Dynamic ad-insertion technology can be used for so much more creative podcast content than just ads! Here are 5 ways to use it in podcasting.
What is dynamic content-insertion (DCI)?
You have probably heard of dynamic ad-insertion (DAI). But I prefer to call it dynamic content-insertion (DCI) because it can be used for so much more than ads.
So what is it actually doing? Imagine you have a 30-minute audio episode. When someone downloads or streams that episode and reaches a certain point, the system managing your media can dynamically insert content at that spot. And that content can be whatever you want it to be.
Take the classic example of dynamic ad insertion. This week, the inserted spot is an ad for product A. Next week, it is an ad for product B. Anyone who downloads the episode after the system changes it (and some systems change things on the fly) hears the newer version.
One important caveat: once an episode has been fully downloaded, DCI cannot change anything inside that file. DCI works at the moment of download or streaming, based on how the back-end system is configured.
A quick clarification too. Just because an ad is inserted dynamically does not mean it is programmatic. Programmatic ads are selected automatically for your show based on something about your audience or your show. You can pre-record an ad and still insert it dynamically. So dynamic does not equal programmatic, though programmatic is usually inserted dynamically.
That flexibility is exactly why I like the term dynamic content insertion. Here are 5 ways you can use DCI that have nothing to do with sponsor ad spots.
1. Upcoming events
This might be the most powerful use of DCI. You can insert a promotion for any upcoming event, change that promotion as your schedule changes, and remove or replace it once the event has passed.
Here is why that matters. Say you have an event coming up in two months. With DCI, you can insert a promotion for it not only into your new episodes but into your entire back catalog. Anyone who downloads or streams an older episode after you activate the campaign hears the promotion. Once the event passes, you switch the campaign to promote your next event, and now every download hears that instead. All without going back to edit a single episode.
You can pre-record one announcement or several, queue them up, and let the system handle distribution. When you turn the campaign off, the promotion disappears for new listeners.
And an event does not have to be live or in person. It could be a livestream, an “ask me anything,” an open Q&A, or a special episode. Anything upcoming is fair game.
2. Products, services, and cross-promotions
This covers affiliate links, gear recommendations, or anything you want to promote without being paid to do so like a sponsor would.
Here is a practical example. I could run DCI promoting my own product, Podgagement, saying, “Go to podgagement.com to supercharge your audience interactivity.” Later I might decide “audience interactivity” is a mouthful, or I might launch a short-term promotion like an extended free trial or a sale. I simply re-record the spot, swap it in the DCI system, and the new version goes out everywhere.
It works for affiliate products too. Maybe you have a section near the end of your episodes where you list your current gear: “This episode was recorded on this, this, and this.” Make that a dynamically inserted segment. You can keep it on your recent episodes, update it when you add new gear, and leave your much older episodes alone.
That last point matters. For years I podcasted with a Heil PR 40. It would make no sense to insert “I podcast with an RE 320” into those old episodes, because I was not using it yet. So I only apply that spot to the episodes where it is actually accurate.
DCI is also great for cross-promotions, whether for your own shows or other people's. If you run a network, promote one show for a month, then switch to another the next month. If you swap promos with fellow podcasters, or even sell those promo spots, DCI gives you more power and control over all of it.
3. Time sensitive announcements
Think of things like asking for feedback before an upcoming episode. I love how Dave Jackson does this on School of Podcasting with his “question of the month.” He inserts that announcement dynamically, so whenever you listen (assuming you have not already downloaded the episode), you hear the current question of the month, no matter how old the episode is.
The caveat again: if you already downloaded the episode, you hear whatever was inserted at that moment. But the flexibility is huge. Someone who starts listening to School of Podcasting today and plays an episode from a year ago still hears the current question of the month.
Time sensitive announcements can cover events, livestreams, or upcoming episodes where you ask your audience to send feedback or questions ahead of time. Once you have recorded that episode, you remove the announcements because they no longer apply.
You can also use this for hiatus information: “We are on hiatus, so no new episodes until such and such date.” When you come back, you just deactivate the campaign. No episode editing required.
4. Audience calls to action
Think of anything you want your audience to do, even if it is not tied to a specific date. Asking for feedback, financial support, or ratings and reviews all qualify.
Speaking of which, I would if you would leave a rating and review for The Audacity to Podcast! I would love to read it on the show, so be sure to include the name of your podcast!
That call to action is a perfect example. Pre-record it, insert it dynamically, and either run it across all episodes or space it out on a schedule. First episode of the month: ask for reviews. Second: ask for financial support. Third: ask for something else. Build a whole strategy around it.
If you ever want to change how you ask (same request, better wording, or a different channel), you edit it once in the campaign and it updates everywhere. Maybe you asked for voicemails for a long time, then realized people are shy about their voice, so you switch to a text number instead. Change it once, and it changes across your back catalog.
One rule I preach constantly: a call to action should carry your branding, not someone else's. Instead of sending people to patreon.com/myawesomepodcast, send them to myawesomepodcast.com/support. That way, if you ever move off Patreon, your old calls to action are not broken. And if your current dynamic spot names Patreon directly, you can swap it for a generic, branded version in seconds. Even if you keep the same Patreon page, refining how you ask can make the call to action more accurate and better converting.
5. Advanced targeting and experiments
How far you can go here depends on your DCI tools, because some get extremely granular.
A great early example: Conan O'Brien did something like a Willy Wonka golden ticket. A handful of listeners received a dynamically inserted “ad” that was really an invitation to a special recording with Conan. It was essentially a random sweepstakes for his audience, and it worked so well that I believe it inspired his “Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan” spinoff. That kind of targeting to just a few people is possible.
You can also target by region. Say I live near Cincinnati but I am going to be near Dallas and want to host a meetup. Many DCI tools let me target a geographic area, so I could send that invitation only to listeners within a certain radius of Dallas-Fort Worth.
You can target by device too. If you have a tech podcast, you might send one piece of content to Android listeners and different content (or none) to iOS listeners, with everyone else getting nothing. Perfect for promoting a platform-specific app.
And you can run experiments. Depending on your engine, you can split test (or A/B test) two versions of a call to action, an ad, or any spot using different promo codes, URLs, or wording, then measure which performs better in your dashboard. Just remember this affects the audio content, not the text or metadata around it.
How to get started with dynamic content insertion
The best way to get into DCI is through your podcast hosting provider. Some only offer it for ads, and some have limited features. Right now, my two favorite hosts for DCI are:
- Captivate (my number 1 recommendation). Captivate has a slick system called Amie that makes inserting content easy. You can go back to older episodes and choose insertion points, or even “paint over” existing spots like an old ad or promo and mark them for dynamic content.
- RedCircle. RedCircle has been strong at DCI for years, right down to targeting and experiments.
If your current host does not offer DCI and this feels important to your show, consider trying one of these. Both links are in the resources for this episode.
Share your ideas or podcasting questions
Send me your ideas for how use or would like to use you use DCI!
Here is my challenge to you: whenever you hear someone talking about DAI, dynamic ad insertion, think content instead. That content can be any of these 5 ideas, or anything else you can imagine.
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This post may contain links to products or services with which I have an affiliate relationship. I may receive compensation from your actions through such links. However, I don't let that corrupt my perspective and I don't recommend only affiliates.
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