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Heather Osgood is the founder of True Native Media and answered all of our questions about podcast advertising. I first met Heather back in 2017 and was fascinated with the vision she had for her company. While the idea of media buying was not new, being a media buyer for podcasts was. It is believed that podcast advertising will hit a billion dollars by 2021, and I took interest in the methods used to connect podcasters with podcast ads. A few weeks later, I shifted this podcast to a new podcast host and began to experience the benefits of dynamic ad insertion; namely the ability to increase our ad inventory.
But what I also discovered really bothered me. My Soundcloud numbers were highly inflated and phoney. For someone who relies on consistent metrics to build audiences and trust with advertisers, it was important to work with podcast partners who offered IAB certified metrics. I have written two blog pieces on the matter including why we moved the podcast to Art19 and why you should avoid using Soundcloud or Anchor to host your podcast.
A few months ago I asked Heather if she would spend a few moments breaking down the importance of the Apple Charts. They are really more mirage than accurate because if your show is in the top 50 of the Apple Podcast charts - for all we know there could be 50 shows in that category and your 50th. The rankings are merely a comparison against the other shows in your category and you might just be the best of a bad bunch. Yes you might be Top 50 - but that doesn't mean you have an engaged audience. Heather spoke about this one day after I told her one of my clients who was consumed with this stat. As it turned out - the "Top 50" show has a fraction of the audience than my client. Heather has a great way of explaining things.
Not everything is as it appears on the Apple Chart - especially with these losers running about.
In this episode, Heather explains how mid-level podcasters can access ad dollars for their show. (Yes it starts with having an IAB certified host). But more importantly, Heather explains what dynamic ad insertion is, who needs it and what exactly is the IAB and what IAB certified or compliant metrics are. We also discuss the difference between what is a useful stat (Downloads) and what is a vanity stat. (Apple Podcast Rankings) It may be that your podcast is ready to be monetized with podcast ads and Heather debunks the whole process.
I mentioned that Heather is a great follow on LinkedIn - please follow her here and her company here.
Also if you are looking to monetize your podcast - you don't necessarily need podcast ads to do it - schedule a call with me and I'll point you in the right direction.
By the way - a complete list of IAB certified podcasting hosts can be found here.