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A listener just clicked the play button and is ready to experience their favorite content. They’ve just heard the introduction
of the podcast episode and your advertisement is ready to roll. You have their full attention. Now it's up to you to provide
a compelling message that captures and retains the interest of the audience.
Podcast advertising is a creative and unique way to reach an engaged and targeted audience. Audio ads can provide a rich and
captivating experience that cannot be achieved with a banner advertisement, and at a much lower cost than video production.
Here are a few tips to get you started in developing creative and effective scripts for your podcast advertising campaign.
A Standard Podcast Advertisement
Below is an example of the structure for a typical podcast advertisement to get you started. We encourage you to be creative
and to develop something more unique than this basic template, but this can be a good starting point. A typical 15-second
message includes the sponsor’s name, a catch phrase and some type of enticing call to action at the end.
This podcast is brought to you by Advertiser X.
Advertiser X is the leader in Y.
You can save Z on our products when you go to...
Creative Podcast Advertisements
Here are some creative examples that are roughly 20 seconds long…
Example #1:
There used to be only two ways to meet for business. Over the phone, or in person. Now you can use GoTo Meeting to meet
ONLINE! With GoTo Meeting everyone sees your computer desktop on their screen. It’s like meeting in person, but without
wasting time and money traveling. Try GoTo Meeting Free when you visit Go To Meeting Dot Com Slash Podcasts.
Example #2:
Meeting with clients in person can cost a fortune and you waste valuable time traveling. "All this for a two hour
meeting?” Why not hold an online meeting from your computer with GoTo Meeting? Everyone who logs into the conference
call will see your computer desktop on their screen. Just visit Go To Meeting Dot Com Slash Podcasts for a free 30-day trial.
Example #3:
If you haven't tried GoTo Meeting to hold online meetings, you probably don’t know how EASY it is! Just sign-up for a
FREE Trial, schedule an ONLINE MEETING, then Invite attendees to your online meeting. That's all. It's great for
collaborating, training or product demos. Visit Go To Meeting Dot Com Slash Podcasts for a free 30-day trial.
Example #4:
Go To Meeting just got better! Because GoTo Meeting is now available for the MAC! Start online meetings on the fly or
schedule them in advance. Everyone logs on to your meeting during a conference call and they see your computer desktop
on their computer screen! For a FREE 30 day trial visit Go To Meeting Dot Com Slash Podcasts.
Example #5:
GoTo Meeting just got easier! The new version of GoTo Meeting has fully integrated voice-over IP. Now you can conference
through a phone or the Web! Save time, money AND be more efficient. Hold an online meeting with GoTo Meeting. Try Go To
Meeting FREE for 30 days. Visit Go To Meeting Dot Com Slash Podcasts.
Brief is Better
Your ad should be no more than 20 seconds. Keep your message brief and to the point. Podcast listeners usually won't bother
fast-forwarding through short ads. If your ad is longer, try breaking it up into multiple smaller audio clips that can be
dispersed across multiple podcasts.
Vary Your Message
Listeners may get bored with the same ads playing over and over and may start to tune them out. Try creating different
versions of your ad to keep the message engaging and effective.
Be Creative
Podcasting is a fairly low-cost advertising medium, so don’t be afraid to get creative by developing multiple ads. You can
create time-specific ads around a holiday or current event. Or, create special promotions or discounts. Try creating
several ads, each featuring a different use or benefit of your product.
Target Audience Micro-Segments
It’s easy to create multiple podcast advertisements that appeal to different customer micro-segments of the main audience.
It can be a particular topic of interest or target listeners that commute or work out
at the gym. By tailoring your message to smaller niche segments, overall effectiveness and Return on Investment (ROI) can be improved
Create Brand Recognition and Awareness
Online advertising is about more than just getting clicks. Building your brand and the awareness of your brand with a new
audience can be just as important for long-term success. When a customer is ready to make a purchasing decision, you want
them to recognize your brand not your competitors'. The benefits of a brand-awareness focus in your podcast advertising
campaign cannot always be measured directly with clicks, but the effect can have a significant impact over time.
Develop a Preference
Try developing a need or preference for specific characteristics your product provides. Create a subtle message that
implies the characteristics are a "must have" or "necessary requirement" in the mind of the consumer. Next, attach those
characteristics to your brand, and when the consumer is ready to make their next purchase, they’ll be more likely to
choose your product.
Measure Success with a Special Offer
It's always a good idea to measure the success of your campaign. You can easily achieve this by creating a special
offer that can be directly linked to your advertising campaign. You can offer a special bonus to new customers,
a free trial, free estimate, beat all competitor offers, a time sensitive discount or any other type of valuable incentive.
The more generous the offer, the more likely customers will take action on the advertisement.
So it's better to lure customers in with deep discounts and upsell them later on non-discounted items.
Roughly half of our podcast users listen
while they are at the computer, making it easy for them to take immediate action on any offers you include in your
advertisement. If the listener is not connected, they can use their mobile phone to call an 800 number or browse to
a Web address if their phone is Internet-enabled.
The best approach is to include an easy to remember URL, coupon code, and or 800 number that will allow listeners to
take action immediately, or when they are back online. We'll be happy to assist you with setting up an easy to remember, trackable
URL for your campaign.
Avoid Being Over the Top
Marketers must accept that consumers have much more choice and control over their content these days. If they find
advertising loud and annoying, they’re more likely than ever to turn off the content and never come back. Keep your
message creative, clear and informative, and listeners will perceive your message in a more positive light.
Test and Adapt
The flexibility of podcast advertising enables you to test and adjust your message until you find what works. Changes
can be made quickly, and over time, you can hone your message to its maximum effectiveness. However, make sure you
give your advertisements adequate time to prove their effectiveness before making a change.
Get Customer Feedback
Use your podcast advertisement to get feedback on your product or service. Develop a poll or ask users to respond to
a survey. It’s a great way to get consumer feedback or anecdotes for your other promotional activities. Entice
listeners to share their comments by providing a free giveaway or chance to win a prize.
Public Relations
Unless you manage the market's perception, the market's perception will manage you. Advertising in our podcasts is a
great way to reach a broad market and inform the local community about issues that may affect them. You can also build
awareness of a particular topic or just set the record straight. For maximum effectiveness, combine this type of
advertisement with an easy to remember URL where they can get more information.
Lead Generation
Podcast ads can be used to generate qualified leads for your service. Try offering an incentive such as free information
or a chance to win a prize, then direct listeners to an easy to remember URL to fill out a questionnaire. This method provides
a great way to effectively track the effectiveness of your campaign.
Increase Membership
Are you tasked with increasing membership of your organization or club? Through our podcast ads you can reach your
niche and deliver your message cost effectively. Podcast ads are able to create awareness of your company's offering
and drive new members to your Web site or through your doors.
Event Promotion
You can create awareness of a local event, a conference, a grand opening, a one day sale, or even an online Web
broadcast by advertising in podcasts. With an audio ad you can more easily convey an enticing description of your event
and a link to a Web site for more details. Our daily articles are a great way to reach your target market for time sensitive
events. Our ads are inserted dynamically at the time of download so the advertisement can be heard up to the day
your event starts. With podcast ads you can promote directly to your target audience and increase
attendees for your event.
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