Podcast - emerging medium of advertising worth exploring for small businesses

Posted on 12 Sep 2022 22:00 in Small Business Hacks
by Zainab Sohangpurwala

Podcasts is the upcoming way of streaming contents. It is growing fast in countries like the USA, China and India. Due to its reach it is becoming an ideal place to advertise. So how can small businesses leverage it? Read along to know more.

What do you do while eating food?

What do you do while doing chores? 

While doing the dishes, driving your car?

What do you do while sitting in bed bored and exhausted?

 

You stream content. Be it songs, videos, social media, or any other application. We are always streaming some form of content. With the emergence of the internet, content streaming has become very popular. Every few years new trends, platforms and ways of sharing content emerge. Earlier we had Facebook where one could share videos etc., then came Instagram which focused on image sharing and now we have an emerging platform that is called PODCAST.

 

What is a podcast?

Podcast

A podcast is an audio-based content streaming outlet. It has no visuals. It is a series of spoken word, audio episodes, all focused on a particular topic or theme, like cycling, baking, writing, or any topic you like.

 

People record their voices, make a podcast out of them, and upload it on various podcast streaming platforms and music streaming platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music, etc.

 

The audience to your podcast is the people who have subscribed to the platform which streams your podcasts.

 

Rise of podcasts as a media streaming outlet

Even though visual media is the preferred choice for media streaming podcasts are growing steadily across the globe. This is because of the convenience. You can listen to podcasts while doing your daily work. Everyone loves some background noise in their lives!

 

The top 3 countries where podcasts are thriving are the US, China, and India.

 

The number of people streaming podcasts and listening to them is increasing every year. Especially in the US, over 60% of people listen to podcasts, and 65% of them listen to the whole episode.

 

In India current 57.6 million people tune into podcasts each month. This number is expected to rise by 17.61 million by 2023. During the pandemic, podcasts gained popularity in India.

 

As people are streaming it so much it has become a lucrative area for advertising. It is expected that the ad revenues are expected to exceed $2 billion in 2023 in the USA.

 

How can we advertise on podcasts?

Girl listening to podcasts while working on the laptop

The podcast is a new area of advertising. Here there are no rules. The only problem is that visuals are limited. The maximum you can add is a photograph that to we are not sure if people will see because people put on headphones are stream podcasts.

 

So how are big brands using it as a medium of advertising?

Big brands like Myntra, Amazon, and others are making audio ads. Earlier brands used to make radio ads. In the same way, they are making it and partnering with famous podcasters who stream this audio ad in their show.

 

For podcasters, ads are a way of monetizing their work. Hence big brands take advantage of that. But so can you. There are a lot of budding podcasters who have a good reach and are not overpriced as well.

 

How to make an audio ad for small businesses?

As you can only use audio-made ASMR audio of your products. Use a strong voice-over to describe your product, and do a dialogue scene like an ad. The options are endless. Making an ad for a podcast is like making an ad for the radio.

 

Listen to 10 ads and learn how people use voice modulation, and sound effects to convey their message to the listeners.

 

Ad one thumbnail picture of the product with your logo. This will be the photo that accompanies the ad.

 

How to choose the correct podcaster for the brand?

There are several podcasters across the globe. Depending upon your target market and target audience choose the podcaster.

 

For example, your business deals in makeup, and your target audience is girls in the age group of 16-30 in India. Then search for podcasters who talk about women, lifestyle, beauty, etc. Connect with them and ask them for data about their reach.

 

Study the reach of the podcaster and finalize a few where you want to place your ad. Request them to make podcasts around topics that relate to your business and then subtly place your ad in their episode. This way people will not be able to distinguish that it is an ad. So, it won't become an irritation or disturbance for them.

 

Another way to do this is to feature in their podcasts. Feature and talk about your business and products in their podcasts.

 

Or tell them to give reviews about your products on their podcast. There are endless ways to do it.

 

Big businesses are realizing how efficient podcasts are as a medium of advertising. Hence they are taking leverage of it. For small businesses, it is a huge platform to connect with people at a reasonable rate. Some podcasters even agree on a barter system. So you can provide them with your goodies in return they will talk about it in their podcast.

 

Wake up and utilize this upcoming platform to the fullest. Research about podcasters, reach out to them, and make your ads now!

 

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About the author

Zainab Sohangpurwala     
Passionate about helping companies grow their business via content marketing.



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