A Few Notes on Podcast Advertising

Some people like sports. Other people love movies. Another group of people really like the history of how socks were invented. No matter what people love, there is a podcast out there just for them.

 

If you are a historical sock person, you might be interested to know that Bombas socks tested podcast advertising in March of 2015. In a given week, they saw about 50-60 percent of their new customers coming from paid. Podcasting ranged from 15-40 percent of that.

 

So, is podcast advertising still worth it? Let’s look at a few facts:

 

70 percent of podcast listeners are more inclined to buy a product after hearing an ad.

 

Americans spend 7% of their time listening to podcasts.

 

An unnamed national coffee and baked goods chain ran 429,000 impressions in a sports category podcast. 88 percent of 2,429 respondents were able to recall the advertiser.

 

76 percent of listeners have a more positive opinion of a brand after they learn it supports a NPR podcast.

 

In a study by Edison Research, a casual dining restaurant chain saw a 76 percent increase in campaign awareness from listeners who were exposed to a podcast ad.

 

How do you advertise on a podcast? Let’s look at a few options:

 

The first way is to identify shows your target demographic is listening to, contact those shows, and ask to sponsor them. This option is pretty low budget and provides the ability to appeal to niche markets. The cons are that it’s unscientific and time-consuming.

 

The second way is to work with a podcast network, like Midroll or Archer Avenue. This option allows you to gain access to top podcasters and the heavy lifting is outsourced. The con is the cost is more expensive.

 

Let’s look at a few final thoughts:

 

As an avid listener of podcasts, I do believe podcast ads have a certain impact on the listener. They start to think of the host as a reliable person for suggestions and a trusted entity. It also helps the spot sound far more natural and fun. So, it’s time to put your podcast ad socks on!

 

Sources:

 

http://www.adweek.com/digital/4-things-you-should-know-about-podcast-advertising-according-pros-173829/

 

http://www.midroll.com/case-study-podcast-ads-are-profitable-for-bombas/

 

https://www.sitepoint.com/startups-guide-podcast-advertising/

 

www.iab.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/IAB_Digital-Audio-Buyers-Guide-Nov-2016.pdf

 

https://martechtoday.com/iabs-podcast-upfront-stories-sound-strut-spectacular-ad-specs-203837