Host-Read Ads 48

Two months ago I did a podcast about the reasons why brands should work directly with podcast networks and I realized I should do a series on this because there are so many reasons and saving money through buying smarter should be a priority for brands. Therefore, this is now part II and I will do as many as I feel necessary to educate brands in this space.

First, let me remind you all that I have been in the podcasting industry since inception. I have worked with several brands, agencies, and consultants. I am open and honest about my experience in this industry. My goal is to provide information for brands to excel in this space by working directly with podcast networks who will take care of them. All agencies do is promise make-goods and free ads because they do not invest the time to understand the best way to buy on individual podcast networks. Especially when they are boutique like ours. They try to lump us in with the DAI networks and it's simply the wrong approach.

Here are four more reasons why brands should go direct:

1. Podcast advertising works because podcast audiences trust the hosts. You must build trust as you cannot buy it, nor can brands be expected to receive quality advice from agencies, especially because they do not communicate with podcast networks. Agencies only focus on scale, networks focus on success.
    
2. Brands can save a lot of money moving away from traditional agencies who take a cut of ad buys. Brands should hire someone in house for podcast advertising. My recommendation is to consider someone that worked at an agency or understands podcasting advertising. Agencies chew through people because it's all about volume, not care/training, and brands should be with partners who care. Plus brands will save money and build a better brand if they invest in bringing ad buying in house.
    
3. There is zero communication between agencies and networks on how podcast ads are doing for brands. Agencies ignore ALL of our recommendations, they do not communication when campaigns are underway, and the only time we hear from them is when they want to complain that nothing is working. Even after they ignored ad tech, time and frequency. Or the want to renew and still do not listen or ask for suggestions. This has increasing become worse over the last few years and probably why 65% of our business is direct. We care about the brands we sign.
    
4. Remember the old saying "You Get What you Paid for? or "Garbage in Garbage out?" The same applies with buying podcast ads. When a brand works with an agency that does not communicate with networks and only spits out RFPs like they do with radio ad buys then you are getting what you paid for. What worked for Brand X, may not work for Brand Y. Communication is critical for proper brand growth and it's absent today with agencies.

There is a lot more to cover and I want to make the point that brands need to spend time to identify who their target client is and what do they want to say to them before buying podcast ads.

Here at TWiT.tv we only improve our communication processes with brands and continue to research and apply best practices. We don't want clients, we want partners.

Thanks for listening to podcast & have a great day.

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