Millions of people around the world listen to their favorite podcasts for their dose of news, entertainment, and everything in between. The growth of the industry is remarkable and it has benefitted both podcast creators and those who advertise on them.
Advertisers have staked their claim in podcasting, boosting the industry’s bottom line. There is consensus in the advertising world that podcasts are uniquely situated to ensure maximum advertising potential.1
How did this come to be? What do advertisers see in podcasts to make them choose them as their vehicle for promotion? Should you, as an advertiser, be marketing on podcasts?
We’ll answer all these questions, and more, as we explore the reasons why advertisers are (and should be) so interested in podcasts.
1. Podcasts are So Hot Right Now
Why do I say that? Well, the industry has exploded! There are thousands of podcasts, on a variety of topics, available across multiple platforms, each with its own style and flavor. Finding a podcast that you enjoy and can relate to is almost inevitable – they come in every conceivable genre and various formats.
What I love most about podcasts is just how easily accessible they are. Thanks to my smartphone, I can type in my favorite genre on any particular podcasting platform and find something that I love.
This ease of access makes choosing to listen to a podcast a no-brainer for me. I listen to them at home; in the car; and whilst grocery shopping. I’ve even replaced Drake and Justin Bieber with listening to a podcast whilst working out at the gym.
And I know I’m not the only one because the stats back me up: In America alone, the number of monthly podcast listeners is a whopping 116million!2
If you’re an advertiser, I’m sure that massive figure has you impressed! Because it signifies that you could have a plethora of potential customers to whom you can market. The possibility of having millions of people listening to your ad should make you giddy with excitement.
Related read: The Future of Podcasting: What We’re Excited About in 2022
2. Target Market Acquired
Another reason why podcast advertising is “so hot right now” is the ‘small’ detail of your target market.
Most podcast platforms have a great breakdown of podcast genres and categories. You don’t have to listen to every snippet or read every summary to find your desired podcast. You merely have to search in your preferred genre and you’re bound to find something that you are interested in.
As an advertiser, you can use this segmentation of categories to your advantage. All you have to do is ascertain which genres appeal to your target market, then place your ads in the corresponding podcasts. Thanks to the podcast identification system, your market research has been simplified.
And most podcast hosts have done extensive work in specifying their niche and topics in order to correctly identify and align with their audience. So your work as an advertiser is simplified even more! All you have to do is choose a show that is aligned with your brand.
3. Trust is a Powerful Thing
As a listener, we connect with our podcasts on a deep level. We feel as if they are speaking directly to us, created just for us as individuals. We come to admire and respect the voices that we hear, and that builds a bond of trust.
Advertisers understand this and have used the relationship between podcasters and their audience to garner instant trust for themselves.
Most ads on podcasts are read by the hosts. When I hear an ad on a podcast, I am more inclined to listen to it attentively because I trust the person who is saying it. In fact, I often visit the advertiser’s website shortly after my podcast ends—if the host I trust is promoting a product or service then surely it must be of some value.
So, from a marketing perspective, this is huge! Because not only are your ads being instantly trusted but there is also a high possibility that those who hear your ad will check out your site. Again, I’m armed with impressive figures, there is data which confirms that 76% of podcast listeners will check out the advertiser’s site after hearing an ad.2
4. Podcast Listeners Support Their Favs
Another bonus for advertising on a podcast is that the audience is more likely to appreciate the role that the ad plays in sponsoring the podcast.
In general, we often have a negative view of ads that disrupt our entertainment. There is a dissociation between the ad itself and whatever is being interrupted. And in most cases, we’re certainly not thinking about the ad in terms of financial support for the creator in question.
But with podcasts, because of the relationship built between host and audience, there tends to be more understanding of the relationship between ads and income generation. We appreciate ads and are more likely to support the corresponding brands for the support they give our beloved podcasts.
This unique dynamic has been integral to the success of podcast advertising overall. The audience loving their podcasts will help them to fall in love with your ad for the support it provides. And that could lead to the listener falling in love with your brand itself.
5. Selective Sight
Advertisers are also drawn to podcasts due to the high level of audience engagement.
Let’s be honest: What is the first thing you do when an advertisement plays on your television? For me, my reaction is almost subconscious: I change the channel, looking for a non-advertisement filler whilst I wait for my program to resume.
Our response to ads online is very similar. We close pop-ups without the slightest clue as to what that ad is about. We scroll past ads placed between articles that we are reading as if they don’t even exist. For the most part, AdBlock software means that we never even see the ad in the first place.
This type of animosity towards ads is crippling for you, the advertiser. You spend so much money on placing the ad, only for it to be ignored by the majority.
Podcasting Changes the Game for Advertisers
In podcasting, advertisers have found some reprieve. You now have an audience who are engaged and invested in what they are listening to.
Apart from the trust element that we mentioned earlier, podcast ads also feel like part of the podcast itself. They are not jarring or random. They are carefully placed to suit the style and flow of the podcast itself. So it’s actually quite rare, as I mentioned earlier, for a podcast listener to skip past an ad.2
Podcast listeners also pay attention to ads. They absorb the content of your ad. And, if other listeners are anything like me, then your website will have a steady stream of new traffic after your ad has aired on a podcast.
6. Podcast Hosts are the New Influencers
Podcast hosts have gained considerable fame in recent times due to the high number of people who listen to podcasts. This has earned them a measure of influence over their loyal listeners. You only need to take stock of the number of celebrities entering the podcasting space to know that this is true.
As an advertiser, you are able to use the podcaster’s influence to establish your own roots among the dedicated listeners.
This is the perfect position for any advertiser. In the social media-driven society that we live in, having ties to influential podcast hosts could set your brand apart from the rest.
7. It’s All About the Stats…and the Benjamin’s
As an advertiser, you should be rushing to market on podcasts because the results are tangible. The numbers are overwhelming in favor of podcasts being a winning recipe for positive ad engagement.3
Podcast ads are the leaders when it comes to ads that people remember. 86% of podcast listeners recall the ads that they hear. That number is 80% and 79% for social media and websites respectively.3
If you remember an ad, you are more likely to look it up at a later date.
We mentioned earlier that podcast listeners respond to ads more than in other mediums. This means that they are more likely to visit your site; make a purchase; or subscribe to your service³.
And when you add the fact that listeners rarely skip podcast ads, the picture becomes clear as to why you should choose podcasts as the vehicle for your ad placement.
Advertisers! Find A Podcast.
If you are an advertiser, it only makes sense to explore podcasts as an avenue.
Podcasting is on the rise, gaining more listeners by the day. Your target pool, as an advertiser, will be deep and richly populated.
And as the audience is already invested in their particular podcast and you will be able to piggyback off the trust already built by the host. You can also use the podcast’s genre and format to align with your particular target market.
Not only will your ads be heard as podcast listeners will rarely skip past them, but your ads will also be remembered! And because of that trust between podcast hosts and their listeners, there is a high probability that these listeners will engage with your site and potentially become loyal customers and supporters of your brand.
For these reasons, and all those mentioned above, if you, as an advertiser, are not marketing through podcasts then I’d advise you to start doing so ASAP!
Once you find a podcast that matters to you, your ads will start to matter to whoever has the pleasure of hearing them.
Sources
- Marketing Week: The Untapped Potential of Podcast Advertising: https://www.marketingweek.com/untapped-potential-podcast-advertising/
- Ad Results Media: Is Podcasting Advertising Effective?: https://www.adresultsmedia.com/news-insights/is-podcast-advertising-effective/
- Edison Research: Super Listeners 2021: http://www.edisonresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Super-Listeners-from-Edison-Research-and-Ad-Results-Media-2-16-22.pdf
