In the world of digital brand partnerships, there are two giants: Podcast and YouTube.
But as a partnerships manager, where do you decide where to channel your ad spend to: 1) achieve high ROI and 2) build long-term partnerships?
The answer: YouTube
Why? Let’s break it down together….
Podcast Ads: downloads
The Pros of Podcast Ads:
- Listening Experience – you enjoy the host; topics discussed; questions asked
- Sensory Appeal – focuses on what you hear vs. what you see
- Content Depth – listeners prefer longer episodes (commutes; workouts; breaks)
- Ad Delivery – hosts deliver with personal touch / vocal emphasis
The Cons of Podcast Ads:
- Extra Cooks – 50+ podcast hosts, each with a different method for data / analytics
- Unclear Data – ‘downloads’ don’t equal ‘listens’…Ex. Pod XYZ has “25k downloads”
- Default Downloads – if you’re subscribed to a XYZpodcast and get a new episode on your phone – that counts as a ‘download’ regardless if you actually listen – this causes data problems
- Repeat Listens – some podcast hosts count 2+ listens from same device as separate downloads – this causes more problems
- Harder Conversions – listeners have to 1) listen to an ad offer, then 2) remember the website and code, and then 3) type in URL separately at different time
- Listening Depth – unclear what % of true audience listens and how far they listen into each episode – depending on your ad placement, it may not get heard
The Results on Podcast Ads:
- Unclear Gamble – you don’t know the audience you’re getting; in reality host doesn’t truly know audience size
- Audience Work – you’re asking the audience to take more steps to redeem an offer
YouTube: views
The Pros of YouTube Advertising:
- Sole Source – all of YouTube execution / data stems from parent company: Google
- Watching Experience – you enjoy the creativity; content covered; unique formats / ideas
- Sensory Appeal – favors what you see vs. what you hear
- Content Efficiency – captures the imagination of viewers in short time frame (<10mins)
- Ad Delivery – customer sees your brand / product and is one-click away from offer
- Data Clarity – internal traffic; external traffic; age; gender; geography; views; audience retention
The Cons of YouTube Advertising:
- Busy Platform – other videos; banner ads; distractions to steal attention from viewer
- Content Trends – videos are getting shorter over time which will decrease ad length
The Result:
- Better Predictability – exact measure on audience size; historical view data;
- Creative Ads – YouTube is creator-centric, encouraging creators to make a visually memorable ad to influence customers quickly (skits; product interaction; etc.)
- Immediate Action – if customer is influenced by ad, they can click, immediately
Final Call on YouTube Advertising:
If we have $10k+ a month ad spend, we’re finding the best YouTube creators we can find, negotiating great value, and going all in!