Advertisers Plan for Offline

Podtrac today put out numbers about the percentage of podcaster consumers who listen/view content online versus offline. The growing use of mobile devices for consuming content complicates how much advertisers are willing to pay, as well as the analytics for tracking viewership.

"The average listening and viewing habits for audiences across all podcasts from Podtrac's most recent data are: 52% on an MP3 player or iPod, 45% on a PC and 3% on a pocket PC, PSP, cell phone or other portable device." .

Podcast (and other multimedia) advertisers should plan on up to half of their audience hearing their pitch offline. Podtrac says the percentage can vary substantially: shorter programs tend to be viewed online, while longer podcasts tend to be downloaded and viewed offline.

Advertisers should ask about the online/offline metrics before making a buy. They also may need to create one ad that assumes interactivity (click here now for more info) and another with an easily remembered branding message for offline consumption.