Podcast Advertising

With about 160,000 of podcast recordings currently available for download, business for podcast producers is thriving.

Podcasts are recurring videos that can be downloaded on iTunes or from the websites of the entity that originally aired the content. Some podcasts are made available weekly, while others can be downloaded daily.

While some creators have experienced success in the podcast market, far more have failed. Still, the lure of high advertising revenue leads some into giving podcasts a shot.

Ad sales can run more than $50 (CPM), which can be a lucrative payout for publishers. Ads are sold as sponsorships, but often come with a long list of publisher requirements.

Bulk ads may prove more realistic, as they come in pre or post-roll, or banners, that pay $1-8 CPM.

How can you reach that number?

A few factors that affect payout include viewership, content type, brand and infrastructure. A general rule-of-thumb is that a publisher needs to gain about 100,000 subscribers per month, measured in number of downloads, to start making money. That number could fluctuate depending on the market and content.

One factor the publisher can control is the brand, which can garner more viewers depending on its recognition and value in the marketplace. If your brand isn't Sony, consider strengthening it to make it more appealing to sponsors.

The first step to gaining higher ad sales is creating a better landing page, which will handle 30 percent of your viewership. 

Infrastructure also can be managed easily by hiring staff that can handle advertising sales. Internal infrastructure maximizes profit margin, but outsourced work can also help get a publisher in the game.

To summarize, focus you energy on launching a good show, strengthening your brand, using guerrilla marketing tactics and outsourcing work.