8 Myths About Podcast Advertising You Shouldn’t Believe

Podcast advertising is a powerful driver of growth and moves the needle in the right direction. But, misconceptions still abound when it comes to podcast advertising. To help separate those from actuality, we’ve listed out common podcast advertising myths along with our research firmly debunking them. 

Once we squash these myths, the question you’ll be left with isn’t whether podcast advertising makes sense for your brand—it’s how quickly you can get your podcast campaign going.

Myth 1: Podcasts Have Minimal Reach

Let’s start with an easy one, as it’s also one of the most important myths to dispel. Podcasts are popular, no matter how you look at it. With over 135 million Americans ages 12 and up listening each month —which is over 40% of the US population —brands can’t afford to ignore tapping into this rich platform. Podcasts are also seeing incredible growth. There’s been a staggering 47% increase over the last five years. And there’s no sign we’re near the peak yet.

Myth 2: It Endangers Brand Safety

Brand safety may vary depending on your podcast advertising partner. Here at SiriusXM Media, however, we take it seriously. As a Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) working group member, our brand safety floor and contextual targeting are aligned with their framework. And as for brand suitability, wWe have multiple filtering options and anti-targeting to help you rest assured your ads play with content you approve of, and we work with Barometer for third-party verification. 

Myth 3: It’s Best Used for Upper Funnel Purposes 

You can align with the entire marketing funnel with podcast ads. Don’t get us wrong—it’s great for building awareness and brand interest. But it’s also fabulously effective for consideration and conversion. Remember how well-regarded and trusted listeners tend to find their podcast hosts? Successful advertisers leverage that trust factor to educate audiences and seal the deal with promo codes. E-commerce brands and brick-and-mortar stores alike have successfully used podcast advertising to drive traffic, customer acquisition, and sales. 

Myth 4: It’s Not Cost-Effective

For most businesses, it very much is cost-effective—when done right, of course. Advertising costs depend on a variety of factors, just as it does on other channels—who you’re targeting, where you want to run your ads, and how long your campaign runs for are just some of the considerations. Podcast advertising campaigns have been shown to aid brand awareness, improve brand favorability, and increase purchase intent. And campaigns running on the SiriusXM Podcast Network outperform the average on all these counts.

Myth 5: Listeners Don’t Trust Ads

We talked about how podcasts get listeners, but they also get listeners. While audiences’ trust in public figures and other media platforms may be ebbing, the story is different in the podcast space. Listeners trust the hosts they listen to—4.2x more than traditional radio, 6.6x more than online/streaming video, 9x more than traditional television, and a staggering 23x more than social media. Over two in three listeners feel a personal connection to the host. With ad solutions such as host-read creatives and a roster of skilled voice talent, brands can easily leverage the feeling of authenticity and trust listeners extend to podcasts. 

Myth 6: Listeners Tune Out or Skip Ads

More than half of listeners say they’re likely to pay attention to podcast ads, and over nine in 10 people take action after hearing a podcast ad, which would be pretty hard to beat on other marketing channels. More than three-quarters of listeners have researched a product they heard advertised on a podcast, and 57% have actually purchased. Combine all those numbers, and it’s pretty easy to see that podcast ads can be incredibly effective.

Myth 7: Targeting is Tough

This remains one of the more prevalent misconceptions about podcast advertising. Truth is, targeting your ideal audience can get as specific or broad as you prefer. Brands can choose audience targeting to engage with listeners by age, gender, and geography, and even moods. There is also contextual targeting, which lets you leverage episodes and shows that are a category match or align well with your brand. For more scalable reach, you can use inventory targeting, connecting with audiences through particular publishers, ad networks, or ad break types.

Myth 8: Measurement is Lacking

Thanks to podcasts’ digital nature and expert measurement tools, advertisers have access to powerful, accurate ad format insights. With the right advertising partner, you’ll be able to glean metrics on audience demographics, psychographics, engagement, ROI, and more. Connect the dots between ad impressions and foot traffic or product sales when you implement the appropriate tracking mechanisms. Aside from real-time analytics, you can also conduct a brand lift study to gauge awareness and consideration. 

Get Started With the SiriusXM Podcast Network

Podcast advertising is incredibly targetable, measurable, safe, and cost-effective. Listeners are highly engaged with the content and put tons of trust in the hosts and shows they subscribe to. As far as reach, well, the sky’s the limit.

You don’t have to go it alone. Lean on the experts in digital audio to help you. From partnerships with hot and rising creatives to targeting niche audiences and more, we’ve got your back. When you work with the SiriusXM Podcast Network, the possibilities are endless. The only risk involved is not considering podcast advertising as part of your marketing mix.

Ready to maximize your brand’s potential through podcast advertising? Let's talk.

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