Using podcasting in advertising

Here are some tips for using podcasting in advertising.

Tip one:
Keep your message brief. While it is a known fact that podcasts can provide more information than a video podcast people do not want to listen to super long ads about a product or service that you are trying to get them to buy. If your message is too long people might have the urge to fast forward through it, which will defeat your purpose for advertising. Just like television commercials the faster the point is made the better the ad. If you do have many features about your product that you are trying to get across to your customers split them up into smaller podcasts rather than having one long podcast.

Tip two:
Always vary the creativity in the ad. Many users don't mind hearing short tasteful ads but they don't like to hear the same style over and over. They want something new and exciting each time the listen to a podcast. So always keep your ads interesting by talking about different features, doing special ads for the holidays, getting different people to talk on your ads (a new voice is always an eye catcher), or you can add real live interviews with other customers who have tried your product and liked it. Don't hesitate to try something new, which is the reason why people listen to podcasts for something new and interesting.

Tip three:
Don't underestimate your audience. You know who your target group of listeners are going to be so when creating your ads keep these people in mind. Most of the listeners to your podcasts are going to people who are already interested in your product, otherwise they wouldn't take the time to download the podcast. Podcasts are not really designed for reaching a new target group but they are more designed for engaging the target group you already have. When creating your ads do not talk down to your listeners, most of these people already know the technical terms, so don't waste time trying to explain them, it will only cause you to lose customers because they will feel like you are degrading them.

Tip four:
When placing your ads inside a podcast do not place the ad at the very beginning or at the very end of the podcast. For the best chance of people listening to your message you are going to want your ad right in the middle of the show, where they will be less likely to fast forward or just stop listening. If there are ads at the beginning of the show many people will fast forward through them because their hands are already on the control and they just want to get started. Also ads at the end never get listened to because once the podcast is done people turn it off and begin listening to the next show they had lined up. Your best time is in the middle of the show because the listeners is already engaged in the show and probably won't skip through the sponsors messages because they are already doing something else while listening.

Tip five:
Never model your podcasting ads after broadcast radio ads. When people are listening to the radio many times they are not paying close attention and are quick to flip the dial to a new station once a commercial comes on because they are looking for something that grabs their attention. Because of this radio broadcast ads have had to take the form of cheesy skits and loud obnoxious ads in a desperate attempt to grab the listeners' attention. But because the listener is already subscribed to the podcast show you are advertising on you are a step ahead of radio you already have the listener engaged, now all you have to do is be clear, concise and informative, you can even throw in some humor.

Just remember that while podcasting can be a great form of advertising you still need to use some common sense to create an ad campaign that will engage and entertain the listeners.