What are ad insertions and how to use them in your podcast?

With audio insertions, you can automatically update and promote your content or products across all episodes of your podcast.

These are the 3 most important features you should know about audio insertions. Here's what you can do with insertions:

Automatic updates: Add messages to both old and new episodes without re-recording.
Expanded reach: Reach all your listeners, no matter which episode they’re tuning into.
Flexibility: Customize the placement and frequency of your messages.

This way, you can share news, promotions, launches, or updates with all your listeners, maximizing the reach of your messages while saving time and effort.

But let’s start from the beginning:

Table of Contents

What are audio insertions?

Audio insertions are una funcionalidad muy útil para los podcasters que desean mantener su contenido fresco y relevante sin tener que hacer modificaciones manuales en cada episodio.

Simply put, an audio insertion is a piece of audio that you can automatically add to your podcast episodes.

This audio snippet can be anything: an ad, a promotion, an update message, or any other information you'd like to share with your audience.

The main advantage is that once you've uploaded and configured this audio file, it gets automatically inserted into the episodes you choose, whether they're new or old.

How do audio insertions work?

Upload the audio file: First, upload the audio snippet you want to use as an insertion to your podcasting platform. This could be a recorded ad, a promotion for your upcoming event, or any message you want to broadcast.
Configure the insertion: After uploading the file, choose which episodes will feature the insertion. You can select to include it in all future episodes, specific episodes, or even in old episodes that have already been published.
Choose the placement: Decide where in the episode the insertion will appear. You can include it at the beginning, at the end, or both. This allows you to customize how the message is presented to your listeners.
Publish and update: Once configured, the insertion is automatically added to the selected episodes. This means all listeners, regardless of whether they are listening to a new or old episode, will hear the message you inserted.

How can you leverage audio insertions?

Audio insertions not only help you keep your episodes updated but also offer various ways to maximize your impact and connect more effectively with your audience.

1. Boost your self-promotion

Do you have a new product, service, or event you want to highlight?

Audio insertions are perfect for promoting your own offerings..

You can create audio messages that inform your listeners about:

Product launches
Special events
Offers and discounts

2. Increase the value of third-party advertising

Audio insertions are also a valuable tool for providing more value to your advertisers.

Expanded reach: Insertions allow you to reach a larger audience by including ads in older episodes. This means advertisers can benefit from more listens, justifying a higher ad rate.
Ad targeting: You can offer advertisers the option to place ads in specific episodes or across all episodes, depending on their needs and goals. This gives them more flexibility to tailor their campaigns.

3. Keep your audience informed

Audio insertions help you keep your audience up to date with the latest news, even if they’re listening to older episodes. This is useful for:

Important updates: If there are significant changes in your podcast or the industry you operate in, you can use insertions to communicate this information to all your listeners.
Recurring reminders: If you have recurring messages, such as calls to action or subscription reminders, audio insertions ensure these messages stay visible and accessible.

4. Increase engagement and participation

Use audio insertions to encourage greater participation from your audience. For example:

Surveys and feedback: Encourage your listeners to take part in surveys or leave feedback about the podcast.
Social media interactions: Promote interactions on your social media platforms, such as following your profiles, participating in contests, or joining discussion groups.

5. Optimize content management

Audio insertions simplify content management by allowing you to:

Update information: Make changes or updates to your messages quickly, without needing to edit each episode.
Ensure consistency: Keep the same message across all episodes, ensuring every listener receives the same key information.

How you can use audio insertions in your podcast

1. Launches

You've just launched a new online course on digital marketing, and you have a long list of previously published podcast episodes.

In this case, you can create an audio insertion that highlights the benefits of the course, the start date, and how to sign up. Then, you can set this insertion to play at the beginning or end of all your current and past episodes.

This way, you'll reach the ears of all your listeners, whether they’re tuning into new or older episodes.

Additionally, if you need to update the start date, price, or relaunch the course, you simply update the audio insertion, and it will change across all episodes.

2. Third-Party Advertising

You’ve finally secured a sponsor interested in promoting their new product on your podcast.

By using audio insertions, you can integrate their message into all episodes, not just the new ones—also the older ones.

This gives the sponsor a much broader reach since their brand or product will be present throughout your entire podcast feed.

You can also offer them the option to choose which episodes their brand will appear in.

Remember: in a typical podcast, between 40% and 50% of listens come from older episodes.

3. Content Updates

Suppose you’ve made a significant change in the direction of your podcast or the topics you cover. You can use an audio insertion to explain these changes and what listeners can expect in the future.

Your entire audience will be up to date on the latest news without needing to re-record episodes. Just add an insertion explaining the update.

4. Reminders and Calls to Action

If you want to ensure your listeners subscribe to your newsletter, follow your social media, or participate in a contest, you can create an audio insertion with these reminders and calls to action in all your episodes.

You won’t need to remember to make that CTA in every recording because it will automatically play in each episode.

And if you want to change your CTA, you just need to pause and swap out the insertion.

How to start using audio insertions today

We've seen that audio insertions are an invaluable tool for any podcaster looking to maximize the impact of their content without extra hassle.

But how can you try audio insertions on your own podcast?

If you're a Mumbler user, this feature is available in the PRO and PLUS plans. If you're not yet a member, reach out to us via the support chat to receive a discount code and try them today.

Don't miss the opportunity to take your podcast to the next level. Host your podcast on Mumbler and start using audio insertions to maximize your impact!