Podvertising Like the blogging boom of recent years, podcasting is quickly crossing over into the mainstream. Thanks to its growing popularity, podcasts are poised to grab a sizable slice of the online advertising pie.
A podcast is loosely defined as digital media file that is distributed over the Web using syndication feeds, which can be played on portable media players and personal computers. Specifically, a podcast is a type of webcast, which can mean either the content itself or the method by which it is syndicated (which is also is termed as podcasting).
Though the web sites of podcasters may also feature direct download or streaming of their content, a podcast is different from other digital media formats because of its unique ability to be downloaded automatically, using software that is capable of reading feed formats, such as RSS.
A 2006 report released by Nielsen Analytics found that podcasts are attracting a large number of listeners, a shift that advertisers and various media companies have noted.
According to the Nielsen report, 10% of their respondents stated they download eight or more podcasts per week. Of the podcast users, 38% said they listen to the radio less because they’re listening to podcasts.
Research firm eMarketer also predicts that advertisers will spend more than $400 million on podcasting by 2011, up from $80 million in 2006.
The number of podcast listeners is expected to mushroom over the next four years, the eMarketer report predicts, reaching a total of 50 million listeners by 2010, with roughly 15 million listeners being described as active (listeners who download podcasts on a weekly basis).
Podcasting has already become enticing to big name advertisers, including auto companies such as Toyota, Volvo and Honda, which have begun sponsoring podcasts. The report states that since “podcasting is positioned to deliver highly specialized content to niche groups,” that many diverse types of advertisers are also likely to tap into the medium.
The entry of major media companies, such as CBS Radio, into podcasting have also encouraged advertisers to embrace the emerging medium. The increase of video podcasts, which lend themselves to the kind of video ads that marketers are accustomed to developing for television, has also increased advertiser interest.