With the growing number of available podcasts, it’s no wonder businesses are looking to advertise on this popular medium. Because podcast audiences are self-selected, they’re typically more responsive to niche ads they hear on their favorite podcasts than those encountered in other channels. The key, however, is choosing the right podcast and ad format for your target audience.
If you’re new to podcast advertising, you might be wondering how to make the best decisions for your brand. Below, 10 members of Forbes Agency Council share their tips for getting started in the world of podcast ads.
Members of Forbes Agency Council offer tips for creating an attention-grabbing podcast ad.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Front-Load Your Ad
Podcasts are great. They are talk radio on demand, and participation is growing fast. It’s important to note that people can still fast-forward through ads. Advertisers should front-load their ad with the important content. If you choose your podcast wisely, then listeners will listen to your ad longer, but eventually, they are going to skip ahead to the content they have chosen to listen to. – T. Maxwell, eMaximize
2. Know Your Audience Well
One thing that is very important is to make sure that you have the right audience. That means that you need to know that you are advertising to the right people on the podcast. If they are not in the right category of business, you are not going to make any profit from those ads. You need to make sure you know your audience. – Jon James, Ignited Results
3. Consider Your Audience’s State Of Mind When They’re Listening
Think of the tenor and content of the podcast and ensure you’re matching your ad creative and product or service to the audience’s state of mind as they’re actively listening. If what you’re advertising isn’t related to the podcast thematically or emotionally or the audience doesn’t have a natural affinity for your offerings, then it’s not going to deliver or stand out. – Carey Kirkpatrick, CKP
4. Custom-Create The Ad For The Podcast
Businesses need to do their research to understand the listenership, get stats from the podcast creator on which ads get the most attention and understand how to measure success. Any ad must be custom-created for the podcast so it feels like it’s part of the actual show or a natural extension. It needs to speak to the audience in a way that says, “I know why you’re here, so I have a gift for you.” – Kathleen Lucente, Red Fan Communications
5. Don’t Get Too Local With Your Message
Podcast listeners tune in from a variety of different locations, so advertisers are often unable to segment by regional or local audiences. Podcast spots work best for brands with a product or service that can reach a wider audience and clientele. This way they’re getting the most out of the investment and not disappointing listeners with a product they can’t visit or use. – Katie Schibler Conn, KSA Marketing + Partnerships
6. Include A Measurable Call To Action
Just as with any other channel, don’t be afraid to help your client transition from listening to the podcast to your website, social media or any other presence you wish them to go to. Also, try giving out a specific promotion to each podcast, and then look and see what drove results. Knowing what has worked and helping your client go from one channel to the next is key in this omnichannel world. – Jonathan Laberge, Reptile
7. Customize And Verbalize Your Links
When you are advertising, the end goal is to increase revenue or brand awareness. Make sure that the URL you give verbally as the CTA on the podcast is easily visualized and is in line with the name of the podcast. Never forget that their audience trusts them, and you can gain that rapport by customizing links to reflect the podcast brand. – Evangeline Sutton, Regenerative Marketing LLC
8. Connect With The Podcast Host
The best podcast ads are the ones where the host talks naturally about a product. Let’s face it, listeners hate advertising, but they do love stories. When a host shares their true love of a brand—now that’s persuasive. For inspiration, listen to Georgia and Karen on the wildly popular podcast My Favorite Murder talk about Madison Reed hair dye. You’ll go red before you finish an episode. – Danica Kombol, Everywhere Agency
9. Seek Out Season-Long Sponsorships
Unlike other mediums, podcasts are highly targeted. That might lead you to view them as a lead gen opportunity. The key to spending your advertising dollars well in the podcast world is to use them to gain exposure and awareness for your brand—not generate leads. Look for a podcast with limited season-long sponsors to help your voice stand out and connect clearly with your audience. – Mary Ann O’Brien, OBI Creative
10. Be Consistent And Concise
Being concise is key. Make sure you get your message across as quickly and as clearly as possible. And as with radio ads, podcast advertising results improve with frequency. – Lauren Fairbanks, S&G
