Everyone agrees that pre-produced, lifted-from-radio
Evo Terra:ads suck on podcasts and that the host-read ad is the clear winner.
Evo Terra:But is that true for every podcast?
Evo Terra:More importantly, is it true for your podcast?
Evo Terra:Hello, and welcome to another Podcast Pontifications with me, Evo Terra.
Evo Terra:This is going to sound a little odd, but please bear with me.
Evo Terra:It's about podcast advertising and I've a contrary opinion.
Evo Terra:Are you ready for it?
Evo Terra:I think we put too much emphasis on the host-read ad for podcasting.
Evo Terra:Not that I have any doubts as to the myriad case studies and the
Evo Terra:reports that have confirmed that, yes, podcasting's host-read ads beat
Evo Terra:the pants off of just about every other form of audio advertising.
Evo Terra:From unaided brand recall to an increase in purchase intent, higher affinities
Evo Terra:and familiarities, host-read ads are clearly superior to announcer-read ads.
Evo Terra:Or are they?
Evo Terra:Well, yes, probably, probably they are.
Evo Terra:But only, only if your podcast or the podcast you work on has
Evo Terra:cultivated an intimate relationship with the listeners of the show.
Evo Terra:Now, that phrase might've sent you scrambling for a drink if you're
Evo Terra:playing the "Podcasting Is An Intimate Medium Drinking Game."
Evo Terra:Which has one simple rule I'm sure you can figure out on your own.
Evo Terra:Or when you heard me say that a moment ago, perhaps it set off alarm
Evo Terra:bells because perhaps you haven't cultivated said intimate relationship.
Evo Terra:Yes, drink again.
Evo Terra:And maybe you can't.
Evo Terra:See, this is the part of the episode where I remind you that podcasting
Evo Terra:more describes the distribution medium than it describes the content.
Evo Terra:Now, if you've been with me for a while, this will come as no surprise to
Evo Terra:you, but if you're brand new it might.
Evo Terra:So let me state this clearly, podcasting is not a content format.
Evo Terra:Podcasts do not, and should not, all sound the same or follow the same content flow.
Evo Terra:To that end, and because of that and perhaps shocking to you, not all
Evo Terra:podcasts have a host who cultivates or even earns an intimate relationship
Evo Terra:with the listeners of the podcast.
Evo Terra:And without that intimate relationship - you might, by the way, want to pause
Evo Terra:the drinking game or you're going to get really drunk even before the sponsor break
Evo Terra:- host-read ads just don't work as well.
Evo Terra:Sometimes announcer ads actually work better on some shows.
Evo Terra:Now, before you brand me as a heretic, let me make my case.
Evo Terra:You see, host-read ads work really, really well.
Evo Terra:Not because the host is reading them.
Evo Terra:And I know that sounds weird.
Evo Terra:They work really, really well because the host has developed that intimate
Evo Terra:relationship with the audience and their audience has come to either
Evo Terra:trust the recommendations of that host, or they personally want to do
Evo Terra:something nice to help that host.
Evo Terra:Like perhaps buy something that they know the host benefits from.
Evo Terra:And it's that recommendation aspect that makes host-read ads
Evo Terra:on podcasts work so stinking well.
Evo Terra:When the audience is deeply connected to the host, or at least feels they
Evo Terra:are deeply connected to the host, they, the audience, is receptive to
Evo Terra:receiving recommendations from that host.
Evo Terra:And so a host-read ad is a recommendation.
Evo Terra:Albeit one the host is paid to make.
Evo Terra:But that recommendation power only goes so far.
Evo Terra:And it's defined more or less by the domain of the topics and
Evo Terra:issues discussed on that podcast.
Evo Terra:Some examples.
Evo Terra:Would I take either Andrew's or Don's recommendations on what car I should buy?
Evo Terra:Well, sure.
Evo Terra:They both host car-focused podcasts.
Evo Terra:But would their recommendations on what type of life insurance I
Evo Terra:should buy be as effective on me?
Evo Terra:Well, probably not.
Evo Terra:But if Suzy recommended a good quality pair of binoculars on her podcast, and
Evo Terra:if I was in the market for binoculars, I'd absolutely take her advice and
Evo Terra:not do any more research because she's a trusted and avid birder.
Evo Terra:But would her endorsements of patio furniture work on me?
Evo Terra:Less so.
Evo Terra:Now, in those instances where they don't work as well, where with a subject of
Evo Terra:the ad read is orthogonal to the topic at hand on the podcast, an announcer-read ad
Evo Terra:would likely be just as effective, maybe even more so since I wouldn't be listening
Evo Terra:with my head cocked to one side wondering why the ads don't match the content.
Evo Terra:But then again, I'm weird like that.
Evo Terra:And also I listen to plenty of fiction podcasts, right?
Evo Terra:I listen to some news shows.
Evo Terra:I listen to straight up educational programs where there isn't a strong host.
Evo Terra:I've developed an affinity for the content that's produced for sure,
Evo Terra:but I probably couldn't even name the host of some of those shows.
Evo Terra:So a host-read ad in those instances isn't all that important to me.
Evo Terra:It doesn't even work.
Evo Terra:In fact, an announcer-read would probably [work] just as good, if not
Evo Terra:even better, because it probably has all the right talking points, the
Evo Terra:researched talking points, inside of it without someone having to try
Evo Terra:and make it up as they go along and pretend they've got some intimate
Evo Terra:connection that just doesn't exist.
Evo Terra:So again, if for your listeners your podcast truly is an intimate
Evo Terra:experience, then roll on with those host-read ads cause they'll work great.
Evo Terra:But [if] it is not, and I assure you not every listener has to
Evo Terra:have an intimate experience when they listen to every podcast.
Evo Terra:So if that's not the case, then recognize the case studies you're
Evo Terra:learning about, and you're hearing about on other shows and other
Evo Terra:newsletters, they may not exactly line up to the type of podcast you produce.
Evo Terra:It's okay for you to do your own thing for your ad reads and your sponsor messages.
Evo Terra:So with that, I shall be back next week with yet another Podcast Pontifications.
Evo Terra:Cheers!
Evo Terra:Podcast Pontifications is written and narrated by Evo Terra.
Evo Terra:He's on a mission to make podcasting better.
Evo Terra:Links to everything mentioned in today's episode are in the notes
Evo Terra:section of your podcast listening app.
Evo Terra:A written-to-be-read article based on today's episode is available at
Evo Terra:podcastpontifications.com where you'll also find a video version and a corrected
Evo Terra:transcript, both created by Allie Press.
Evo Terra:Podcast Pontifications is a production of Simpler Media.