Acast has launched of AdCollab, which allows podcast hosts and potential advertisers collaborate in real-time to create host-read sponsorships.
The new product simplifies the podcast host-read sponsorship buying process for podcasters, advertisers, and sales teams.
Advertisers can use AdCollab to easily work with multiple podcasters from around the Acast Creator Network simultaneously, maximizing their reach and impact.
For podcasters, AdCollab greatly reduces the amount of back and forth with sales teams and advertisers, allowing them to focus their time on creating great content that grows their listenership, and revenue.
“Empowering podcasters to create, and to earn money from that craft is a laser focus for us at Acast” said Richard Jenkins, Product Manager at Acast. “However, the process of crafting sponsorship reads has often been time-consuming and limited in scalability.
“We’ve developed a product to streamline the collaboration between podcasters and advertisers, while ensuring we maintain authentic and engaging ad experiences for listeners. It’s increasing efficiency, creativity, and ultimately revenue potential for content creators and brands alike.”
Acast has been beta testing AdCollab with podcasters and advertisers throughout the US, UK and Sweden since April. It says early results of this testing showed improved efficiency in booking campaigns and a simplified podcast sponsorship buying process, with time to book a host-read campaign reduced by more than 85%.
Maggie Penton, Community Engagement Manager for the Pantsuit Politics podcast said: “Host-read ads have been a part of Pantsuit Politics since the very beginning and it’s become a fixture of the content that the audience expects as a way to learn more about the products and services that hosts Sarah Holland and Beth Silvers recommend. But the admin for one sponsorship previously took away valuable time from actually making the podcast.
“Now with AdCollab’s streamlined process, we not only have more time to focus on Pantsuit Politics, but we also have the ability to work with more brands that listeners will love and that will increase the show’s monetization potential – which we also love.”
Acast Chief Product Officer Matt Macdonald added: “The podcast industry was built on host-read sponsorships and at Acast, we have spent the past decade creating tools that simultaneously enable podcasters to profit from their craft and brands to increase their ROI through this advertising format, all while providing a seamless experience for listeners.
“Ad Collab is indicative of that evolution and Acast’s vision for the longtail of podcast monetization and campaign performance.”
