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Category: Podcast Advertising Center

The Rise of Native Advertising Bodes Well for the Podcasting Industry

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Native advertising, sponsored content marketing, and branded content are used interchangeably within the digital advertising industry. It’s a powerful form of advertising that drives consumer reaction and drives activation. But how often are you hearing podcast advertising interchanged within this digital portfolio pool? The answer…not enough!

The rise and embracing of native advertising should provide a boon to the podcasting industry as it’s a natural extension to what the platform already organically delivers. But how many sales professionals working within the podcasting industry truly understand the meaning of native advertising vs. content marketing vs. branded content, specifically when we are speaking with potential advertisers?

We must be able to clearly make the distinction; so here’s a closer look at each of the terms, from the perspective of a digital marketer:

We must be able to clearly make the distinction:

Native Advertising:

“A form of paid media where the ad experience follows the natural form and function of the user experience in which it is placed. Communication about a brand or service that is defined by sharing two or more of the form, context or functionality of its host media platform

Content Marketing:

A strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly-defined audience – and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action. Communication by or about a brand, service or corporation that is not advertising and which shares all of the look (or manner), context and functionality of its host media or platform.

Branded Content:

Where media companies are becoming producers of brand content, yet they typically do not allow this content to be distributed on other platforms beyond their own. Contrary to embedded marketing, where the brand is placed within the content, branded content places the content within the brand

It’s imperative – and unforgivable for those of us that sell podcast advertising –  to not be able to clearly articulate how podcast advertising organically syncs up to native advertising budgets. It’s dismissive and arrogant not to understand the difference between the three advertising arms, as we cannot allow digital advertisers to continue to discount the power of podcast advertising campaigns. It’s time to control the narrative, especially when communicating with brands and digital buyers. We must speak their language, in order to sell ours.

So how does podcasting sync up beautifully to Native Advertising?

  1. Organic host-read ads are embedded into the fabric of a show deliver amplified engagement with the audience
  2. Podcast hosts typically choose and approve their advertisers, as they understand the content and attitudes their audience has – so, a host-read ad must align with the show organically
  3. Authenticity Matters: As hosts read a sponsored ad, the audience feels a unique kinship to the brand. Many hosts go to great lengths to makes sure new brands have on-boarding calls in order to align messaging that is clear and concise, yet natural and organic.
  4. Hosts Like To Use Products They Pitch: Typically, the hosts would have already tried out the product prior to doing a live read. The listener can hear it in the hosts voice when ‘they love a product’. This creates the unique charm between the host, the brand, and the listener.
  5. Activations and customer reactions can be clearly measured through vanity URLs and sales results, allowing clients to validate the ROI

Consumers desire quality, engaging content. This is exactly what podcast advertising provides, in an authentic, organic manner. Authenticity is imperative to native content and brand publishing programs.

While extending existing digital native campaigns to the podcasting world makes sense for advertisers, we must do a better job to further educate digital buyers (and companies) on the value and responsiveness of podcast advertising.

Podfluencers are Brand Amabassadors

Digital ‘Influencer’ campaigns require ‘in-sync coordination’ to ensure messages are consistent and amplified on multiple consumer channels.  More often than not, the podcast medium has not been recognized by digital buyers as one of these channels. Bought, earned and owned media must be integrated for maxim effectiveness. That’s why podcast advertising along with the explosion of native content positions the podcast industry favorably. The power of a ‘podfluencer’ and the impact they have on their audience can’t be underestimated.

The Industry Must Be Better Advocates & More Savvy At Digital

At the end of the day, we as advocates for the podcast industry must make sure we are a part of the native advertising conversation. This only comes with consistent education and advocacy while demanding that your podcast sales teams have a clear grasp of digital terminology and integrated strategies.

Our industry must understand the complex data-driven strategies being executed by our digital brethren. If we act as a ‘one-trick pony’, only focusing on audio delivery, we are doing the podcast industry (and our clients) a huge huge disservice.

Let’s forge a united front and make sure podcasting advertising becomes a part of ‘every integrated digital conversation’. In my eyes, Podcast Advertising is the purest form of native content!

INTERESTED IN PODCAST ADVERTISING? INQUIRE TODAY via our PODCAST BUSINESS CENTER!

 

Advertise on a Podcast Today!

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!

More Than A One-Trick Pony When It Comes To Podcast Advertising

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

For businesses, one of the most significant elements we bring to the podcast industry is a digital marketer’s mindset. Our team understands integrated strategy & we know how brands are executing multi-attributions channels on that side of the table.

Many in the podcast industry simply stick to what they know best…selling stand-alone podcast ads. And that’s ok! However, to compete in an integrated world, the industry must expand its skill-set. That’s where we come in, particularly through our Podcast Business Center, and the offerings #TopPodcast Digital Enterprises bring to life.

Changing the Narrative in the Digital Buying Community

TopPodcast.com will help drive a narrative to make podcast advertising more readily accepted within the $70 billion digital advertising industry. Born and bred digital marketers and podcast insiders, our team understands how the digital marketplace has been sprinting ahead of the podcast community.

Despite the prejudice against our industry by certain digital buyers (for our measurement limitations), direct response advertisers are experiencing tremendous success with podcast advertising. We must highlight this narrative within the digital buying community.

Through education & advocacy, we will take control of the narrative & push messaging beyond the walls of the industry. Bottom line, podcast advertising must be a part of any integrated strategy.

 The podcast medium must be accepted as a true digital product and no longer pushed off to the side by digital buyers to terrestrial audio planners

More Than A One-Trick Pony – We are Tactical Digital Marketers

Times have changed over the last decade despite podcasting’s decade-old purity. Through no fault of their own, many in the podcast industry have neglected to fully embrace the digital realm.

By implementing adaptive multi-attribution strategies alongside traditional podcast ad campaigns, we deliver a unique POV that most don’t. What makes our leadership team uniquely qualified to join the podcasting party? We understand all digital platforms, we understand the importance of analytics and we’ve created experiential marketing campaigns.

We dive into a companies digital strategy. It’s an integrated world that’s evolved since the inception of podcasting & we believe in delivering more than a stand-alone podcast buy.

 

The stand-alone approach of selling is no longer acceptable when it comes to delivering a podcast audience. It’s not just about ‘maximizing success for brands in premium podcasts’. Rather, it’s about having the digital knowledge to understand the complex integrated tools businesses are using to reach their valued audience.

TopPodcast.com has the digital expertise along with extensive podcast sales knowledge to maximize any integrated marketing strategy. And we speak your language when it comes to digital platforms.

Before you place a podcasting buy, ask your podcast agency if they understand the difference between native advertising and content marketing? Do they understand programmatic and adaptive marketing strategies that companies are executing? How involved have they been with experiential, event-based campaigns?

We have a feeling you might just hear crickets. Visit our Podcast Center today…inquire how we can help take your podcast advertising to the next level.

Bill O’Reilly & A ‘Monkey-See-Monkey-Do’ Narrative Will Drive Podcast Advertising to $1 Billion

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Whether you like Bill O’Reilly or not, there’s one thing you can’t deny. The speed at which he pivoted to a full-fledged premium podcast platform is mind-blowing!

It proves how effortless it is to literally change mediums on a dime. And now, his die-hard listeners have a place to absorb his message. But starting May 1st, you’re going to have to pay $4.95 a month to hear his podcast.

Why Bill O’Reilly Matters to the Podcast Industry? It’s Monkey See Monkey Do!

It’s the reason I have gone on public record stating that the podcast industry is underestimating the growth of podcast advertising …not just by a tad…but by a half-billion (current forecast is for $500 million by 2021).

Powerful media personalities, like Bill O’Reilly, will drive the medium in a way that most have underestimated, taking annual revenue to $1 Billion in 2021 — double current forecasts. It’s what I’m calling a MONKEY-SEE MONKEY-DO narrative, as anyone who’s anybody in media (TV & Radio) will demand their own podcast.

As traditional media personalities turn to podcasting, they bring with them millions and millions of social followers who will become on-demand audio lovers. This will exponentially drive the medium forward, as the herd enters the platform.

‘Factoring’ In O’Reilly’s Robust Numbers 

Analytics and social reach matter when trying to guess how his podcast will do. Here are the stats:

  • Bill O’Reilly has  1.72 Million Twitter Followers
  • His Facebook page had nearly 2 million followers (the page is down right now — perhaps there is a battle brewing between Fox News & O’Reilly for Facebook page ownership…if he forgot to negotiate this as part of his $25 million parachute, shame on him!
  • His show brought in $100 million in Ad Revenue in 2016
  • 3.71 million people tuned in to his show each week (even after the sexual harassment issues were brought to light)
  • The show averaged 485,000 viewers in the ad desired demo of 25-54

Why these numbers matter?

Many die-hard fans will follow O’Reilly to the podcast medium…and it will be their first time listening to a podcast.

What’s the most important number? 

The most important statistic will be how many of his subscribers will be new to the podcast industry?

Who Will Convert to the Premium Podcast?

How many will pay for $4.95 a month to listen to his podcast?

That’s the million-dollar question (or multi-million dollar questions). I’m going to say, low-ball, 50,000 subscribers initially (over the first month or two). That’s still only about $3 million in annual revenue, a mere blip of what his show brought in on Fox News. However, maybe I’m wrong on the numbers. I might be underestimating how many need to get their ‘No Spin Fix’ on.

What appeals most to me about these new subscribers?

Disregard just for the moment that these subscribers are basically endorsing someone allegedly accused of sexual harassment. I’m excited about one sole fact…that many of these subscribers will be first-time podcast listeners, or as we call them here at #TopPodcast…”Newpods’. Bottom line, as they embrace and get comfortable with the platform, they will listen to other podcasts…driving the industry forward.

What’s a Newpod? Click Here!

 

 

Podcast Advertising Facts – A Tepid Story Compared to Digital

Today, podcast advertising makes up a small share of overall digital spending, surpassing $200 million in 2016, compared to the overall Digital Ad community of over $60 Billion. Let’s do the math (and I suck at math).

That’s 1/3 of one percent of digital market share for podcasting. Pathetic, eh?

Ultimately, podcast advertising will have to increase five-fold to hit $1 Billion. Again, as traditional media players enter the platform, I believe this will happen in 2021.

The Bill O’Reilly Domino Effect: New Podcasters Enter & Major Brands Will Follow

The herd will follow. Just watch the influx of TV & Radio personalities, who have yet to produce a podcast, aggressively enter the realm. The monkey-see-monkey-do attitude will take hold. No one wants to be left behind, especially big personalities with egos the size of icebergs. New entrants will drive ‘newpods’ to the medium via the massive social media platforms they bring.

As media-darlings continue to dive in, BIG BRANDS will follow:

  • Sponsorships will come
  • Experiential podcasts will take hold at tent-pole events
  • Brands will explore building out custom branded podcasts
  • Live video podcasts will become highly relevant too, using Facebook Live.

A domino effect will occur within traditional media with new podcasters and brands aggressively scaling up.

It’s Bigger Than O’Reilly…It’s Who Will Come Next

While the focus certainly will be on Bill O’Reilly entering the podcasting realm, the bigger impact is who follows?

  • Which major media personalities dive in next?
  • How large is their social media reach?
  • What percentage of their listeners will be first-timers to the podcast industry?

This is why the monkey-see monkey-do mentality is real. It will have a major impact on the industry…favorably.

My bottom line: 

I foresee the podcast industry getting a much bigger share of the digital advertising pie, once the scale starts to tip. Hence, in my humble opinion, the industry will hit $1 Billion in annual ad revenue in 2021. #Boom

It’s way bigger than O’Reilly…it’s who’s next!

 

Key Take-Aways From Edison Research’s ‘The Podcast Consumer 2017’

Posted on by Kurt Laufer

Here we are again…another year in the books and the latest report out from Edison Research highlights some exciting data for the Podcast Industry. Releasing its annual “Podcast Consumer 2017′, the report highlights podcast consumption habits and data from the ‘Infinite Dial 2017 study.

Podcasting continues to rise, with monthly listeners growing from 21% to 24% percent year over year. But looking at podcast listenership in over a 4-year snapshot, it has doubled since 2013! #HUGE

Here are the cliff notes directly from the report & our thoughts:

Podcasting continues to rise, with Monthly listeners growing from 21% to 24% percent year over year

              Why this matters? 

As other traditional mediums struggle for growth, the trajectory of podcasting is headed in the right direction. We can’t discount the fact that while other traditional mediums (print & radio) are stable or declining, the podcasting industry is no doubt on the rise. Most importantly, the percentage of listenership has doubled over the last 4 years.

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The audience for podcasts continues to be predominately 18-54, and leans slightly male.

              Why this matters? 

People inherently perceive that the podcast audience is super young. But, a deep dive into the numbers show that it actually is rather balanced. Ages 18-34  make up 44% of the demo while Ages 25-54 account for 33%. Bottom line, 77% of podcast listeners are ages 12-54…a prime and ripe target for advertisers.

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Clicking on a podcast to listen to it immediately (either streamed or via progressive download) is the dominant paradigm for listening, though 27% do subscribe to podcasts.

Why this matters? 

62% listen immediately. A powerful statistic. When people see something they want, they are inclined to click and listen immediately. This mindset bodes well for TopPodcast.com, as we provide a hub to immediately test drive a podcast, with one click. Yes, more experienced podcast listeners are subscribing to a show, but that number is only at 27%.

——————————————————-‘

Subscribers tend to have been podcast consumers for longer than non-subscribers, consume more podcasts, and are more likely to use their smartphone as their primary podcast player.

            Why this matters? 

No real surprise here when diving deeper into the 27% that subscribe to a podcast. Obviously, experienced users are more comfortable using the medium, so they would tend to be more inclined to subscribe. And yes, they understand how to navigate their smartphones, hence it’s the primary point of discovery for those that have been consumers of the medium longer. Nonetheless, the stat that still peaks my interest is the fact that 31% still use a computer to listen. Bottom line, the desktop or laptop is NOT DEAD!

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While Home continues to be the most often named location for podcast listening, the vehicle is a strong second.

This statistic caused a ruckus within the industry, but only because people weren’t really grasping what the stat tells literally tells us. The question was: Have you ever listened to a podcast at home, in a car/truck, walking around, at work, at the gym, or riding public transportation? 82% said at home while 65% said in a car or truck. Yes, podcasting is a commuters dream, but remember, if you’re gardening, working in your garage, or making dinner in your kitchen, you still can listen to a podcast. So…the ‘at home’ statistic didn’t surprise me the way that it did many in the industry.

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Most podcast consumers listen to most of the podcast episodes they download, and the vast majority listen to at least most of each episode.

Why this matters? 

Diving into the completion rate after downloading a podcast, the numbers really look great! 42% listen to the entire podcast episode while 44% listen to most of the podcast. That’s a whopping 86% who listen to all or most of the podcast…a favorable story to tell advertisers.

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Podcasts are the number one audio source by time of consumption among podcast listeners

Why this matters? 

I love this statistic. It says that once you become an active and engaged podcast listener, you’d rather turn to a podcast rather than listen to the radio…let alone ‘owned music’, and/or stream any other audio. This is HUGE to me…especially as consumption habits evolve. Basically, if we put podcasting in the hands of the consumer, it will stick. 30% of Podcast listeners turn to podcasts as their primary source of time spent listening, followed by 25% AM/FM Radio, and then 19% Streamed Audio. Again, for podcast listeners, it’s their first choice of consumption, and they do it the longest.

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On the smartphone, podcasting’s Share of Ear® is tied with AM/FM content, and leads AM/FM among 13-34 year olds.

Why this matters? 

Another fabulous statistic for the podcast industry, but not surprising, as AM/FM Radio is pivoting to be a ‘streaming audio’ play for the younger demo. Diving deeper here, 45% of ages 13-34 spent time listening to streaming audio on their smartphones. While this statistic is nearly six times as many that listen to podcasts on their smartphone (8% of this demo), it demonstrates that podcasts have surpassed the AM/FM Radio…probably for good. Chew on that statistic.

A Final Thought

I love how the report summed up everything, by saying:

Fix discovery, yes – but let’s not forget to ‘push’ in a ‘pull’ world!

Couldn’t agree more….and TopPodcast.com is trying to attack the discovery issue head on. It will take the industry to coalesce around itself to push out discovery more aggressively…in a clear and concise way. Good luck with that.

EDITORIAL NOTE: This report will be available in our PODCAST BUSINESS CENTER later this week, along with many other industry relevant reports…all located for your convenience in one place.  Or you can view The Podcast Consumer 2017 directly HERE, at Edison Research.

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