Podcast Advertising – Ads People Actually Enjoy

Podcast advertising provides an opportunity to reach a highly engaged and growing audience. It’s time to invest in ads people actually enjoy.

There are 383.7 million podcast listeners globally. It is predicted that by the end of 2022. there will be about 424 million podcast listeners worldwide.  If you haven’t invested in audio as part of your strategy, what are you waiting for?!?

According to Forbes, podcasting is #2 in “Top Content Marketing Trends to Stay on Top of in 2022.”

People listen to podcasts during workouts, on the road, or even while getting ready for work. It’s a convenient, informative way to spend your free time. Millions of people listen to podcasts, so why not use it for advertising?

Here’s why podcast ads work:

People Aren’t Skipping Them

The biggest benefit of podcast ads is that 67% of listeners actually enjoy hearing them. Compare that to only 6% for TV and radio audiences.

These kinds of ads are part of the podcast’s overall storytelling, seamlessly integrated into the narrative.

Rather than interrupting listeners with a commercial, podcast ads are made to be part of the conversation. Compared to traditional media, podcast ads are less obtrusive, making listeners feel less inclined to skip them.

For example, The Adam & Dr. Drew Show used the topic of mental health to lead into their smart mattress promotion. Rather using an ad for Eightsleep as a filler, the hosts made it a solution to a problem. Sleep is an important factor in mental health. Introducing a smart mattress into the conversation makes it feel natural instead of forced.

“The WARC report said that 78% of listeners are comfortable with hearing ads on podcasts to support free content. They tend to be memorable and enjoyable, which can give the consumer a more positive feeling about the company.” – Business.com

In Ad We Trust

Not only do they enjoy ads, but many listeners trust podcast ads more than other types of advertising. This can drive them to explore new brands and even purchase their products.

According to an IAB study, “listeners are more responsive to ads read by the podcast hosts than pre-produced ones, much like any type of endorsement. Listeners trust their favorite podcast hosts and appreciate their personal takes and banter on a product or service.”

Podcast ads have the opportunity to become part of an influencer strategy. A brand sends a podcast host a sample of their product to talk about. The host tests out the product and makes it a segment topic on their podcast. They may even provide listeners an exclusive discount code to incentivize them. Hip-Hop artist Josh A, for example, had an early access code to purchase tickets for his tour, but it could only be found by listening to his podcast. This was a clever way to drive more people to his platform.

45% of podcast listeners surveyed agreed that the hosts of their favorite podcasts actually use the products they advertised on their shows. Not only does that establish trust in the brand, but the host is viewed as a credible source through their sincere conversation rather than a prewritten copy.

Word of Mouth 2.0

Podcast ads provide warm, friendly leads who will likely purchase your product. These leads resemble what Forbes calls “the strongest tool in the marketing communications toolbox” – word-of-mouth advertising.

“On average, word-of-mouth drives $6 trillion in annual global spending and is responsible for 13% of all sales. Ensuring a positive experience for consumers is key to drive future sales and to attract new customers.” – Forbes

The conversational nature of podcasts creates a word-of-mouth tactic for their ads. With trust established from the host, advertising to their audience becomes effective. In fact, 90% of people are more likely to trust a recommended brand, even if the recommendation came from a stranger. Nielsen Podcast Ad Effectiveness insights specifically states that 56% of podcast listeners pay more attention to ads read by the host. An authentic testimonial comes across much more effectively than a scripted ad.

Memorable Content = Conversions

With podcast ads being both enjoyable and trustworthy, it’s no surprise that they are memorable. An IAB study found that “67% of listeners could recall an actual product feature or promotion mentioned in a podcast ad.”

In addition, the Super Listeners 2020 study found that 48% of surveyed said they pay more attention to podcast ads than ads on any other form of media. This proves just how valuable podcast advertising is. If more people are paying attention to podcast hosts they trust and their natural deliverance of an ad, this can easily translate into conversions.

Podcast advertising has the highest recall of any channel – more than social, digital, or TV. Because of that, podcast leads’ conversion rate is seven times higher than the rate of standard website traffic leads. Even without visuals, podcasts provide a unique experience to all who listen – and their audience continues to grow. When it comes to finding the right podcast to fit your brand promotion, the sky is the limit.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a podcast is worth a thousand listens.

Want to invest in podcast advertising today? Looking for the right podcast that fits your brand? Access to Media can help! Contact us to see how our team can help get you started.