Discover why 80% of podcast listeners prefer personalized ads and how it impacts engagement, recall, and ad fatigue. Learn how AMA is pioneering personalized podcast advertising.
Here's a quick rundown of what we found out about podcast listeners' preferences for ads:
In simple terms, podcast listeners enjoy ads more when they're personalized, offering a significant opportunity for podcasters and advertisers to improve engagement and effectiveness.
There are a few reasons why more people prefer ads that fit their interests:
In short, people like ads more when they feel like they're meant just for them. Ads that really hit the mark are also better at getting people to buy stuff. This shows that there's a big opportunity to make ads that talk to each listener in their own way.
As Steve Dunlop from AMA puts it: "Listeners want advertising that speaks directly to them, not just around them." This change is making it easier to get podcast listeners interested by using ads that know what they like.
The survey showed that 38% of people who listen to podcasts like ads that are pre-recorded the most, while 31% enjoy hearing the host talk about sponsors, and another 31% are into podcasts that mix in promotional messages with their content.
Pre-recorded ads are those short messages, usually 15-30 seconds long, that someone other than the host records. Host-read ads are when the host talks about a product or service during the show. Branded content is when the show itself includes promotional messages.
Each kind of ad has its own benefits:
So, even though a bit more people prefer pre-recorded ads, a lot still like the other two types.
The study also looked at where in the podcast episodes people like ads the most:
Most people like starting off episodes with ads, but more than half would rather have them in the middle or end. This shows that ads at the start can catch your attention, but having them later might be less annoying.
Social media is really important for finding new podcasts:
YouTube is the top spot for podcast recommendations, but Facebook and Instagram are also popular. Even smaller platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and TikTok help people discover new podcasts.
This shows that using social media smartly can help podcasts reach more listeners.
When ads are made just for you, based on what you like, it turns out you're more likely to pay attention and remember them. A survey done by AMA found that 80% of people who listen to podcasts really like it when ads are about things they're interested in. Almost 20% of those people want ads that feel like they were made specifically for them, with the help of smart technology to make each ad special.
Ads that talk about things you're into grab your attention more and stick in your mind better. By using information and smart technology to figure out what each listener likes, advertisers can create ads that are just right for them. This means listeners keep listening and remember the ad better.
Steve Dunlop from AMA said that making ads more relevant isn't just nice to have; it actually makes people more likely to buy stuff. The survey showed that making ads that really fit what listeners like makes them more effective.
Hearing the same ads all the time can get annoying. But if ads change a bit each time, based on what you like, they stay interesting. This way, even if it's the same ad campaign, it feels new each time you hear it. This keeps listeners from getting bored and helps them stay interested.
AMA's technology shows that changing up the messages in ads keeps listeners happy and paying attention. This is really important if you want people to keep listening and to make your ad campaign work well.
More and more, people want ads that are made just for them. Steve Dunlop from AMA says this is a big change. Instead of ads that are the same for everyone, we're moving towards ads that fit what each person likes.
Brands that use data, technology, and smart tools to make their ads fit each listener can really stand out. With programmatic advertising, brands can talk to lots of podcast listeners in a way that feels personal and direct.
While 15% of listeners are super fans who catch every episode, a bigger group just tunes in regularly. This means they might get tired of hearing the same ad over and over, which could make them less interested or even annoyed.
A survey showed that 80% of podcast listeners like ads more when they're about stuff they're interested in. Almost 20% even want ads that seem like they were made just for them.
This shows that people prefer ads that change and are about things they like, instead of the same old thing every time.
AMA's dynamic creative technology helps fix the problem of boring, repetitive ads by changing the ad content for each listener.
Key features include:
In short, dynamic creative is a smart way to keep ads from getting stale. By making ads different for each person and keeping them related to what listeners like, it makes the podcast experience better and helps people remember the ads more.
AMA has been a leader in making ads for podcasts that talk to you about what you like since 2015. They've put out over 10 billion ads that know what each listener is interested in. This is changing how ads in podcasts work by making sure they fit what you want to hear.
Here's what AMA has done:
Here's how AMA is changing podcast ads:
As Steve Dunlop from AMA said, "We're not just reaching people but actually getting them interested, starting a new part in how digital audio ads work." By moving to ads that know what you like, podcast creators can make shows that feel more personal while companies get more out of their ads. It's a good change for everyone, led by smart companies like AMA.
The Association of Magazine Media (AAM) wanted to understand what people think about ads in podcasts, especially if they like them personalized. So, we talked to 1,006 adults in the United States who listen to podcasts at least once a month.
We did this survey online in January 2023. We made sure everyone who answered was at least 18 years old and listened to podcasts monthly. The survey has a bit of wiggle room in its accuracy, about +/- 3.1%, which is pretty standard for surveys.
Here’s a quick look at who answered our survey:
We asked them a bunch of questions about:
The main point was to figure out what podcast listeners really think about ads, especially the ones that are made to match their interests. This info helps those who make and sell ads for podcasts understand what listeners want.
The AMA survey gives us a clear picture of where podcast ads are headed, and it's all about making them fit what each listener likes. Here's what we learned:
Podcasters should think about making ads that speak directly to their listeners: Since 80% of listeners like ads that match their interests, creating ads and content that feel more personal could make listeners more engaged. Tools like AMA help do this on a big scale.
Advertisers can get better results with smart, changing ads: Using systems that automatically change the ad's message for each listener helps keep things fresh. This means listeners are more likely to remember and act on these ads.
Social media is key for finding new podcasts: A lot of listeners, over 60%, find new podcasts through YouTube. This shows it's important for podcasts to use social media like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach more people.
Different types of ads work for different listeners: Some like pre-recorded ads, but others enjoy ads read by the host or ads that are part of the podcast. Trying out various types and placing them at different points in the podcast can help find what works best.
As Steve Dunlop from AMA said, making ads that feel personal is where things are heading. These survey results show we're just starting to see big changes in how ads in podcasts work. With listeners clearly preferring ads that talk about things they're interested in, there's a big chance for podcasts to make their ads more meaningful. At the same time, advertisers can see better results by making their messages fit each listener better. With new technology, especially in buying ads automatically, we're going to see podcast ads become much more personal.
The AMA survey on podcast ads gave us more interesting information:
To sum it up, we learned a lot about what works best for ads in podcasts depending on who's listening, what they're listening to, and where the ads are placed. Steve Dunlop from AMA mentioned, "We still have a lot to learn, but it's clear that good podcast ads can be really effective."
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