[Updated] If you’re new to podcast ad buying, think about strategy the same way you think about your other media buys. Message. Audience/demographics. Location. Timing. Frequency. All of these variables apply, much like buying a TV spot or outdoor signage.
Why Podcasts?
If you’ve read any of our previous blogs, you know that podcast ad buying has seen immense positive growth for the last 10-15 years, giving advertisers a new, super-effective media option. Read why in our blogs: The Long-Term Audio Strategy — Trending. Automatic Podcast Advertising and Spending to Scale. Or, to sum up, podcast ads are:
- Insanely targeted
- Cost-effective
- Scalable
- Trackable
- Effective
So, let’s start with the fact that the must-have benefits of podcast advertising are a given, and move on to strategies for selecting the very best mix of podcast ads for your product, service, or campaign. Clearly, you want the buy that will give you the best ROI and highest conversion rate
Podcast Ad Buying Strategy #1: Find Relevant Podcasts
When you experience success with podcast ads, it is likely because your ad is running on podcasts that are well matched with your product and whose audiences find your ad relevant to their interests and lifestyles. Perhaps you are using automatic program ads which can further pinpoint your target in real life based on location, demographics, behavior, etc.
Finding these ad spots takes time and effort — lots of research. Not only should they fit your niche, but they should be publishing new content on a regular basis, reaching a substantial, definable audience and hopefully, promoting continual growth.
Podcast Ad Buying Strategy #2: Join a Network and Let Us Do the Work
If you have a media budget, rather than spend your time doing this all-consuming podcast research, we recommend joining a network.
A network allows groups of podcasts to work together to find advertisers and sponsors. These networks have managers who make the advertising deals. If you join a network as an advertiser, you can work with a manager who will be familiar with which shows are exactly right for your product or service.
At Libsyn’s AdvetiseCast Marketplace, we’ve tested thousands of podcasts throughout the years, so we know which ones perform and which ones don’t. Our professional sales team is also savvy with automatic podcast advertising, targeting your exact audience at the time you want to reach them. They can deliver your podcast ads based on geolocation, time of day, type of listening device, and much more. We can search podcasts by demographics rather than show, so …
You are buying the AUDIENCE, not the podcast.
Our ad inventory consists of 3,000+ podcasts, 240 of them being exclusive partners whose shows are only available through AdvertiseCast. As the premiere podcast advertising network, we think like advertisers so your buy is always tailored and targeted with reliable data to increase conversions. With a total monthly reach exceeding 170M listeners, we’re clearly able to scale efforts to meet your advertising needs.
Podcast Ad Buying Strategy #3: Use Podcast Analytics
Whether you choose to go with a network or not, analytics are key.
So, whether you’re just interested in learning more about this exciting new medium or you’re ready to dive in and create your first campaign, your AdvertiseCast sales rep will walk you through the entire process.
Remember to experiment too. You can try multiple podcasts if you have the ad spend, and you can use different advertisements to see which ones work best. You can also try different placements, like pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll, to see which ones convert better for you.
