3 Reasons Why Podcasts Will Best Stretch Your Advertising Dollar

In the advertising community, the money is beginning to flow to specific areas: Instagram is a rising star, and Pinterest is doing well for itself as both are visually oriented, allowing them to showcase products with that extra pizzazz. But forget social media platforms for a second. One rapidly growing target market has the diverse demographics and strong engagement that advertisers love: Podcasts.

A niche podcast can cover everything from food to TV to entrepreneurship to how great Denzel Washington is. In fact, you can even break the main audiences for podcasts into six key categories of listeners with disposable income to spare, as audio distributor audioBoom did in a recent blog post. The Foodie, The Stable Homeowner, The Subscriber, The Fitness Fanatic, The Traveler and The Music Enthusiast all come with their specific interests and are all willing to invest in a trustworthy ad aired on their favorite must-listen podcast. But don't take my word for it: Here are three tips detailing the benefits of advertising on a podcast, straight from audioBoom COO Stuart Last himself.

Podcast Ads Ensure a High Share of Voice

If a podcast listener hears your ad, it's a safe bet that that individual chose to search out the podcast, hit the subscribe button, and then decided to hit play on every single episode up until they hit the one featuring your ad. That's a level of intention that's unrivaled by an online ads, and only a popular subscription email newsletter is likely to come close.

“This inherently makes listeners more engaged,” Last says of this environment, “as they’re less inclined to switch the dial and tune out when ads begin to run. Most podcast platforms also limit ad segments to three or four spots for a one-hour show, offering advertisers more organic exposure than other digital mediums.

Podcast Ads Make a Personal Connection

Another element to consider: The literal, physical conditions that tend to drive to people to turn on a podcast.

“Most podcast listeners engage with audio content through headphones in an intimate, one-to-one setting,” Last says, “as opposed to the radio which is often consumed by a group of people with broad content. As people build familiarity and a relationship of sorts with their favorite shows and hosts, they inevitably begin to pay attention to, and trust, the ads they’re exposed to.”

Take Advantage of Influence

Hosts often read their ads in person, using their own voice and personal experience to connect with their audience. More importantly, they make sure they like the product or service they're endorsing. From Last:

“Generally, hosts who deliver ads are given the products/services to test and try for themselves, which helps add a level of authenticity to their advocacy. Due to the trust and rapport that have with their dedicated audience base, podcast hosts become influencers, just like bloggers and celebrities on social media. As a result, endorsements from hosts have proven ROI.”

These three tips, and the extra info on the blog, are powered by a survey polling 6,602 audioBoom podcast listeners, so Last is drawing on the data. While the podcast industry is worth keeping an eye in the future, it's already clear that advertisers should start keeping track of the top podcasts in their niche, and set aside a chunk of next quarter's advertising funds in advance.

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Written by:
Adam is a writer at Tech.co and has worked as a tech writer, blogger and copy editor for more than a decade. He was a Forbes Contributor on the publishing industry, for which he was named a Digital Book World 2018 award finalist. His work has appeared in publications including Popular Mechanics and IDG Connect, and his art history book on 1970s sci-fi, 'Worlds Beyond Time,' is out from Abrams Books in July 2023. In the meantime, he's hunting down the latest news on VPNs, POS systems, and the future of tech.
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