Ad revenue: It’s the fuel that powers the content engine that is podcasting. And as bigger and more diverse audiences (like 135M Americans ages 12 and up) continue to embrace the medium as can’t-miss entertainment, the better the opportunities for creators and publishers to monetize.
Though podcast advertising continues to evolve, offering both creators and advertisers more ways to reach audiences and drive revenue, host-read ad formats continue to be the most popular. Based on a Simplecast Podcaster Insights Survey, host reads account for 49% of their podcast revenue stream. And for good reason—75% of podcast listeners are open to hearing ads voiced by the hosts of the podcasts they listen to.
But traditionally, the process of securing and trafficking host-read ads is not without its challenges for growing creators and major networks alike, most notably when it comes to production and insertion. The good news is that innovations from industry leaders like AdsWizz and RedCircle are automating the pain points away.
Tech advancements from Adswizz’ Simplecast Professional hosting and monetization platform and RedCircle’s OpenRAP host-read ad platform make it easier than ever to increase podcast ad revenue—and they’re even better together.
Simplecast Professional’s ad insertion and monetization technology allows creators the flexibility and control to monetize their shows as they see fit— whether by trafficking their own direct sold campaigns, enabling their shows in the AdsWizz podcast marketplace to earn revenue, or working with third party partners to help them monetize further.
“Our creators are always looking for new and innovative solutions to grow their podcast revenue. We know there is no one-size-fits-all model, which is why we continue to work to integrate with new partners in the ecosystem providing innovative solutions like OpenRAP.” – Grace Kane, Director, Business Development, AdsWizz
RedCircle’s OpenRAP automates the host-read process from end to end: connecting publishers to RedCircle-exclusive brands while automating the flighting, delivery, reporting, and payments associated with each campaign.Together, the platforms provide a streamlined and complementary solution for creators to maximize their revenue.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Simplecast to help creators unlock new revenue opportunities with new brands through RedCircle’s OpenRAP. By bringing our automated host-read ad platform to Simplecast’s customers, we’re empowering podcasters to focus on what they do best—creating amazing content—while seamlessly growing their revenue. Together, we’re making it easier than ever for podcasters and networks to thrive.” – Jeremy Lermitte, COO, RedCircle
Simplecast Professional combines the power of the Simplecast platform’s content management tools with Adswizz monetization technology, making it easier to build more advanced podcast monetization strategies, gain audience and revenue insights, control the ad experience, and increase advertising revenue without disrupting their listener’s experience. The OpenRAP integration provides a seamless approach to delivering host-read ads secured through RedCircle’s platform, helping podcasters maximize ad revenue with minimal effort. The combined solution optimizes creators’ available inventory, targeting, and ad insertion for host-read ads.
This partnership offers innovative and complementary offerings for Simplecast Professional users. They can easily run host-read ads while also benefitting from their AdsWizz podcast marketplace revenue, without the manual hassle of trafficking any ads themselves.
The benefits include:
The combination of moving to Simplecast Professional and using OpenRAP has improved revenue for Impressions.FM. Here’s what Ben Watson from Impressions.FM had to say.
“I have been a Simplecast customer for the last six months, motivated by the platform's capabilities to connect to third party demand sources like OpenRAP. Overall, I've been impressed by the platform's performance to date.
I deeply appreciate RedCircle's OpenRAP program for two reasons: the strength of the sales team and the efficiency of the OpenRAP tool. The sales team does a tremendous job securing host-read opportunities, especially for shows that otherwise get overlooked by buyers. And the OpenRAP platform streamlines the ad ops process significantly, which saves my team lots of time.”
With the right tools, increasing podcast ad revenue and overall advertising efficiency is more accessible than ever. Ready to get started with Simplecast Professional and OpenRAP? Let’s talk. Reach out to us or get in touch with Red Circle.