How to get the most out of your agency-produced podcast ad
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Making the jump into the world of audio ads is an increasingly popular trend among businesses and advertisers as ad dollars are moving less to channels like social media and print advertising and more to podcast advertising. The ability to spread brand awareness through specific ad placement to a wide array of demographics is drawing many to this specific type of ad campaign. Once you have made this decision for your business, the next step is to determine what you want your podcast ads to sound like and how you want your brand to be presented in this ad space. One of the ways to go about this is to hire a podcast ad agency to do this for you to create an engaging, immersive ad that will help you achieve your conversion goals and get you new customers. In this article, we will take you through all you need to know in order to create the most effective podcast advertising campaign and reach the right audience with a 3rd party podcast advertising agency.
Think about your podcast ad in three parts: Hook, Value Proposition, and Call to Action
Hook: This will be the beginning of your podcast ad and will be the first thing podcast listeners hear when your ad comes on. This should be something creative, engaging, and unique which will make them want to listen and not immediately skip ahead. Creative agencies specialize in coming up with creative ways of making your ad pop, but you hold to key to helping them unlock a creative angle that works for your brand. First, consider any past ad campaigns which have worked for your brand and try to leverage these ideas as much as possible. Second, think of any current events that might help you catch your listener’s ear with something topical. For example, in a recent Acast produced ad creative for a payday loan app, the opening line was “Have you seen the cost of eggs lately?'“ These types of references can be helpful in drawing podcast listeners in with something relatable. Third, use the power of audio and sound design to build a world for your ad to exist in. Audio is an extremely rich storytelling format and the use of sound effects, music, or branded sounds can help create strong associations with your brand for the listener.
Value Proposition: Once you have your listener hooked, it’s time to tell them what you are offering with your product or service. This should be a concise and comprehensive snapshot of your company’s offerings and should include what is unique about you, any first-party data you may have, as well as recognition or accolades you have received. If possible, you may also include any high-profile endorsements or glowing customer reviews in this section.
Call to Action: This encompasses the action the listener should take immediately after listening to the ad. This could be a call to download an app, visit a website, or sign up for a mailing list. Whatever it is, make sure there is only one action and it is abundantly clear. You can also include promo codes you might have in this section to help you with conversion attribution. This will lead to you being able to clearly track the results of your ad campaign and understand its success.
Provide the agency with reference material to help them produce something high quality and on-brand
When it comes to reference material, more is better. Think of this as a sort of “audio mood board” that can consist of music, YouTube ads, Instagram reels, or even other podcast ads. Anything which might help the agency understand what it is you are going for. Don’t get yourself too bogged down in finding a piece of reference material that is exactly like what you are going for. Instead, notice the little pieces that you do like in something and communicate that to the agency. For example, “I like the way this ad makes it sounds like you are in nature,” or “I like the way the words and the music play off of each other.” This type of guidance will help the producer understand the sound palette you are going for and produce the ad accordingly. Also, make sure to include any other ads you have produced, regardless of format, that have been a part of your marketing strategy. These could be ads that have been made for Instagram or YouTube or even a print ad for a magazine or newspaper. This will help the producer better understand your brand voice and the overall way in which you present your brand.
Find the right voice for your brand
Depending on the agency you work with, you should be provided with a range of voiceover talent to select from to voice your ad. When considering which voice to use, the best course of action is to first consider your target audience and who you are trying to reach with this podcast ad. While host-read ads have the benefit of adding trusted voices to ad spots, produced programmatic ads leverage consumer data to find your target consumer via dynamic ad insertion. With this being said, podcast audiences will encounter your ad in a variety of different places, so the voice you use is key in establishing this trust. For example, if you are selling women’s clothing with a target age of a consumer around 20-35 years, it’s best to select a voice that reflects this demographic. Likewise, suppose you are selling an identity theft protection software or something with a more serious application. In that case, it’s best to select a voice that is authoritative and stern without lots of inflection or added personality. If you find a voice that seems to be connecting with your target audience, don’t be afraid to use that same voiceover talent for multiple different campaigns and establish them as a trusted ambassador of your brand.
When working with 3rd parties to make an ad creative, the goal is to maximize effectiveness while minimizing the amount of back and forth necessary to find a finished product you are happy with. By using the above suggestions, you should be well-poised to show the producer exactly what you want and nail the best podcast ad possible on the first try.
Making the jump into the world of audio ads is an increasingly popular trend among businesses and advertisers as ad dollars are moving less to channels like social media and print advertising and more to podcast advertising. The ability to spread brand awareness through specific ad placement to a wide array of demographics is drawing many to this specific type of ad campaign. Once you have made this decision for your business, the next step is to determine what you want your podcast ads to sound like and how you want your brand to be presented in this ad space. One of the ways to go about this is to hire a podcast ad agency to do this for you to create an engaging, immersive ad that will help you achieve your conversion goals and get you new customers. In this article, we will take you through all you need to know in order to create the most effective podcast advertising campaign and reach the right audience with a 3rd party podcast advertising agency.
Think about your podcast ad in three parts: Hook, Value Proposition, and Call to Action
Hook: This will be the beginning of your podcast ad and will be the first thing podcast listeners hear when your ad comes on. This should be something creative, engaging, and unique which will make them want to listen and not immediately skip ahead. Creative agencies specialize in coming up with creative ways of making your ad pop, but you hold to key to helping them unlock a creative angle that works for your brand. First, consider any past ad campaigns which have worked for your brand and try to leverage these ideas as much as possible. Second, think of any current events that might help you catch your listener’s ear with something topical. For example, in a recent Acast produced ad creative for a payday loan app, the opening line was “Have you seen the cost of eggs lately?'“ These types of references can be helpful in drawing podcast listeners in with something relatable. Third, use the power of audio and sound design to build a world for your ad to exist in. Audio is an extremely rich storytelling format and the use of sound effects, music, or branded sounds can help create strong associations with your brand for the listener.
Value Proposition: Once you have your listener hooked, it’s time to tell them what you are offering with your product or service. This should be a concise and comprehensive snapshot of your company’s offerings and should include what is unique about you, any first-party data you may have, as well as recognition or accolades you have received. If possible, you may also include any high-profile endorsements or glowing customer reviews in this section.
Call to Action: This encompasses the action the listener should take immediately after listening to the ad. This could be a call to download an app, visit a website, or sign up for a mailing list. Whatever it is, make sure there is only one action and it is abundantly clear. You can also include promo codes you might have in this section to help you with conversion attribution. This will lead to you being able to clearly track the results of your ad campaign and understand its success.
Provide the agency with reference material to help them produce something high quality and on-brand
When it comes to reference material, more is better. Think of this as a sort of “audio mood board” that can consist of music, YouTube ads, Instagram reels, or even other podcast ads. Anything which might help the agency understand what it is you are going for. Don’t get yourself too bogged down in finding a piece of reference material that is exactly like what you are going for. Instead, notice the little pieces that you do like in something and communicate that to the agency. For example, “I like the way this ad makes it sounds like you are in nature,” or “I like the way the words and the music play off of each other.” This type of guidance will help the producer understand the sound palette you are going for and produce the ad accordingly. Also, make sure to include any other ads you have produced, regardless of format, that have been a part of your marketing strategy. These could be ads that have been made for Instagram or YouTube or even a print ad for a magazine or newspaper. This will help the producer better understand your brand voice and the overall way in which you present your brand.
Find the right voice for your brand
Depending on the agency you work with, you should be provided with a range of voiceover talent to select from to voice your ad. When considering which voice to use, the best course of action is to first consider your target audience and who you are trying to reach with this podcast ad. While host-read ads have the benefit of adding trusted voices to ad spots, produced programmatic ads leverage consumer data to find your target consumer via dynamic ad insertion. With this being said, podcast audiences will encounter your ad in a variety of different places, so the voice you use is key in establishing this trust. For example, if you are selling women’s clothing with a target age of a consumer around 20-35 years, it’s best to select a voice that reflects this demographic. Likewise, suppose you are selling an identity theft protection software or something with a more serious application. In that case, it’s best to select a voice that is authoritative and stern without lots of inflection or added personality. If you find a voice that seems to be connecting with your target audience, don’t be afraid to use that same voiceover talent for multiple different campaigns and establish them as a trusted ambassador of your brand.
When working with 3rd parties to make an ad creative, the goal is to maximize effectiveness while minimizing the amount of back and forth necessary to find a finished product you are happy with. By using the above suggestions, you should be well-poised to show the producer exactly what you want and nail the best podcast ad possible on the first try.
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