In the world of branded podcasts, we’ve found that people often get confused with the difference between advertising on a podcast and creating a podcast, as well as which options work best for your brand. 

As audiences increasingly turn to podcasts for information and engagement, businesses are presented with two distinct avenues: advertising on existing podcasts or venturing into the realm of podcast creation. 

Each option holds its own set of opportunities and challenges, making it crucial for marketers to understand the nuances that differentiate these approaches. In this blog, we'll explore the unique advantages, strategic considerations, and potential impact of advertising on a podcast versus creating one.

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Advertising Your Brand on a Podcast: Ad Slots 

While 63% of people say they often or always ignore TV commercials, 81% of podcast listeners say they pay attention to podcast ads. That means that however you decide to advertise on a podcast, you should make it targeted and memorable.

There are two primary avenues for advertising your brand on a podcast. 

The first is to partner with the podcast that you’ll be advertising your brand on (or use a marketplace such as Megaphone or Acast), and then create a short ad for your brand. This ad will then be placed into the podcast either in the pre-roll, midroll, or post-roll. 

The other option is to have the host of the podcast that you’re advertising on read or create a personalized ad for your brand. These types of ads are much more organic and can be more receptive to listeners since it’s coming directly from the host of the podcast. Similar to the style above, these types of ads will usually live in the pre-roll, midroll, or post-roll.

With advertising on a podcast, you don’t own the show content - your brand only has that pre-recorded or host-read ad that’s featured in one or multiple episodes depending on the partnership. 

While this time is limited it is still impactful with Brand Lift Studies by Edison Research reporting that 75% of people are more likely to purchase a product after hearing a podcast ad campaign.

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Creating a Branded Podcast 

Creating a branded podcast means that your brand is funding the full process of producing and launching a podcast. This includes pre-production, production, post-production, and marketing. Many brands will hire external agencies to work on this more time-consuming process but the benefits this tactic yields for many brands make it well worth it. 

With your own branded podcast, it means that your company owns the content and you can think of the entire podcast almost like an ad. But make sure to never make your podcast content overly sales-y or too saturated with information about your brand. 

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Podcast Advertising or Branded Podcasts: Which One is Right for You? 

There are plenty of benefits to both advertising on a podcast as a brand or creating your own. Sometimes, a brand might even adapt both strategies. 

But today, we’re here to help you decide which one is most beneficial for your company's needs. So here are some reasons for choosing to either advertise on a podcast or create your own: 

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Brands Who Should Advertise on a Podcast 

You Have Budget (but can be more lenient) 

Advertising on a podcast spans a wide range of budgets. You can run a campaign for a couple of thousand dollars and you can run a campaign for upwards of $20,000. There are other factors that can affect the price of podcast ads including the popularity of the show, the kind of ad, etc.

If you have a marketing budget to run ads, then podcast advertising can be a good channel to use since it varies in price. 

You’re Looking for More Avenues to Run Paid Ads

If you’re currently running a paid advertising campaign for your company and you’re on the hunt for new channels to try out – podcast advertising is a great choice. Many podcasts will require a minimum of usually around three sponsored episodes. 

You Lack Time to Create Content 

Podcasting takes time, we won’t lie to you. If you lack the time to work on managing a podcast even if you hire outside vendors, then creating your own podcast may not be right for you. Therefore, podcast advertising is a good alternative. 

You’re Not Able to Hire Outside Vendors 

If you lack the time or skill level to create your own podcast, then hiring an external agency is a great route. But if your company also doesn’t have the approval or budget to hire outside agencies, then hitting pause on your own branded podcast may be smart. So again, podcast advertising is a great alternative. 

You Have Specific Podcast Influencers/Audiences That You Want to Tap Into 

Is there a specific audience that you want to tap into fast and you know of a podcast that already has it? Podcast advertising is a great way to quickly get in front of your desired audience and share your message. 

You Want to Share Your Message Across Multiple Shows vs. Having One of Your Own 

Maybe you have trouble picking just one podcast or podcast topic. If that sounds like you, then podcast advertising opens the opportunity for you to advertise your brand across as many different podcasts as you have budget for. 

You’re Just Getting Your Feet Wet in Audio 

And lastly, if you’re just starting to explore the world of audio then maybe starting your own podcast is a little much for you at the moment. If that’s the case, then podcast advertising is perfect for testing out the podcast landscape and seeing if it’s right for you and your brand. 

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Brands Who Should Create a Podcast 

You Have Time to Dedicate to the Project

Although it’s likely that you’ll be hiring external partners to help you with this process, podcasting takes time. Ensure that you or your team have the capacity to take on podcasting as another content marketing medium so you’re in a position to get the most out of your branded podcast.

‍You Have a Clear Goal 

As a brand, podcasting without a goal makes it virtually impossible to track key performance indicators (KPIs). If you have a clear goal in mind for what you want your podcast to achieve, then we give you the stamp of approval to create your own show! 

You Have Budget 

Whether you’re podcasting in-house or hiring external vendors, podcasting isn’t always cheap. If you have a healthy budget to dedicate to making your podcast audio quality and marketing the best that it can be, then we say go for it. 

You Have Passion/Are Dedicated 

You're passionate about the topics that you want to discuss on the podcast and are dedicated to growing the show. Podcasts take time, patience, and strategy. You need to be positive that you have the motivation to really grow this show.  

You Want to Establish Yourself as an Industry Leader 

You want to establish yourself as a credible industry leader in your field. Branded podcasts are a great way to achieve this since you have full creative control over what’s discussed/how it’s discussed on your show. 

You Want to Stay Ahead of Competitors 

Podcasts are on track to become the new blogging or video medium, so it’s just a necessity for your brand. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and try out audio before some of your competitors jump on it (which we promise they will), then again, we encourage you to try audio. 

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Are you ready to dabble in audio advertising?

While advertising on a podcast allows businesses to tap into an engaged and attentive audience, leveraging the host's credibility, creating a podcast opens doors to authentic storytelling and building a dedicated community. 

The choice between the two depends on your goals and resources. If brand exposure and reaching a targeted audience are paramount, advertising is the route to explore. Conversely, if you seek to establish your voice, connect on a deeper level, and showcase expertise, creating a podcast can be a powerful tool.

If you’re interested in creating your own branded podcast, please reach out to our team and we’d be happy to help you get started.