Season 2 of the The Jag Show Podcast is coming soon, where we will keep tabs on all topics related to the podcast industry. For now, here’s a sample of the imaging/production I’ve done for other podcasts.
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Season 1 Bonus / Podcast Imaging Demo
Season 2 of the The Jag Show Podcast is coming soon, where we will keep tabs on all topics related to the podcast industry. For now, here’s a sample of the imaging/production I’ve done for other podcasts.
Podcasts Now Do Los Angeles “Upfronts”
Podcasts Now Do Los Angeles Upfronts
Television industry folks are familiar with “upfronts,” where networks present their new slate of shows to clients and advertisers. They are a big deal. Yesterday, podcasts did their own Winter Podcast Upfronts, at the Los Angeles talent agency UTA.
This is significant because large advertisers are spending more and more money on podcasts. According to Edison Research’s Tom Webster, podcasts’ share of total audio consumption has doubled since 2014. This equates to tens of millions of hours of listening time, according to this nice recap from Digiday.
The Winter Podcast Upfronts included presentations from major players like ESPN and NPR. Capitalizing on the rampant success of their 30 for 30 documentary series turned podcast, the sports network will unveil a podcast later this year about Donald Sterling. You may remember his wife made him sell the Los Angeles Clippers amid mountains of controversy. NPR’s Serial, a longtime podcasting leader, will look at the public education system this fall. The key takeaway here: Major media companies are investing time and money in podcasting, and it’s here to stay.
The Digiday story also mentioned dynamic ad placement, and its importance with time sensitive content, such as new movie releases. Podcasts are often time-shifted. Listeners consume shows days or weeks after publication, so large companies rely on technology to place targeted ads in podcasts. I still believe the best ads for podcasts are live reads and “evergreen.” Ads gain credibility when read by hosts. That’s because it’s in the voice and style of the rest of the show. Don’t believe me? Look no further than the clowning around the guys from Pod Save America do in their ads for Stamps.com, the Cash App, Sleep Number, and more. These companies may not love the hosts’ foul language, but the ads gain a level of authenticity.
Bottom line: Podcasts are becoming more relevant and mainstream by the day. If you or your company would like to start a podcast, I can create it for you.
Podcast Promotion Needs Variation
Podcast promotion is always one of the biggest discussion topics in the industry. Apple still remains the 800 pound gorilla in this space. Consequently, podcasters often make those Apple Podcast charts their sole focus. There are even companies out there that promote their ability to manipulate Apple’s algorithms and vault you to the top. This often works, that is, until Apple finds the loopholes and updates their algorithm. Then what? You may have had some short-lived podcast promotion, but then it’s back to the drawing board.
Podcasting blossomed in 2018; some would even say it’s the year podcasting went mainstream. Saturday Night Live did a spoof awards show called “The Poddys,” complete with impressions of Serial’s Sarah Koenig and The Daily’s Michael Barbaro. Yes, the sketch played on some of podcasting’s stereotypes, but SNL dedication of a sketch shows that podcasting is both relevant and mainstream. Next weekend, the nation’s largest radio company will put on the iHeartRadio Podcast Awards. I’ve blogged about this before, but iHeart’s investment in podcasts (including one they are launching with Ron Burgundy) will only add to overall podcast promotion in 2019.
Podcast promotion is not a one-trick pony. Any marketing authority will tell you that your promotion eggs shouldn’t all be put in one basket. Evaluate your audience, and go where they go. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and others can all be valuable vehicles to draw attention to any business or product. The same goes for podcast promotion.
Most podcast hosts, such as Libsyn and Simplecast, will give you links to share on social. Also, you’ll often have access to an embeddable player for use on your website.
Don’t forget about video! Yes, it may seem counter-intuitive to use video to promote audio. But there are a number of services, like SpareMin/Headliner and Audiogram that will turn your podcast into video. Simply take your logo, or any static image, and upload a clip from your latest episode. It’s the same way radio morning shows would do daily promos. Now the clip is video (even with a static image it’s still a video, usually with a moving waveform). Your video is now post-able on Instagram, and more favorably viewed by Facebook. Here’s an example of an Audiogram from a show I currently co-host, The Quizzo Cast:
Here’s the bottom line. If your podcast promotion strategy is solely to reach the top of Apple’s charts, you are limiting yourself. Consider all available avenues to maximize your exposure. More and more people are listening to podcasts every day. They are using more than just charts to discover them.