How To Advertise Your Podcast To Increase Listenership

By podcast | August 7, 2024

maWondering how to advertise your podcast effectively? You’re not alone. The podcasting landscape is jam-packed, making discoverability a real challenge.

Many creators hustle hard, crafting social media promos, sliding into DMs, and even penning articles, but often find that these efforts only move the needle so much.

The key to breaking through the noise?

Treating your podcast like a business, and that means advertising.

So, you’ve got your podcast up and running, and you’re doing all the organic growth things. But let’s be real, organic growth is a slow burn.

If you’re looking to accelerate your reach, it’s time to consider a paid advertising strategy as part of your overall marketing game plan.

But where should you start?

What platforms are worth your time and money?

Don’t sweat it; we’ve got you covered.

This article will guide you through the best places to advertise your podcast, from podcast listening apps to specialized websites and newsletters.

We’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of each option, so you can make an informed decision on where to invest your ad dollars.

Additionally, we’ll be sharing our advertising story via our flagship podcast, Clipped. We started Clipped in the summer of 2022. In doing so, we knew we had to throw everything but the kitchen sink at it to get it to grow.

So, we did just that! Flash forward to now, and we’re pumped about the results.

The 7 Best Places To Advertise Your Podcast To Increase Listenership

mowpod– Self serve display ads for indies, as well as white glove service for those with bigger budgets
Buzzsprout Ads – Dynamic ad insertion across similar shows
Overcast.fm – Podcast listening app with display ads
Podglomerate – Press releases, cross promotion, app features and more
Podcast Addict – Display ads within the app
Pocket Casts – Podcast listening app
PodNews – Website, newsletter, and podcast

Podcast Organic Growth vs. Paid Growth

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “I don’t want to pay anything to grow my podcast, I’m doing an organic approach.” Just hear us out for the remainder of this post, and at the end of it if you still aren’t convinced that using paid advertising can exponentially grow your podcast, fine. You do you.

Here’s the truth, organic growth is best. But, organic growth takes a really long time and a ton of effort. You’ll eventually benefit from an organic approach, but, if you could shorten that window and give your podcast a boost, why wouldn’t you?

By implementing a paid advertising strategy, you’re getting the best of both worlds.

To grow your podcast you’re still going to have to push really hard on social media, write newsletters, do interview swaps, go to podcast conferences, and join online podcast communities.

So, you might as well get a faster reward from all that by learning how to advertise your podcast in the right places. When you complement your DIY hustle with some paid marketing you get the best of both worlds.

Also, today’s podcast climate is a lot different than it was five years ago. You’re now competing with Spotify Originals, Wondery, Amazon, Audible, and various other giants in the space.

These companies get all the headlines.

If you want to cut through the noise and get in front of your ideal listener quicker and more effectively, you HAVE to incorporate some kind of ad marketing budget into your overall growth plan.

How We’ve Leveraged Paid Advertising to Boost Our Listenership

We host our podcast, Clipped, on Libsyn. Starting in October 2022, we began experimenting with purchasing ad space and have continued to do so off and on up until to the present day. We’ve secured ad placements through platforms like Buzzsprout, Overcast, and Podnews.

Here’s a snapshot of our growth:

We’re sharing this data with you because we believe you can achieve similar results.

We don’t want you to experience burnout or let your podcast fade away. If you’re passionate about the content you’re creating, keep pushing forward. Podcasting is a marathon, not a sprint, and it’s these small victories that can re-energize your spirit and make the journey exhilarating.

So, consider investing a bit in paid promotion.

Don’t Advertise Your Podcast on Google or Social Media

Avoid Advertising Your Podcast on Google or Social Media

Why?

Steer clear of purchasing ads on Google or social media platforms. To get the most bang for your buck, focus on advertising in spaces where podcast listeners congregate—that means within podcast ecosystems.

We felt it was crucial to mention this before diving into the specifics of how to effectively advertise your podcast.

mowpod

We’re friends with the founder so perhaps we’re a bit biased but we love mowpod.

mowpod is a two tiered podcast marketing company that offers a self-serve platform for indie shows, as well as a robust enterprise service for larger brands seeking extensive campaign management.

This dual approach makes mowpod crucial in the podcasting scene, providing scalable solutions to meet diverse needs.

They use direct, programmatic, and incentivized ads to target audiences based on actions and profiles. Their campaigns run on a fixed-cost basis.

We actualy had their CEO, Mike Wiston on our podcast to chat about podcast growth, entrepreneurship in podcasting, podcast analytics, and more.

Check out our episode with Mike Wiston!

The results from a mowpod campaign for our podcast, CLIPPED.

A huge increase in downloads from a mowpod campaign

Our increase in Apple Podcasts Followers from the same mowpod campaign.

Buzzsprout Ads

Buzzsprout is a podcast hosting platform, but they also have a service called Buzzsprout Ads. For 2 cents per download you can record an audio promo for your podcast, and Buzzsprout Ads will insert it into a podcast in your same category.

This way you can be sure that your ad is being targeted to the right type of listener. You wouldn’t want to insert your ad into Business shows if you host a comedic podcast.

With Buzzsprout’s targeting, your ad will reach listeners who will be more inclined to check out your show after hearing a promo for it.

How Buzzsprout Ads Works

You select the demographics and the podcast category you want to target. Next, you upload your audio. Audio files have to be between 12-40 seconds in length. Lastly, you purchase the number of downloads you want.

The minimum investment is $100. For $100 your ad will be placed in numerous podcasts that will be downloaded a combined 5,000 times. That’s 5,000 potential people that will hear your ad.

Some people skip ads, sure, but you’re setting yourself up for a large number of people to hear your promo. The next level up is 10,000 downloads for $200. It goes up from there, maxing out at 50,000 downloads for $1,000.

Buzzsprout is a great choice if you’re someone who thinks people will respond well to hearing an audio ad for your show. If you’ve got the creative chops and think that can sway people with a well-produced and well-written promo, definitely give this a try.

Advertising on Overcast.fm

Overcast is a podcast listening up. Think of it like an Apple or Spotify. You may never have heard of it, but rest assured, a lot of die-hard podcast fans use Overcast to listen to podcasts.

Overcast uses display ads. This is a lot different from how Buzzsprout Ads work. On Overcast.fm, when people are listening to a podcast that’s similar to yours, a visual ad for your podcast pops up. It will display your artwork and the description of your show.

In addition, it will link to your podcast if clicked on. Before you purchase an ad on Overcast.fm make sure your podcast cover art is up to snuff. Your shot at getting someone to click on your show will rely heavily on visual cues.

All Overcast ads run for 30 days. The cost of buying ad space varies per category. A 30-day display ad can run from $150 to over $1,000.

Pricing is based on the competitiveness of the category and on the estimated performance of the ad. Overcast will list the cost and also give you the estimated people that will see the ad, as well as the estimated amount of subscribers you’ll receive from your ad.

We have no idea how these estimations work. Perhaps they’re constantly averaging everyone’s ad results, or maybe there is some AI figuring it out. Either way, it’s actually pretty damn accurate.

We’ve bought a couple of display ads within Overcast and the subscribers we received have been on par with their estimates.

The cost and results from several ad campaigns we ran on Overcast.fm

Keep in mind, the subscribers you get will be Overcast subscribers, not Apple, or Spotify.

Additionally, the rates for the categories can fluctuate. So if you’re looking for the best price it might make sense to check the site from time to time.

Podglomerate

Podglomerate is a podcast company that offers a comprehensive range of services for both independent podcasters and major media networks. They handle content creation, marketing, and distribution, tailoring strategies to boost reach and engagement.

Their marketing arm works with major podcast apps like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music to pitch shows for prominent features. They also create winning paid promotion strategies using extensive campaign data.

Additionally, their team has a successful track record of submitting and even securing awards for clients from prestigious podcast award competitions.

Podcast Addict Ads

Podcast Addict uses display ads and functions very similarly to Overcast. You’re going to pay for your category and you’re going to see the estimated clicks and subscriptions that you’ll get for your ad spend.

We personally haven’t used Podcast Addict, but it appears to cost less than Overcast. It seems as though you also get a higher number of clicks and estimated subscribers for your money.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that Podcast Addict is only available on Android. But that’s just an assumption.

We love the rates and how far your ad will go what you pay.

It’s a much better deal than Overcast.

The Podcast Addict Main Screen

Podcast Addict also gives you the option to advertise your podcast on “The Main Screen”. The main screen is where users search for podcasts. If someone clicks on your ad on the main screen it takes them to the podcast description screen.

Here, users can subscribe your show, read reviews, and check out episode descriptions.

how to advertise your podcast on Podcast Addict

Podcast Addict’s cost per ad

Currently, the cost to advertise on the main screen is $4,750. That will get you 50,000-70,000 clicks, and 500 – 1,350 subscribers. That’s a lot of dough!

It’s a great option for big spenders, plus, there’s a lot you can do to monetize your podcast once your listenership climbs into the thousands.

Pocket Casts Ads

Pocket Casts only has one option and it’s expensive. They will display your podcast on their home page. It’s called “The Discover Section”. When you open the app you’re immediately in the discover section.

Think of it as the home screen.

That’s a shit ton of people seeing your podcast.

They don’t say how many clicks or and subscribers you’ll get, but we imagine if you inquire about purchasing this ad space they will give you more info.

podnews

This might be our favorite place to advertise our podcast, Clipped. Podnews is a daily newsletter covering everything happening in the podcast industry. It features new shows, current events, podcast jobs, and more.

There’s a section in the newsletter where you can buy written classified ads. Many people buy these slots to promote their podcasts, resumes, online courses, etc… We’ve bought 6 slots to advertise Clipped. Below is the copy for a previous ad we’ve run with Podnews.

Listen To Clipped, A Podcast Teaching Podcasting – Clipped brings you podcast production tips, education, and industry resources, to help you navigate the podcast industry. Supercharge your podcast skills by listening to Clipped every Wednesday.”

Our Podnews Stats

This ad was seen a total of 122,312 times in email, and a further 1,915 times on the website.

Clickthroughs

This ad was clicked on a total of 483 times.

The average number of people who saw it (in email) per day was: 10,220
Per person during your campaign, that is a clickthrough rate of 4.73%

It was seen a total of 124,227 times.
Per impression, that’s a clickthrough rate of 0.39%

The above info was taken directly from our podnews account.

Ad space starts at $29 dollars and can get up close to $200.

You get to choose the date you want your ad to run. We’re not completely sure what drives up the price of the ad space, but it’s a sliding scale.

There are usually 3-4 classified ads per email. We’ve noticed the further in advance you buy space, the cheaper it is. We think it starts to go up when the ad slots start getting filled, like a supply-and-demand situation.

Rethinking Podcast Growth: Why Paid Advertising Should Be in Your Game Plan

Navigating the crowded podcasting space is no walk in the park, but the key to standing out is treating your podcast like a business. That means considering paid advertising in addition to your organic growth efforts.

This article lays down the roadmap for where to invest your ad dollars, from podcast-specific platforms like Buzzsprout and Overcast.fm to specialized spaces like Podnews. The data shared from the Clipped podcast serves as a testament to the effectiveness of a well-planned advertising strategy.

However, it’s not just about throwing money at the problem; it’s about making informed decisions that complement your organic growth.

With giants like Spotify and Amazon dominating the headlines, small podcasters need to be savvy about their advertising to get in front of their ideal audience.

So, if you’re serious about growing your podcast, it’s time to think about setting aside a budget for paid promotion.

This by no means takes the place of all the hard work you’re doing to organically grow your podcast, it’s IN ADDITION to your DIY hustle.

Finally, the goal of this article is to get you to start thinking differently about your podcast. It’s like my buddy Adam Schaeubule of Podcasting Business School says, “You’ve got to love your podcast like a hobby and treat it like a business”.

If you’re ready to start crushing your podcast goals it’s time to welcome the idea of paying to advertise your podcast.