The recent boom in podcasting and digital audio has paved the way for large networks, brands, and content publishers to capitalize on the rising interest in audio content. Monetizing and managing podcast advertising at scale is becoming more streamlined and much easier with new technologies and tools.
Let’s explore what’s available for large publishers and organizations looking to optimize their commercial audio strategies, and how publishers can make the most out of this growing industry. We’ll also look at some of the most valuable data to look out for when looking to scale podcast advertising.
Monetizing Audio at Scale
As digital audio consumption continues to grow at an accelerated rate, digital audio advertising opportunities are growing as well. What this means for large publishers is figuring out how to monetize, serve, manage, and report on multiple ad slots across shows, episodes, and channels.
To ensure an effective scaling strategy, publishers have to work through the pricing of ad slots, advertiser criteria, management of ad operations, and ensuring delivery of valuable and verified reporting across campaigns and audio destinations.
There are a few different ways that publishers can go about monetizing their audio content, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
- One way that publishers can monetize their audio content is by selling ads directly to advertisers. This approach gives publishers complete control over who they sell ads to and how much they charge for them.
- Another option for monetizing audio content is to partner with an ad network. Ad networks can help publishers sell their ads on a larger scale and at higher prices than they could by selling them directly.
- Finally, publishers can also monetize their audio content by offering it as a paid subscription. This approach requires publishers to build up a large and loyal audience before they can start making any significant revenue, but it can be a very lucrative option for those who are able to do so.
Backtracks offers a complete end-to-end and enterprise-grade solution for monetizing audio at scale. We provide all the tools and resources needed to help publishers effectively monetize their audio content while maintaining a high level of quality and service.
With Backtracks, publishers can optimize their audio ad strategy to maximize revenue while delivering a superior experience for their listeners. Our platform gives publishers the ability to price ad slots dynamically, target specific advertisers, and manage ad operations with ease. In addition, our reporting tools provide valuable insights into campaign performance, conversion tracking, and listener engagement.
Serving Podcast Ads at Scale
When it comes to podcast monetization, one of the biggest challenges is being able to serve a large number of ads and advertisers efficiently and consistently across all listening destinations. Fortunately, recent advancements in podcast technology have made client-side ad insertion and dynamic ad insertion not only possible but easy to execute and manage.
With solutions like Backtracks, you can deliver client-side ads and promotions that open up new monetization opportunities with contextually relevant ads or promotions, per-session ad targeting, detailed ad analytics with completion rates, and more. This makes it easy to scale your podcast advertising efforts while providing your listeners with a better experience.
In the past, publishers had to rely on server-side ad insertion (SSAI) to deliver audio ads to their listeners. However, this often resulted in ads that were “baked in” or embedded in the content, which could lead to listener fatigue and ultimately lower ad revenues.
Backtracks has developed a client-side ad solution that helps publishers serve audio ads at scale without sacrificing listener experience. Our technology inserts audio ads dynamically, in real-time, and at the edge, so they are never “baked in” to the content. This results in a better listener experience and higher ad revenues for publishers.
In addition, our client-side ad capabilities work with any ad server or tag that supports VAST 2.0 all the way to VAST 4.2/4.X. This makes it easy for publishers to scale their audio ad delivery without having to make changes to their existing infrastructure.
Unified Reporting
As a publisher, it is crucial to your success to have a unified reporting system in place for your podcast advertising operations. Doing so will ensure consistency and transparency across all of your campaigns and will ultimately lead to greater trust from advertisers.
There are many different reporting software options available, but it is important to choose one that is established and verified by the relevant bureaus. Backtracks Podcast Analytics is one such option that is accredited by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).
Using Backtracks or another similar software will help you maximize efficiency and keep track of all your data in one central location. This will make it easier for you to identify any patterns or trends and make necessary adjustments to improve your overall performance. In addition, advertisers will be more likely to work with you if they know that you have a reliable and trustworthy reporting system in place.
Ultimately, having a unified reporting system is essential for any publisher who wants to run successful podcast advertising campaigns. It will help ensure data consistency and transparency while also making it easier to track your progress and identify areas of improvement. Advertisers will also be more likely to work with you if they know that you have a robust and reliable reporting system in place.
Valuable Data for Podcast Advertising at Scale
In addition to listener behavior data (like geolocation, listening destinations (Apple, Spotify, Overcast, etc.), time–based listener data, etc.), there are a few valuable data points that are crucial for advertisers to be tracking in their digital ad campaigns and for publishers to be reporting back to their advertisers.
These data points will help advertisers understand listener behavior and patterns, as well as identify potential areas for improvement in their campaigns. Some of the most important data points to track include:
Attribution and Conversion Tracking
As digital audio advertising continues to grow in popularity, so too does the need for measurement tools that can provide transparent and actionable insights into ad performance.
One such tool is Backtracks Attribution, which offers publishers and advertisers a wealth of campaign data, including verified audience reach, ad conversions, and detailed metrics.
With Backtracks Attribution, publishers and advertisers can gain a deeper understanding of how their campaigns are performing and make more informed decisions about where to allocate their resources.
In addition to its robust attribution capabilities, Backtracks Attribution also offers conversion tracking at scale, making it an essential tool for any publisher or advertiser looking to get the most out of their digital audio campaigns.
Pre- and Post-Ad Traffic
Pre- and post-ad traffic is extremely valuable for publishers and advertisers to track and analyze. Knowing how listeners are reaching the audio content and its ads (which platform, browser, or app they’re using to listen or the referral URL that led them to the episode where the particular ad sits, etc.) and how far they navigate through the CTA in the ad (all the way to the transaction) is very valuable information. This data can help publishers optimize their ad placements and better understand which episodes generate the most revenue.
Additionally, this data can also help advertisers understand which ads are being heard by the most people and which ones are driving the most conversions.
Campaign KPIs
Having the ability to compare KPIs across different shows and campaigns is crucial in order to identify which areas are performing well and which need improvement.
There are a number of different KPIs that can be tracked in order to assess the performance of an advertising campaign. Some of the most common ones include unique vs. total impressions, frequency, conversion rate, reach, and more.
Tools like Backtracks make it easy to track all of these KPIs in one place, so publishers can see how their campaigns are performing at a glance. This is invaluable for making informed decisions about where to allocate resources in order to maximize results.
Tie Data into Existing Dataflows
As a publisher, being able to tie your podcast advertising data into existing dataflows and warehouses can be immensely valuable. It can help ensure consistency within your own internal operations and departments.
Finding a trusted data partner, like Backtracks, that is built to be able to integrate into existing workflows and data warehouses can be highly beneficial and advantageous.
Integrating Backtracks into your existing data flow will provide you with valuable insights into your podcast advertising performance. You’ll be able to track key metrics and optimize your monetization strategies for better results. Backtracks is the perfect solution for publishers who want to get the most out of their podcast revenue opportunities..
Explore Backtracks Today!
Podcast advertising at scale can be an important addition to your monetization mix. It provides a unique and engaging way to reach listeners with your message.
Backtracks is the turn-key podcast monetization software platform for publishers and networks to manage, measure, and grow podcast revenue. We provide valuable data for campaign planning and optimization, as well as attribution and conversion tracking, so you can see how your campaigns are performing. Our pre-and post-ad traffic analysis will give you a detailed view into what’s working – and what could use some improvement. We also support client-side and dynamic insertions while combating ad fraud. Contact us today to learn more about our podcast advertising offerings!
