Podcasting is a major investment of your time and money. So, if you have the chance to monetize your show more effectively, why not take it?
In this article, we’re talking about all things dynamic ads: What they are, why they work, and how you can start implementing them across your new and old episodes alike.
Whether you’re brand new to podcasting and want to make sure you’re setting yourself up for future success, or you want to optimize your advertising on your existing podcast, we’ll share the most important tidbits you need to know to get started.
The Problem with Baked-In Ads
Anytime you hear an ad on a podcast, it’s either a “baked-in” ad that’s inserted directly into the episode file, or a dynamic ad that was added in after the fact.
The problem with baked-in ads is that there’s no easy way to change them out when the information becomes outdated or irrelevant. Say, for example, you’re reading an ad about an upcoming event or a limited time sale.
When someone goes to listen to your old episodes in a few months or even years (and all our research tells us that people do listen to backlogs of the podcasts they love), they’ll hear promotion of an offer that no longer applies to them.
Not only does this waste your listeners’ time, but it denies you valuable advertising real estate that you could be filling with something timely instead.
What are Dynamic Ads?
Unlike baked-in ads, dynamic ads give you the freedom to update advertisements over time in both new and old episodes.
You’ll simply record your ads, then upload them as an ad campaign on your hosting platform and select which episodes you want each ad to appear in. Then when you want to update or change your ad rolls in the future, you’ll just upload the new files and repeat the process!
Dynamic ads are a fantastic tool for trying out different marketing levers in support of your business goals. Maybe you want to run a sale ahead of an upcoming event, or maybe you want to try a new campaign for a few weeks and then adjust later based on how it performs.
They also allow you to advertise across your whole backlog, instead of only putting the ads in your newest episodes. That way, you can make sure you’re catching every podcast listener, not only those who are up-to-date on your most recent releases.
How to Start Using Dynamic Ads
So, you’re ready to start running a dynamic ad campaign. Or maybe you haven’t launched your podcast yet, but want to make sure you’re setting yourself up with the option to use dynamic ads in the future.
Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Choose a hosting platform that supports dynamic ads
Dynamic ads are the future of podcasting, but not all podcast hosting platforms currently support them.
So, if you’re looking to run dynamic ad campaigns now or in the future, you’ll want to keep that in mind when choosing your podcast host.
At Podcircle, we recommend Transistor for the vast majority of podcasters. Not only is it the easiest platform to get started with, but it also offers a wide variety of features, including dynamic ads.
For a more in-depth breakdown of seven of the most popular podcast hosting platforms (and which ones offer dynamic ads), check out this article.
2. Strategically place your ads
When inserting ads in a podcast, you want to choose places where the majority of listeners will be paying attention. We recommend putting one ad in the first 10-15 minutes of your episode, because after that, listeners will start to drop off.
Some podcasters also enjoy using pre-roll ads that run before the episode starts, and post-roll ads that share a special offer for listeners who stick around until the very end.
Dynamic ads give you the flexibility to play around with different ad placements and see what your audience responds to.
3. Make a plan for your old, baked-in ads
If you’ve already been using baked-in ads on your podcast, never fear! There are a few options available to help you seamlessly transition to a dynamic ad strategy.
Some podcasters prefer to make a clean start and edit baked-in ads out of all their existing episodes. But this can be time-consuming and expensive, especially if you have a large back catalog.
Instead, you may consider leaving in your baked-in midroll ads, but adding a dynamic ad at the beginning or end of your episode.
Another option is to dig into your analytics and identify your highest performing episodes that consistently get new listens, then choose to edit out the baked-in ads in those episodes and leave the others alone.
Is Advertising Right for You?
If you’ve gotten this far in the article, then you probably understand that advertising can be extremely valuable for podcasters. But just in case you’re feeling a little unsure, here are a couple reminders.
First, you don’t need to worry about annoying your audience with ads. Consumers are used to hearing advertisements everywhere, and as long as the content is relevant to their needs and interests, they’re not going to be bothered by it.
In fact, 78% of U.S. consumers say they don’t mind hearing ads in their podcasts, and 62% say they’ve considered buying a new product or service after hearing about it from a podcast.
Your podcast is an investment, so if you have a chance to generate some revenue or promote other parts of your business, you should absolutely take it. If you focus on making your ads relevant, you have nothing to worry about!
And advertising isn’t the only way to monetize your podcast, either. To learn more about some alternative strategies for generating income through your podcast, check out this article.
Ready to Start or Refresh Your Podcast? We’re Here for You!
There’s so much to consider when starting a podcast, and we want to support you through the entire process.
If you’re preparing to create a podcast, we have a podcast starter kit designed specifically for you. This kit walks you through everything from choosing a hosting platform, to buying the right equipment, to recording your first episode. Download your free copy here.
And if you’re a current podcaster who’s feeling stuck or wants to gain some clarity about the best next steps for your show, we have a solution for that, too! Our Podcircle strategy sessions are a great way to dive deeper into your goals, pain points, and strengths, so you can see your podcast succeed over the long term. To find out if one of these sessions is right for you, schedule a discovery call here.
