A recent Sounds Profitable’s study, “The Power of Brands in Podcast” took a close look at how listeners have genuinely connected with brands through podcast advertising. One of the most surprising findings, was that 40% of Americans 18+ said they would be “likely to listen” to a podcast about one of their favorite brands or products. If “podcasts about brands” were a category, it would be one of the three most popular podcast genres in the country!
These types of fans are invaluable to the brands they support. They become natural evangelists for both the brands and podcasting in general- they are significantly more likely to recommend podcasts to others, and are far more receptive to recommendations themselves than the average podcast listener.
As a podcast advertiser, how do you begin to genuinely connect with potential fans?
The benefit is that podcasts, by nature, invite a sense of personal connection and community. Unlike traditional advertising channels, podcast hosts often become familiar voices and trusted companions for listeners. As a result, the audience is more receptive to messaging and ads.
Authentic Messaging
It’s important to remember that listeners are very keen on authenticity, they can discern when an advertisement is forced or insincere. When a brand aligns its values with those of the podcast and its audience, a genuine connection is forged. Listeners appreciate honesty and transparency.
Provide a Human Element
The beauty of podcasts is that they offer a platform for brands to humanize themselves. Featuring real people, stories and experiences allow brands to transcend your run-of-the-mill corporate imaging and become more relatable entities.
Customized Creative
This requires pushing beyond the general messaging thrown out to every show and platform and truly understanding the show demographic, content and lifestyle to tailor the ad content to resonate with a specific audience. It’s a little more work but can go farther to establish those deeper connections and relationships.
Host Read Ads
As we have seen in several past podcast audience studies, host read ads are one of the most powerful tools in the podcast advertising space. When a host genuinely endorses a product or service, it adds a layer of credibility and authenticity that generic ads struggle to achieve. When doing this, you want to make sure it doesn’t sound out of place or forced. It should sound like a natural seamless integration into their show.
Don’t Forget Social Media!
Brands should always have a 360° marketing approach to their listeners regardless of platform. Your target audience isn’t just listening to your podcasts. They are also on social media, scrolling, commenting and posting. You need to extend your engagement and messaging to every platform your audience is also engaging on. Making a personal connection outside of the podcast advertising shows the multi-faceted and multi-dimensional aspects of your brand.
There are unlimited opportunities to genuinely connect with listeners and turn them into official “brand fans” and/or “ambassadors.” By prioritizing authenticity, transparency and a deep understanding of your target listenership, your brand has the potential to create lasting relationships with consumers. By fostering authentic connections, brands can not only drive business but they can also become integral pieces of the stories and podcast content listened to by their target audience.