Think of advertising on a podcast like speed dating – you want to hear what they have to say and then get out as fast as possible.

In many ways, viewers of a podcast are not interested in watching little advertisements, so keeping them engaged is difficult.

The biggest mistake companies can make when trying to jump into podcast advertising is to treat them like commercials, and this makes sense because the description sounds much like a commercial.

Podcasts offer content through audio, and placing images or visuals with your podcast is not uncommon.

However, the way in which you present your specific content is different than you would in a commercial. Consider some of the differences and make sure you don’t strike out in the little time you have.

How to make sure you don’t fall into the trap

1. Podcasts are short

A podcast only lasts about 15 seconds as opposed to the usual 60. When it comes time to create a podcast ad, you will find that some of your tactics and tricks to making a successful commercial will go out the window.

2. Be simple, brief, and to the point

You should be explaining why someone needs a certain product more so than explaining the specifics of the product. Podcasts are not the time for specifics. You only have 15 seconds—you must engage your viewer immediately!

Do not bother spending time with loud music or setting up catchy attention getters like you might in commercials. While those are all nice, you need to get to the point.

3. Variation is key

While many commercials follow a common character around or use a common theme in each commercial, you should have variation from podcast to podcast. There are many commercials on the air, so your commercials will likely not be seen so close together, making consistency a good thing.

However, podcasts are a different story. Your podcasts could run very close together, and if viewers are annoyed by seeing the same thing over and over, their attention will be lost and you could actually cause resentment!

4. You have placement options

This is similar to a commercial because placement does have an effect; however the ideal placement for your podcast ad may be different than a commercial ad. In short, the best time to advertise is during the podcast.

If you started an advertisement at the beginning, viewers would likely not pay attention because they know their program will be on in 15 seconds. If you put it at the end, viewers know their program is over and can easily shut off the podcast (and unlike a commercial, there will not be anything on after).

However, if you can insert your ad within the podcast, viewers will likely sit and watch or listen knowing that their program will come back.

Keep in mind that podcasts are becoming popular again. While Facebook and Twitter still hold the social media crown, podcasting is slowly creeping up on the competition.

If your company can tap into the value of a podcasting advertisement early, you may find yourself ahead of the curve when this new phenomenon really takes off.

After all, if podcast advertising is like speed dating, you will want to make your time count. Better yet, if you can understand these tricks first, you will look great next to all those speed dating rookies.

Image: pouwerkerk via Flickr, Creative Commons

Amanda DiSilvestro is an expert writer on topics ranging from social media to access control systems based in San Diego, California.  She writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs such as surveillance systems at Resource Nation.

Recently at Women Grow Business I wrote about how the social media space is becoming much like a cocktail party. With lots of voices out there, it’s getting harder to woo your prospects.

I also posed the question, how can businesses be the distinctive voice that knocks their prospects off their feet?

This is an interesting question that will remain relevant for years to come. And it’s a topic heavily on the mind of Sandy Carter and her 2.0 framework (she just published her new book: The New Language of Marketing 2.0).

We recently engaged in a great podcast conversation on this very subject.

Want to listen in or even listen in the background while you work?

I recently had this opportunity to speak with Sandy who is IBM Corporation’s Vice President of SOA and Websphere Marketing, Strategy and Channels. To help drive IBM’s thought leadership in web 2.0, Sandy developed a breakthrough framework called ANGELS:

• Analyze and ensure strong market understanding
• Nail the relevant strategy and story
• Go to market plan
• Energize the channel and community
• Leads and revenue
• Scream!! Breaking through the noise
• Sandy talks about IBM’s winning strategy for “screaming” or breaking through the noise.

What are your thoughts?

More from:
Terri Holley and more community building breakthroughs at Women Grow Business.

Guest contributor Terri Holley writes our series “Community Building Breakthroughs and Social Media.” She is the owner of Creative Blog Solutions and a social media strategist, plus a certified life/business coach. A forward-thinker and relationship-centric gal, Terri supports small businesses who understand the value of using social technologies to build deeper relationships with prospects and customers.

She saw an opportunity and asked a powerful question “What if I…?”

Janet Carter was once enrolled in a Right to Work program and as she shares in our podcast – she didn’t have an ideal experience. She decided to assert her disadvantage and become an entrepreneur. And now she’s helping others with disabilities.

We recently met at Blogpotomac; I’m grateful Janet taught me more about her experience and how she started her business, confronting unique obstacles in the process.

Please listen in to our 3 minute conversation.

More from:

• Janet’s company on Twitter or reach out to her via email: abccleaningservices1 (at) gmail (dot) com.
• Ongoing conversations from Blogpotomac on Twitter.

Image by Donna Grayson, Creative Commons.

Entrepreneur Magazine has listed The Startup Princess as a top resource for women entrepreneurs. And she’s been voted by her home state as one of 30 Women to Watch.

She’s that cool.

Kelly King Anderson aka Fairy Godmother of helping business-owner dreams come true … founded Startup Princess a while ago to convene like-minded women entrepreneurs as she was getting a business idea off the ground. Yet so much success emerged from Startup Princess itself, that she committed to building that instead, putting aside the original idea that first motivated Startup Princess to launch.

I randomly turned around last week at the Blogworld Expo. When Kelly mentioned “Hi, I’m Startup Princess on Twitter” – I almost jumped out of my skin from glee. It was the first time to meet her face to face.

-and a pleasure to get her entrepreneur magic apart of the SmallBizCool series.

So from Blogworld’s floor, here’s Kelly for SmallBizCool!

More from:

• The full (and so cool) video series SmallBizCool at Women Grow Business;
• Michael Dougherty catches some great SmallBizCool conversation and meets up with Chris Brogan (oh the humor!) from Blogworld.

Transporting back to last week, Las Vegas, early a.m. pacific time:
It’s the opening keynote address for the Blogworld Expo and first time many attendees were convened in the same room. We enter a large meeting hall where rows and rows of chairs are filling up and projected up front is one huge phrase on screen:

How dare you not be awesome?!

That bold question was the most effective ‘mental caffeine’.

It’s a question posed by the hip, wise, and awesome entrepreneur Laura Fitton aka @Pistachio on Twitter. She’s a Twitter champ and founder of OneForty.com and Pistachio Consulting.

And she gets more cool — enough to talk shop for the SmallBizCool series!

It just seems inevitable that something cool will happen when hearing the phrase: “Jill meet Jill!”
And at last week’s Blogworld Expo, that’s exactly what happened when being introduced to another ‘Jill’ (yet she spells her name with a cool, artistic spelling that she chose when she was six years old). I met entrepreneur (or rather mompreneur) Jyl Johnson Pattee through Beth Harte just recently – thanks Beth!

Jyl founded Mom It Forward and shares at least two reasons why her business is cool, as in SmallBizCool! Think weekly Twitter parties and more…

It was fantastic meeting Nelly Yusupova, CTO of Webgrrls Internationals ( and founder of DigitalWoman).

She’s shares on her cool projects (with a keen insight on what she’s surmounted to be of stronger service to her clients).

Welcome to another segment of SmallBizCool(!), straight from Blogworld last weekend.

In meeting Mari Smith at last weekend’s Blogworld Expo, I felt delighted and also a bit like a hobbit standing next to Gandolph (I think she’s at least 6′ tall!). Fast Company calls Mari “the Pied Piper of the Online World.” And she’s president of the International Social Media Association.

She’s known for launching major profitable success for numerous businesses, especially through Facebook and Twitter relationship building. So it was a flat out pleasure learning why her biz is cool for the SmallBizCool video series!

Thanks Mari for talking shop with Women Grow Business!

How cool is Janet Fouts?

Well she co-founded ONTHERAIL and is former director of the dynamic organization San Francisco Women on the Web.
She’s a forward, resourceful thinker in the social media space – savvy and with a distinct humor to boot. She’s also founded the Social Media Coaching Center and at Blogworld Expo last weekend, she was perfectly clear on why her biz is cool.

…with a SmartBizCool conversation from Blogworld’s floor to prove it!

Blogworld’s opening keynote speaker Laura Fitton aka @pistachio on Twitter said in the middle of her address “And Becky McCray is awesome!”

Cool -and- awesome
Becky, founder of Small Biz Survival and numerous businesses, presented at last weekend’s Blogworld Expo on how small business makes big impact. In between morning bagels and networking, Becky shared a memorable “and cool moment” with SmallBizCool and Women Grow Business.

Join us! … straight from the Blogworld floor: