Podcast and audio advertising does not have to be complicated and here’s how it really works
Consumers are savvy. Where traditional digital advertising and banner ads were paving the way in awareness and sales for big brands, audio and podcast ads are now slowly taking over in engagement and retention of brand-recognition. Fatigue of traditional ads is very real and if your business is struggling to cut through, host reads and spot ads can be your way to stand out.
First, what are spot ads and host reads?
Spot Ads = (generally) dynamically inserted pre-recorded ads that can be slotted into any podcast as a creative piece of content to drive sales or traffic to your brands
Host Reads = bespoke sponsored reads about your product or service often read by the host of the show that feel native to the content you are advertising across
Second, do they really work?
The simple answer is yes. They do. Podcast ads are more memorable than a traditional banner ad because of the intimate nature of the medium. There is a reason why for example, we all remember BetterHelp, Casper Mattresses and Mindful Chef – podcast ads! Brands that go after engaged podcast listeners get a lot of them. Having your favourite host recommend a product is simply more meaningful than seeing a pixel-targeted read on your Facebook page.
There is also the anxiety that most advertisers feel when it comes to data. Around 43% of advertisers say they are anxious about their campaigns – so we all need more data to be able to track the performance of ads. With podcasts, we can track conversion rates and tell you exactly how many people listened to your ad and then converted to your links.
With over 76% of the US population listening to podcasts monthly, you have to only really ask yourself – why AREN’T you advertising across podcasts already?
Which leads us to… Third, how easy is it to advertise across podcasts?
More good news here – it CAN be easy. While there are of course their own quirks when it comes to podcast advertising, it does not have to be a battle to figure it out.
The most important thing you need to know is that podcast ads are measured by CPM (cost per mille, i.e. every 1,000 listens). This CPM number is what dictates how many impressions (or listens) your podcast ad or host read will receive before the campaign comes to an end.
As an example, here is a calculation for a campaign of £10,000 with a £25 CPM rate:
CPM = (Total Campaign Budget/CPM rate) × 1000
Using this formula, you would get 400,000 impressions.
This should give you an idea of how many impressions your campaign would generate before you even begin advertising. From here, all you need to do is just figure out if you have the right mix of podcasts and if you are targeting your audiences correctly.
And there is one last thing to know: At Podcast Discovery, we charge NO FEES for podcast advertising. That means we can give you the exact same CPM rate as any ad provider, as well as our expertise to make sure your podcast ad actually works.
We have run successful advertising campaigns for huge players like Sky News with their Electoral Dysfunction podcast, as well as created creative mini-sodes that were then distrubuted as ads for the BAFTAs and their podcast — but have also helped brands and companies reach their ideal customers, too.
We can advertise across genres, audience profiles, networks – you name it. Simply tell us your goals and we will make sure your ad is driving your brand’s awareness and commercial goals.
Plus, we can offer tracking to give you the peace of mind that your ad is being distributed correctly and is showing you the conversion you had hoped for.