Wednesday, November 8, 2023

More Reasons Why Successful Brands Should Work Directly with Podcast Networks


 

My goal is to provide information for brands to excel in podcast advertising. We do that by collaborating directly with our partners. Agencies promise make-goods and free ads because they do not have or take the time to understand the best way to buy on individual podcast networks. Plus, they are spread so thin across different clients that there is no time for care. Trying to lump TWiT.tv in with the other DAI network buys is simply the wrong approach.

Here are four more reasons why brands should go direct:

1. Podcast advertising works because audiences trust their hosts. Brands must build trust - you cannot buy it. Brands cannot expect to receive quality advice from agencies, primarily because they need to communicate with podcast networks, and they don't. Agencies focus on scale, and networks focus on success. Want to win now? Contact networks and stop working with agencies.

2. Brands can save a lot of money by moving away from traditional agencies that take a cut of ad buys. Brands should hire someone in-house for podcast advertising. I recommend considering someone who has worked at an agency or understands podcasting advertising. Agencies focus on volume buys, and brands should be with partners who care about their success.

3. There is zero communication between agencies and networks on how podcast ads are doing for brands. Agencies need to pay attention to our recommendations, and they refuse to listen. They need to communicate when campaigns are underway, as the only feedback we receive is when their clients cannot convert the traffic we send to their websites. They disregard ad tech, time, and frequency. This has increasingly worsened over the last few years and is why 65% of our business is direct. We care about the brands we sign just as much as the audience we introduce them to.

4. Remember the old saying, "You Get What you Paid for?" The same applies to buying podcast ads. When a brand works with an agency that does not communicate with networks and only uses Request-For-Proposals (RFPs) as a convoluted vetting system, you get what you paid for. What worked for Brand X may not work for Brand Y. Communication is critical for proper brand growth, and it's missing with agencies.

Here at TWiT.tv, we only improve our communication processes with brands and continue to research and apply best practices. We don't want clients. We want partners.

Ready for real growth? Reach out to advertise@twit.tv, and let's discuss your growth goals.