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
