Tom Webster Talks 3 Major Podcast Audience Rankers

We’re in the second week of June if you can believe it, and summer is here, albeit unofficially – the estival solstice is still two weeks away. But as we finish off Q2, our podcast is on hiatus, media news is relatively quiet, and we’re getting more OOO email bouncebacks than the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day., The Influencer is hard at work digging through the trash to share the information you need to know – even if you’re reading this on a beach with your favorite “yacht rock” jams playing somewhere in the background.

Our first article comes from Sounds Profitable. In yesterday’s edition,Tom Webster provided a detailed breakdown of the various differences between the 3 major podcast audience rankers; Triton, Podtrac, and Edison.

The article states that while many may act like it, Podcast ISN’T a digital platform, but it does offer richer and deeper analytics than are available with radio, TV, or public relations.

The article dives deep into the differences between how each of the major rankers calculates their data to understand the truth, only to find there is no one way to definitively measure podcast audiences.

Tom wraps his exploration up with a simple yet profound truth, “go with the most conservative audience estimate you have, consult multiple sources, and use your common sense.” We couldn’t agree more. If you’re a data dork like us or simply want to learn more about how measurement is currently conducted in this everchanging, evergrowing space, this is a must-read (but you’re probably on vacation, you can also listen by clicking this link).

Continue reading to learn about Quentin Tarantino’s new podcast, the truth about podcast ad-length, and a podcast aircheck that should be framed if you could do such a thing. But don’t spill your hard seltzer on the laptop. You still have work to do.

The Classifieds

Grindhouse and Gore Makes for a Podcast Galore

Former Video Archives’ employees, Pulp Fiction collaborators, and all-around geniuses Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, will launch a podcast with Midroll this summer. The VHS lovers will spend every episode ruminating on their shared filmmaking experiences and their love for classic and obscure grindhouse, B-movies, giallos, and much more. Though it’s been 30 some years since the former amateur film experts pitched their wares behind a video rental store’s counter, every episode will have them pulling tapes from their personal collections and rewatching them for our entertainment. This opportunity is heavily recommended for a male skew audience who enjoys underground films, 90’s nostalgia, and long-forgotten trivia and history. Follow the path of the righteous man to the link below for more details.

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Prankster Makes his Podcast Debut

Former prankster and vlogger Roman Atwood is expanding from his Youtube empire to the world of audio. The double Diamond Play button recipient and new father are now co-hosting a podcast with his wife Brittney Smith-Atwood and friend Chris, aiming to brighten people’s days, bring a bit of levity to the subject of parenthood, and open themselves anew to Atwood’s combined 25.5m followers. The show is also available through simulcast on the couple’s newest Youtube channel. The first episode covered topics such as healthy habits, being best friends with your spouse, and the magic of childhood beliefs. Internet-educated comedy fans are the prime demo for this newest Audioboom opportunity, as well as those interested in family content. Is your refrigerator running? If so, better click the link below to catch it.

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In Case You Missed It

A Tale of Three Rankers

Sounds Profitable breaks down the data behind the three major podcast ranking companies, only to find that while none of them actually say the same thing, together, they tell a story. We told you all about it above.

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Podcast Buyers Asking for Shorter Ads?

Last week, DIgiday posted an (in our opinion, misleading) article that shares how some podcast networks are offering custom-branded, 2-3 min “mini infomercial” segments in some of their podcasts, most ad buyers are opting for the cheaper, 30-second reads. This is true. The CPMs on these custom integrations are sometimes triple that of a “normal” ad and are rarely worth the extra cost from a performance standpoint. However, the article goes on to quote Jen Soch, from GroupM, who reportedly said host-read ads that are 30 seconds long are still “preferred and the most common.” This is where the article has it wrong. No media buyer worth their salt prefers a 30-sec ad over a 60-sec ad in a podcast campaign unless they are not tracking performance (which may be the case with GroupM). The truth is that longer integrations generally perform better provided they can be purchased at a reasonable CPM. In fact, the only time we would recommend buying a 30-sec spot over a 60-sec spot is if 60-sec spots aren’t offered or if the 30-sec spot is at a ridiculously low CPM. So stay away from the custom integrations; they’re usually not worth it but fight like hell to keep as many 60-sec host-read ads in your campaign as you can.

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The Rise of The Companion Pods

In today’s release, Hot Pod shared an interesting breakdown of the rise and projected continued growth of companion podcasts. These are the podcasts that give an episode-by-episode recap of your favorite TV programs that your podcast feed is littered with, and, based on their assessment, why you’re going to see a lot more of them. First, these podcasts are relatively cheap and easy to produce. Second, the in-depth behind-the-scenes content drives loyalty to the show or network, making them a valuable marketing tool for the networks themselves. So expect to see more home-grown and network-produced official show recaps hitting your podcast feed which is good for marketers. Because what the article doesn’t share, but we will, is that from a performance perspective, these shows work. There’s something about aligning a brand with the good feelings associated with something people are already obsessed with, so much so that they listen to a recap podcast that clicks. When you work with Oxford Road, chances are, you’ll see some of these shows in your plan, and chances are it will work.

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This Week in Great Podcast Reads

The New Game-Changing Console

We talk about the importance of host-read ads sounding authentic, but what does that authenticity sound like? Dynamic Banter! with Mike and Steve’s spot for Backbone, that’s what. Here are a couple of guys who built a podcast around riffing on subjects and having a few laughs, a listening experience some of us needed more than we realized. Their freeform style is probably why the read goes on for a whopping six minutes.  Most importantly, they nail Backbone’s messaging, hitting on why this new gaming device that turns your phone into a handheld console is so revolutionary–all while keeping the good times rolling. They probably couldn’t make a read sound scripted if they tried.

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