12 Jul Why We Should Be Advertising on Podcasts

It was back in 2005 when Apple helped podcasts become part of mainstream media by creating a platform solely for listeners in iTunes. Steve Jobs once called podcasting the “next generation of radio”. And no surprise, he predicted the future of technology.

Now in 2017, over 40 million Americans are listening to podcasts weekly and over 67 million are tuning in monthly. It is the most common application listened to on all Apple devices (iPhones, iPods, and iPads). With the world of podcasting growing 23% yearly, it may be time for brands to highly consider podcast advertising.

Apple offers over 3,000 channels to choose from, guaranteeing a podcast to listen to for all. Topics range from personal journals, sports broadcasts, language courses, and the most popular, news and politics. Currently, these are the top five podcasts that are being listened to according to iTunes:

1. Sworn (News & Politics)
2. Revisionist History (Society & Culture)
3. 30 for 30 (Sports)
4. Invisibilia (Science & Medicine)
5. S-Town (Personal Journals)

Advertising on podcasts offer unique benefits that not all media platforms are able to, the main one being relatability. Podcast listeners are choosing podcasts that speak to them directly; it ultimately opens up a common ground between the host and listener. More often than not the ad will be host read. The listener has already established a relationship with the host, one that is trustworthy based off their selective choice. Also, having a host read ad creates authenticity. If a host doesn’t necessarily believe in a brand or product, they simply will not endorse it. Since most listeners and hosts are likeminded, their opinions will be as well.

Depending on the type of podcasts, the host and the ad can be presented in a variety of ways. Some hosts naturally integrate an ad into the conversation. Others will take a more humorous approach and then some opt to go more formal. There are in total six different types of ways an ad can be presented:

1. Billboard Ad (a short ten second ad that gets mentioned in the beginning, middle, or the end of a podcast)
2. Spot Ad (where a podcaster sells to the advertiser)
3. Pre-Roll Ad (where an ad gets mentioned at the beginning of a podcast)
4. Mid-Roll Ad (where an ad gets mentioned during the middle of a podcast)
5. Post-Roll Ad (where an ad gets mentioned near the end of a podcast)
6. Outro (the last words of the podcast where the podcaster can give its listener one more plug about the ad)

Each ad varies in price based on the type, length, and audience size. For example, the audience size is determined by how many times a podcast is downloaded over the course of 60 days.

For more information about how to get your brand on a podcast contact: info@milksono.com