Podcast Advertising Playbook
157 episodes - English - Latest episode: 12 days ago - ★★★★ - 1 ratingThis podcast is dedicated to helping listeners better understand podcast advertising. Whether you're in advertising, marketing, or simply a podcaster interested in learning more about the podcast advertising world this show is for you. We'll provide techniques for implementing your ad campaigns, setting budgets, and expectations giving you the knowledge and expertise to become a podcast advertising expert.
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Episodes
A Discussion of Programmatic Ads at SXSW
April 17, 2024 07:01 - 38 minutesThis final episode of our live at SXSW series isn’t one you’ll want to miss. First, Heather is joined by Mattia Verzella from Spreaker, where the two discuss: Concerns with programmatic ads Why programmatic ads allow you to scale The importance of transparency Advancements in technology and what this means for podcast advertising Finally, Lindsey Jara Wald and Shweta Nalawade from Tinuiti round out our SXSW conversations by discussing: The advantages of having everything in-hou...
Branded Podcasts & Simulcasting
April 10, 2024 07:01 - 27 minutes“Because obviously, a 30, 60, or 90-second ad could be effective, but [branded podcasts] are more of a longer-term strategy of building a community around that like specific program.” In the third installment of our Live at SXSW series, Heather is joined by Camille Laurente from Hueman Group Media and Michael Kropko from Ad Results Media. First, Camille gives listeners a crash course on branded podcasts. She and Heather discuss: The importance of trust when creating a branded podcast Ho...
YouTube Viewership & Pixel-Based Attribution
March 27, 2024 07:01 - 32 minutesWelcome to our second live interview from SXSW! In today’s episode, Heather is joined by A.J. Feliciano from The Roost and Cameron Hendrix from Magellan AI. First, tune in to hear Heather and A.J. discuss: Why viewership is as important as listenership The importance of making your ads fun Choosing where to put advertisers with both video and audio Then, starting at 19:06, Heather and Cameron discuss: Magellan AI’s new pixel-based attribution The death of the cookie and its role in...
Bottom of Funnel Podcast Advertising
March 20, 2024 07:01 - 21 minutesWe’re doing things a bit differently in the upcoming weeks. Our host, Heather Osgood, spent last week at SXSW with some of the best industry professionals in the podcasting space. Our next few episodes will feature conversations filmed at SXSW. This episode features Rob Peterson, the Director of Marketing at Good Karma Brands. Tune in to hear him and Heather discuss: Why big brands like ESPN might choose podcast advertising Tips for running a successful test campaign Why it’s importan...
YouTube & The Future of Podcasting
March 13, 2024 07:01 - 36 minutes“I think if you marry the right buying tactics to hit the client’s objectives, [podcast advertising] could really work for everyone. I think it’s just a matter of being very considerate and looking at putting together the best campaign possible.” On this week’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood is joined by Stephanie Bower, Director of Audio at Horizon Media. Stephanie shares insight from her several years of experience in the industry to help listeners determine how...
Targeting A Broad Audience
February 28, 2024 08:01 - 45 minutes“I think as people’s attention spans are getting smaller and smaller, you have to get more and more, and more and more, hits in their brain.” We spend a lot of time here at The Podcast Advertising Playbook talking about how to target your audience. How there are various demographics you should use to build your target audience and make sure they hear your ad. But what if your company has a broad audience? How do you target for a company that, theoretically, anyone could benefit from? Tune i...
Fostering Successful Partnerships
February 21, 2024 08:01 - 40 minutes“We like to say we choose people over programming. We have really great vendors, like True Native, and partners that we’ve worked with over the years, and there are new ones coming into the space, but you know your inventory, you know the shows. We trust you.” Content is changing - podcast hosts don’t just do audio anymore. Instead, they’re branding out to different forms of content and including those in podcast advertising deals. To help us navigate the ever-changing world of content, Kirs...
You Should Be Gifting Your Hosts Samples
February 14, 2024 08:01 - 28 minutes“[Podcast ads are] a way to get them to the site, which then allows us to initiate all other communication.” In today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood is joined by David Dahle, the Chief Operating Officer at Tanasi. David’s advertising strategy is a bit different than most since his company deals with CBD - which means the rules of advertising are much stricter. Tune in to hear Heather and David discuss: Advertising challenges with CBD Why some podcasts work ...
An Introduction to Buying Podcast Ads
January 31, 2024 08:01 - 17 minutesPodcasts have been around for 20 years, and in those 20 years, podcast ad buying has been evolving and evolving. It can be so daunting for new buyers in the space to start their first campaign because oftentimes, no one tells them where to start, which is why I created this episode as a one-stop shop for anyone who needs an introduction to podcast ad buying. Some key things you’ll learn in this episode are: The two main ways to buy podcast ads. The differences between the different types...
The Ins and Outs of Programmatic Advertising
January 24, 2024 08:01 - 40 minutes“What’s interesting about programmatic is that it has a life cycle.” Our first guest of the year is Tomas Rodriguez, Senior Director of Audio Partnerships at The Trade Desk - and he answers ALL of our questions regarding programmatic ads! Tune in to learn more about: How The Trade Desk is changing the game in programmatic advertising Why podcasting is in a different programmatic stage than other industries How transparency impacts programmatic ads The hidden impact it can have in locali...
How To Succeed With Podcast Advertising
January 17, 2024 08:01 - 19 minutes“The other thing to consider is that you have a lot of competitors in your space - that are advertising on podcasts. And you’re all going to the same podcasts to advertise. Then really, what you’re doing is cutting into your ability to really stand out and not be there right next to your competitor.” We’re going back to the basics on today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook. Join Heather Osgood as she shares her best tips to ensure advertisers are successful when they venture into...
A 2023 Podcasting Recap
December 27, 2023 08:01 - 24 minutes“Certainly, we started the year very hopeful, but there was a lot of uncertainty about where the economy was headed. I will say that it has not been as rocky a year as it certainly could have been. So I’m very thankful for that.” 2023 has been full of many ups and downs, and now it’s time to talk about it. Join Heather Osgood as she does her annual yearly recap of the podcasting industry. ______________________________________________________________ More of a visual person? Watch this epi...
Podcast Ads Need A Human Touch
December 20, 2023 08:01 - 52 minutes“When you’re getting a host read ad - there are a variety of different hosts. Not everyone is a professional radio announcer and podcaster, which is what makes it beautiful but also makes it hard.” In the world of AI, it can seem like we’re losing more and more of that human touch, but that’s what makes podcasting so special. This week, Heather Osgood is joined by Lex Friedman, founder of Lex Friedman Consulting, to talk about why networks being high-touch with their podcasters is a good th...
It’s Time To Be Transparent
December 13, 2023 08:01 - 51 minutes“It’s amazing how many layman people out there who aren’t in the marketing and advertising world don’t realize that there’s actually a connection between, “of, if I go buy this product, it helps the host’... That authentic request is so important.” We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again - podcast advertising is so successful because of the relationship the host has with their audience. That relationship is ultimately what the brand is purchasing when they buy an ad campaign. But with s...
Let’s Talk About Frequency Capping
November 29, 2023 08:01 - 41 minutes“My recommendation to buyers is to take any predictions from a frequency-capped campaign with a grain of salt.” Frequency capping is the ability to define the maximum number of times an ad can be delivered to a listener within a given time period - and it’s the newest hot topic in podcasting. At True Native Media, we noticed that there were a lot of questions and ambiguity surrounding frequency capping, so we turned to our software expert, Anthony Firn. After extensive research, Anthony crea...
Podcasts & PR 101
November 22, 2023 08:01 - 42 minutesPR isn’t about hosting parties and drinking cosmos in the Hamptons - even if that’s what Samantha Jones and Sex and the City led us to believe. This week, Heather is joined by Molly DeMellier, PR Lead at Acast, and she sets the record straight on what PR actually is! Acast is the hosting distribution and monetization platform for podcasts across the open ecosystem, and Molly shares her insider knowledge about how PR is closely related to podcasting. Tune in to hear Heather and Molly answer:...
How To Build A Better Campaign
November 15, 2023 08:01 - 35 minutes“But it’s interesting just to see how social media is important, but it doesn’t always convert. Just because I’ve got a million followers doesn’t mean I’m going to get a million listeners, right?” On today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather is joined by Kerry Tracy, SVP of Advertising at Podbean. Kerry is a veteran in the media world and has amassed a wealth of knowledge over his career - and today, he’s sharing that with you. Tune in to hear Heather and Kerry discuss: T...
Sports Podcasting On A National Level
November 08, 2023 08:00 - 44 minutes“Think of our NFL network, it’s 38 podcasts. To source 38 podcasts, you don’t want eight different publishers and 38 different onboarding calls and invoices - it can be a nightmare. So for us, we like to just make it as easy for an advertiser as possible to activate with those micro-communities of fans for specific teams, but they’re able to do so at the highest level of activation with the NFL network.” On today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather is joined by Bryan Goldm...
2023 Predictions Revisited
October 25, 2023 12:00 - 18 minutesIf you’re an avid listener of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, you know that at the end of each episode, Heather asks her guests what their predictions for the podcast industry are. And in today’s episode, we revisit these predictions and see who got it right. These predictions span all types of topics, including: Content Ad Types YouTube Economy Package Selling Creative Tech Advancements ______________________________________ More of a visual person? Watch this episode on YouT...
The Increase of Dynamic Creative Optimization
October 18, 2023 12:00 - 47 minutes“Speaking as myself, as a consumer, if I’m hearing the ad multiple times, but it’s not the same every time, that goes a long way in enhancing the overall experience.” In today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, our host Heather Osgood is joined by Shasta Cafarelli, Senior Vice President of Media Strategy at Tinuti. Shasta shares her insight on the strategic approach Tenuiti has taken to integrate podcast advertising with other marketing channels to create a seamless brand presenc...
YouTube And Its Impact On Podcasting
October 11, 2023 12:00 - 36 minutes“So this definition that we’ve had for many years, that a podcast is only media distributed via an RSS feed, is being broken apart now and being expanded. And a lot of folks in the industry don’t like that.” In today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather asks the question, “What is a podcast?” The answer might be more complex than you think. Heather is joined by Rob Greenlee, founder of Spoken Life Media. Rob shares his extensive knowledge of podcasting, taking us on a jour...
Does (Audience) Size Actually Matter?
September 27, 2023 12:00 - 14 minutesThe biggest myth in podcast advertising is that bigger audiences produce bigger results. That’s just not true. Yes, a bigger audience can produce bigger results, but smaller podcasts often have more engaged audiences and can produce better results for an advertiser on a cost-per-listener basis. In this week’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather Osgood debunks the myth that audience size is all that matters for podcast advertising. ______________________________________ More...
Mastering Long-Term Advertiser Relationships
September 20, 2023 12:00 - 55 minutes“Some of the ad loads on some podcasts now are like six and a half minutes, and bam, you’re into another ad. And it drives me insane. I unsubscribe from those shows. I think as a content creator, you have to really think about the ad load.” It’s every creator’s dream to have a long-standing successful relationship with an advertiser, and Todd Cochrane has cracked the code. Todd is famous for his relationship with GoDaddy, and in today’s episode, he shares his secret for fostering this almost ...
A Deep Dive Into Buyer Perception
September 13, 2023 12:00 - 33 minutesWho better to describe the buyer’s perception of podcast advertising than Tom Webster? Tom is a partner at Sounds Profitable, a collection of media properties that cover both strategic and tactical changes to the business of podcast advertising - and we’re so lucky to have him on the podcast! “Podcasting continues to punch below its weight in advertising and revenue, and how much of that is due to lack of education or awareness?” Tune in to hear Heather and Tom discuss: Whether or not adv...
Let’s Talk About Podcast Movement
September 06, 2023 12:00 - 18 minutesA few times a year, professionals from the industry get to see each other in person for an event fully dedicated to podcasting. Our team just got back from Podcast Movement, and True Native Media CEO Heather Osgood can’t wait to share everything she learned. Tune in to learn about: The different renditions of programmatic advertising you’ll be seeing soon All the ways podcasting is similar to CTV How to economy is affecting podcast advertising New opportunities in the podcast space The...
Crafting A Cohesive Advertising Campaign
August 23, 2023 12:00 - 39 minutesMichael Jenson, CEO of Rhapsody Voices, joins Heather Osgood on this week’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook. The two delve into the dynamic landscape of podcast advertising, including the things you need to know to craft a cohesive ad campaign. Tune in to learn: How to combat certain misconceptions about podcast advertising What Heather considers to be the “PR problem” in podcasting One major thing advertisers should stop doing Ways the rebounding economy is affecting podcas...
Podcast Ads & Scalability
August 16, 2023 12:00 - 44 minutes“[Podcasting] continues to grow. It’s the fastest-growing medium. In fact, compared to any other medium out there, it is surpassing the growth of influencer [marketing] as well.” It’s easy to compare podcasting to other mediums like TV or radio and say podcasting can’t compare or that it’ll never catch up - but we don’t agree. Podcasting is an incredibly fast-growing medium, and if you’ve ever had questions about its scalability, you’re in the right place. On this week’s episode of The Podca...
The Right Partnerships Increase Brand Loyalty
August 09, 2023 12:00 - 44 minutes“[The audience] has intentionally gone to this podcast. They’re choosing to listen. They’re choosing to engage. They’re choosing to be a part of that community. And the reason they’re doing that is because that host or that creator is presenting content in a way that is like-minded to their values and their views.” Partnering with the right host could create customers who are loyal to your brand for years, but partnering with the wrong one could lead to a lot of wasted time and effort. Jennif...
The Basics of Starting a Campaign
July 26, 2023 12:00 - 46 minutes“You know, as much as we all love podcasting, and we’re here talking about it, it can be difficult to navigate, and it can be difficult to know exactly where to go.” We love podcasting. We (probably) love podcasting more than the average person, but even we can admit it’s a bit difficult to get your footing when you start with podcast ads. Luckily for you, Matt Cisneros, founder of Backyard Ventures, joins Heather Osgood on today’s episode to go over all the basics. In this episode, Heather...
Podcasting is Under Construction
July 19, 2023 12:00 - 40 minutes“Things like Facebook, CTV, etc. Like basically any other digital sort of channel, the ad tech ecosystem, the tools that advertisers use and that publishers use to get ads out there, is a lot more mature and a lot more bulletproof, and podcasting is… I think it’s safe to say that’s not necessarily the case in podcasts. That’s still very much under construction.” It might not seem like it since it’s all we talk about on The Podcast Advertising Playbook, but podcasting is still pretty new. Pod...
Prioritizing Brand Sustainability
July 12, 2023 12:00 - 41 minutes“We always try to say, no matter how much data we have, no matter how strong of a relationship we have with our hosts, things can still happen.” The threat of controversy is always in the back of an advertiser’s mind. What if the show they’re partnering with offends people? What if old, harmful tweets from the host come to light? There’s no way to know what the future holds, but there are ways you can prioritize your brand’s sustainability. Today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook...
Utilizing a Niche Audience
June 28, 2023 12:00 - 33 minutes“I think that’s how a lot of really good podcasts are made. When you’ve got that passion, and you have a message that you really want to share and get out into the world - and there’s no trepidation of, like, I have to have everything planned out perfectly.” It’s not every day that we talk about True Native Media on The Podcast Advertising Playbook, but today’s guest is one of the many hosts we work with. Gillian Tietz is the host of the Sober Powered podcast and founder of Sober Powered Medi...
It's All About the Data
June 21, 2023 12:00 - 32 minutes“So, there is something here. This medium works - it builds trust. It’s more authentic, and it just creates that craved for human connection that people really want. And especially when they’re thinking about brands. I think people really want to trust the brands that they work with. And podcasting does that.” We’ve said it a hundred times - podcasting is unique because of the relationship built between the host and the audience. When a host recommends a brand to their audience, it’s as if ...
Podcast Advertising on a Global Scale
June 14, 2023 12:00 - 39 minutes“Australians are used to hearing a US accent deliver a Blue Apron ad. And because of that, when Australians hear a US accent in an ad space on a podcast, they tend to now switch off because they know that product’s not for them.” We talk a lot about podcast advertising here on The Podcast Advertising Playbook, but we rarely talk about it on a global level. Corey Layton, Head of Digital Audio/iHeartPodcast Network Australia at ARN, is here to share his experience leading podcast advertising o...
NPR Style Ads
May 24, 2023 12:00 - 38 minutes“I think we kind of owe it to ourselves as publishers to remember what made podcast ads so effective in the first place - they actually sounded authentic.” NPR is one of America’s largest media companies - so they must be doing something right! In today’s episode, Heather Osgood is joined by Brett Robinson, Senior Vice President of Ad Operations at NPR. During their conversation, they discuss: Ways the podcast industry has changed over the years. How ads are run at a non-profit. The imp...
IAB’s 2023 Podcast Ad Revenue Report
May 17, 2023 12:00 - 10 minutesIt’s time for the IAB’s annual Podcast Advertisement Revenue Report! IAB stands for the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and each year they put together an event where advertisers and content creators alike come together and talk about opportunities within the podcast space - but we’re most excited for the revenue study. This revenue study gives us a great picture of where we’ve been and where we’re going when it comes to podcast advertising. In today’s episode, True Native Media CEO Heathe...
Avoid Advertiser Fatigue
May 10, 2023 12:00 - 37 minutes“I have certainly had conversations with some of the OGs in the podcast space that are like, ‘Hey, podcasts were created to be ad-free. We were trying to get away from this in terrestrial radio, and that’s why we started podcasting.’ I totally get that, but also, it feels like there are people you can reach on podcasts that you can’t reach with any other marketing messages.” Getting ads on your podcast is only half the battle. The real work comes when you create your ad and find a balance be...
Podcast Advertising is Influencer Marketing
April 26, 2023 12:00 - 39 minutes“If you’ve never done podcast advertising before, when you run your first campaign, as much as I would love to say that it’s gonna knock it out of the park, it probably isn’t.” Your first ad campaign probably won’t be your best - but we all have to start somewhere, right? Sarah Marini, Senior Manager of Audio Partnerships at Athletic Greens, joins True Native Media founder Heather Osgood on today’s episode. Sarah shares her wealth of knowledge surrounding successful podcast ads, including w...
Get Excited About Your Ads
April 19, 2023 12:00 - 46 minutes“It’s a privilege to get the attention of advertisers. Just as much as it's a privilege for advertisers to be able to work with certain publishers and podcast hosts.” Podcast ads aren’t always easy to produce, and we can all tell when the host is phoning it in. This week’s guest is right; finding a show to advertise on and having ads on your show is a privilege - one that should be taken seriously by both parties. A.J. Feliciano, Head of The Roost Podcast Network, joins True Native Media CEO...
Getting Thoughtful With Ad Formats
April 12, 2023 12:00 - 42 minutes“What makes podcast advertising unique is the ability to establish intimate relationships that are real, and, you know, aren’t digital.” We’ve all heard the joke - if you’re a podcast host, you get a mattress! And who knows more about mattress podcast ads than Ashleigh Colón, Offline Media Manager at Eight Sleep? We think she’s the expert, which is why she’s joining Heather Osgood on today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook. While mattress ads are a category of their own, Ashleigh...
Your 2023 Podcast Movement Recap
March 22, 2023 12:00 - 17 minutes“So I want to close out and leave you with this thought: How are we elevating the voice of the podcast host?” It’s easy to feel isolated when you’re in podcasting. A lot of the time, you’re working alone behind a computer screen, but the podcast community is amazing - which is why we LOVE podcast events. Our True Native Media sales team joined our CEO and VP at Podcast Movement Evolutions in Las Vegas, Nevada. Today, Heather gives her recap of everything you need to know about the future of ...
A Guide To Pixel Tracking
March 15, 2023 12:00 - 42 minutes“The great thing about Pixel Solutions, to your point, is that you’re not asking the client to complete an extra step, to remember a URL, or to remember a promo code. You’re allowing them just to access the website however is easiest for them, and then we can tie that to the actual show that drove them there.” If you’ve spent any amount of time in the podcasting industry, you’ve heard about pixel tracking. But what does that mean? What are pixels? That’s exactly what Caleb Mansfield explain...
Do You Have Too Many Podcast Ads? w/ Gabriel Soto
March 08, 2023 13:00 - 39 minutes“Yes, there’s a warning that podcast listeners want to get away from ads, and they’re starting to recognize ads on podcasts… [but] people still trust podcast advertisements more than they do radio or TV ads.” Podcast ads are special because the listeners trust to host like they trust their best friend. But is it possible to have too much of a good thing? That’s exactly what Gabriel Soto, Director of Research at Edison Research, aims to answer on today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Pl...
The Podcast Industry Is Changing
March 01, 2023 13:00 - 19 minutes“We cannot continue to sign contracts that say the ad is going to live in the episode forever. That’s right. You heard it - forever.” Today, Heather Osgood is back with a solo episode to discuss the changes she’s been seeing in the podcast industry. This includes: Faked in ads and why we need to start calling them what they are. Ways to make dynamically inserted ads more successful. Why we should move towards a pure CPM pricing model. The podcast industry is changing… are you able to...
Approach Your Next Campaign w/ Confidence ft. Brittany Bernado
February 22, 2023 13:00 - 37 minutes“The other thing is, if you’re utilizing host read ads and the host is game, please let them do their thing. The host knows how to speak to their audience, and they know what resonates.” We are so excited to introduce our new Senior Director of Revenue and Sales Strategy, Brittany Bernado! Brittany joined the True Native Media team a few months ago, and she’s ready to share her wealth of knowledge with us here at The Podcast Advertising Playbook. Brittany and Heather discuss: A successful t...
Your 2023 Podfest Recap w/ Nick Gryniewicz
February 15, 2023 13:00 - 25 minutes“The thing that I heard [at Podfest] that was kind of interesting was a speaker that used the phrase, ‘‘spend time with your audience.’ Podcasting can be this kind of one-way street where you’re talking at the audience, and in many ways, the audience kind of talks back to you, but you don’t necessarily respond… If you invest your time in them, other people will see that, and you’ll build more of a community there.” Our very own VP, Nick Gryniewicz, is back again with Heather Osgood on today...
Constructing a Good Ad w/ Lindsay Graham
February 08, 2023 13:00 - 48 minutes“No one is really special… You have the same problems as everyone else, and if you can connect with some sort of empathy to the problem that’s being solved by this [product], I think you will find an audience in the sponsorship.” We’ve all heard a podcast host start an ad read by saying, “I SWEAR I’d never promote a product I didn’t love and use every day.” As consumers, this transparency is part of the reason we love podcasts, but is the host being too selective? Could they ethically promo...
Do Podcasts Have a Privacy Issue? w/ Jordan Bentley
January 25, 2023 13:00 - 44 minutesWe’ve all heard the horror stories of smart homes listening to your conversations when they shouldn’t be or mentioning you need a product and immediately getting a targeted ad for it. As our society gets more reliant on technology, privacy is a hot topic. Which begs the question, is there a privacy issue in podcasting? Audiohook founder Jordan Bentley joins Heather Osgood on the newest episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook. Tune in now to find out if Heather and Jordan have concerns ab...
Podcasts Can’t Survive Without Diversity w/ Tangia Al-awaji Estrada
January 18, 2023 13:00 - 47 minutes“When we don’t have that level of diversity in our industry, it doesn’t bode well because you’re very quickly going to be irrelevant. As those younger people and those new minds come into things, if it doesn’t engage them, they just won’t deal with it. There won’t be like some kind of fight by the next generation to save podcasting. They just won’t engage with it.” Tangia Al-awaji Estrada is the co-founder of BIPOC Podcast Creators, and today she sat down with Heather Osgood to talk about di...
An Audio Revolution w/ Jay Green
January 11, 2023 13:00 - 34 minutes“One of the things that you and I had been talking about is this idea of creating a successful relationship from beginning to end… We want the content creator to be rewarded. We want the ad seller to be rewarded, and we want the advertiser to be rewarded. It has to be a win across the board.” In today’s episode of The Podcast Advertising Playbook, Heather is joined by Jay Green. Jay is the SVP, Podcast Strategy & Operations at Cadence13 and has great experience in the advertising space. Heath...