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Can podcast ads convert listeners? You bet!
Here’s how we helped a local Arabic show increase searches and listener numbers with audio advertising.
Drive conversions with podcast advertising
A local podcast in Saudi Arabia called “Maida” was a huge commercial success, becoming a #1 ranked show in Saudi Arabia. A number of listeners were driven to the show from an audio advertising strategy. This gives a real example of how audio ads can influence lower funnel actions.
The podcast ad strategy for conversions
To increase the number of listeners and subscribers for the podcast show, we launched a programmatic audio advertising strategy targeting the key audience: female, Saudi nationals with families. The aim was to drive listeners of other shows to search, find, and listen to “Maida.”
It was a 22-second Arabic-only spoken ad, read by the show’s host, Dr. Mai Hakim, and distributed across all popular podcast platforms and shows in KSA
Our co-founder Adel Saadi says, “For this campaign, Apple Podcasts was an important platform for us to target due to its huge listenership in the region. When we take a look at the distribution of downloads across our regional networks, it tells us Apple is the biggest podcasting platform in Saudi Arabia with over 80% of podcast listeners using it. We also utilized genre targeting. Podcast ads aren’t like radio, it’s not sent out on mass with loud attention-grabbing creatives. Podcast ads are about being specific, natural, and engaging.”
Programmatic podcast advertising allows for deep granular contextual targeting. This means brands can isolate shows, genres, and ad placement to best fit their products and values. Plus the added benefit of good brand safety.
The results
The audio ad for “Maida” aired between May and July 2021 and achieved an impressive listen-through rate of 94.6%. But most notably, the ad drove action. People exposed to the ad searched for it.
The increase in search inquiries prompted “Maida” to become a feature on the Apple Podcasts’ homepage under the ‘New and Noteworthy’. This is a highly sought-after section for any podcaster. The feature then drove an exponential number of downloads.
The bottom line
Audio continues to enjoy a renaissance among marketers and brands, because of the new formats and platforms out there. It gives brands a number of things – scale, addressability, effectiveness, and opportunity to showcase their product in a creative way. When executed correctly, it delivers incredible value at both upper and lower funnel levels.
