Post-Roll Ads Boost Purchase Conversion

Admit it. You have some assumptions about post-roll ads; the brand messages that roll when the host wraps the show. You’re not alone. Let’s face it; these after-show ads get a bad rap. The industry perception is that they have no standalone value, they don’t contribute to return on ad spend (ROAS) or brand lift, and people just skip them.

Industry perception is wrong.

Good-Bye, Perception. Hello, Reality!

Incorporating a solid media mix of ad breaks drives more efficient pricing and higher ROAS. The reality is post-roll ads are the new interstitial. Audiences are ravenous for podcasts. People listen throughout the day—whenever, wherever, no matter what they’re doing. And as they listen to episodes back-to-back, their fingers are far from the skip button. 

The Proof: More than an Afterthought

How do post-roll ads measure up when it comes to ad effectiveness? We partnered with a national home furnishings retailer to run a Claritas Attribution study to learn which ad position (pre-roll, mid-roll, post-roll) generates the most value in a podcast campaign. The ads ran across 16 shows in several genres, leveraging a mix of host- and announcer-read ads.

All ad positions saw a lift in both incremental engagement and purchase conversions. Mid-roll ads generated the most activity—not exactly shocking. But you may be surprised to see how post-roll stacks up to pre-roll.

Post-roll ads beat pre-roll ads by +4 points for purchase conversion, and they aren’t far behind for web engagement.

Mix it Up with Ad Positions

The study did more than just prove post-roll ads have real, measurable value. Post-roll ads can also make campaigns more cost effective. As is common in podcast advertising, in this study’s campaign, mid-rolls were the most expensive ad units. A plan made up only of mid-roll ads would have cost 24% more to achieve the same number of purchase conversions. 

Listeners Actually Like Podcast Ads

With podcast advertising, you kinda can’t go wrong. Podcast listeners are here for ads, no matter where they are in the episode. They feel a deep connection to the host of their favorite podcasts. And they understand that without ads, creators can’t keep the shows coming. A whopping 76% of podcast listeners say they don’t mind ads because they support the show. And they aren’t just tolerating podcast ads—3 out of 4 listeners took action after hearing a podcast ad.1

All the Right Podcast Positions

Listeners just will not miss a minute of their precious podcasts. They’re fully engaged from beginning to the middle and straight through to the end, ads and all. Instead of debating the merits of ad potions, find the right podcast network with the content these ad-receptive audiences love—like the SXM Podcast Network.

Is your brand in position for podcast advertising? Let’s get rolling.

Sources

1. The Podcast Consumer Journey, SXM Media, Publicis Media, Signal Hills Insights, Q4 2021