Do you rely on social media to drive awareness? While your current ROI might be satisfactory, or even good, there is a way to make it better: adding podcast ads into your mix.
Audacy’s State of Audio report reveals that podcast advertising drive awareness at an impressive 49%, compared to just 40% for social media ads. This difference highlights the potential to significantly enhance your awareness efforts.
Keep reading if awareness is your priority KPI as I explore the differences between social media and podcast ads for awareness campaigns, plus tips on combining the two to create an unstoppable tag team.
The fact that should get you thinking about a Podcast and Social Mix
Podcast advertising excels in awareness campaigns, leveraging the captivating nature of sound and the immersive experience to make a lasting impact.
In addition to the opening stat about awareness – here’s the more significant one:
53% of regular podcast listeners say audio advertising helps them discover new products (NCSolutions Power Subscribers Report). For social media, that number falls to between 28-30% (GWI Report).
The natural question then is: why the big difference?
What Makes Podcast Ads an Awareness Heavy Hitter?
There are many differences between social media and podcasts. Aside from the obvious—social media is a visually immersive experience, whereas podcast advertising captivates listeners through auditory storytelling. The more relevant difference lies in how users consume each medium. This consumption is perhaps what leads to better awareness results.
Discovery vs Selection: – Social media platforms are often used for entertainment, social networking, and content discovery. Users engage with a wide range of content, including organic posts, influencer content, and paid advertisements. Audio advertising, on the other hand, capitalises on users’ intent to consume audio content. Intent being the key word. Listeners don’t stumble upon what they listen to; they select it because it’s a topic of interest. This makes listeners more receptive to audio ads during their streaming sessions, creating a more focused advertising environment.
Distraction vs Immersion: – Audience distraction and immunity to advertising is a challenge we’ve all faced. Social media is a strong promotional channel because of its reach, appeal, and simplicity. However, standing out is difficult due to the overcrowding of similar businesses targeting similar audiences. Users often disengage and scroll quickly. Podcasts, however, don’t face such issues. It offers a one-on-one experience, typically involving headphones, with ads played at a very low frequency. Our average Listen Through Rate is 80%+, meaning you get 30 seconds of in-ear time with potential customers, one-on-one.
Benefits of Supporting Social efforts with Podcasts
A media plan that incorporates both social media ads and podcast ads can be highly effective for several reasons:
– Expanded reach by tapping into a broader audience base and connecting with a diverse range of consumers.
– Ability to reach specific demographics, interests, behaviours, and even location-based audiences through targeting.
– Consistent brand presence across multiple channels, reinforcing recognition and recall. You can reach customers during screen free times.
– Multi-sensory engagement, leveraging both visual and audio storytelling to deepen engagement and impact.
– Real-time optimisation allowing for flexible budget allocation and targeting adjustments.
How to Add Podcasts to Your Media Plan
If this has you thinking about adding podcasts to your awareness media mix, here’s my recommendation.
1. Firstly, I suggest using a dynamically inserted strategy. This way, you can maximise reach, utilise detailed targeting, and access real-time analytics for optimisation. You won’t need to boost spend too much, and you can use the same targeting strategy as social.
2. Your audio ad should ideally run for six weeks or more. This allows for any download-to-listen lag, maximising your reach. Podcast are great as an always on media, like your social.
3. The creative matters! Think about the details, such as the type of voice artist – accent and language, will you have music or sound effects? Each element needs to engage your customers, align to the content they are listening to, and align to your brand. Don’t forget to also incorporate elements of your sonic identity in your social too! This aids in creating a recognisable brand.
4. Within the audio ad itself, consider driving people to your social media. Social media will help deepen the connection due to its instant and direct communication features (likes, shares, and comments).
The Bottom Line
Social media advertising and podcast advertising both offer unique opportunities to engage with target audiences effectively. But together, they form a powerhouse! By leveraging their similarities, differences, and respective benefits, you can amplify brand messages and drive awareness through the roof!
learn more:
READ How to integrate podcasts into your media mix based on your resources and KPI
READ Stand alone or media mix – whats the best approach to implementing podcast into you marketing?
Want to use podcast ads? Check out AdManager.fm. This simplified approach to podcast advertising allows you to create, manage, and analyse your podcast ads in-house. AdManager.fm includes an AI-powered creative studio to create scripts and voice recording, plus detailed audience targeting packages, so your ad gets delivered to your most valuable customers.
