Episodes

I loved chatting with Lindsay Smith from Ad Results about working with their clients on brand suitability, otherwise known as brand safety. "We like to focus on the term suitability because, as an agency, we don't want to deem what shows are safe or unsafe. Instead, we want to match brands with suitable shows for their core values." Lindsay shares her process for monitoring ad-reads and working with podcasts and clients to create high-quality ads that convert. We also talk about how brands have...

It is very hard for brands and indie podcasters to connect. Most of it is done manually with a direct relationship, network, or representation agency, like True Native Media. Mike Kadin saw an opportunity to help indie podcasters and brands to connect faster with RedCircle. "We started talking to these podcast creators and asking them, what are the challenges you face? And even more than making money, or making more money, was the need to grow their audience. They want more people to be able to...

The podcast industry struggles with transparency when it comes to pricing, results, and measurements. There are several reasons why this is the case. So I invited Marty Michael, CEO, and Co-Founder of Gumball (a podcast advertising marketplace), to the show to chat about how his software is trying to break the transparency barrier in podcast advertising. We discuss why brands won't share their results and pricing rates and why this makes it challenging for standardization across the podcast ind...

I had one of the most open and honest conversations with Todd Gallet, Head of Partnerships at Podcorn, about how brands (if they are strategic about it) can book tons of inventory on smaller shows and get better results than trying to run on one or two huge well-known shows. "Not every brand is an excellent fit for the biggest shows. So if you're a new brand getting into the space and you're going to go after Joe Rogan, it could be a huge miss, quite frankly. You're going to get the audience, b...

As traditional influencer marketing platforms (Facebook, Instagram, etc.) get increasingly over-saturated with influencer-type content, it's effortless for consumers to swipe right past ads. And so, companies have started to look for new avenues to reach their customers. And that's where podcasting comes in. But many digital marketers are used to a centralized platform to buy ads with a few clicks. Podcast advertising is lacking in this area, creating a barricade for more digital marketers to t...

I can go on and on all day about how important and influential host-read endorsement ads are, but the reality is we need programmatic ads in podcasting for various reasons. Today, I want to share the research I have done because I think that programmatic ads have a place in podcasting and will help the industry continue to grow. I will cover topics like: Targeting Technology development New advertisers Ease of purchase Automation If you get value from the content, please consider subscri...

I have always admired Ray Harkins's career in podcasting. He started out at Midroll, the posterchild company for podcasting. Then he moved to Stitcher and is now the West Coast Lead Podcast Strategist for iHeartRadio. I really wanted to dive deep into the growth and evolution of podcast advertising with Ray because he has been pivoting in the industry for so many years, staying in tune with dynamic and programmatic developments. We talk about the major changes he has seen over the years, as wel...

We talk a lot about what podcast advertising is like from a brand's or podcaster's perspective, but what about the agencies that support these brands? How do they manage to bridge the partnership between podcasters, networks, rep firms, and brands? In this episode with Glenn Rubenstein, Founder of Adopter Media, we discuss how the industry is evolving and how Glen and his agency are pivoting to adjust to the changes. We also talk about managing advertisers' and publishers' expectations to find ...

"We talk about brevity, clarity, and potency, making every word count so that every ad will count. Never use two words when one will do." Stew's extensive experience in performance marketing allows him to craft high-converting podcast ads. In this episode, we discuss why it is critical to have clarity in an ad and how advertisers can support hosts in driving the brand message. He also talks to me about what hosts can do to be more involved in the creative process and ultimately get more sales f...

It is rare to find a podcaster who has been productively selling ads for several years in podcasting. So when we asked Samantha to join us on the podcast to talk about how she has been so profitable, she was happy to share her advice for advertisers and podcasters looking to build long-term relationships. "I think that advertising isn't the right choice for all podcasts out there. It depends on the type of podcast that you have, the kind of message that you're bringing to the world, and what ki...

With the rapid rise of Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Facebook Live Audio Rooms, and Spotify Greenroom, podcasting suddenly got a bit scared about its audiences' loyalty. So we called in social audio and podcasting specialist Steve Olsher to join us on the podcast and chat about creating a successful partnership between podcasting, social studio, and monetization. We cover reasons for the lack of community in podcasting, how Steve is trying to combat that, why he is worried about the podcast demogr...

Can you believe it's almost the end of 2021? What a year! I always like to review what's ahead for us in the podcasting industry, so I invited Sam Sethi, a 30-year podcast veteran, to tell us what he thinks. Sam is the Operational Director at Viral Tribe, the Managing Director at River Radio, and the host and producer of Podland News. A terrific podcast that he does with James Cridland from Podnews. I am so glad I reached out and asked him to chat with me because he shared some fantastic insigh...

I have always been apprehensive about brands entering the podcast space to create corporate shows without strong guidance from experts. They usually end up as a 30-minute infomercial for their products or services. I am fascinated by the listeners who actively choose to follow brands, and I wanted to learn more about the intricate workings of branded podcasts. So I invited Fatima Zaidi, Founder, and CEO of Quill Podcasting, to share her expertise. "Podcasting is a very new space. And so, just g...

"We're not looking to load on a bunch of shows every month. We're looking for high-quality shows that can be long-term, long-lasting partners. We're making sure it's a good fit. I love partnerships and relationships. So, when I'm getting on a call with a host, I want to make sure they are interested in Organifi. Maybe they haven't heard of us, but they're asking questions. They want to try the product. They are interested in endorsing the product themselves on the read. The relationship is eithe...

What happened to all the podcasting acquisitions last year? Why is the industry hating on programmatic ads? Is YouTube muscling its way into podcasting? I welcome Bryan Barletta from Sounds Profitable back on the show to share the inside scoop on what's happening with podcasting. Bryan is a very well-connected industry expert that recently joined the IAB to help move the industry forward and innovate in the space. Whenever I need to know what's going on behind the scenes, Bryan is my go-to reso...

Pete Birsinger, CEO and Founder of Podscribe, has been testing and creating new technologies in podcasting for the last five years. I am fascinated by the growth and expansion in podcast technology, so I invited Pete to join me on the show to talk about what he is seeing happen in the industry. We cover some of the pros and cons of podcast tech and why it may not be easy to create new software. We also talk about how YouTube may impact the podcast industry as they move to hire executives focuse...

One of the most challenging parts of podcasting and podcast advertising is knowing your audience better. Who are they, what are their preferences, and what are their buying habits? Understanding listener preferences is key to creating better content and ads for listeners. So, I invited Daryl Battaglia, SVP, Market Development & Strategy at Triton Digital, to share his expert knowledge and experience on the subject of audience measurement. Daryl talks about the different ways we can use measurem...

We have had a rush of new advertisers enter the space this month, and many of them had questions that I thought would be useful to you. Here is what the episode will cover: What's the difference between downloads and listens, and what are we tracking? What is the difference between downloads and impressions? What's the difference between dynamic ad insertion and embedded? Are ads priced on downloads or listens? Are there average CPMs for embedded and dynamic ads? What's the difference betw...

Today I am talking about how the pricing of podcast ads works for both podcasters and advertisers. I did a live stream recently and was inspired by all the questions I received about podcast ad prices. There is a lot of confusion, so I thought it would be best for me to sit down and demystify it for you. this episode will cover: CPM pricing model in podcasts and who this benefits. The range of prices and why they are so vast. Why some smaller podcasts can charge more than others with larger d...

Podcast Movement took place two weeks ago, and it was wonderful to go to the event and to be able to see everyone face to face (or mask to mask). And I wanted to give you a little recap of some of the things that I learned and encountered while at the event. I'll also cover my initial thoughts on Mark Cuban's keynote session (I wasn't very impressed). Podcast Movement is a yearly event that takes place around the USA. And it's a terrific event because it's a great cross-section of the industry....

There is a continual debate in podcast advertising about how long an ad should be to be effective. Paul Riismandel, Senior Director of Marketing and Insights for SXM Media, shares his findings with me after they do control testing on ad length and campaign goals. The results may surprise you! We also talk about why goals are critical in determining how a campaign is run and the different results you will see. Paul shares his experience with campaigns that did not go well and what he did to conv...

Adam McNeil, Online Marketing and PR Manager, joins me on the podcast to discuss how Füm is taking podcast advertising by storm and making it a huge priority in their marketing strategy. Adam shares how he integrates podcast advertising into the brand's marketing mix and how he took learnings from influencer marketing and implemented them into podcast partnerships at scale. He also talks us through their strategy for discovering shows to partner with, what critical factors determine who they w...

With the podcast advertising landscape changing so rapidly in the last 6 months, I want to take a moment and talk about the trends I am seeing and my predictions for the next 6 months. I will cover: 1. The rise of programmatic ads and how this will positively affect host-read ads. 2. What dynamic insertion is lacking. 3. The lastest thing advertisers require for their ad campaigns. I would love your take on these, so message me on Linkedin. As of this month, we are moving to bi-monthly episodes....

"In our world of attribution, it has really shifted from being a nice to have to a need to have. We see agencies and brands who will not buy podcast advertising if they cannot get attribution." Sarah Cotenoff, Co-Founder and Head of Partnership at Podsights, joins me today to discuss how podcast attribution is changing and impacting the way advertisers are buying podcast ads. We talk about how Podsights is reacting to the new needs of brands, and why data has become so important in podcast adver...