5 Strategies for Fighting Podcast Ad Fatigue
Jun 21, 2022Hearing ads too many times is the #1 reason podcast listeners skip ads, point-blank. Our advice? Don’t be in that group.
When asked why they skipped ads, listeners identified the top three reasons:
55% said “I've heard the same ad too many times”1
49% said “The ad is dull and boring”1
46% said “Product or service not relevant to me”1
All those reasons add up to the same thing: podcast ad fatigue.
Ad Fatigue and Podcast Ads
Podcast advertising presents a dynamic opportunity for brands to connect with audiences, often tapping into listeners’ relationships with hosts. But if the targeting is wrong, the ad format isn’t right, creative is off, or frequency is out of whack, you can weaken the power of podcast advertising and fall victim to ad fatigue.
The good news is that podcasts listeners want to hear your ads:
77% listen to podcast ads2
3 in 4 listeners take action after hearing a podcast ad1
If you can get your podcast advertising strategy right, ad fatigue won’t be an issue—and you’ll make the right impression on your target audience.
1. Set Your Sights on the Right Targets
If you want to see polar bears, you don’t go on safari. So, it follows, you probably shouldn’t run ads for a silver fox dating app on the It’s Me, Tinx podcast.
Before you start writing scripts and selecting ad copy, it’s critical you get your campaign into alignment. Because the best creative in the world won’t resonate with the wrong audience.
Define & Target; Not Hypertarget – From demos and geos to interests and behaviors, you want to define who you are trying to reach with your ads. Take care to avoid hypertargeting, which can narrow your audience to the point that you’re missing opportunities.
Align Your Contextual Targeting – Nearly 60% of podcast listeners say it’s important for podcast ads to fit with the podcast.1 So it’s important for your ads to run on content your target audience is into. Once you have your target audience defined, use contextual targeting to ensure you reach them.
2. Get Your Creative in Tune
Mi-mi-mi. Scratch that, try so-so-so. Like, so why should audiences listen to your ad? Go for creative that meets listeners where they’re listening with a message that resonates.
Podcast listeners are very receptive to ads, making them more likely to pay attention to them than they are to other ad formats. And podcast advertising offers uniquely intimate and authentic ad formats, giving you the opportunity to leverage the listener’s connection to the topic and/or host.
A few quick tips to make sure your creative resonates:
Host Read – Select hosts who are interested in your products and allow them to personalize your message with their own experience.
Announcer Read – Write copy that tonally matches the content your ad plays in, making it work contextually. If you know your ad will play on a celebrity gossip podcast, use a voice that sounds natural in that context.
Pre-Produced – Making your own creative? Just remember to keep it authentic to the podcast environment so that it doesn’t stick out.
Creative and contextual alignment doesn’t have to be as literal as promoting telescopes on StarTalk Radio (though if that’s what you’re selling, totally do that). But if you want to promote organic dog treats to comedy podcast audiences, keep the tone lighthearted and fun.
3. Spice it Up with Ad Variety
It’s the lemon wedge in your water, the Sriracha on your ramen, the ketchup on your fries. Variety spices up campaigns, keeping them relevant and palatable.
Whether it’s more than one ad type or alternating copy (or both), using new and different creative gives ad fatigue a wakeup call. And don’t be afraid to test performance while you’re at it. If your ad contains a lower-funnel CTA (e.g., using a promo code or a vanity URL), use a slightly different one in each ad type to see which drives the highest conversion rates.
But don’t go nuts! Whatever you do, make sure your campaign is cohesive and your brand is readily recognizable.
4. Align Frequency with Your Goals
Striking the perfect balance between repeating yourself without being annoying isn’t easy; but we have it down to a science. The conversation around ad fatigue and frequency is a big one, and we recognize it’s a big concern for advertisers everywhere. As the top podcast network, we’ve put a lot of thought and research behind how to hit just the right amount of repetition to optimize results.
Lowering frequency may feel like a quick-hit for fight ad fatigue, but it can also keep your campaign goals out of reach. Here are three facts to keep in mind as you consider ad frequency:
Brand awareness is directly tied to frequency.
Increased frequency and strong creative drive lower-funnel performance.
New and emerging brands must work twice as hard as established brands.
Make sure your frequency targets align with your campaign goals for optimal results.
5. Take it Multichannel
Podcasts are one piece of a very large puzzle. Our listeners move throughout the day, tuning into satellite radio on the go, switching over to stream music while doing chores, and then over to podcasts as they wind down for the day. Every combination of channels, any time of day, no matter the activity, audio is there for them in whatever format they desire.
Make your ads travel with them throughout the day. Consider pairing SiriusXM and Pandora with your podcast advertising campaign to diversify your creative and format as you fight ad fatigue.
Ready to talk podcast advertising strategy? Let’s chat!
