What the heck is a podcast?
Just a couple of years ago, if I mentioned podcasting, you might have asked, “what the heck is that?”, but now-a-days it seems like everyone has a podcast… including me, the author of this article. Don’t take that the wrong way, it’s a good thing people are podcasting! It’s a great creative outlet that teaches you audio/technical skills and lets your voice be heard by just about anyone with an internet connection.
However, in case you’ve been living under a rock, here is a brief history of podcasts. According to How Stuff Works, podcasting was developed in 2004 by former MTV video jockey, Adam Curry and software developer Dave Winer. Podcasting was a way to take digital audio recordings of broadcasts and make them available for downloading on the internet.
In 2005, Apple Inc. brought podcasts to the mainstream by incorporating it into iTunes 4.9. In that instant, millions of iTunes users were able to download podcasts right to their iPods. Since then, podcasting have only continued to grow. They can now be found on multiple platforms including Spotify, Stitcher, Soundcloud and Google Play, just to name a few. Whether you are fascinated by true-crime cases or want to take in-depth courses on how to write HTML code, there is a podcast for you.
Reaching the right audience
With the growth of podcasting over the past five years, companies like stamps.com, Casper Mattresses and Warby Parker have found substantial success from podcast advertising. Companies are able to reach more targeted audiences based on the subject matter of the podcast(s) they choose to advertise on. Because of this, companies can ensure that they are reaching highly engaged consumers.
Podcast advertising is very similar to radio advertising, but because the message isn’t broadcasted live, you don’t have to worry about the intended audience missing it.
Most podcast hosting companies have made a point to give the podcaster analytics on exactly who and how big their audience is. Advertisers can use these metrics to determine if a brand is a good fit for that podcast.
Let’s talk about impact
In 2004, This American Life produced the podcast Serial, hosted by Sarah Koenig, which investigated the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee. Before each episode, the podcast would feature an advertisement of the product and show sponsor, MailChimp. The advert consisted of everyday people doing a live read of a script that promoted MailChimp and its services.
During Serial’s run, MailChimp had one of their biggest years to date. With the show boasting over 8 million downloads per episode, MailChimp noticed an 81% increase in their social media involvement and a 67% increase in their online searches. Not every podcast will take off like Serial, but nevertheless, podcast advertising is a fantastic way to directly reach your target audience.
Low-cost, big gains
Podcast advertising doesn’t always have to cost the company an arm and a leg. Most podcasts are run independently, so even with a small advertising budget, podcast advertising can be very mutually beneficial. As a co-host to a comedy horror podcast, we receive adverts from SHUDDER, a video streaming service. This service is similar to Netflix, but only streams horror movies and shows. We are able to expose our audience to their service and in return, they help grow our show through collaborations on social media.
No matter your budget, podcast advertising is a great way to grow your business by reaching specific audiences. This avenue allows you to connect to individuals that are more apt to connect with your brand’s products or services.
Interested in learning how to better connect with consumers? Talk to the ANDERSON team! Check out our website to learn more about ANDERSON’s services or connect with us directly via email at info@anderson-adv.com.
