Host-Read Ads (Audio)

By TWiTBusiness Marketing

Host-Read Ads (Audio) episodes

July 07, 2023HRA 42: Brands Should Work Directly With Podcast Networks
Having been in podcasting business for several years, brands would benefit more if they worked directly with podcast networks because networks know what it takes to be successful and agencies who buy across thousands of podcasts do not implement the tools you need for a successful campaign - hence they waste brand money, while networks know how to position brands properly on their network & they save brands money. Here are four reasons why brands should buy direct.
Agencies do not implement ALL the tools to gauge podcast campaigns successfully - brands need to implement ad tech to gauge proper attribution, a compelling CTA with a custom landing page, and implement a post-purchase survey.

When brands go direct, they can obtain a better deal. Podcast networks will offer discounts and extras and do more for a brand than an agency will ensure their campaign is successful.

Podcast networks can work with a brand on the correct frequency they need to secure new clients, while agencies ignore the advice networks provide and fail to include the proper frequency in order for a brand to be successful. This is why I say brands should go direct to understand what they need to do to be successful. Agencies never ask. After 15 years in this business, I see agencies ignoring best practices.

Lastly, podcast networks know what it takes for a brand to thrive and grow, while agencies do not know. They buy across thousands of pods and end up wasting money because they do not follow any of the rules I covered and only care about volume, while networks care about partnerships and effectiveness.

Here at TWiT.tv, we care about brand goals and focus on what it takes to help them grow. If you are interested in advertising with TWiT.tv because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
3 min
June 30, 2023HRA 41: Podcasting Advertising Requires Patience
Having been in podcasting for 15 years, some agencies and brands do not understand that podcasting requires patience and you must be in for the long game to succeed. Here are three reasons why you need patience:
Podcasts are on demand, and hardly anyone simulcasts. TWiT.tv has been simulcasting for years as we do all of our shows "live to tape," which means you can watch our shows while we are recording episodes, and we do not bill our advertisers for our live stream, meaning a fan may see an ad viewing our live stream and we do not charge our sponsors for it. And since they are on-demand, not everyone is listening to an episode immediately after downloading it. These are not TV commercials or radio ads that are dropped and seen immediately. Therefore if you do not have patience, do not buy podcasts.

Agencies, even trained in podcasting, do not fully understand how it works. Agencies are horrible for podcasters to work with because they expect results in a week or two, they never implement best practices (for example: they ignore ad tech, they do not wait for ads to be fully delivered before making decisions on effectiveness, & they do not have their client implement post-purchase surveys) and if you are a brand wanting to be successful in this space, I recommend hiring in-house to buy successfully by going direct or only work with agencies who do not take a cut of what you are buying and know how to buy podcasts.

Brands have to allow for people to download podcast episodes, listen to them, hear their brand elsewhere, or see it and then make a purchase. There is way too much impatience with podcast advertising in that brands take way too long to be on podcasts and then expect results in a day. You have to have frequency, the right messaging, and have to be elsewhere to solidify purchases.

Lastly, if a brand is a high-priced item or an expensive B2B purchase, frequency is key. Brands need to leverage podcasting as one platform and should have a bigger marketing strategy with patience built in, as it can take 10 - 20 touchpoints to win a conversion. If you cancel your podcast buy after two weeks of ads, then you're only wasting money. Commit to a quarter, six months, or a year to gain real traction and conversions. If you start/stop on podcasts, you diminish trust with their audiences instead of growing your brand.

If you are interested in advertising with TWiT.tv because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
5 min
June 23, 2023HRA 40: TWiT.tv Audience Testimonials
Last week I covered the importance of audience testimonials. Now I want to share what our fans say about our network.
"I have purchased several items advertised on the TWiT network. I buy them because I trust Leo Laporte and his team's knowledge of the latest in technology. If Leo supports it, I know I can trust it."

"I have bought and/or subscribed to a number of products and services over the years as a result of ads on TWiT network shows. The ads are thoughtfully done, and the trust the network has built with its community lends credibility and authenticity to the host-read ads. Some of the ad-hoc commentary during the reads is great too."

"'Podcasts you love from people you trust.' Sponsors I've purchased from: Casper, Squarespace, LastPass, Bitwarden, Express VPN, Hover, Harry's, Fastmail, Eight Sleep, iTVPro, and Mint Mobile. I'm sure there are more, but I remember those off the top of my head."

"I have several times purchased items that I have heard advertised on podcasts from TWiT.tv. Have listened to these wonderful podcasts for years, and the advertisements presented by the hosts of these shows seem like products I can trust, because TWiT trusts them."

"I don't know about others. But when one of your hosts recommends something they are catering for clear concise solution to a problem, pair that with conviction and trust you have powerful pitch for purchasing."

If you are interested in advertising with TWiT.tv because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
3 min
June 16, 2023HRA 39: Audience Testimonials And Why They Matter At TWiT.tv
Last week I covered the importance of building trust with your audience, and previously I have dived into sponsor testimonials. Today I want to focus on audience testimonials.
Here are 3 reasons why they matter on our network.
Being a tech podcast network, our number one focus is catering to our audience and delivering the best content and expertise that we possibly can to super-serve them. Because of this, 99% of our audience listens to every podcast episode they download from our network. They love our content and let us know with reviews, emails, tweets, etc., helping us grow, and they stay around because of it.

Given we are in media, we are limited to sponsor and audience reviews only. This makes audience reviews crucial when we are looking for new hosts, sponsors, and partners.

Because we do not invade our audiences' privacy, we need to hear from them, so we ask for their feedback. Feedback is important to share with potential sponsors, and it helps our network when creating new shows.

Next week I will share some of the audience testimonials we received and why they are important to share with your potential sponsors.

If you are interested in advertising with TWiT.tv because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
2 min
June 09, 2023HRA 38: Trust And The TWiT.tv Audience
When Leo Laporte, the founder of TWiT.tv established our podcast network in 2005 - he did so with his tech audience in mind. He chose to treat them with respect and full transparency and to deliver them the best tech news and analysis he could with other trusted expert hosts. When he decided to pivot and become ad-supported, he remained true to his original mission & applied the same attitude to sponsors.
Here are 5 reasons why building trust with our audience has helped our sponsors.
We vet ALL sponsors to ensure they have high integrity and trusted products/services that we would or actually use here at TWiT.

We only sign vetted sponsors with products/services that will benefit the TWiT audience.

We are clear when there is an ad read in the content of our shows, and our hosts do a deep dive into the features and benefits.

Our trusted hosts only provide a personal experience (PE) if they have one to give. Otherwise, we provide testimonials of how it worked elsewhere.

If a sponsor is a tech sponsor and something significant happened at their company, we cover the story with full disclosure that they are a sponsor.If you respect your audience, build trust in your community, and always apply transparency - then trust is established and maintained. Helping your network and your sponsors.

If you are interested in advertising with TWiT.tv because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
2 min
June 02, 2023HRA 37: Setting Podcast Advertising Expectations
Having worked in the podcast industry for fifteen years at TWiT.tv, we provide brands with expectations when purchasing podcast advertising on our network. Brands need expertise if they are going to succeed in this space, and sales leaders need to communicate these four points to brands before signing IOs.
Podcast ads are on demand, meaning they are recorded and then released to the public to download and listen to at their leisure. Brands must allow 8 weeks before gaining traction from one podcast ad. These are not radio, TV, or banner ads that people see immediately. Podcast ads take time to cook - set this expectation upfront.

Brands should stick with one call to action throughout the entire campaign to build trust with podcast audiences, and they should use a CTA that they can offer for a long time.

Brands must use all the podcast tracking tools we recommend - allow time for listeners to act, use ad tech, set up landing pages with unique offers, and implement post-purchase surveys. Listen to last week's episode for details.

If a brand is seeing traction after 8 - 12 weeks, they should renew and continue, as podcast listeners prefer brands that do not disappear after a month or two - this builds more trust and helps with brand recognition and loyalty.

Remember, if you invest the time to educate brands about succeeding in the podcast space, then expectations should be set, and it's a win/win for both.

If you are interested in advertising with us because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
3 min
May 26, 2023HRA 36: Best Practices For Brands When Buying Podcasts
Having worked in the podcast industry for fifteen years at TWiT.tv and overseeing sales for most of it, I want to provide brands with an outline of best practices when advertising on podcasts because I have learned that all traditional ad agencies ignore them entirely - which is where brands lose. Brands need expertise if they are going to succeed in podcast advertising. I recommend taking it in-house and buying directly from podcast networks that understand how campaigns work.
Here are four things you need to know about buying podcasts if you have already determined the podcast network is a good fit for your brand:
Podcast ads take time to reach their fullest impact.

Podcasts are on-demand. You have to give audiences time to download the podcast episode, listen to it, then act on any ads they heard. These are not radio/TV ads that someone watched that day. Podcast ad traction builds over time.

A single podcast ad takes eight weeks to reach its greatest impact.

Podcast advertising is a slow game. If you see traction in the first eight weeks, you must give it longer to determine its effectiveness.

Brands should set up custom landing pages for their podcast campaigns.

Include client testimonials and logos from the podcast network you are advertising with.

Have a unique offer. Do not expect signups on a landing page if your website has the same offer.

Monitor the traffic and conversions to it and retarget those who did not sign up immediately.

Podcast ad tech is crucial to gauge attribution.

Every traditional ad agency we work with ignores podcast ad tech stating it could be better. Ad tech is flawed, yet it's vital for understanding podcast traffic.

Ad tech will give you an idea of how many listeners heard the brand's ad in a podcast episode, and then they track the IP address to see if the listener visited the brand's website.

You can also gauge shopping cart conversions, which only works well for B2C brands.

Without ad tech, brands will not know the total traffic sent to their website from podcast campaigns.

Set up a post-purchase survey.

With a post-purchase survey, brands can determine which campaigns worked for them.

Only a few agency clients use post-purchase surveys, which means brands were not properly informed, and they are unable to truly track the effectiveness of their campaigns.

Here at TWIT.tv, we help brands understand what it takes to review the total impact of a podcast campaign on our network. When brands allow their podcast ads to blossom, set up landing pages with unique offers, and include ad tech with post-purchase surveys - they understand the full scope of their campaign and its effectiveness on our network. If you leverage all the best practices, there will be no gaps in understanding impact. And in today's climate - brands should buy smarter and use all the tools available to measure podcast campaigns successfully.
If you are interested in advertising with us because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
5 min
May 19, 2023HRA 35: Podcast Advertising Effectiveness
Having overseen podcast ad sales for over a decade, here at TWiT, we know how to properly implement podcast campaigns on our network. Here are the top four tools you should use to properly gauge your podcast campaigns.
Use ad-tech, such as Podsights, Claritas, or Podscribe, to properly gauge attribution. These providers will include a tracking pixel in the podcast feed and a tracking pixel on your website. Then the ad tech company can track who downloaded a podcast episode with an ad in it, and they track that IP address for 60 days to see if they visited your website. Ad tech is an excellent resource for attribution. Ad tech can offer more services such as shopping cart conversions, but it's rarely accurate for B2B clients, and why we stress using it only for attribution.

Review traction to your custom landing page if one was set up and review the conversions. If a landing page was not set up, then review offer codes.

Include a post-purchase survey. We recommend Fairing.co but any post-purchase survey will do.

Review the reporting document the podcast set up for you.

It takes multiple tools to gauge all podcast campaigns, and those who ignore any of these tools will not understand the full impact of what they are purchasing. In today's climate, marketers need to buy smarter and use all the tools available to gauge impact. Think about it. If your homepage has 20% off and your podcast campaign offer is 20% off, who is going to visit a landing page or remember a code when the same offer is on the homepage? If you have a technical audience, such as ours, they are not going to visit landing pages at all. They will simply google your brands name.

Lastly, remember that all podcast ads take time. These are not TV or radio ads. These are podcast ads, which means it's on-demand content. We recommend waiting at least a month before reviewing campaigns because you have to allow time for fans to download episodes, listen to them, and then act on the ads they heard.

If you are interested in advertising with us because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
3 min
May 12, 2023HRA 34: Sales Tip - Communicate with the CMO and CSO To Maximize Campaign Results
I have worked in all aspects of C-level positions over my 35+ year career with an emphasis in accounting, finance, growth, partnerships, biz dev, media, and sales - I prefer to work with partners who bring their marketing and sales leaders to the first strategy meeting. And here are my top 3 reasons why this will maximize campaign results.
I find it common at several companies for their sales and marketing teams to have different agendas and not be fully aligned in working on the same goals, or they are just too busy to communicate regularly. It always baffles me when I ask a CMO who their target customer is, and they have no idea. OR the CMO provides me with the wrong information because they are not communicating regularly with their sales team. Now the CSO may understand what is working for the sales team today, yet it's not uncommon that they don't know what coming next, while the CMO typically does. Therefore the first & most important reason for asking both to attend a strategy/exploration call is to better understand their growth goals. Having both attend saves time/back & forth/, and you typically discover there are more goals than originally outlined.

It provides you with an opportunity to build excitement. You are the guide to solving their problems and helping them achieve their goals. Always be fully prepared for this meeting, study LinkedIn profiles, and understand their business so that you can focus solely on solving their needs - you build excitement, and now you have two, not one, person wanting to partner with you.

It will help you build a more robust, stronger campaign as having ALL of the business objectives/goals and understanding what is working now, what didn't, and having a full growth plan will provide you with the confidence in your recommendations, giving you a better opportunity of satisfying your partner.

If you are interested in advertising with TWiT because you want the gold standard in podcast advertising then please email [email protected] and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
3 min
May 05, 2023HRA 33: What Brands Should Do In Uncertain Times
Brand marketing is an easy target that CMOs face pressure to minimize in times of uncertainty. Since the explosion of inflation last year, major cuts in the tech sector, the Russian/Ukrainian war, and the escalating political issues in the US and frankly everywhere. Brands are struggling to make decisions, and marketing is the first place they cut. CMOs resist cutting their budgets because how else do you expect to remain relevant and meet long-term goals if you are not marketing your brand?
Research indicates that reducing brand marketing budgets in downturns backfires, and the minimal savings from cutting budgets impacts future profits significantly. Here are five tips on what to do instead:
Double down on the right customers - can you solve more of their problems? can you help them increase their growth? Tighten your relationships with your long-term customers and build resilience.

Market smarter instead of cutting budgets - brands who continue to market in a downturn stay relevant and gain market share when their competition slashes budgets.

Strengthen your analytics - be sure you are monitoring your marketing progress and have the tools in place to gauge traction - include post-purchase surveys on all campaigns and then refocus marketing efforts on what is working.

Let your existing and new clients know that you are here for them - give them an uncertain times bonus because we are ALL in this together.

Remember that recessions do not last forever, and if you can avoid cutting your marketing budget, then you will be better positioned when the bounce-back period happens. Do not be short-sighted as the long-term impact will be greater.

If you are interested in advertising with TWiT because you understand that marketing needs to happen if you are going to sustain uncertain times and want the gold standard in podcast advertising, then please email [email protected], and we will get back to you ASAP.

Host: Lisa Laporte

Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/host-read-ads
3 min

About Host-Read Ads (Audio)

From the publisher's feed

Navigating the podcast sales process can be cumbersome because every podcaster has their own unique approach. Join Lisa Laporte, the CEO of TWiT.tv, to learn about the different types of podcast advertising, how they work, and what you need to consider when buying podcasts. If you are new to the podcasting space or a brand wanting to advertise in podcasts, then subscribe to learn more.