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(By Ed Ryan) So much about the world of advertising has become a numbers game. Buyers, ad agencies, brands and those that battle for their money get hung up on cost-per-thousand, cost-per-point and added value. What gets lost in all of that discussion is actual results. As a podcaster, in a new medium, you need to take a hard stand and help prevent podcasting from getting thrown into that same, tired bucket. And you have the results to prove it.
You need to remind those that control the ad budgets that podcaster listeners are not consumers that happen upon your content by accident. They are not passively listening while multi-tasking. They are engaged, listening at the gym, while running or relaxing. Your listeners have to make an effort to find you. They have to learn how to listen to a podcast. And they continue to listen to you when life interrupts them. They come back again and again, taking all of those steps, because they enjoy your content. If you deliver the goods, your show is appointment listening for your tribe. YOU are the Netflix of podcasting!
It’s true that most podcasters will never make Joe Rogan money. However, most podcasters would be happy to cover the cost of monthly hosting or the cost for their microphones and mixer. And maybe, just maybe, that RODEcaster Pro. The audience you have now, whether it’s 100 people, 2,000 people or 10,000 people has value. Take that value directly to advertisers who want actual results.
Ask your listeners to support your sponsors. If they like your content, they will support your sponsors. Your listeners want to be loyal to someone they trust. Make sure they can trust you. And, never feed your listeners a faulty product. Make sure your sponsors are a match for your content. If you are hosting a show about food, why would you read an ad about sneakers? Be smart. Make it make sense to your audience. They will know when you are simply reading an ad because you want the money. Be genuine. Understand the product or business you are supporting
Don’t over populate your show with so many sponsors you sound like you’re begging. That’s like what’s going on in Nashville these days. Rather than country acts playing with a subtle request for tips if you like the music, they play a few songs and walk around the room begging for money with a beer bucket.
And please, despite what others are saying, do not start your show with an ad or allow an ad network to tell you a pre-roll ad is ok. It’s not. No matter what people tell you, that’s an immediate turn-off. Podcast listeners want you to get right into the content. They are there to hear you. They are not tuning into your show because they need a new pillow or a new mattress.
Every study that comes out shows that more money is, and will continue to move, into podcasting. Stake your claim to those dollars now.
Ed Ryan is the Editorial Director of The Podcast Business Journal and co-host with his wife of Beach Talk Radio every Saturday morning. He can be reached at _edryantheeditor@gmail.com. _