Every part You Want To Know About Podcast Promoting and Sponsorships

As a content material progress and innovation chief for HubSpot, I understand how vital it’s to seek out impactful methods to develop your model’s attain. In my expertise, one of many simpler and underrated channels for entrepreneurs is podcast promoting.

Outdoors of labor, I’m an avid podcast listener. I’ve been persuaded to check out a brand new product really helpful by my favourite hosts. That’s very true if I’ve been listening to a present for years. There’s a level of parasocial belief that pushes me over the sting.

So podcast promoting could be efficient, however realizing the place to start out with podcast promoting could be complicated. To assist, I’ve gathered my private experiences and insider suggestions from HubSpot’s podcasting staff into this complete information of all the things that you must find out about podcast promoting.

Desk of Contents

I consider podcast promoting as just like different types of promoting. First, I determine podcasts that match my audience and demographics and negotiate a deal. From there, my staff creates the advert content material, and the host inserts it into the episode.

Podcast advertisements often describe the featured services or products and sometimes embrace the host’s private expertise. Many advertisements additionally embrace promo code-based reductions for listeners. After I consider examples in my life, Blue Apron involves thoughts. I heard their advertisements dozens of instances on my favourite NPR podcasts with a pleasant low cost if I take advantage of their code.

The host expertise is without doubt one of the largest variations in podcast promoting. My advertisements could be recorded audio or a script the host reads and inserts their expertise into so as to add social proof.

You too can use self-service promoting instruments like Spotify’s Advert Studio, which helps produce and launch podcast advertisements focused to the proper viewers on its streaming platform throughout a number of reveals directly. As soon as an advert is printed, groups use metrics similar to listens, downloads, and conversions to trace advert efficiency.

Podcasts symbolize an enormous potential viewers and have grow to be an more and more fashionable a part of shopper’s lives. In keeping with Edison Analysis, 98 million individuals take heed to podcasts weekly.

Extra individuals than ever are partaking with podcasts throughout their every day routines — like driving to work, understanding, and cleansing round the home — making podcasts a wonderful medium for promoting.

Focused Viewers

I discover that podcasts are helpful for accessing area of interest audiences. For instance, the demographics of true crime podcasts are primarily youthful ladies. Many profitable reveals create very particular niches to succeed in their ideally suited listeners and construct a group of people with specific pursuits and behaviors.

Larger Engagement

As a marketer and an everyday human being, I do know ads could be an unwelcome interruption. Balancing that actuality with reaching extra of my audience could be difficult. Podcasts assist remedy that downside.

Most podcast listeners perceive that promoting funds their favourite podcast reveals and see podcast promoting as supporting small creators. Consequently, 46% of listeners don’t discover podcast promoting intrusive.

Elevated Credibility

In my expertise, long-form content material helps construct belief. In contrast to influencers who leverage short-form content material like TikTok movies, podcast hosts maintain their viewers’s consideration for an hour or extra.

That additional time permits them to construct stable relationships and supply me with improved model notion by affiliation once I promote with them. It’s a type of social proof.

Podcasts present a singular promoting level for advertisers. Audiences are sometimes linked with the host on an emotional degree. That implies that when the host reads my advert copy, the listeners are already predisposed to belief the message. It’s kind of like an endorsement from a celeb or trusted pal.

Living proof, I like to take heed to The Splendid Desk from America Public Media. When the host, Francis Lam, makes a advice a couple of cooking product or approach, I take observe.

Measurable Outcomes

With 43% of advertisers frightened about measuring the effectiveness of selling campaigns, we want knowledge. One in every of my favourite podcast advert advantages is the power to see how many individuals listened whereas the advert was working and use distinctive hyperlinks to attribute clicks and conversions to every episode.

One instance is the Contemporary Make investments present created by Morning Brew Podcasts and sponsored by Constancy. The host breaks down the investing surroundings and supplies listeners with stable recommendation and actionable suggestions. Because the sponsor, Constancy receives model mentions with the proper audience and (most significantly) on the proper time — when the viewers’s curiosity in investing is excessive.

Paid Interview

Such a sponsored content material immediately entails me or one other professional in my firm. We pay the podcast to interview an professional we selected on a subject we choose.

This offers our firm consultants an amazing alternative to unfold model consciousness and showcase their experience. In flip, the podcast will get sponsorship cash, a credibility enhance, and fascinating interview content material a couple of subject associated to its personal mission.

To me, it’s a robust mix of promoting, model constructing, and thought management.

In this episode of Freakonomics Radio, host Stephen J. Dubner interviews Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella concerning the potentialities and dangers of AI. Nadella supplies his insights for the viewers, inserting Microsoft on the forefront of the AI dialogue for listeners.

I discover that the paid interview strategy could be fairly helpful if you’re utilizing a requirement technology technique. These interviews give your management time to supply much-needed context and clarify why there’s an pressing want for the product that the market may not already perceive.

Product Placement

We‘ve all seen model placements on TV and in films. For instance, the actors drive a particular model of automobile and point out options as a part of the script. That’s product placement, and you are able to do it in a podcast, too. The hosts will casually point out your product as a part of the dialogue.

Totinos was positioned centrally in a “My Brother, My Brother, and Me” podcast. Whereas Totinos have been continuously mentioned, they nonetheless didn’t come throughout as too salesy or aggressive to listeners.

The hosts snacked on Totino’s pizza rolls whereas enjoying video games revolving round meals and having random discussions about life.

Direct Response Advert

Direct response advertisements are a kind of native advert that mixes product placement. The podcast host reads your script however then provides a name to motion, like clicking a hyperlink on the podcast homepage or utilizing a coupon code.

I like utilizing these advert spots as a result of they’re host-read and might profit from the listener feeling like they’re getting a stable advice from the host.

On this episode of Julia Louis-Drayfus’s podcast, “Wiser Than Me,” you possibly can hear a number of direct-response advertisements on the 27:00 minute mark that includes manufacturers like Hairstory and BetterHelp.

Each of those advertisements embrace show-specific low cost codes that listeners can use to obtain a reduction once they attempt the model’s services.

Now that you simply‘re conversant in the varieties of podcast advertisements out there to you, let’s talk about how I discover and sponsor podcasts.

Common CPM Charges

• 30-second advert placement. $18.
• 60-second advert placement. $25.

As soon as once more, I take into account my total marketing campaign goal right here. If I’m merely desirous to get my model’s identify on the market, then shorter advertisements can get the job executed. Nevertheless, if I need the listener to rigorously take into account my product and take motion, then I might select an extended advert so I may write a script that covers their ache factors and the worth my firm provides.

Instructions for Voice Actors

Irrespective of how excellent my script copy is, I would like to ensure I’ve the proper individuals studying it and that these people have directions about what I need. Voice actors want course identical to live-action actors do.

The 2 massive factors I at all times share are tone and voice description. I embrace particulars concerning the feelings and magnificence of the copy for the voice actor. Examples of tone embrace vivid, cheerful, critical, pressing, or pleasant.

I additionally want to ensure we rent the proper voice actor. A voice description helps your employees decide the proper particular person. Whereas voiceover actors typically have totally different “characters” they’ll create when studying your advertisements, we nonetheless want to make sure that the particular person chosen can meet gender and age kinds, similar to a female-sounding millennial voice.

Hook

Each script wants an attention-grabbing assertion that resonates with my viewers and retains them from fast-forwarding by means of the advert. I discover asking questions or describing the listener’s ache factors to be efficient.

Private Story

Utilizing a private story about how my product solves the listener’s downside helps make a connection. Humor, schooling, and emotion are the highest three storytelling instruments I take advantage of when writing scripts.

I like to recommend selecting your methodology based mostly on what matches your model, product, and marketing campaign. For instance, if I’m promoting a medicine, I would take the emotional and empathetic strategy, whereas humor may work higher for merchandise like snacks or leisure.

Name-to-Motion

A call-to-action (CTA) tells the listener what motion to take subsequent, like visiting my web site or signing up for a free trial. I wish to create distinctive URLs or provide codes for podcast CTAs as a result of they encourage motion and assist me monitor the outcomes of every marketing campaign.

Step 4. File and finalize the advert.

As soon as the script has been finalized, it must be recorded.

For host-reads, you simply have to get the script to the podcast host. But when you’ll be recording the advert, you’ll choose your voiceover actors, prepare for recording and post-production work, and ship the advert to the host or streaming service.

Relying in your firm, you might have an in-house manufacturing staff that handles all of these particulars for you. In case you’re a small store or solo entrepreneur, you’ll have to handle these particulars your self.

Streaming platforms like Spotify have their very own instruments to assist report native advertisements. Nevertheless, in the event you report the script your self, you’ll want a quiet place and an affordable microphone. To rent a voice actor on a price range, try platforms like Casting Name Membership, the place new voice actors are keen to work for a small price or no value as a result of they want credit so as to add to their resumes.

Ask your voice expertise to supply a WAV file, as that’s the mostly used format for native advert manufacturing.

Put up-production combines voice, correctly licensed music, and sound results to create a completed advert that matches the precise time wanted and meets the audio specs, similar to stereo or mono, the bit price, and doesn’t have any undesirable background noise.

I often use an audio producer for this, however it may be DIY’d for extra simple advertisements utilizing instruments like Adobe Audition or Audacity.

When you add the audio file to the streaming service or podcast host, the advert can be positioned in a podcast episode or a number of episodes by the host or the streaming service’s dynamic insertion expertise.

In keeping with HubSpot’s former company advertising and marketing supervisor, Sam Balter, the general podcast viewers is generally made up of “prosperous, educated millennials“ and is a ”good viewers for manufacturers just about no matter what present you’re on.“

Most podcast listeners are sufficiently old to make buying selections and have sufficient earnings to make these purchases.

Alanah Joseph, head of creator partnerships, talks about how vital understanding the present’s listeners is for profitable advert campaigns.

“We’re wanting on the advert from the perspective of a listener. Does the advert really feel prefer it’s an genuine a part of the present? Is it pleasing to take heed to?” Joseph postulates.

The extra advertisements match the content material of the present, the extra doubtless listeners will keep engaged.

2. Get conversant in podcast promoting costs.

Determining podcast promoting pricing could be complicated at first. There are large variations in pricing, and costs don’t at all times replicate the present’s desirability.

In my expertise, although, podcast promoting tends to be extra clear than you would possibly assume. Most podcasters and podcast networks use the identical standardized method to calculate promoting prices.

To get a tough concept of advert prices for a particular present earlier than reaching out to a podcast staff or community, I like to have a look at the present’s earlier episodes and plug that knowledge into this method.

Utilizing CPM breaks numbers down into easier-to-digest chunks per thousand listeners so you possibly can extra simply examine numbers. On common, Balter says most podcast advert charges are inclined to run between $10 and $50 CPM, making it comparatively reasonably priced for even small manufacturers, though very fashionable podcasts will value extra.

Which means a podcast with 10,000 downloads would cost round $100 to $500 for an advert placement.

Nevertheless, once I’m working extra intensive promotions, like a totally sponsored podcast episode, I discover formulation aren’t correct. Prices are far more variable for long-form promoting sorts.

3. Select reveals associated to your {industry} or model.

My best-performing advertisements relate to the podcast sequence or episode as a result of listeners usually tend to stay engaged and reply to the CTA, particularly in the event that they determine with the ache factors you remedy. Consequently, I at all times purpose for relevance if I’m manually reaching out to reveals as an alternative of utilizing a self-service streaming choice.

For instance, if I needed to put an advert a couple of B2B recruiting service, I might search for a podcast that discusses human assets for B2B firms.

The identical precept applies to B2C merchandise. This episode of TASTE opens with an advert for Style Europe’s French butter, highlighting its makes use of, advantages, and why it’s the selection of {many professional} cooks. The advert is an ideal match for listeners who come to TASTE to get their fill of meals and tradition.

I search for reveals the place the host would use and love my product. If the host would like it, there’s a robust probability it is going to be a superb match with their viewers.

4. Leverage competitor evaluation in your analysis.

I like utilizing aggressive evaluation to assist me uncover what the opposite guys are doing. By inspecting what manufacturers just like mine are attempting, I can discover alternatives to achieve a bonus over opponents.

I’ve discovered that watching the place my opponents promote evokes me in my search and helps me slim my focus by figuring out the varieties of reveals and matters that would work for me. That stated, I’m not a fan of copying and pasting a competitor’s technique. I favor to make use of it to generate concepts after which problem myself to determine what I can do higher.

5. Don’t ignore smaller reveals.

After I first began in podcast promoting, I needed to resolve whether or not to spend my entire price range on one advert for a giant present with promising numbers or to hedge my bets throughout a number of podcasts. I’ve discovered that Balter was spot on when he stated, “It’s higher to play an advert a number of instances on a smaller present than attempt to play a single advert on a giant present.“

I’ve to pay far more for one or two advertisements on main podcasts with an enormous listenership, and one or two advert performs are hardly ever memorable. Whilst you would possibly get nice visibility, outcomes are extra of a big gamble in my expertise.

With out a first rate ROI, you are losing cash. By spreading advert {dollars} throughout many repetitions, you assist stop an all-or-nothing scenario.

I analysis a number of smaller podcasts with partaking content material associated to my product or {industry}. From there I like to take a position a little bit of my advert spend in every present and have a look at the numbers. If one or two of them don’t meet my anticipated ROI, I modify my technique and transfer my advert {dollars} to reveals that give me extra engagement and model consciousness.

6. Promote with a number of reveals on the identical time.

After I plan to spend money on a number of podcasts — or place a number of advertisements in a single episode — I search for a community that produces a number of reveals aligned with my product and construct a relationship with that community, like Gimlet.

Such a settlement with one community is known as a pulsing technique, and Balter explains that “as a result of individuals who take heed to Gimlet reveals are more likely to take heed to different Gimlet reveals, you may get a stable variety of impressions off of some reveals over a comparatively quick period of time with out inundating listeners with the identical advert time and again.“

For instance, this Hendrick’s Gin advert was featured on a number of Gimlet podcasts and its promoting web page.

It’s a easy native advert with a brief “sponsored by Hendrick’s Gin” remark earlier than briefly describing the flavors within the gin and highlighting the model’s worth proposition.

The advert feels distinctive, however as a result of it’s not industry-specific, it could possibly goal a large viewers, making it a sensible choice for placement on a number of reveals on the identical community with minor modifications to the start of the advert.

7. Analysis obtain numbers.

I at all times take time to correctly vet podcasts when evaluating obtain and pay attention metrics.

Balter makes an amazing level when he warns that combination podcast downloads aren’t at all times correct or tracked correctly, so it’s best to at all times test particular person episode obtain numbers.

Listed below are some methods I take advantage of to confirm a podcast’s numbers:

• Have a look at all of the platforms that they put up their podcasts on. In the event that they put up on a significant web site like SoundCloud or Spotify, it’s best to have the ability to see platform-provided view numbers.

• Search for them on social media. Whereas I don’t search for present numbers right here, I do take note of follower counts and fan engagement actions that assist me gauge how invested the viewers is within the podcast.
• Work with a reputable community. Podcast networks like Gimlet Media and Wondery vet reveals earlier than granting membership, and lots of have minimal obtain thresholds that have to be wager earlier than podcasts can join.

After I lastly speak to the podcast producers, I be certain that to get as a lot particular knowledge as doable about views and impressions. I additionally wish to ask if earlier advertisers noticed an ROI. If a podcaster can present proof that advertisers generate income from advert spends with them, I’m extra doubtless to enroll.

8. Have a look at every present’s again catalog house.

It is an odd-sounding time period, however again catalog simply means what number of earlier episodes of a podcast exist.

I like focusing on these episodes as a result of they’re typically listened to and shared by the present’s viewers, however as a result of they aren’t first runs, there isn’t as a lot advert competitors for them.

After I’m utilizing this technique, I look particularly for evergreen episodes that can proceed to stay related for an prolonged time.

For instance, in the event you’re a marketer for an ecommerce home-shopping web site, you possibly can search for again catalog episodes of dwelling decor podcasts.

9. Think about video podcasts.

Whereas most individuals consider podcasts as audio-only, extra reveals are beginning to report and put up their podcasts’ movies on YouTube. I discover that this mix of long-form content material and the power to spotlight my product and model visually is a double-win for me.

On this instance, Steven Bartlett, host of The Diary of a CEO Podcast, offered an advert for Huel Diet and concurrently confirmed his viewers the merchandise.

The model additionally will get product placement all through the interview, which is over an hour lengthy.

In my expertise, video podcast advertisements are useful for manufacturers with bodily merchandise and even software program firms, the place a bunch can present a screenshot of the platform’s options.

10. Purchase spots by means of self-service.

With an entire audio clip for the standard advert slot, I like utilizing instruments like Spotify Advert Studio to rapidly buy house and goal advertisements to look on a number of podcasts.

I additionally love host-read advertisements utilizing a service like Midroll. As an alternative of recording a local advert, I simply submit advert data and buy slots in a number of reveals. It is quick and cost-effective.

11. Construct relationships with hosts and producers.

After I’m engaged on inserting extra complicated advertisements, in-person connections with hosts and present producers are useful.

“By being intentional when searching for creators, we will create a really collaborative surroundings and permit creators to infuse their character and voice into our advertisements,” says Joseph.

As soon as I’ve researched and chosen just a few podcasts, I attain out to debate promoting choices and concepts. My first contact could be an electronic mail that features:

• Just a little bit about my model.
• Why I feel it is a good match for the podcast.
• Questions on their progress and key success metrics.

Take a look at this template for a fast first-contact electronic mail concept.

I like this course of as a result of it’s collaborative, and the hosts appear to understand it. Many like getting concerned in writing the script moderately than studying one thing I’ve written verbatim.

Joseph provides, “I’ve realized the extra we permit our podcasters to take part within the creation of the advert, the higher the advert can be.”

12. Monitor efficiency and calculate ROI.

No matter what kind of advert or advert placement I buy, I at all times monitor the cash I spend and the income generated by every marketing campaign.

If I’m publishing on a number of podcasts, monitoring income helps me resolve which of them warrant extra ads and which I would stroll away from.

Need assistance calculating ROI in your advertisements? Right here’s a put up on a easy ROI method you should use to get began.

Boosting Your Promoting Technique with Podcast Sponsorships

I like discovering uncared for promoting shops, and podcasts are stuffed with alternatives. With a typically prosperous viewers and fewer advert competitors, podcasting is ripe for promoting.

The fitting podcast promoting technique delivers your message to an engaged viewers at decrease prices and better ROI than many different channels. Podcasting promoting is a good way to achieve model consciousness.