PGC is the future of ads

Happy Tuesday peeps ✌️

It’s time to reveal some ad secrets.

Secret Strategy #1: PGC

Last week I shared a tweet about a PGC ad and the response was crazy.

Especially because the ad was made by a $500m brand.

You might be thinking “wtf is PGC?”

Well, it’s simple. PGC is Podcast Generated Content.

Rather than use a creator or customer, you use clips from a podcast.

Why does this work?

Because it’s REAL content. People are on social platforms to be entertained, not to be sold to.

PGC allows you to hide the sales process, because most viewers don’t assume the podcast host was paid to do it.

It feels like a real conversation.

The moment a viewer assumes the people in the video are being paid, it loses its effectiveness.

That’s why UGC was so effective at first, people assumed the content was coming from real customers.

But… people are starting to see right through it.

Now that you know what PGC is and why it works - lets dive deep into how you can start using it.

How to get PGC

First, you need podcast content.

But guess what… it doesn’t have to include your product AND you don’t have to pay for it.

Option 1: Getting it for free

You can use clips from a podcast where people talk about a product category, rather than a specific product.

For example, mushroom coffee.

This is talked about (a lot) on podcasts.

So how do you get the content?

Reach out to the host or manager of the podcast and request to use clips from a specific episode.

Highlight the fact that this will be free promotion for them, so they are more likely to let you use it for free.

Option 2: Paying for it

If you want podcast content specific to your product, then partner with a podcast that has a relevant audience.

But… you don’t want another typical “promotion”

You wan’t content that feels authentic.

So, request a short conversation on the product.

Do NOT provide a script.

Instead, provide a guideline for the conversation.

Should they talk about the benefits? What customers are saying? What makes it unique?

These are all topics you could ask them to talk about.

How to edit PGC

Editing is the key to making high-converting PGC ads.

A great place to gather inspiration is YouTube shorts.

They are filled with podcast edits.

Here are some areas to analyse:

• The hooks they use to stop the scroll

• The music they use to build tension

• The pacing they use to keep viewers engaged

Make a list of the different editing styles and shortlist the ones you want to use.

For this type of ad, you don’t need a specific framework or structure. But…

You should have 2 main things: Hook & CTA.

A hook to attract the viewer & CTA to guide the viewer to your store.

Without these 2 components, people are likely to keep scrolling…

Which results in 0 sales.

That’s all for this week folks.

I hope you enjoyed the first edition of Ad Secrets!

Feel free to reach out to me by replying to this email or DM’ing me on Twitter/LinkedIn.

Cheers,

Tom