When it comes to creating a great podcast ad, there are many strategies to use when maximizing your investment and, of course, getting that important message across to one’s targeted audience.
As noted by Trevor Covert, a sales executive for BuySellAds.com, “[p]odcasts were a niche format only a short time ago but are growing in popularity every year.” Even though podcasting is a relatively new platform, it is gaining ground and increasing in popularity, which positions it as as great opportunity for marketers.
Make sure the host does the advertising spots
The first tip is for the person hosting the podcast to do their own advertising spots instead of playing a generic commercial. Indeed, advertisements actually read by the hosts of the podcasts give those companies a large advantage when it comes to generating sales from the advertisement, according to Trevor Covert, in his blog about podcasts and marketing. Covert also stated in his blog that Mike Smith, the Head of Growth at Rollbar.com, advises that “[w]riting ads that cater to how a host naturally speaks is key to success in podcast advertising.”
The ad should tell a relevant story by the podcast host
Because emotion is an important selling point, a wise tip is to have the host tell a personal story about that the service or product has positively affected someone. If there are multiple hosts on the show, encouraging them to try to have an organic conversation about the ad and use their own personal touch with it is a great idea. Having a personal connection to one’s audience with a story is an effective means for making the sell instead of an old, repetitive ad that is aiming for a hard sell. Since audio ads still create pictures of the mind, just like radio spots, it is better to go with something in the story discussed by the host that the audience can repeat. Listeners likely already enjoy the hosts and respect them, so engaging listeners even more can be great for ad success.
Keep the ads concise
Because people generally have short attention spans and podcasters are on time limits for ad length, getting the point across in a short period is critical when it comes to advertising. Podcast ads and radio ads both share that commonality in the “short, but sweet” mantra. People are only going pick up specific parts to the ad, so the shorter the time frame to get the exact message or point of the ad, the better the success rate. And as Trevor Covert advises about podcast ads, marketers “should tell targeted customers exactly what a product will do for them by focusing on one or two benefits instead of features.”
Go ahead and start working on some great podcasts ads. Listen to your favorite podcasts to see how they manage advertising and decide what methods are most effective.
