Advertising and why it’s rarely a good idea!

Advertising, cash, moulla, readies. All these can seem like a wonderful reward for your hard work creating content. But is it? Really?

I’ve noticed over the last couple of weeks a few new podcasting networks popping up. The content I’m subscribed to hasn’t changed. It’s just that the podcast producer has signed up to be part of a network.

The really irksome part of this is the repetition of the same ad across a number of podcasts. I can’t always hit the skip forward button. This means there are a growing number of products I will never purchase.

Why? Shouldn’t I support the producer?

I know how hard it to put out a podcast. Not that hard once the workflow is set up but yes it takes time and we’d all love to give up the day job to podcast full time. And yes it’s doable but please don’t destroy your listener’s experience.

The ads, mostly, have nothing to do with the content, they are in a tone which doesn’t match the podcast and they are just jarring. There’s not one host read in the new networks I’ve heard. And as for for cherry woman on the Canadian CBC podcasts and her “Frozen Dump and Stir.” high pitched screech, well I’m not a fan.

If the narrator does the read then the voice would still be the same, at the least. Even when that happens I tend to flick forward. I’m not in the market for a mattress, I haven’t shaved in thirty five years, I’m happy cooking and shopping for food and it’s unlikely I’ll get it delivered from North America to Australia.

The model is the old media one. No matter what the show, if the numbers are high enough, advertisers will throw their ads at who ever listens. We are in a new media space. You know, the creative, vibrant one.

Way back in episode 22 of the Podcasters’ Roundtable, (https://youtu.be/chpyXFbQiWM) back on the 8th of December 2013(!) John Lee Dumas, the father of podcasting for cash, said something along the lines of: Every ad decreases from the quality of your show. So this is nothing new.

There are other ways to “monetize” your show. A Patreon setup works well and seamlessly and in the voice of the narrator. Shownotes on your website with links in app shownotes makes it possible to drive traffic to affiliate offers, eBooks related to your content or google ads on your site.

Driving people to your website also allows you to set up a comments section, interact with listeners and build community.

We can all do better and I wish we would!

Jon M