Simplify Your Next Podcast Ad Buy
Introducing a seamless way to buy our top podcasts and most desirable audiences.
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
What are the three words you will hear the most from podcast ad buyers today?
“Too many podcasts.”
With two million podcasts out there, there’s no shortage of content to choose from. While that’s good news for listeners who can’t get enough of this booming audio platform, the growing number of options presents a unique challenge for advertisers.
In addition to the volume of podcast titles, there are multiple ways to buy podcast ads. The question then becomes: environment or scale? Should advertisers focus on the best content fit or maximize their reach?
Environment
Targeting individual shows, genres
Host reads and personal endorsements
Curated approach to buying podcasts
Aligning content with the target audience
Scale
Programmatic-style, network buys
Produced, announcer-read ads
Anything goes approach — open to genres, reaching different audiences
Reaching the most ears possible
Read on and we’ll reveal how ad buyers can achieve both.
The rise of run-of-network buys.
Hand-picking individual shows results in greater control over where an ad campaign gets heard, but requires more heavy lifting: identifying those shows, vetting the environment and the host, and booking and tracking multiple line items.
After testing and validating the effectiveness of podcast ads, more and more advertisers are looking to increase their investment in the medium. This growing demand for inventory means finding ways to make the ad buying process less time-consuming.
We recently surveyed our ad buyers about the forms of podcast advertising they buy and nearly 9 in 10 are currently buying run-of-network (RON) ads where one ad runs across multiple podcasts.
“88% of ad buyers are currently buying run-of-network ads
(announcer read or pre-recorded creative, NOT host read).”The 2022 AdLarge Podcast Network Podcast Ad Buyer Survey
With no true programmatic solutions available yet (only ad marketplaces that mimic the capabilities of programmatic), RON buys offer more efficient reach with the ability to scale messaging.
But…there are drawbacks.
RON podcast buys can fall into the same traps as other digital media with little visibility into what’s included in the network. That lack of transparency can also lead to potential brand safety and suitability issues.
Then there are limitations in ad creative too and to facilitate these buys, canned, pre-recorded ads are often used. But host reads are the number one reason why advertisers invest in podcasting in the first place.
“100% of ad buyers say host reads are one of the top
reasons they invest in podcasting for their clients.”The 2022 AdLarge Podcast Network Podcast Ad Buyer Survey
Host reads still hold the key to effective podcast campaigns, making RON buys more of a supplement for broad messaging in a wider campaign.
There’s a better way.
No need to choose between environment and scale. We are rolling out three curated ad networks that combine the reach and ease of a run-of-network buy with the influential power of the host read.
Thrilling: Engage the captivated true crime audience across four of our top titles — Murdaugh Murders, Going West, Swindled, and Voices for Justice.
Thriving: From investing to relationships, this is the content ambitious Millennial and Gen Z women live for. Featuring Financial Feminist, Honeydew Me, Late Night Drive with Ellie Schnitt, and Angela Yee’s Lip Service.
Enriching: Podcasts were built for making educational content fun. Includes over 20 titles covering every interest — from art history to unusual trivia.
Here’s how it works. The campaign is bought as a network buy, but bespoke host reads are recorded individually by the talent and delivered via dynamic ad insertion. For even greater flexibility and authenticity, messaging can be tailored to fit the content and the talent’s voice
No mystery networks here; you’ll know where your ads will be heard. And all our content meets our strict criteria for brand suitability. Each network has been curated to deliver built-in contextual targeting, targeting key audiences like millennial/gen z women, true crime fans, and educated adults 25–54.
Related reading: We spill the tea on what brands should be looking for in the podcasts they buy to get the most out of their investment. The AdLarge Algorithm.