If you’ve been podcasting for a little while then you might have heard the term “Programmatic Advertising”. But what does this entail, exactly? Put simply, Programmatic Advertising is a type of monetization where pre-recorded ads are placed on to your podcast through services like RAP (the RedCircle Ad Platform). They’re very similar to ads that you might hear on the radio.
Programmatic Advertising typically doesn’t require much work, if at all, from the podcaster. And it’s a fantastic way to easily generate revenue for your show (check out our guest blog on Riverside to learn why!) There are a few key points regarding Programmatic Advertising that are important to know before jumping in, though. Luckily, we’ve created this guide to help answer any questions you might have about this type of monetization!
What are Programmatic Ads?
Programmatic Ads are typically professionally pre-recorded advertisements that play on your podcast either in the pre-roll, mid-roll, or post-roll spot depending on your Dynamic Insertion configuration. Similar to old-school radio ads, these ads range from a large variety of categories including entertainment, education, real estate, technology, and more.
Some hosting platforms, like RedCircle, dynamically insert these ads into your podcast through tools like Dynamic Insertion and RAP. There’s not much work on your end after the initial setup and Dynamic Insertion configuration. It’s pretty much a plug-and-play feature!
Programmatic Ads differ from Host-Read Ads in these key areas:
- Type of Audio: Programmatic Ads are pre-recorded.
- Ad Approval: No prior approval of ads, but you can exclude specific categories.
- Where Ads are Place: Wherever you want! You get to choose where and how often they play in your podcast.
- CPM (Cost Per Thousand Downloads): Rates are not set by podcaster, but our system is designed to place the ad with the highest available CPM.
For more information on how Programmatic Ads differ from Host-Read, see the full breakdown in our Help Center.
How Programmatic Ads Work on RedCircle
Our Advertising Platform streamlines the manual process of coordinating advertising deals on your behalf. So, no more cold-reaching out to brands in hopes of a partnership. Brands and agencies use our platform to purchase ad inventory and run campaigns across an array of podcasts (including yours!)
Programmatic Ads are inserted alongside any Host-Read Ad campaigns you might have running. Our system does prioritize Host-Read Ads over Programmatic, but you’ll still hear both if you have both options selected. Our system is also optimized to insert the Programmatic ad with the highest CPM during the bidding process (which happens within milliseconds of a listener downloading an episode). Depending on your plan, you also have the ability to exclude/include specific IAB ad categories. This is especially helpful if your show is focused on a specific demographic!
Curious to learn more? See our Help Center for a complete look at Programmatic Ads on RedCircle!
All About Timing
It’s crucial to understand the natural ebb and flow of Programmatic Advertising throughout the year. In general, Programmatic revenue tends to dip in slow months like January and February as brands are coming back from the previous year’s winter holidays. They’re using the first few months of the year to finalize their strategies for the rest of the year. Mid-summer months also see a similar decrease as most brands are gearing up for those same winter holidays.
This means that September through December tend to have the highest Programmatic revenue as brands are executing their winter holiday campaigns. So, switching to new hosts or opting in to Ad Marketplaces in September increases your chances to earn more revenue!
Diving into the world of podcast advertising can seem daunting, but here at RedCircle we do our best to make the journey an exciting (and lucrative) one!
We have an abundance of resources for those with a more inquisitive nature:
- How to Market Your Podcast & Grow Your Audience in 2023
- Understanding Programmatic Ads on RedCircle
- How to Monetize Your Podcast with Programmatic Ads (Guest Blog on Riverside.fm)
- What is the RedCircle Ad Platform (RAP)?
Ready to make a change? Why not sign up for RedCircle today!
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