How To Write Podcast Ads That Sell

By  Stew Redwine · Editors: Bryan Barletta, Evo Terra

Introduction

“Podcasters can sell underwear, so why do they struggle to sell themselves?”

That was the question Bryan wanted help answering when he reached out to me for pointers on what makes a live-read work. He thought maybe podcasters just need to be told how to write an ad. After talking for a few minutes we decided to make an ad for Sounds Profitable by going through the creative process I use when developing ads.

And when we were all done he asked me to share more about what is behind the approach. Why is the creative organized the way it is? It’s something I’ve been working on for a while now. Maybe I went a little overboard on my answer for him, but here you go. Everything you’ll read here is based on the work of a lot of other people. You could find it all if you searched and spent the time connecting the dots. But now you don’t have to.

NOTE: There are THREE main sections of a podcast ad – Intro, Body Copy, and Call to Action. Within that, there are subsections you can use to write your copy. But the end result doesn’t need all the labels. They’re there to keep your thoughts organized and make sure you have everything that needs to be included in your message.

Building An Ad

Intro

SETUP

Ever since the height of “audio ad-tech” was a ram’s horn – one question remains. Do the ads work?

This one’s for Sounds Profitable – and we’re about to find out.

Body Copy

VALUE PROP

Sounds Profitable is the ONLY podcast that brings you the latest from the podcast ad-tech world.

POSITIONING

But we’re not just reporting. We’re leading the space – with the first-ever on-demand podcast upfronts. We’re breaking down the business of podcasts – from analytics to dynamic ad insertion. And we’re giving you in-depth detail from experts. All so you can make smart decisions. And sound smart too.

DEMONSTRATION

Go to Sounds Profitable dot com slash Premium and sign up for our NEW Premium Feed – for FREE – and hear audio versions of ALL our articles plus expert interviews with guests like Tom Webster of Edison Research and James Cridland of Podnews.

SUBSTANTIATION

Access everything in one clean feed thanks to our sponsor Supercast – one of our FIFTY PLUS SPONSORS – from the most important podcasting ad-tech partners, agencies, and publishers.

Call to Action

OFFER SCARCITY PATH

Sign up at Sounds Profitable dot com slash Premium and now through Father’s Day you’ll be entered to win audio gear – like headphones, mixers, and mics – based on how many new subscribers we get.

But only until June 20th – go to Sounds Profitable dot com slash Premium!

Plus, when you sign up, you’ll prove this ad worked. Right? Sounds Profitable dot com slash Premium.

CLICK HERE for the output of this exercise and how it actually sounded once recorded.

Next week, we’ll dive into the nine main sub-components that make up the foundation of Audiolytics™ so you can make an ad that works for your business.