Successful Strategies for Podcast Advertising

 

Are you looking to take your podcast advertisements to the next level? If so, we at TWiT.tv are here to share invaluable insights on creating captivating ad copies and harnessing the power of host-read ads. With Nielsen's study as a testament, host-read podcast ads outshine voice ads in performance every time. In this blog, we will explore the secrets behind this winning strategy.

Host-read ads hold the power of personalization. It allows the hosts to interweave their thoughts into the ad, enhancing the message's authenticity. This strategy resonates with the audience who appreciate the genuineness of the ad read. It is a proven fact that podcast audiences are highly engaged and that host-read ads result in 50% higher purchase power, according to Nielsen.

Beyond the ad copy, the importance of delving into the brand's story surpasses all else. In today's fast-paced world, the stories behind the brands often go unnoticed. However, sharing your brand's backstory and effectively communicating your product's features and benefits in an ad can make a huge difference. The idea is to educate your audience about your brand, enabling them to make informed decisions.

Moreover, setting your brand apart in a crowded market space can be challenging. Focus on what makes your product or service unique - superior features, cost-effectiveness, exceptional customer service, or ease of use. Highlighting these points can help your brand stand out and give people a reason to choose you over others.

TWiT's partnership team holds a treasure trove of insights and strategies for making your podcast advertising successful. Whether you are a novice or an expert in podcast advertising, our tips will prove invaluable.

If you want to advertise your brand and explore the gold standard in podcasting, do not hesitate to reach out to advertise@twit.tv. We are always ready to have a conversation and guide you in your podcast advertising journey.

So tune in, gather all the tools you need, and let's take your podcast advertising to new heights!

Join us at Club TWiT!

 One of the things we are most proud of is Club TWiT. With exclusive access to our hosts, Club TWiT is filled with the best and brightest of our fans. Our Club has close to 10,000 people, and if you consider what's what - our Club is in the top 3-4% of exposure. 

Occasionally, we will turn on our live stream for club shows so everyone can get a free peek into what we offer at Club TWiT. Episodes are posted only to the Club feed, so members are the only ones with access. We love creating new content exclusively for our Club members! 

Currently, we offer ALL of our shows ad-free, bonus content, including book reviews, marquee interviews, and there are Club Only shows - Home Theater Geeks, Hands-On Mac, Hands-On Windows, and the Untitled Linux Show. We are working on a new show that will begin in the Club about AI. The AI show will be hosted by Jason Howell.

Join today if you are looking for a like-minded community to hang out with in Discord or to get all your favorite shows ad-free. Visit TWiT.tv's Club TWiT, and select your plan now.

Podcast Host-Read Ads Outperform Voice Talent Ads

 

Host-read ads are superior to voice talent ads in podcast advertising. My podcast, Host-Read Ads was created about a year ago to educate brands about this.

Spotify admits that host-read ads outperform other ads due to the audience's emotional connection and trust in the host. As podcast advertising gained popularity, host-read ads became advertisers' preferred format, however, voice talent podcast ads (read by actors and producers) have become increasingly popular with agencies.

According to Nielsen, host-read podcast ads drive strong brand recall and outperform voiced ads every time. It's been well documented that podcast audiences are among the most engaged there are, and much of that reflects the hosts. Purchase power is 50% higher with host-read ads.

Here are three reasons why you need to prioritize networks that offer host-read ads over voice talent ads:

1. The audience prefers to hear the ad read from the host, not from someone else. Listeners will pay closer attention to a host-read ad.

2. A host-read ad is more effective in creating an emotional connection with the audience because they trust the host with content, so they will trust the host with an ad read.

3. A longer interstitial host-read ad allows hosts to tell an engaging story about the brand, including testimonials, features and benefits, and a compelling reason why a listener would want to consider the brand. This drive conversions.

Brands may want to scale with voice talent ads due to their generally lower cost, however they are not equal to host-read ads in response or pricing.

Listen to my host-read ads podcast about this:  Podcast Host-Read Ads Outperform Voice Talent Ads

The Importance of Podcast Ad Copy

 

According to Google, there are over 5 million podcasts with over 70 million episodes between them as of 2023. Spotify alone has around 5 million podcast titles on its platform. This is a HUGE amount considering our podcast network has been here for 18 of the 20 years podcasting has been around. Let this sink in: there are millions of podcasts out there, so why would a brand use an archaic Call-To-Action to attract attention?

When it comes to your brand's CTA, you must consider this:

1. Is your brand in a crowded space? Brands need to be aware of their competition and decide if they want to take on established business clientele OR go after new business. It is important to think about your strategy and identify who you want to target before looking for podcast networks to advertise with. Brands must identify specifically who they want to reach - industry, job title, company size, etc.

2. What sets your product/service apart from competitors? Focus on case studies, the features, and the benefits of why your product/service can be trusted - will it save time, money, clients, and more? If you think your brand is the best, you must deliver this to podcast audiences.

3. Give podcast audiences time to test your product/service OR offer a discount. Examples: 30-day free trial, 10% off an annual purchase, 3 months free with an annual purchase, 30% off your first order, and 10% off thereafter, etc. Be sure your CTA is compelling AND something you can live with for a long time, or be explicit on how long the sale will be for. Be generous, it will pay off tenfold when purchasers recall your brand.

Brands need to spend identifying who their target client is and what they want to say to them before buying podcast ads.

TWiT.tv has been around since 2005, and we help our partners meet their growth goals. If you are interested in advertising with us because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email advertise@twit.tv, and we can chat about your goals.

Setting Brand Expectations From Podcast Advertising - Part I

 

It's imperative to set brand expectations before starting a podcast campaign. In 2023, you can consume content in almost any format you want. While old media was fairly limited, today, there are numerous ways to consume information in any format you choose; podcasts, social media, online print & audio. Hardly anyone is consuming the same content, let alone the same way. The Internet has caused us to become a fragmented society, making it a challenge for brands to reach exactly who they want.

The first point to make when meeting with a brand is to set advertising expectations. Explore what marketing efforts they are doing now and understand where they came from. What have they done in the past that was successful? What wasn't successful? Is what's active now working for them? Do a deep dive into past and existing advertising campaigns because you'll need to qualitatively understand the brand's efforts to date.

It takes an average of 8 touchpoints to close a sale. If a brand wants to start a podcast campaign but does nothing else to market the brand, the campaign won't be successful, no matter who they partner with. Multiple platforms should be used in parallel with multiple marketing tools to reach the target audience, but they have to be the appropriate platforms. Spreading out marketing dollars without the right frequency and proper platforms will waste advertising dollars. Therefore, your first call with a new brand needs to be exploratory. Find out their pain points and focus on solving their growth goals before discussing campaign ideas.

TWiT.tv - Dyanamic Ad Insertion & Host Read Ads: Part II

 

Here are the critical differences between host-read and dynamic ad insertion ads: Host-read ads are delivered by our broadcast journalist hosts during live shows, so each read is guaranteed to be unique every time. Our hosts provide insights, experience, and a personal or implied brand endorsement. Our goal is to further educate our fans about the sponsor's products and services and how they will benefit them directly. Because our fans trust our hosts, they genuinely listen to what hosts say about a product or service. You simply cannot buy trust, and since our host-read ads are done live, our partners receive live impressions for free, and our live recordings go into reruns, which means we serve additional free ads that our partners did not pay for. And you do not get this with DAI on our network. DAI ads are producer-read ads inserted directly into our shows in post-production. They are fifteen, thirty, or sixty seconds long and are always within these ranges. They are served until the promised download number is reached. DAI costs less than host-read ads, BUT they do not have the audience's trust. Both ads work, depending on what a client is looking for. DAI helps with global awareness, while host-read provides a story about the brand and helps solidify conversions. I recommend that our clients utilize both, as it takes multiple touchpoints to convert a fan, and the more ways you can reach people, the better. Here at TWiT.tv, we care about brand goals and focus on what it takes to help them grow. If you are interested in working with us because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, please email advertise@twit.tv, and we will set up a time to chat about your growth goals.

TWiT.tv - Dynamic Ad Insertion & Host Read Ads: Part 1

 

When the pandemic first hit in 2020, TWiT.tv lost 60% of its advertising partners in two weeks. As an ad-supported network offering only host-read ads, we quickly realized we were one-dimensional.

Fast forward to 2023, we have added DAI in the form of Advertisecast to sell our residual open audio inventory. Plus, we have diversified our host-read ad inventory by allowing agencies to book small test campaigns to complement their testing phase with new clients.

We approve categories for DAI, and all ads are inserted into our audio feeds by Advertisecast. These ads are 15, 30, or 60 seconds long, producer read ads or commercials. And they can geotarget and are in several countries.

Since 65% of our host-read ads are currently with direct partners. We prefer to partner with direct businesses because having a working relationship with the partner is always better than working through an agency.

Because we have two decades of experience, we find that agencies churn through staff and have representatives who need to learn their brands better. We pride ourselves on openly communicating with our partners and working closely with them to set up campaigns for success. We also ensure over-delivery so our partners never feel their marketing dollars were wasted. We know that pure volume buys only produce satisfactory results. How can anyone build a proper campaign when they do not speak with networks and ignore best practices for tracking campaigns.

If you are interested in our process, which starts with a conversation about your growth goals and needs, please reach out to advertise@twit.tv, and let's chat.