Influencer Advisory™Does podcast advertising actually pay off for a brand?
Podcast advertising works when hosts vouch for your product in their own words. Track it with a survey after each sale and judge early weeks as a test.
Founder · November 10, 2026 · 2 min read
Podcast ads work best when the host vouches for your product in their own words. Ask new buyers where they heard of you, and judge the first weeks as a test. (ZBiotics) (Marketing Operators)
But I feel like that is really strong for this initial test because a podcast is probably a longer term channel and we're just starting out.
Marketing Operators
What does a good podcast ad sound like?
Let the host vouch for you in their own words.
ZBiotics sets up its podcast ads as real endorsements from the hosts. (ZBiotics)
Four Sigmatic calls podcasts probably its best channel. The reason is that the hosts would talk up the product even without pay. (Four Sigmatic)
- A brand can buy a whole episode in which the host declares it an advertiser and interviews its founder.
- NativePath co-founder Dr. Chad Walding was the guest on the P.A.S. Report, and the same episode ran two identical scripted ad breaks for NativePath collagen.
Once you know the format, look at who already spends big here.
Which brands run the most podcast ads?
Spread your spend across many shows, the way the leaders do.
- Athletic Greens worked with hundreds of podcasters at any given moment and was the third-largest podcast advertiser by total show count, behind BetterHelp and Manscaped. marketingbrew.com
Scott Carney says big car and pharma brands skipped small shows. That left a gap for AG1 to fill. (Scott Carney)
Brando Monetti points to one brand putting $2.2 million into podcast ads. (Brando Monetti)
Dominic Bouchard says it takes trial and error, direct outreach and deal talks, and the reach is small at first. (Dominic Bouchard)
Spending is the easy part. Knowing what it brought back is harder.
How do you know if your podcast ads are working?
Ask every new buyer where they heard of you.
Ridge plans to spend $2 million on podcast and YouTube ads this year. It measures that spend with a survey buyers fill in after they purchase. (Marketing Operators)
- Two weeks in, Jones Road was at 0.8 ROAS on Podscribe and called that strong for a first test. (Marketing Operators)
- Connor McDonald says a reach metric at Jones Road then went from 0.8 to 1.4, and Podscribe showed a big jump in revenue. (Connor McDonald)
Common Thread Collective notes that podcasts can lift direct traffic, so watch that number too. (Common Thread Collective)
All of this takes steady work from someone on your team.
- What Are the Rules for Advertising Alcohol With Influencers
- How Do You Measure Earned Media Value Without Fooling Yourself
Can someone run this for my brand?
If that sounds like a lot to run alone, we can carry the creator side for you.
Put ad money behind the creator content that already works.
If you have some of the steps in place, we audit what's missing in each and how to take it further.