Justin Taylor

How Many Ads Should Be in a Podcast?

Podcast ad spending is at an all-time high, and it's not hard to see why. An estimated 71 million Americans listen to podcasts regularly. That number has been on an upward trend for several years and shows no signs of slowing down.

There are many ways to market to podcast listeners, but the most common approach is to read advertising messages live or play them back through pre-recorded clips. Companies wanting to know how to scale podcast advertising often have one burning question:

How many ads should a podcast have, and how many is too many?

Podcasting Ad Slots

Most podcasts have three ad slots. Shows beyond the "standard" 30 to 40 minutes might have more. However, three advertisements per show are the norm.

The slots come at specific points in the show, and most podcast hosts will model the content to make room for them naturally.

The first ad is the pre-roll. It starts the show and usually lasts 15 to 30 seconds.

The most extended ad is the mid-roll. It comes after the first content segment and can last up to 90 seconds.

Finally, there's the post-roll. The average run time of the final ad is 20 to 30 seconds as it closes the show.

How to Scale Podcast Advertising

The beauty of podcast ads is that they're generally more accepted than other forms of marketing. When done right, marketing messages aren't intrusive and complement the content listeners enjoy. Many welcome podcasts ads because they're relevant and support the show.

That said, it is possible to go overboard. Implementing more ads into a show isn't the right approach if you're looking to scale your ad spending. Going beyond the three ad slots could turn the audience away.

The best way to scale marketing efforts is to launch new campaigns with shows that reach a broader audience. Advanced analytics can help companies gather actionable data and optimize campaigns as their efforts expand. With the right advertising platform, you can maximize your ad spending while scaling up to broaden your marketing reach.

Author Resource:-

I'm Justin Taylor, podcast marketing consultant, providing info about monetizing a podcast, analytics, promotion ideas and advertising for SME's. You can find my thoughts at podcasting blog.