Every medium — whether it be television, radio, digital, print, or even the podcast industry — is in a fight for advertising dollars. Sounds Profitable partner Tom Webster believes podcasting needs to come together to have a cohesive message to the advertising community.
Advertising in the podcasting space has fluctuated in recent months and years. In 2024, at times, the revenue for podcasting grew by more than 20% in a single quarter.
Meanwhile, some of the largest podcast advertisers have decreased their spending in recent months, with questions on whether or not that was related to the often hesitant marketing approach in the first quarter, a hesitant marketing approach after the election of Donald Trump, or a hesitant marketing approach from those previously trusting the podcast industry.
While there is some disagreement from some in the industry about whether or not podcasting is an audio or visual medium, Webster says that should be a feature, not a bug, to potential marketers.
“I don’t know if spoken word audio is like smoking, that you have to start it young to get the habit,” he joked. “I don’t know that that’s true, but it does make podcasting, I think, incredibly important, because we can’t just take spoken word audio for granted. It’s certainly been cut into considerably by video.
“Podcasting is the most versatile medium, and I think more and more we’re learning that the same people will dip back and forth between audio and video versions of their favorite shows. And I think that’s a message that we haven’t really talked about in podcasting. I don’t know that we have talked about it to advertisers as much that you don’t have to make a choice here, if your podcast has a video option.”
The Sounds Profitable partner pointed out that when cable television was first introduced in America, the industry spent plenty of its marketing dollars behind a promotional push that highlighted the value of cable TV as a whole and why it was superior.
Tom Webster has laid out eight talking points that those within the industry can utilize inside their own programs as a way to reinforce why advertisers should continue to put their faith in the podcast industry.
#1 – Found Time, Not Spent Time
“I think we can talk about how this is the only content you can fully absorb while you’re doing something else,” said Webster. “You don’t have to choose between productivity or enrichment. That’s certainly true of audio podcasting. It’s found time not spent time.”
#2 – The Ultimate Companion
“It’s the ultimate companion,” Webster said of podcasts. “Again, that speaks to that versatility that I talked about before. Podcasts can stay with you wherever you go, and they can keep you company.”
#3 – Screen-Free Moments of Zen
“I think if you would ask the average American — and indeed, probably people from other countries as well — ‘Do you watch too much? Do you think you scroll too many videos, do you think you scroll too much Tiktok? Or do you think you scroll too many reels? I think most people would agree with that,” the Sounds Profitable partner said.
“So I think that’s something that we can talk about, a screen-free moment of Zen, especially for kids and family podcasts.”
#4 – “Deepen Your Understanding, Not Your Screen Time”
“It’s guilt-free media that enriches you and can stop the mindless doomscrolling,” said Tom Webster. “It’s something that actually enriches your life, and it’s not just a way to kill time.
“All of this sound may sound really simple to you, but we don’t talk about them,” Webster added. “We don’t talk about this stuff. And these are the core values and the core value proposition of podcasting.”
#5 – “Take Back Your Commute/Chores/Workout”
“You could turn all of those necessary tasks into opportunities to learn and laugh. I think people don’t often think about podcasts in those moments. They may get the laundry together and go down to the laundry room or whatever. Maybe they don’t even think about a podcast. We need to remind people to take us with them on their chores,” he stated.
#6 – “Be Part of the Conversation”
Tom Webster utilized an analogy that podcast should mimic a theater rather than a stage. In a theater, there is a backstage area where the talent can mingle with those producing the show, but also the most valuable people to the performance.
On the stage, they can espouse their beliefs, share their talent with the audience, and put on an entertaining show.
And in the lobby, the audience is able to mingle and communicate with one another over their shared interests in the entertainment.
He shared the importance of creating a real connection and community within in the audience as a driving force for a way for the podcast industry to leverage it audience with marketers.
#7 – “Fewer Ads, Better Quality”
“We’re very selective about our sponsors,” noted Webster. “You hear fewer ads and only ads from brands that support what you love. I think that’s a core advantage. I don’t think we want to get into price war messaging about having fewer ads necessarily, but I do think we can stress that we’re selective about not wasting your time.”
#8 – “The Versatile Medium”
“No other medium is so flexible,” the Sounds Profitable partner concluded. “It’s a video when you can watch, audio when you can’t. It goes with you in multiple settings and multiple environments. And I think that’s something that is a core benefit for advertisers as well. This really turns podcasting into an extremely versatile advertising vehicle for people.”
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
