Got a question recently on Lenny’s Slack group regarding audio advertising. A few startups I mentor/advise have seen decent returns on podcasts ads.

*The key to successful podcast advertising is repetition and placement.

Repetition
If it’s a weekly podcast you want to buy no less than 8 consecutive placements.

Placement
You want ads at the beginning of the podcast (pre-roll) or in the middle (mid-roll). Context is everything here. For example, if a host does 6 pre-roll ads, and it’s a common practice (e.g. Joe Rogan) frequent listeners will know to skip, and average listeners will hear your ad almost like white noise.

*Yes, you gotta select the best podcasts for your brand, have great copy, have a compelling message, and have a clear CTA, but that’s true for every ad. Too many people say they’ve “advertised on a podcast” while they get skimpy on the amount of slots purchased, and don’t know/don’t care where in the episode the ad is placed.