PodMov Daily: Wednesday, July 20

Episode 685: Your Midweek Update

Ad Repetition or Variety? It Depends Who You Ask.

Definitive guidance on ad strategy is hard to find, especially if you’re keeping up with current studies. Listeners respond best to higher ad repetition, according to a report out yesterday from media conglomerate Audacy: “Audio seizes attention and builds intention, frequency after frequency.”

Just two weeks ago, Westwood One suggested the opposite. Based on Podsights data, “hitting the same consumers over and over” may be leading to lower conversion rates. They found that podcast ad frequency has doubled in the last year, and encourage brands prioritize reach instead to avoid overload.

We’re not pushing one conclusion over another, but there’s a solid takeaway for podcasters. Westwood One tells brands to “buy more shows and genres than the ‘obvious fit’ podcasts.” The Anatomy of an Ad series from ThoughtLeaders may spark ideas for brand categories that fit unexpectedly well.

For Ideal Ad Length and Placement, Format Matters

Again, conflicting advice can be a positive motivator to tailor your own solutions. In April, Marketing Brew asked 15 industry experts to describe the perfect length and place for a podcast ad. Beware the ‘always’ directive. For example, post-roll can be a underrated spot for episodic shows played back-to-back.

Mid-roll spots make sense when you think like a listener, said PM President Dan Franks. “Listeners often have their phone in their hand as they are starting an episode, so it’s easiest to skip the commercials, and when an episode is over, they’ll often grab their phone and do the same.” (Who among us can deny it?)

One length that wasn’t mentioned is the micro-promo. In the miniseries Running From COPS, host Dan Taberski ‘takes a moment’ to mention Stitcher Premium. Your editor found that 10-second spots are too short to skip, but also too short to interrupt. Something to consider for quick-witted brands.

Keeping up with monetization tech isn’t easy. Now’s the time to learn in-person from the experts, ask questions, and plan a strong path forward.

Here's what else is going on:

• Star power: Panelists for “Podcast Leadership From Every Angle” at PM22 have been announced. The highly anticipated annual session is led by Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein. More in this week’s PM update, including a fresh speaker round, pre-conference workshop details, and first-timer tips.

• Quick draw: The ‘bite-sized audio’ app Jam (not to be confused with Jam Audio or Audio Jam) is out of beta. Listeners receive daily ‘Jams’ via SMS text, though creators can send out content weekly or on-the-fly. Creators are ‘Jammers,’ and a team of ‘Jambassadors’ will debut the app at Comic Con. 

• Auto pay: Eligible YouTube creators can now link a Shopify store to their channel. In the US, onsite checkout allows users to buy products without leaving YouTube. Spotify launched a similar integration last October. The ability to sell on both platforms may balance creators’ efforts toward YouTube.

• Travel agent: A plan to draw in global listeners will sustain your long game, writes Caila Litman in #GoodData. “English publishers looking to reach non-US audiences and hop in on the international action should start prioritizing translating their most evergreen podcasts into multiple languages.”