Ahem ahem… just getting my podcast voice ready. As of May 2021, there are 2,000,000 podcasts, and 48 million episodes to listen to… 48 MILLION! What does that mean for you? It means you should delete the podcast starter pack from your Amazon cart and start searching for a podcast in your niche to advertise on instead.
Many of the podcast advertisers you’re used to hearing — Blue Apron, SquareSpace, [you’ve thought of a third already, haven’t you?] started out relatively small when they made their podcast advertising debut. Each has since grown top-of-mind awareness in their respective categories. They invested in the tactic and committed to a long-term strategy. You could do the same if you find the right podcast and hire a professional podcast copywriter (like us) to make the most of your money.
Let’s go through the major reasons why YOU should be taking advantage of the podcasting world RIGHT NOW:
- Niche Audiences
- Unshackled Creativity
- Engaged Listeners
- Affordability
- Extra Credit
- Multiplatform Exposure
- Buying Power
- Permanent Endorsement
Niche Audiences
Despite how it may seem, not all 2,000,000 podcasts are in the True Crime genre. Podcast topics branch off into the furthest corners of human interest, and to your benefit become more and more niche.
There are podcasts about food, ham radio, and we even found a podcast that’s just about pens – The Pen Addict.
There’s likely a podcast that matches or parallels exactly what your niche is, with listeners who are dedicated to learning more about your topic, or a very closely related one.
And don’t let the growing number of podcasts scare you! Many shows have over 100,000 listeners that will listen intently to your ad as it’s voiced by their friendly host. Just be sure to do your research to find a podcast that has a proper following and a topic that your audience cares about, it’s out there.
Unshackled Creativity
“FRREEEEDDDOOOMMMM” – (a quote from your copywriter after you give them a podcast project).
Podcasts are a safe space for creative advertisements, far away from regulatory giants and the words, “we can’t do that.”
This leads to advertisements that are not only creative, but entirely novel. For example, Scott Aukerman reads his ad scripts on Comedy Bang Bang in the same improvised fashion that his show is recorded in. It definitely stands out.
As a personal fan of the podcast I often listen to his ads just because I love how funny he is, and the Casper mattresses he advertises. [Is that the third podcast advertiser you were thinking!?]. They’re so plush and warming, even looking at one makes me feel as though I… Sorry um…
Your ads certainly don’t HAVE to be experimental or edgy, but they should always be authentic. The more the ad is imbued with the host’s personality, the better your results will be.
Engaged Listeners
Podcast listeners are a devout group. They stick to their OG podcasts, and they don’t often deviate from their essentials. According to whypodcasts.org, 88% of podcast fans listen to most or all episodes of the podcasts they subscribe to.
You can imagine the sort of relationship this builds with the podcast host; the sort of trust and authenticity audiences perceive them to exude. If you’re a podcast listener yourself, you know exactly how you feel about your podcast hosts. Many of you would be up in arms if I as much as inconvenienced Roman Mars, host of 99% Invisible.
Consequently, your advertisement, when spoken through the mouth of your chosen podcast host, won’t just generate leads, it’ll generate WARM leads. Some experts even say that a podcast leads’ conversion rate is seven times higher than the rate of standard website traffic leads.
Here are some incredible statistics on a podcast’s audience engagement:
- 88% listen to most or all episodes of a podcast
- 79% listen immediately – 55% listen within 24 hours
- 61% have made a purchase resulting from podcast ads
Affordability
Podcasts vary in price according to their overall popularity, but there are plenty of options to choose from, and plenty of marketplaces from which to buy podcast advertising space.
Generally, pricing is based on a Cost Per Thousand Listeners (CPM) model, and the price will change based on the position of your advertisement in the chronological positioning of your ad (Pre-Roll, Mid-Roll, and Post-Roll).
A less common option is the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) model. This model proposes that for each purchase directly related to the podcast, you pay the owner of the podcast a percentage of your sales.
Negotiation is by far the most common among smaller podcasts, and likely what you’re going to start out with. You could be spending a lot per episode, but if you negotiate well, you can find a deal that suits both your company and the podcaster, while reflecting your goals.
Extra Credit
Multiplatform Exposure: Podcasts reach their listeners at a large number of touchpoints integral to their everyday life. Podcast fans listen in their home, their car, when they workout, while they travel, and many more places… Places near where they purchase!
Buying Power: Those who listen to podcasts are typically in higher income brackets and have higher educations.
Permanent Endorsement: That episode your advertisement aired on isn’t going anywhere. Whenever somebody downloads it , your ad will receive impressions and ‘stickiness’ for the listener.
Final Steps
So, think you want to reach your audience through one of the most intimate, growing, and proven conversion methods out there? Give it a try. Feel free to contact us if you’re thinking about exploring podcast advertising anytime and we’ll download you on everything we know!
