Capturing people's attention is vital in the modern marketing world, but what's the most effective method?
Instagram has a massive reach, but your video on Instagram stories lasts just 15 seconds before it cuts out. Blog posts last longer, with readers typically scanning the headlines before choosing to read or not. Perhaps YouTube is a better bet? The average YouTube video lasts 11.7 minutes (allowing time for two ad inserts and a sponsorship promo). But, if it doesn't grab the viewer in the first 30 seconds, they'll click away from the video and your brand.
However, one medium stands out above the rest. A podcast episode typically lasts 30-90 minutes, and more often than not, most of the audience sticks around for the whole show. That's a serious chunk of quality time for you to attract audience attention and interest.
According to Infinite Dial (Edison, 2021), approximately 88 million Americans - 28% of the US 12+ population – are now weekly podcast listeners. That's a 17% increase in just one year. And, in 2018, Mozilla did a deep dive into avid podcast listener habits and found that 38% of those tuned in to at least one episode daily.
Clearly, the podcast industry is exploding, and that's why more and more companies are turning to podcast influencers when it comes to marketing their brands.
What is podcast influencer marketing?
Influencers inspire or guide the actions of others. That definition's been around for years. But, in the 21st century, the term frequently means that a well-known person is "able to generate interest in (such as a consumer product) by posting about it on social media." (Merriam Webster online dictionary)
Not that long ago, we turned to celebrities for brand endorsements. Then, social media influencers took the world by storm, promoting products on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok.
Now, though, savvy brands are turning to podcasters as influencers. Not only is podcasting next-level when it comes to spending quality time with your target audience. What's more, podcasts are evergreen in nature, so your targeted marketing campaign could be influencing audiences for years to come. That's a terrific ROI by any industry standards.
There are four ways that brands can leverage podcasts in their marketing.
- Run an ad campaign
- Sponsor the podcast
- Be a guest on a podcast
- Host their own podcast.
Why is podcasting so effective?
Let's briefly examine the first three strategies to see how you can create your marketing campaigns using the power of podcast influencers.
Podcast advertising
According to the Super Listeners survey (Edison, 2020), fans are open to hearing from brands if they align with the podcast values and vibe. Moreover, over half, 54 percent, said that hearing an ad on a podcast (compared to other places) makes them more likely to purchase a product. That's up from 46 percent in 2019.
Compare that with the attention from your traditional television viewer who dashes off to grab a coffee or mutes the sounds in the ad breaks. You can carefully target your ideal customers with an ad series in the right podcast in a way that's impossible for TV marketers.
Sponsorship
Another key strategy involves sponsoring an influential podcast. Sponsorships can run anywhere from a few episodes to a series or even a long-term partnership. Typically, sponsors pay a set amount, and the host reads a prepared script or speaks naturally about the brand, why it's so fantastic and how it can help the people listening to the show.
Guest interviews
Regular weekly podcasts are always on the lookout for guests that will interest their listeners and add value to the show. So, getting a guest slot on an episode can be a key part of your marketing strategy.
Immersive storytelling draws in the listeners and holds their attention. Indeed, most people listen to at least 80% of an episode, and many stick with it to the end.
So, there's excellent value in hitching your brand to someone your ideal customer looks up to and is influenced by. How often do you get to spend 30 minutes or more to deliver your brand's authentic story to people who are genuinely interested in learning new information and are highly likely to act on it?
Case Study: Pat Flynn and Convert Kit
You only need to look at the relationship that's developed between podcast influencer Pat Flynn (Smart Passive Income and Ask Pat 2.0 podcasts) and Convert Kit to see the benefits. That began when Pat switched to using Convert Kit as his company's email provider.
Using the product enabled Pat to demonstrate how good it was, and he could genuinely project his enthusiasm in subsequent ads.
Pat then interviewed founder Nathan Barry on the SPI podcast, which had the two-fold effect of highlighting the Convert Kit story and allowing Pat to mention an affiliate link at the end of the show. When listeners signed up through Pat's link, he received a commission.
As the relationship deepened, Pat became an advisor to Convert Kit - a fact which you'll hear him mention as part of his sponsorship blurb in many SPI episodes.
As you can see, these sorts of win-win partnerships lead to authentic bonds between influencers and brands, providing value to everyone involved.
Podcasters are essential to influencer marketing efforts
There are multiple reasons why influencer marketing goes hand in hand with podcasting.
- Associating with a well-loved podcast improves your brand's reputation.
- Listeners are open to hearing from brands if they align with the podcast values.
- Nearly three out of every four podcast consumers in the US say they enjoy tuning into podcasts to learn new things. (Statista, 2019). That includes learning interesting facts and stories about your brand.
- Podcasters and their audiences have an intimate connection. Hosts often share details and "behind the scenes glimpses" of their lives, building trust and bonds with their fans.
- Hosts come across as less "perfect" than social media influencers. They seem more "real" and connected to everyday life.
- Linking your brand to a beloved influencer in your niche makes your brand seem more authentic to their fans too. That can bring a great ROI, both directly in sales and indirectly in favorable brand awareness.
- Being on an influencer's podcast implies that they trust you and are interested in you. It's hard to underestimate the power of SMI attention. ( Remember when Snapchat lost millions after one negative Kylie Jenner tweet about their redesign?)
Reach a new niche
Companies don't have to stick to podcasts in their industry either. When your brand story intersects with a podcast influencer's outside interests, it can take your marketing to the next level by getting you in front of a whole new audience.
For example, Darren Rowse of Problogger is a well-known influencer in the blogging world. So, as you'd expect, his Problogger podcast features over 200 episodes about all things blogging.
However, in Episode 165, Darren speaks with Daniel Flynn, the Australian co-founder of social enterprise company "Thank You." simply because he's interested in their mission and wants to give them some publicity. That episode allowed the Thank You brand to interest a new group of fans in their story.
Being on a podcast also allows you to highlight a real person and story behind the brand, which in turn makes you more relatable to consumers. If they only associate your product with a logo or a jingle, then hearing the founder's backstory can humanize the brand and make it seem more attractive.
Extend the campaign on Social Media
Podcasting is all about audio and the way that hearing a voice helps to develop trust. However, one downside is that listeners can't immediately interact with a pre-recorded show. So, influencers usually extend their reach by inviting their fans to "continue the conversation" on social media.
When you've been a podcast guest, they'll promote your episode on all their social media sites, in their newsletter and on their website. It all adds up to more exposure for your story as well as possible interaction with new fans.
You can use the same strategy to promote the podcast episode across all your digital platforms.
How necessary is it to use a marketing agency?
Many marketing agencies would have you believe that you can't attract podcast influencers without their help.
However, it's not necessary to use an expensive agency if you use Rephonic. That's because our tools give you everything you need to find and contact podcasters yourself.
How to use Rephonic's influencer marketing tool
Getting on a podcast can be much easier than you think, especially when you use Rephonic to remove the hassle.
These are our tips for finding podcast influencers in your niche.
Find exactly the right podcasts to fit your business
There are approximately two million podcasts on the web, but not all of them will work for your brand. So, use Rephonic to identify the right shows.
We have statistics and demographics so you can find the correct podcasts for you to meet your goals. Find your target audience to deliver your tailored message.
From pens and all things stationery (The Pen Addict) to true-crime discussions (My Favorite Murder) and those dedicated to telling brand stories (How I Built This, with Guy Raz), there's a podcast on every subject under the sun.
To find podcasts looking for guests on Rephonic:
- Type your niche or category in the search bar.
- Filter your search by demographic, audience size or locality
- Select a podcast to investigate its data in depth.
- You'll be able to see if the format includes guest interviews, how many podcast listeners per episode and a host more information on each title you choose.
What do listeners think of the show?
When you're shortlisting podcasts, you can use Rephonic to gauge the show's social media followers and audience engagement rates on Rephonic.
Total social reach shows the combined number of followers and subscribers across all the social media accounts that Rephonic found for that podcast.
Engagement is calculated from the ten most recent posts/tweets/uploads for each channel, giving the average 'ER Post' percentage.
We look at each channel's ten most recent posts/tweets/uploads and calculate the average engagement rate percentage.
That percentage is normalized using typical engagement rates for that channel and adjusted because accounts with a huge following should expect lower engagement. The result is a score between 0-100.
Send a cold email pitch
Make a list of possible podcasts, and then start your outreach by sending a well-written, persuasive email. You'll find the contact details button on the top right of the information screen. And, if for some reason, Rephonic hasn't been able to source an email address automatically, you can reach out to our team using our new Concierge service.
Tips:
- Do your research - listen to the podcast to check if it's as good in reality as it did on paper
- Briefly explain who you are and how your brand relates to their podcast/audience
- Say how your message/brand would add value to their show
- Show how you can help their audience
- Confirm your willingness to promote the episode on your SM, newsletter etc
You can find our detailed post outlining all the steps to writing a perfect pitch here.
Keep track of podcasts and pitches
Along with the Contact button, you'll also notice two more valuable buttons at the top right of the information screen.
Add to List lets you sort podcasts into a system that works for you, while Notes allows you to make notes and share your thoughts with your team.
Export any list to a CSV file containing email addresses and social media accounts. First, create a list and add a few podcasts to it to export contacts.
Whether you apply to advertise or pitch yourself as a guest, podcasting is the right media to target with your next marketing campaign.
Get started with Rephonic and take the hassle out of finding the perfect podcasts to partner with your business and brand. Register for a free-trial today.
Cover photo by Malte Helmhold on Unsplash
