Ad blocking is a common practice, increasing 94% from 2015 to 2016. Simultaneously, the industry has seen Podcasts take off. With the emergence of mass-followed series like Ted talks, this American Life, and Serial, a new platform for customer engagement—without the opportunity to block ads—has transpired. Podcast listening has increased to 36% of the U.S. population, with these listeners averaging 5 podcasts per week. This is a 300% increase since 2006.
Moral of the story? Podcast audiences are loyal and eager to listen.
Similar to a blog where people transcribe their stories, Podcasts provide an opportunity for creators to verbally tell stories. Hosts or narrators quickly become trustworthy sources for information and entertainment. Podcasts are considered to be an engaging form of entertainment that listeners choose to participate in.
Today, many brands are using established Podcast companies to promote branded content. A key to creating good content is coming up with interesting story, related to your product or brand that is relevant to your audience. Whether you realize it or not, there are many different placement tactics for advertising. From a casual 15 second pre-roll at the opening spot, to a native ad where the host reads the ad script within the podcast, to Outro, often inclusive to an offer at the end. There are many options to fit your cause and need. You can embed your Podcasts into a branded landing page – this makes it easier to track metrics, traffic, and audience demographics.
Additionally, it’s important to have a narrator that resonates with your audience. Having a host that lands with audience yields a whole new level of authenticity and trustworthiness that you can’t find in digital or traditional advertising practices.
That being said, creating a branded Podcast is an investment. If done tactfully, is a relationship medium for connecting with customers and establishing loyalty that is not achievable through 15-30 second ad spots or a digital display ad on Google.
Looking for ways to ramp up your advertising strategy? Give us a shout!
