Why you should advertise in podcasts

Today, we are exposed to countless sensory impressions in the course of our daily lives. That's why more people are choosing to insert earplugs, shut out the outside world and take control of what they listen to and are influenced by.

According to the Den Store Podrapporten (Norstat, Media Group, NRK and Schibsted), podcasts account for 12% of weekly audio consumption. But what does this mean for advertisers?

Podcasts are a format with a "stop effect" and conversion. According to the report, 1 in 4 have taken an action after listening to a podcast commercial. This gives podcasts a huge conversion effect. There is also a decrease in the proportion of people who believe it is important that podcasts are free of advertising.

- "The report shows that the medium is still growing. We also see that there is still respect, understanding and a need for advertising, which makes this a very exciting channel for advertisers," says Petter Leknes, Head of Podcasts at Aller Social Club.

Aller Social Club is an influencer agency with over 10 years of experience with podcasts and influencers. Earlier this year, they revealed that they will be investing heavily in free podcasts and are well underway with several exciting concepts.

The value of native advertising and storytelling

- "A good podcast is like sitting around a table with good friends in an interesting conversation," says Leknes.

- "We become close to the podcast profiles we like. We borrow their stories, facts and opinions about anything and everything. A good podcast has the ability to make you feel like a passive part of a conversation between close relations.

Podcast advertising differs from other advertising because it is voluntary listening, and comes from a credible source that the listener actively seeks out. We form a type of relationship with the narrator and thus trust.

Native advertising in podcasts is perceived as more credible because of the source and narrative voice. The format has the same influence as influencers, but on audio. They are carriers of meaning with a perspective that the listener is interested in. This is confirmed when we see that as many as one in three have considered buying or ordering a product or service after hearing a commercial on a podcast. Excellent figures that make the format a conversion machine for advertisers.

The Norstat report shows that most people seek out podcasts to be entertained, and are interested in podcasts with humor and real-life stories. Many people also listen to podcasts to learn new things, and we see that documentaries score highly with listeners.

The listening bubble converts

Podcasts create a bubble for the listener when they want to shut out other noise. The medium is used in places where people want to be left alone. For example, on the bus, on walks and at the gym. The listener actively creates their own listening bubbles, where they can ignore the outside world and create a new form of alone time.

- Most importantly for advertisers, the listener is open to hearing relevant commercial messages in the listening bubble. The format allows our advertisers to let loose and step away from standard communication. This is a space where they can be a little more playful, while at the same time creating high quality ads," says Petter.

The format makes room for carefully selected advertisers and messages, read out by a voice the listener enjoys listening to. The delivery of the advertising message is in the same tone as the rest of the podcast and thus has full coverage and attention from listeners.

The podcast format and listening habits

Listeners quickly find a pattern when it comes to podcasts. They listen to the same shows and have an overview of which days of the week new episodes are released. Through the podcast format, presenters have a contract with listeners that a certain type of content will arrive at the agreed time.

- "Podcasts are a good supplement to what we offer today, and here we can challenge our advertisers in connection with the 360 package we always want to offer. It's important to have both coverage and sound, and with podcasts you have the opportunity to further sharpen your communication and make the message more personal," says Petter.

Furthermore, Petter says that the systems in use always ensure up-to-date messages and ads, regardless of whether you're listening to new or old episodes.

The most important criteria when choosing a podcast is that it is easily accessible and free. Although the willingness to pay has increased from last year, the majority do not want to pay for podcast content.

At least four new shows from Aller Social Club will be launched this fall.