Episodes

“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 18...

Who 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 advert...

A 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 dif...

Michael 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 podcast ad...

“[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 Podcast...

“[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. Jennifer...

“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 an...

“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. Podca...

“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 i...

“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 Media,...

“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 the...

“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 on t...

“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 importa...

It’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 Heather O...

“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 betw...

“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 why ...

“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 H...

“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 a...

“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 po...

“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 explains o...

“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 Playbo...

“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 keep...

“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 thr...

“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’s ...