Guest host: Bryan Barletta of the adtech newsletter, Sounds Profitable.

It may sound odd to hear Bryan saying this, but he has a message for those of you stressing out about the adtech solutions you’re thinking of using for your not-yet-launched podcast: 

You don’t need one.

No, you really don’t need to plan out your adtech solution before you start your launch your show. In fact, you might not even need to worry about it for a year. Or more. 

Not that he’s suggesting you avoid monetizing your show with ads. If you manage to land a sponsor for your podcast from the get-go or early into your first year, then you should absolutely bake those ads right into your podcast’s episodes. 

What he’s suggesting is that, at least early in your podcast’s life, you probably don’t have the data necessary to make an informed decision on such a weighty topic as adtech.

Should you use analytics services like Chartable or Podtrac? Sure, that’s fine. Should you immediately start working with platforms that offer new podcasts some ad revenue right out the gate? If you want to, OK.

Bryan’s not sweating your decision because he knows how easy it is to switch from whatever you start with to other services in the future when you need them. His advice: Keep your focus from the start on what’s familiar to you rather than paying for an adtech platform that may not pay off for you for a while. The technology and offerings within podcast adtech are changing constantly, so there’s really no rush.

Of course, not designing an ad strategy from the start means that yes, you’ll likely have to go back through your previously published episodes and insert dynamic ad calls. But that’s a necessary pain, as without analytics, you’re really just guessing where you should put ads. A much better play is to let the data guide you, which takes time to gather.

Here’s the reality: Post-roll ads are bullshit. Pre-rolls can scare your audience away. And midrolls are so fluid that they can go anywhere within the body of the content. Eventually, your show will find its flow and analytics will help you figure out where best to put each ad placement. 

Ads are great. They’re literally why Bryan has a career. But they’re not for every podcast, so don’t try and fit a square peg in a round hole.

If you enjoyed Bryan’s pontificating, I highly encourage you to check out his Sounds Profitable newsletter (of which I am an editor). Super smart stuff if you care about the advertising side of podcasting.

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