How to Advertise on Podcasts: A Beginner's Guide

Looking to advertise on podcasts for the first time? Podcast advertising is a powerful tool within digital marketing, leveraging digital platforms to reach highly engaged audiences.

Podcasts continue to be a fast-growing marketing channel. In the US alone, 55% of Americans now say they regularly listen to podcasts. That’s a whole lot of people listening at home and while they’re out and about.

This article explains what podcast advertising is and how you can use Rephonic to help your business run effective podcast ad campaigns. Podcast advertising is effective because listeners are highly engaged and trust the hosts, which leads to higher conversions.

Two approaches to running your first podcast advertising campaign

There’s more than one way to get your brand into podcast episodes. The right approach depends on how much control you want, how quickly you need to launch, and whether you’re aiming for a niche audience or broader reach.

Choosing the right podcast ad placements is a key part of planning your podcast campaign, as it determines where your message will appear and how effectively you reach your target audience.

The two main options for brands starting out with podcast ads are:

1. Direct buys
2. Self-serve platforms

1. Direct buys

What it means:

You choose specific podcasts that match your target audience and buy ad space directly from the show or its network.

Direct buys often involve you doing some (or all) of the following:

• Selecting podcasts and reaching out to the host or network
• Working directly with podcast creators and podcast networks to secure ad placements and sponsorships
• Agreeing the ad format (host-read vs pre-recorded), placement, and schedule
• Providing talking points or writing a podcast ad script
• Negotiating pricing, duration, and any sponsorship extras (e.g., newsletter mentions, social posts)

Why brands prefer it:

Many brands like direct buys because they get maximum control and context. You decide exactly which shows you appear on, so it’s easier to align with the right audience, tone, and host credibility.

It’s also popular for building relationships with podcast hosts, podcast creators, and networks over time, which can lead to better placements, smoother renewals, and more integrated opportunities (like giveaways, guest spots, or longer-term sponsorships). Podcast hosts and creators are often open to collaborations, and working with podcast networks can simplify the process of finding and buying ad space.

Direct buys can feel more “native” to listeners too, especially on niche podcasts or with host-read ads where the podcast host can introduce your brand in their own voice.

Host-read sponsorships typically cost between $25 to $40 CPM, and podcast advertising is often sold on a CPM (cost per mille) basis, meaning you pay per thousand impressions. Alternatively, some shows work with a flat rate to keep things simple.

2. Self-serve platforms

What it means:

A self-serve platform is the DIY way to run podcast and audio ads without negotiating show-by-show. You set everything up in a dashboard: choose your targeting, set a budget, upload your creative, and the platform takes care of delivering your ads to the right listeners.

The biggest example is Spotify Ads Manager, which lets you run ads across Spotify placements (including podcast inventory depending on your market and campaign settings), with targeting options like location, demographics, and interests, plus campaign reporting.

Costs vary widely, but they typically depend on the type of ad you run, the size of the audience you’re trying to reach, how specific your targeting is, and how long you want the campaign to run.

Why brands prefer it:

Brands use self-serve platforms because they’re fast to launch and easier to manage than buying show-by-show. Everything runs through one dashboard, with standardized setup and built-in reporting.

Instead of pitching individual shows, you define the audience you want and the platform places ads across available inventory that matches your settings.

There are two common types:

• Marketplace-style (e.g., Gumball): you browse and choose specific creators/shows.
• Network-style (e.g., Spotify Ads Manager, AudioGO): you choose audiences/categories and the platform distributes ads across its network inventory.

Baked-in vs dynamically inserted ads

Baked-in ads

What it means:

Baked-in ads are recorded within the podcast episode and stay there forever. The only way to change them is to re-record that part of the episode.

Why brands prefer it:

Baked-in ads are often host-read, meaning the message is delivered in the host’s voice, sometimes with personal context or a natural recommendation. Brands like this because podcast listeners tend to trust the hosts they tune into regularly, and that trust can carry into the ad.

Another big reason brands choose baked-in ads is longevity. When new listeners discover an established show, they often binge the back catalogue. Hosts also regularly point listeners to older episodes (especially in educational or evergreen shows), sending fresh traffic to past content.

That means a baked-in ad can keep getting heard long after the original campaign, whenever and wherever someone plays that episode.

Dynamically inserted ads

What it means:

Dynamically-inserted ads (DAI) are separate audio files inserted into ad slots within a podcast. They usually run for a preset number of impressions or a set time period.

Why brands prefer it:

Brands use DAI because it’s flexible and easy to control. You can run ads in specific episodes, during specific dates, and then swap them out when the campaign ends, keeping ad slots in the back catalogue fresh and up to date.

DAI ads can be host-read or pre-recorded. They’re especially useful for brands running time-sensitive promotions (launches, seasonal campaigns, events), because you can start and stop quickly, update creative without touching the original episode, and avoid outdated offers lingering in old content.

Example:

The Viall Files ran a host-read, dynamically-inserted ad for Ollie in the lead-up to Valentine's Day.

It is officially the month of love, Nick. Reminder, reminder. And we know you want to celebrate with the one you love most, your dog. Celebrate with the one you love most by giving them the best, highest quality ingredients with Ollie...Celebrate your number one Valentine, your greatest love, your dog. Head to ollie.com/viall.

However, once Valentine's Day was over the show replaced the dynamically-inserted ad in the audio version.

Pre-roll vs mid-roll vs post-roll

Most podcasts offer several types of podcast ads and ad placements for advertisers, including pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll ads, each offering different levels of ad exposure. Podcast ads come in a variety of formats and placements, which contributes to their appeal among a broad cross-section of brands with different marketing objectives and core demographics. Let’s look at these in more detail.

Pre-roll

An introductory ad before the show kicks in. Typically 15-30 seconds long, pre-roll ads often have a format like “Today’s show is brought to you by …” followed by a scripted ad copy.

Example:

DoorDash's host-read ad on Office Ladies, where both hosts chip in to make it feel like a conversation before the episode begins.

Angela: Life with kids is wildly unpredictable. I mean, the only thing that's certain is that something is going to go not according to your plan. It doesn't matter how much you try to plan. You can't leave the house to go get medicine or supplies or maybe a working thermometer because, oh my gosh, I can't believe the battery died in this one.

Jenna: And we don't have any batteries and I can't leave my kid who's running fever.

Angela: I mean there's all kinds of things.

Jenna: Real life needs real relief. That's why DoorDash is there for whatever you need whenever you need it. We all know life gets crazy. DoorDash just helps bring a little order to it...

Mid-roll

These segments are usually longer and run in the middle of the podcast content. Depending on the length of the podcast, there may be one or two mid-roll segments. Mid-roll ads tend to be the most effective because:

a) They occur when listeners are already engaged with the content and

b)Podcast listeners are often multitasking and are less likely to stop what they're doing to skip the ad.

Example:

Here's the text from a mid roll ad on the Tim Ferriss Show.

I first learned about Humann's endurance formula, SuperBeets Sport, a decade ago from a friend who is a multiple-time world champion. And she's not alone.

More than 160 professional sports teams and college sports programs use SuperBeets Sport by Humann. Humann's own clinical studies demonstrate up to an 18% increase in workout endurance.

To get 15% off of your first order of SuperBeets Sport. First time subscribers also receive a free month supply of sugar-free human tart cherry gummies to support recovery and healthy inflammatory response.

Post-roll

These ads are also around 15-30 seconds long, and, as the name suggests, they run at the end of the show. Post-roll ads are often the cheapest spot because listeners may tune out before or during the ad since the actual show has finished.

Example:

The Self-Publishing Show is regularly sponsored by Pro Writing Aid, whose host read ads featured as pre roll and post roll ads on each episode. Like this:

The Self-Publishing Show is sponsored by ProWritingAid. Built by writers for writers. ProWritingAid doesn't just check spelling and grammar.

It helps you enhance your story's pacing, plot, characters, settings and more. Now it can provide even on-demand developmental feedback for your entire manuscript with its manuscript analysis and virtual beta reader tools.

Give your writing a competitive advantage by heading to prowritingaid.com. Sign up for free and use the code IWC15 for a 15% discount of annual subscriptions.

How to run ad campaigns directly with podcasts

1. Find podcasts that align with your brand

Many podcasts target niche audiences; others appeal to a wide group of podcast listeners. Your ad campaign needs podcasts where audiences respond to your brand and the problems it solves. Podcasts attract engaged audiences, making them ideal for building brand awareness among relevant groups due to their niche focus.

• First, use the search engine in Rephonic to find podcasts in your industry or niche.
• Next, select podcasts that match your target audience and add them to a list in Rephonic.
• Then discover even more podcasts by using Rephonic’s 3D graph tool, which surfaces other podcasts that the audience also listens to.
• Finally narrow down the options to find the most receptive podcast audiences for your brand by checking the podcast stats, audience engagement and demographics. Analyzing listener demographics is crucial to ensure the podcasts you choose align with your target audience and optimize your ad placement.

Here’s how to assess podcast-audience fit using Rephonic.

2. Check the podcast's stats

Rephonic amasses data from around the web and sorts the information into six convenient buckets: Overview, Audience, People, Sponsors, Ratings & Reviews, and Charts.

Some essential stats to look for when choosing shows to approach for podcast advertising include:

Listener numbers: If you have a small budget and are just testing the waters, you might want to target smaller podcasts; however, if you have more cash to invest, you might look for large shows that reach a bigger target audience. Rephonic displays its best estimate for listeners per episode and monthly listens.

Audience demographics: Rephonic analyses the data to describe typical podcast listeners and their likely location (country), age range, education level, profession, interests and more. Use the information to help choose podcasts with listeners that match your target audience.

Other sponsors: You might find it helpful to see who else has run podcast ads on the show. Rephonic lists the names of all recent sponsors and notes the ad format (e.g., host-read) together with a snippet of the ad content and a link to the episode.

Social reach: Podcasts repurpose episodes for social media and often publish on YouTube too. Many podcasts are also available on Apple Podcasts and other digital platforms, including video podcasting on YouTube and connected TVs. This shift to digital venues expands audience engagement and reach, especially as more listeners consume long-form content outside of traditional TV. That can be an excellent way to boost your exposure. Knowing whether the podcast audience hangs out in the same social media space as your brand is also helpful. That’s another way to reach them after your podcast ads go live.

In 2024, the average time spent listening to digital audio in the U.S. increased by 26.4%, highlighting the growing opportunity for advertisers.

When researching a podcast, see if they have their social media accounts listed on their website. Or access them directly on Rephonic. You’ll find follower numbers and links to all the podcast’s social media channels.

3. Check for clues on ad costs

Many podcasts have an advertisers’ section on their website. You can often find a ‘Sponsors’ or ‘Advertisers’ tab on the top navigation bar, or scroll down to see if there’s a link in the footer menu.

When planning how to advertise on podcasts, it's important to consider podcast advertising cost, as rates can vary widely depending on audience size and ad format. Additionally, podcast ad revenue is projected to exceed $3 billion by 2027, according to eMarketer, reflecting the rapid growth and effectiveness of this advertising channel.

Some shows—e.g., Young and Profiting with Hala Tala—have a full-on media information page with information on audience engagement, past sponsors and ad formats, together with a contact form.

They may include advertising rates, or ask marketers to contact them for up-to-date rates, like this CTA from Social Media Examiner.

You may see podcasts asking potential advertisers to email them or fill out a contact form. Again, check the navigation menus for links.

Others give no clues on their websites as to whether they accept sponsors or not. However, you can often find out by checking their podcast page in Rephonic.

5. Pitch the host

Many podcasters won’t just accept any advertiser. Even if they need the money, they’ll want products relevant to their audience’s needs.

When you approach a podcast, keep these points in mind:

• Discuss the audience’s likes and dislikes with the hosts and listen to their ideas and insights.
• Let the host experience the product, especially if you choose host-read ads. Host-read ads are paid commercial messages delivered directly by a podcast host, often about their personal experiences with the brand. This allows your brand's message to be delivered authentically, leveraging the listeners trust in the host.
• Be respectful and willing to work together in your approach. View the whole process as a relationship and collaboration that benefits you both.
• Know your budget — and their charges.
• Be podcast and audience-focused: what’s the benefit for the podcast and its listeners? Equally, get clear on your expectations too. Are you expecting to sell products or gain brand awareness from these ads?

6. Choose your ad type and delivery method

Next, decide on ad formats.

Liaise with the host or podcast team to determine whether you’ll use host-read ads or pre-produced (i.e., you supply the ad pre-recorded) and if they’ll be baked in or DAI. Host-read ads feel more organic and authentic, which can enhance brand equity by building listener trust and driving conversions.

Branded content is another effective format, seamlessly integrating your brand into the podcast through branded episodes or series. This approach can boost audience engagement and deliver authentic brand messaging.

You could choose from one of four combinations, or the podcast advertising team may offer a set format:

• Baked in, host-read ads
• Dynamic ad insertion and host-read
• Advertiser-supplied with dynamic ad insertion
• Advertiser-supplied and baked in

7. Write your ad

Effective podcast advertising starts by understanding what you want people to do after they've heard your ad. Once you know that, you can start writing.

There are many ways to structure podcast advertising, but here's a guide to one of the most popular, as modelled by BetterHelp.

Hook

First grab the listener's attention so they'll be receptive to the ad's message.

E.g. "There are things to be gazelle-intense about. Making healthier choices, getting out of debt for sure. But when it comes to giving people what they need from you, it's better to be intentional, not intense."

Pain point

Mention the specific problem they're facing that your product or service can solve.

E.g. It's easy to get caught up in what people need from you and never give a thought to what you need. So how do you balance the two?"

Benefits

List the benefits they'll get when they try your product.

E.g. "It takes practice and therapy is a great way to learn new skills like balance and setting boundaries that allow you to have enough energy left for others without leaving yourself behind."

Call-to-action

Finally, spell out the action you want them to take, whether that’s visiting your website and making a purchase, downloading a freebie etc. Promo codes can encourage podcast listeners to take action and make it easier to track people arriving because of that ad.

E.g. "Find more balance with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.com/deloney today to get 10% off your first month. That's betterhelp h-e-l-p .com/deloney."

Then, when your podcast ad is ready, send it to the host and monitor the results once it’s live!

Measuring podcast advertising effectiveness

Brands want 'bang for their buck' when it comes to podcast advertising. That means spending money wisely and understanding the true impact of your brand's podcast advertising campaign.

As podcast advertising continues to grow brands need to track the right metrics to:

1. Know how well their podcast ads are performing, and
2. Get the most out of their future campaigns.

You can assess podcast advertising effectiveness by using a combination of quantitative data (i.e., information you can measure and express as numbers) and qualitative data (info describing qualities, opinions, or experiences).

Focus on key performance indicators (KPIs) to gain valuable insights as to how your podcast ads resonate with podcast listeners and how they contribute to the overall campaign performance and increase brand awareness.

Ad recall

How well do your listeners remember the commercial messages they heard during your podcast episode? We call that measurement ad recall and it's one of the most important metrics for evaluating podcast advertising effectiveness. According to Acast, research consistently shows that podcast ads outperform traditional digital ads in terms of ad recall.

This high ad recall rate is largely due to the unique way people consume podcast episodes.

Podcast audiences are usually highly engaged and attentive, and they frequently listen to their favorite hosts while multitasking. Having such a receptive audience makes it more likely that listeners will remember your brand’s message long after the episode ends.

Things to consider when planning your podcast advertising campaign

How can your podcast ad formats maximize podcast listeners ad recall? Think about:

• Pre roll ads vs mid roll ads
• Host read ads vs recorded ads
• Baked-in vs dynamic ad insertion
• Whether you're focusing on brand awareness podcast advertising, or brand sales
• How can your ad content speak to that podcast's audience?

Host-read ads, in particular, tend to be more memorable. That's because they blend seamlessly with the show’s tone and are delivered by trusted podcast hosts.

Campaign performance

Beyond ad recall, measure the overall campaign performance to understand your podcast advertising ROI (return on investments).  You'll need to track some key metrics including website traffic, conversions, and sales that can be directly attributed to your podcast ads.

Quantitative measurements

Brands can accurately measure their campaign's performance by using unique promo codes and vanity URLs (short, easy-to-remember web addresses that redirect to a longer tracking link.) Alternatively, set up a dedicated landing page and only mention it in podcast ads.

Such tools help you track how many podcast listeners take action after hearing your ad, providing clear data on the effectiveness of your ad strategy and ad placements.

Qualitative data

Consider using one question, post-conversion surveys to ask customers how they heard about your brand. Make it super easy and quick for customers to respond. For example, provide a list of possibilities (including podcast advertising) and ask people to check all that apply.

Take note of positive reviews and comments in any DMs or emails from customers. If podcast hosts write their own host-read ads, notice what they say and how genuine they seem.  This data helps you refine your ad content and optimize future podcast ad campaigns for even better results.

Together, qualitative feedback and quantitative metrics help you improve your podcast advertising strategies, so that your marketing campaigns drive real results and contribute to your brand’s growth.

Final thoughts

Now you know what it takes to run a great podcast ad campaign, it's time to get going.

You could go about it the hard way and research everything manually. Or make the most of your time and effort by signing up for a 7-day free trial with Rephonic.

Get started today.