Just a bit of thought about podvertising — or podcast advertising. Unless your podcast show is very popular, chances are traditional ads will turn listeners off.

Webmaster World podcast series have some podcasts that I regularly listen to. I find the content compelling but when I sit behind the computer to listen to the podcast, I realize that I frequently fast-forward or skip the ads. There were times I didn’t do that but obviously the ads are quite annoying.

They are just to radioish. I don’t think it is just me.

Podcasting, especially as a medium for content publishing should find a way to monetize their content. On the other hand, podcasts have been seen as a safe ground for listener to access information. They help create a better buying experience.

For business/ corporation, this may not be hard to do. They could just monetize by diversifying through other ways and solely use podcasts as a way to prepare the readers into the right mood to buy.

Content publishing through podcasting is different though.

To help the transition of ads and content smoother, firstly an ad should not resemble one in the podcast. The advertisers probably want to have their ads read from a script, of which it is fine but still I think the podcaster is the one who should read it instead of having it recorded from a studio by a voiceover artist.

This is not a technique to obscure the ad but it really forces the podcasters to recommend something of which they are comfortable with.

Another way to present an ad is through product review. This is a format I have learned from blogging. Basically the blogger has all the rights to remain objective and transparent about the product.

Another podvertising format I really was impressed, by far the best format in my humble opinion, is when Chris Pirillo review the GoTo Meeting product in March 2005. He actually went through the program and let others experience it with him.

In the show, he offered a longer free trial version of the software compared to the usual free trial download version. The result, as published by Marketing Sherpa later on June 2006 was nothing but exciting for those who plan to advertise on podcasts. The response from the sponsorships have been very well and overwhelming. The CPA — Cost per Acquisition — leveled out to about the same CPA metrics.

Podvertising and sponsorship is still much in its infancy so it is interesting to monitor this space on how podcasters, especially those who use podcasting as a content publishing vehicle to earn revenue, do it.

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