How To Create a Podcast Ad

Podcasters are open to generating revenue but don't want to lose the quality of their podcast. Advertisers know podcasts are hot and it's not just small businesses that want to feature their ads in podcasts. Create a podcast ad that's designed to capture the listener's attention instead of being tuned out.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Creating a solid 15-second ad can take a few hours if you're producing it yourself.

Here's How:

1.Brief is Better

Many podcasters won't allow ads longer than 15 seconds. Keep your message brief and to the point.

If you're used to a 60-second format to get your message across, break the ads into four 15-second spots. Podcasters usually won't fast forward through short ads but one long one will get skipped through.


2.Vary Your Message

This may go against everything you've learned about your ad campaign. You've always heard consistency is key.

But podcasters are finding that their listeners get bored wtih the same ads playing over and over and, given the medium, they begin to tune them out. This makes your message completely ineffective.


3.Be Creative

While you're varying your message, be creative with it. Since podcasting ads are low-cost advertising solutions and you should vary your message, be creative when you do create new ads.

If you're advertising during the holidays, make your ads specific to that particular holiday. You don't have to be selling holiday-specific items. Just be creative when you're creating any new ads for podcasts.


4.Know Your Audience

Who's listening to the podcast? These are your potential customers.

Teenagers are running podcasts and selling ad time. If the content they're providing isn't your target market outside of the podcasting world, look for a podcast that does offer content geared toward your type of audience.


5.Choose Your Placement Wisely

Placement in front of the podcast sounds like a good idea but many podcasters automatically tune these ads out because they're waiting for their content. Ads in the middle or even at the end of the podcast may not seem like better placement but many podcasters report those are the ones that are getting the most attention.


6.Don't Mistake a Podcast Ad for a Radio Commercial

Podcasters have specifically downloaded a program to listen to. They're not the driver on his way home from work tuning out a cluster of ads.

Don't go for the loud music, the annoying screaming or the kooky skits to grab the listener's attention. Keep your message simple, creative, clear and informative. Give your message and get out without being a distraction or an invasion on the listener.



Tips:

1.How Often Will Your Ad Be Heard

Knowing how many people listen to a particular podcast is important to getting a gage on if your ad dollars are being well spent on that particular podcast. However, podcasters are still testing the waters and finding out how many people are actually listening so they may not have 100-percent, solid numbers.


2.How Frequently Does the Podcast

Podcasts vary in frequency. Few are daily, some are weekly, some are monthly and there are some that are released sporadically.

Can you get a good deal on ad time by purchasing multiple ads for podcasts that are released weekly? Will you be better off advertising with a podcast that is only released monthly? These are the decisions you'll have to make before purchasing your podcasting ad time.


3.Ad-Insertion Companies

Fruitcast and Podtrac are ad-insertion companies that charge a minimum bid of four-cents per podcast download. These companies link up podcasters and advertisers without you doing business directly with the podcaster. Smaller companies may find this solution ideal for getting started.


4.Sponsorships May Be an Option

Don't give up on the idea of sponsoring a podcast instead of or in addition to buying ad time. With sponsorships, the podcaster generally mentions your company a few times throughout the podcast.