Here’s why it feels like podcast advertising works for some, and not others, and what you can do to make sure you are always the former
We are always here to tell you that most of the time it really is them, not you – but when it comes to audio ads, we sadly see the opposite. Most of the time, people put money behind an audio ad campaign and expect miracles with little to no effort. The opportunity for a successful ad campaign is massive but you have to be smart about your investment and creative to make it work for you.
The good news is that you are not alone. A lot of brands and podcasters struggle with audio spend. That’s why we don’t take agency fees for spending with us, and why we are also here to tell you the most common mistakes people make with their spend:
- Targeting Wrong Shows
If you are doing spot ads, there are often two main ways you can target your ads – by demo, or by genre. Not all shows are created equal when it comes to your audio ad opportunities. Don’t pick podcasts just because they are popular, really think about what you are trying to do for your audience. Having a relevant mix of podcasts is more important than you might think.
Do this instead: Always look for podcasts that are either the same in genre or the same in general audience listening. The ideal mix is a bit of both. Remember also that more niche podcasts will also have more engaged audiences so do not disregard them!
- Scripting a Bad Creative
We have already written a whole guide on how to write an effective 30-second ad, so we know you are very well equipped to write an effective campaign so the main thing to keen in mind is: relevance! Now that you have chosen how you are targeting your audience and where you are finding them, focus on making your ad hard to skip because it actually is helpful for them.
Do this instead: Tailor your ads episodically. If you have the opportunity to do so, episodic ads can be more effective in converting your listeners to subscribers. If one ads isn’t going to resonate with them, the next one might!
- Spending Too Little (Budget and Time)
Now this is truly a hard one to ignore – you do need a budget to spend when it comes to audio ads. Spending next to nothing will bring you no results and we would then urge you to invest that money elsewhere. The budget you dedicate to audio ads will also allow you to spread that creative over a longer period of time and help your campaign grow too.
What to do instead: Commit to a longer ad run and give yourself enough time and investment to A/B test. People need to hear a message multiple times before the convert to a listener, so make sure you have the resources to give them that if you are choosing the paid-for route as part of your marketing mix.
- Measuring Irrelevant Metrics
It is harder to measure conversion rates on podcasts than some of the other media, but it is not impossible. You can track conversion of your podcast ad by using pixels and prefixes and while not every hosting provider would be happy to add a prefix, most would, so if ROI is something that is important to you – do not look elsewhere for answers!
What to do instead: Invest £1/CPM with us on pixel/prefix tracking and conversion for your audio ad campaign, or simply choose a conversion tracking provider yourself. You can also map out your ad start date and end date against your analytics and look at any spikes and if you could attribute them to the campaign.
- Running an Audio Campaign Alone
This one is perhaps the most crucial (and our Project Manager Patrick’s biggest pet peeve too) – you NEVER want to run an audio ad campaign alone. You will always want to combine it with a mix of other marketing activity on either paid, owned or earned front. Ideally, with a combination of all three elements. Your podcast will always need more than one marketing touchpoint, so get yourself up to number 7 with a mix of all elements so you can see your conversion rates go up.
What to do instead: Prioritise a holistic view of marketing by combining elements. Think about where your listener might hear an ad and act on it, and ensure you cover all bases from social reach to PR and Podcast Outreach.