If you didn’t already know, Spreaker is leading the way when it comes to monetizing podcasts, especially programmatic advertising. In reality there is no other platform with the same offering and sales potential for Programmatic as we are. And now it’s easier than ever to monetize your podcast using Spreaker.
Our advertising network has the highest sales performance. In addition, we always bring innovative functions to the table. Not only are these features new to our platform, they are unmatched in the podcasting market. Now is the time for you to monetize your podcast.
However, before we dive into what we have to offer, let’s start at the beginning. What is programmatic advertising?
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Programmatic Advertising: A Definition
Programmatic advertising refers to the marketplace where the automatic buying and selling of podcast advertising occurs. Programmatic is a digital, data-driven way of selling ads involving different companies. An entity offering a commercial (audio content) and several others bidding for that commercial (advertisers). Programmatic is an electronic auction in which, like a conventional auction, bids and bids are submitted without the person in a suit calling out the prices at the speed of light!
As a podcaster, programmatic advertising can take the guesswork out of making money from your podcast. Instead of looking for our own sponsors or advertisers, Spreaker lets you use our integrated programmatic marketplace. Our marketplace is full of advertisers ready and willing to automatically serve targeted and relevant ads on your podcast. It’s as easy as flipping a switch.
Programmatic ads can help podcasters sell 100% of their inventory domestically and internationally. For example, if 30% of your podcast listeners are from France, Spreaker may serve them specific ads for that particular region.
Myth: Programmatic is disruptive
While trends showing that individuals are less receptive and tolerant of advertisements can be seen in other sectors, podcast listeners still do not. When it comes to ads, podcast listeners are more engaged and convert better than any other advertiser.
Podcasters create communities around their shows and develop authentic relationships with their listeners. Podcast viewers become loyal listeners. This means that most of the time, when a host supports a particular product, listeners will trust this recommendation.
And that is exactly what makes podcast advertising powerful and profitable.
These listeners – also known as “super listeners” as PodcastOne and Edison Research call them – are usually difficult to reach with traditional advertising, but are open to ads from podcasts. In a study conducted by Morning Consult, more than half (52%) of podcast listeners said they would be more likely to try a product or service if recommended by the host of their favorite podcast.
NoWhile podcast advertising has been found annoying by some, in our experience we have found that it only does so if not properly managed. In reality, programmatic ads can be seamlessly inserted into strategic breaks in podcaster content. Additionally, advertisers keep getting better at recorded ads in a tone that creates a comfortable and engaging listening experience. How can you monetize your podcast?
Podcast monetization with programmatic
Programmatic advertising is the future of podcast monetization. While some content creators fear that doing so could compromise the intimacy of the audio experience, we see many positive aspects for podcasters, advertisers, and listeners.
Let’s look at an example. Spreaker has a program called Spreaker Prime, one of the few podcast programs that is fully committed to helping aspiring content creators grow by increasing their podcast awareness and maximizing podcast monetization.
Our The program is aimed at talented independent podcasters and networks who really want to monetize their content. This is done, among other things, with programmatic advertising. Our main members are not Podcasters who each have millions of listeners. To be part of the program, you only need to have 5,000 downloads per month. Yet some of our main program members have had the opportunity to make a living from podcasts. Josh Hallmark, host and producer of Our Americana, True Crime Bullsh ** and The Karen & Ellen Letters, finally had the opportunity to earn a full-time income with podcasting thanks to Spreaker Prime.
So how can you harness the power of programming and monetize your podcast?
This is where Spreaker comes in.
Dynamic ad insertion
Spreaker’s dynamic ad insertion allows podcasters to insert an ad anywhere in a podcast episode – pre-roll (beginning), mid-roll (middle), or post-roll (end). Spreaker makes this so easy with our ad software that you can either manually select points in the episode where you want your ads to appear, or simply click on a switch that will automatically optimize all of the ads in a given episode.
Spreaker Pro Tip: Where your podcast listeners are depends on your revenue potential.
Advertising revenue comes from advertisers. A local company that only sells in a certain market area wants to advertise only to people in that area.
In other words, advertisers have specific audiences in mind when investing in podcasts. In countries where podcast advertising is booming, like the US, there are more companies using podcasts as an advertising medium, which means the advertising opportunities are much greater than in smaller markets where podcast advertising is not as common. This sometimes means that a podcaster can have hundreds of thousands of downloads. However, because most of these impressions are outside of regions that advertisers invest in, they won’t make the same money as if their listeners were from the United States.
Mute detection for ad markers
The first iteration of our auto ad insertion tool was made to be really simple. We developed a system that analyzes the episode and determines the best ad placement and ad load. Ads were placed evenly throughout the episode.
All the podcaster had to do was tweak the ad placement to avoid splitting a sentence in two. This usually meant moving the display a few seconds sooner or later using the player and its zoomable waveform.
However, we wanted to make it even more intuitive and easier for you to monetize your podcast.
For this reason, we have developed a system that analyzes your podcast episodes and finds specific moments of silence. All of these are then ranked based on duration, the distance between each silent point, and their position within the episode.
No fine tuning required! No more sentences halfway! Silence detection is a cornerstone of inserting programmatic ads, and it means your content is completely undisturbed, the listening experience is great, and you have peace of mind to make money from your content.
Triple ad markers
It is common practice to use a double commercial break in your podcast competition. This means that one indicator point in your waveform will play two indicators in a row. Typically, these ads last 30 seconds each.
Triple commercial breaks have been asking our podcasters for a while, so we’ve listened. With Spreaker, podcasters can choose to add single, double, or even triple commercial breaks to their content. This gives podcasters more control over the number of ads and breaks in their episodes and allows you to increase your earnings with the click of a button.
The power of programmatic in podcast monetization
If you want to monetize your podcast, now is the time. Since advertising revenues are increasing compared to the previous year, The ways and approaches to monetization are shifting and becoming increasingly accessibleand leave the traditional models of sponsorship behind.
There’s no better time to start thinking about monetizing podcasts than now. But let’s be clear. You can start monetizing from the beginning, but that doesn’t mean you can monetize your show from day one. See the difference
Once you can, lay the groundwork for monetization, which is a strong community of listeners and the right hosting platform. Then you will see the benefits as your audience grows. The trick is to think of it as a long game. Start monetizing now by enabling programmatic ads in Spreaker while developing a long-term business plan. It’s going to be hard and you have to hurry, but if you stick to it in a smart and authentic way, you will eventually get there.
And if you’re not part of the Spreaker family, we recommend migrating your podcast to Spreaker, especially if you have a full catalog of shows. Why? Well, because you can make money almost instantly by placing ads across your entire back catalog.
In the end, podcasts have become the media’s next huge growth market. So the question that remains is whether you are taking full advantage of programmatic advertising or whether you are leaving money on the table.
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