner, running, exercising, gardening, etc), there is an undeniable connection created between the show and the listener…unlike any other advertising medium available because the narrative is being driven in one’s head.
As a good friend of mine once said:
You don’t listen to a podcast at a barbecue
The unique charm of a podcast advertisement, particularly when it is host read, is the fact that it’s the purest form of native advertising a brand could have.
2. The Ultimate Referral: Messages Organically Embedded in a Show Sound Natural
The kinship that a listener feels with a host can’t be underestimated. As a product becomes embedded in the fabric of a show, the audience develops a unique connection to the brand. When a host has the opportunity to taste, touch, feel or use the product the host-read ad comes across as the ULTIMATE REFERRAL. What more could a brand want? How about an ad that comes from the ‘whole-wide-world’.
An Ad That Comes from the World
Something that Ad Week covered way back in the summer of 2016 caught my attention, when speaking with Matt Lieber, co-founder and president of Gimlet Media:
When we think about how ads sound on Gimlet, we want them to feel like they come from the world of the show,” said Matt Lieber, co-founder and president of Gimlet Media
He also said:
Branded podcasts “require a brand or a marketer that’s confident enough to tell an interesting story that’s relevant to their audience”
Brands, as they enter the unique podcasting realm, must understand that a relationship is built with the audience over time. Consistency is key, and a podcast listener has the choice to engage or not. Hearing ads in a podcast sound different, and I could not have described it better than Mr. Lieber, in one simple sentence.
Bottom line, innovative companies have jumped in to the podcast medium…and they are staying because they know how their message is capturing the desired audience.
3. Listeners Feel Compelled to Support Brands…So The Show Won’t Disappear
I attended the RAIN Online Advertising summit (last year – 2017), and one of my most inspiring takeaways was hearing an executive producer of a podcast say:
Listeners (of podcasts) have a different respect for podcasters instead of radio hosts. If it weren’t for sponsors, podcasts wouldn’t operate. And many listeners feel if they don’t support the brands, then they feel the podcast may go away
The kinship and connection the audience has with a host is unprecedented. Over two-thirds of those that hear a product in a podcast research or buy. Podcast listeners have years of brand loyalty to give to brands. It’s time for us to become educated on the power of a podcast ad…and the influence hosts have to compel their audience to act.
So What’s All This Stuff About Lack of Measurement?
Yeah, you can tell I’m passionate about facing the headwinds our industry faces. I see the success brands are having in the space and I just keep patiently waiting for the tipping point to happen within the digital buying community. I do feel it coming, so I’m happy swimming in the podcast pool…and I don’t intend on going anywhere.
My simple one-sentence take:
Bottom line, the “lean-in” listening experience is unparalleled to any other digital or traditional medium…so it’s time to for brands to take the leap…just ask Mac Weldon.
Check out our Agnostic Podcast Advertising Network – Powered by TopPodcast.com
As I’ve said before, an organic host-read endorsement within a podcast is the purest form of native advertising. It’s time for brands and complacent agencies to move towards an ‘all-in’ strategy…or at least testing the power of a podcast ad!
Interested in advertising, fill out the form here (click over), and visit our agnostic Podcast Advertising Network.
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