Twitter is getting on the podcast train, and we don’t blame them. Podcasts are still growing vastly in popularity and with it the marketing potential. People are listening to podcasts on their commute, in the bath, while working out, and the whole time they are listening to their favourite influencers tell them that your brand is the brand they should stick with.
So, how do you get on the podcast train? And is there a wrong way to get into marketing on podcasts? We explore in this guide.
Where can you put ads in podcasts?
Marketing is all over podcasting. You can pay to have your own advertisements played by the platform in between podcasts, or for pre-roll and mid-roll ads as an affiliate partnership, or simply allow your affiliates to give you a shoutout during the podcast.
But it doesn’t have to be limited to a podcast. If you are working with a podcaster in an affiliate partnership, you’re also open to market on all their socials. You’ve got the podcast across various platforms including Spotify and other podcast platforms like Audible, but also YouTube and occasionally Twitch if they are filming it, as well as their Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, etc.
And then there is the idea of a paid interview. If your brand has someone relevant, interesting, and charismatic, send them out there to tell the masses about your company’s latest development. Have you got an app to peddle? A new policy to convince people of? Simply want to spread the good word about your brand? Let podcasters interview them and you can make a less bite-size concept get the airtime it deserves.
How do you make a good ad?
A good ad starts with the point to remember that the ears are more sensitive than the eyes. It’s important to get the quality, in all aspects, right because your audience is going to notice. They pick up on the fact that the sound is distorted, which could seem unprofessional, or that you’ve said something that doesn’t make sense.
Like anything else, you should be matching the demographic or the demographic you’re trying to reach to the demographic of the podcast. There is little point in giving a shoutout to a wine company on a podcast talking about mechanics. Even better, you’ll be better off with a podcast that suits your brand as much as possible. A gossip podcast can shout out beauty products, travel opportunities, and anything else you would typically find in a tabloid magazine, for example.
How do you handle your affiliates?
You might want to help out your affiliates with their shoutouts. The best approach is to outline what you’re looking for but don’t dictate. Shoutouts are best if they feel natural, and if you offer your affiliates a script that is nothing like what they would ordinarily say, their audience is going to notice and be turned off to you. Remember, the point of affiliate marketing is for the influencer to tell their audience why they love your brand, not for them to parrot why you think you’re great. The audience wants to listen to them, so it defeats the purpose if they’re not.
Can you do it yourself?
Yes, there are plenty of brands that are creating their own brand-based podcast. Much like starting your own Twitch stream, it’s common for brands to simply take on the marketing on an ongoing regular basis.
However, Twitch streams appeal to a very specific demographic. You’re looking at a younger audience, who love their tech, their games, and their discussions. When it comes to podcasts, you actually have a much wider demographic to play with. Podcasts are listened to by people of all demographics, and where the niche comes in is with the content, rather than the format. You can create a B2B podcast, a chatty podcast, interviews, analysis, etc.
The good part of this is that you can do pretty much whatever you want content-wise as long as it’s relevant to your brand, and you won’t have to worry about interrupting it with marketing because the whole thing is marketing (but the choice to inject some paid marketing from other relevant brands is always there). However, you will have to make sure that the content itself appeals to the user so you might need to expand if you are selling cleaning products for example, into say household maintenance tips.
If you are interested in more affiliate and social media marketing insights, take a look at our blog for all the latest news and advice. Or for a more personalised approach, book a free call with a member of our team.
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