The Best Way for Local Advertisers to Get In On the Podcasting Boom

It’s no longer a niche industry: podcasting is officially mainstream, and advertisers everywhere have taken notice. And contrary to popular belief, this medium is not just reserved for the big ad giants.

Businesses of all sizes should consider podcasting as a crucial part of their marketing strategy. It’s easier and more effective than ever to put out powerful podcast campaigns to your local audiences—and the approach to it might not be the way you were expecting.

Podcasting is Breaking Through, and Here’s Why:

41% of the U.S. population listens to podcasts monthly (that’s up 11% over the last 12 months). ¹ Listeners are tuning in all over—from their cars to home devices—since podcasts can seamlessly integrate into people’s lives. They offer a sense of intimacy and connection, with tailored categories that appeal to all interests and demographics. With podcasts, listeners tend to be fully engaged with the conversation, much more than when passively browsing a website or listening to background music.

Listeners become followers (in a good way) of the hosts they admire. In an MRI-Simmons study, 67% of listeners said they feel close to the podcast host. ² And because listeners trust the host, podcast ads are more likely to drive consumer action. In fact, 86% of Stitcher listeners say they have taken action as a result of hearing a podcast ad. ³

The Podcast Ad Model Has Shifted

Imagine Kevin Hart reading your ad on his podcast. Every advertiser’s dream, right? Eh, not necessarily. One of the biggest mistakes we see in podcast advertising is rushing to the biggest, most popular podcast, thinking one host-read ad will give you everything you need—but that’s not the reality. “Popular” doesn’t necessarily mean popular for your audience, especially when it comes to local advertising.

So, what’s the key for local business advertisers? 1-1 geographic targeting across multiple shows. This gives you the confidence that you’re reaching your audience, no matter where, what, and how they’re listening. And with the added benefit of multiple touchpoints across various shows—given the fact that people listen to over five different podcasts a week! ⁴

How to Get Started in Advertising to Local Markets

Take advantage of new ad tech innovations on the scene. Advertising with SXM Media’s podcast network allows you to tap into local markets, and run your campaign across many shows and publishers.

With our massive listener base and inventory of over 5,000 podcasts, ⁵ you can reach your most valuable audiences at scale, wherever they’re listening. Target by age, gender, geography, podcast category, and more. The choice is yours.

As audiences continue to listen across different shows, brands must be in as many places as possible to reach them—and to reach their KPIs. If you’re interested in learning more about what podcast advertising can do for your business, get in touch with our team today.

^Sources:

1. Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2021, Base: Total U.S. Population 12+ listen to a podcast in the last month
2. MRI-Simmons 2020 Podcast Study
3. Midroll network Podsurvey listener data
4. Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2021, Smart Speaker Owners 12+
5. Internal Metrics, March 2021