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- Podcast advertising grew by 13.6% compared to last year, doing better than search and display ads.
- Digital audio now gets 6.2% of money spent on digital ads in the U.S.
- People who listen to podcasts are better at recalling brands and are more likely to buy things.
- Tools help affiliates turn podcast content into content for many different places online.
- Most affiliate programs still don’t have tools or help specifically for tracking podcasts.
As digital advertising changes, podcasting affiliate marketing is becoming a powerful area that many people miss. It helps build trust, keeps people interested for a long time, and can make more money over time. Many affiliate marketers still stick to older ways, but audio content brings together loyal listeners and chances where there isn’t much competition yet. This article looks at why podcasting is the next step in affiliate marketing, how to use it well, and what chances are available for both marketers and affiliate networks. 
Podcast Advertising is Growing Fast
New facts show that podcasting is not just a small thing anymore—it’s getting bigger in digital advertising. The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s 2023 report says U.S. digital advertising money reached over $226.8 billion. This was a new high and shows people keep spending on online media. Inside that number, podcast advertising took a bigger part, growing by 13.6% compared to the year before. This is faster growth than even strong areas like PPC search and banner ads.
Also, digital audio advertising in total, which includes podcasts, now makes up 6.2% of all digital ad spending. This shows a big change: companies are not just trying audio, they are using it more and more. Big companies and new online stores are betting that podcast ads work.
So, why did podcast advertising get popular so quickly? One reason is how people listen. Unlike regular digital ads you can skip or block, podcast ads are often built into the show and read by the host. They feel like part of the show. That realness helps them work better. This is a great chance for affiliates who learn how to use this format.
Why Affiliates Aren’t Using This
Even though podcast advertising is seen as more reliable now, most affiliate marketers have not really joined in. Most affiliate traffic and sales still come from three main places
- Written things like blogs, reviews, and articles that help with search engines.
- Social media sites, including posts from people with many followers.
- Video sites like YouTube or TikTok.
These ways have worked well, but they are getting crowded. It’s harder to get noticed for free on social media now because the rules change often. Written content has lots of competition from search engine optimization and content made by computers. Video content costs a lot to make and is affected by changing rules on the platforms.
But podcasting offers a new space with lots of room. But there are still difficulties. Audio doesn’t use links you can click easily, so it’s harder to know which sales or views came from a podcast. This problem has kept many affiliates away, even though there’s more and more proof that podcasting works.
Affiliate Industry Problems: Where Programs Aren’t Doing Enough
Affiliates have been slow to use audio, but it’s not just the marketers’ fault. Affiliate programs and networks themselves haven’t put importance on the rise of podcasting by setting up the right systems.
Common problems include
- No systems for tracking audio first — Most networks track using links you click inside content. There’s little help for tracking using special codes or asking people to do things just by listening.
- No marketing materials just for podcasts — Very few affiliate programs give ready-to-use scripts, advice for host-read ads, or short audio bits good for podcasts.
- No way for podcasters to easily join — Unlike YouTubers or bloggers who often get help, podcasters often have to ask for affiliate access or information about campaigns themselves.
- How commissions are paid isn’t set up for audio — Audio campaigns often work better when payments go up based on how much is sold or with longer time windows for cookies. But most affiliate plans treat all types of content the same.
This lack of needed systems makes even podcasters who are interested turn away. Or worse, it pushes them into using old ways of getting paid set amounts instead of getting paid based on how well their ads work.
Affiliate marketers and networks who can fix this lack of help can do very well. As expert Lee-Ann Johnston says, “The affiliate marketing community is leaving money on the table.” Those who quickly start helping podcasters will get more of the market and build loyalty.
Why Podcasting Is Right for Affiliate Marketing
Even with the problems, podcasting is a good match for advertising that pays based on results. Here’s why
Trust and Being Seen as an Expert
Podcast hosts have a special connection with the people who listen. Because listeners often subscribe and listen weekly, or even daily, they build a strong connection and feeling with the host. Studies show that 81% of podcast listeners do something after hearing podcast ads, according to different surveys.
When a host talks about a product or service in an honest way, it sounds like advice from someone you trust, not just an ad. This is very good for affiliate marketers who need to convince people to take action.
People Stay Engaged Longer
Most online content is watched or read for just 30 seconds or a couple of minutes: short posts, quick videos, reading headlines. But podcasts often keep people listening for 30 to 60 minutes, or even more. That’s a huge amount of time to tell stories about products, explain how they help, and ask listeners to do something during an episode.
Want to talk about an expensive training program or a complicated software tool? A podcast lets you give all the needed background, not just a short sales line.
Less Competition, Easier to Be Seen
Since fewer affiliates are using podcasting affiliate marketing, those who are already there are easy to see and get loyalty. You won’t be competing with 20 other pop-up ads or blog links for the same product.
This also gives marketers room to ask for better payment rates or special offers, making each sale more profitable.
How People Already Find and Get Podcasts
Podcasts are sent out through services like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts, and Stitcher. This means your episodes, and the offers you promote, are sent straight to listeners’ devices without needing social media rules or paying to be seen.
Getting noticed for free still works well in audio.
Knowing Who Is Listening: The Valuable Podcast Audience
Podcast audiences are not just big, they are also often well-off, paying attention, and ready to act.
- Most people who listen to podcasts went to college and work in professional jobs.
- The average money people earn who listen is much higher than the average national income.
- People remember brands much better from podcast ads than from regular digital ads.
This means listeners are more likely to remember, trust, and act on advice. Add this to reaching specific groups of people in areas like health, money, or starting businesses, and you get a setting that’s perfect for selling expensive things or offers where you get paid again and again.
How Affiliates Are Doing Well with Podcasts
Smart affiliates are already finding success by making podcasts for specific groups. Here are a few good examples
Shows Reviewing Products in a Small Area
Example: “Important Tools for Online Coaches”
- How it works: A show every week that reviews software or online tools.
- How money is made: Affiliate links are shared using easy-to-remember website addresses and in the notes for the show.
- How listeners become customers: Having guests on the show, going deep into how things work, or doing end-of-year roundups of the “best of” things.
Shows focused on specific topics allow brands to fit in perfectly. For example, a podcast about fitness stuff can naturally talk about wearable devices, health products, and exercise apps. These can all be affiliate products.
Paying to Be on Existing Podcasts with Payment Based on Results
Instead of starting a podcast from nothing, smart affiliates find shows that already exist whose listeners are interested in the same products they are selling. Then they work with the host to make parts of the show that fit in naturally with the content.
Example: A podcast about money includes talking about a trading website, giving a special code that pays the affiliate each time someone new signs up using that code.
This way works especially well for affiliates who don’t have a lot of time or money to make their own show.
Being Seen as a Leader by Doing Interviews
Another way affiliates use podcasts is by interviewing founders of companies, business people, or people with lots of followers. By talking mostly about solving problems or giving business tips, affiliates can smoothly include offers and solutions while also making people more aware of a brand.
This also turns each interview into a long piece of content that can be used in many other ways.
Getting Around the Problem with Tracking
One main problem in podcasting affiliate marketing is not being able to track clicks the way you can in blog posts. But tracking problems can be fixed. Ways that have worked include
- Easy Website Addresses: Make simple, easy-to-recall website addresses with tracking codes built in. Like: “mybrand.com/podcast-deal”.
- Special Codes: Give different codes for each podcast or episode. This encourages people to use them and helps you see which shows or parts of shows lead to sales.
- Landing Pages Just for Podcasts: Make website pages specifically for podcast campaigns. This way, all visits from that source are marked correctly.
- Link Shorteners with Stats: Use tools like Bit.ly to see how many people click on links in show notes or descriptions.
Affiliate programs should ideally support these ways of working. New groups focused on podcasts are helping this happen faster.
Using Audio with Automated Content
Podcasting doesn’t just stand alone. Every episode is a marketing tool for many places online that can be turned into lots of different types of content. This helps affiliates make more money across all platforms.
Here’s how to reuse podcast content
- Blog Posts for Search Engines: Turn what was said into detailed blog articles and put affiliate links in them.
- Short Social Media Clips: Take out short parts or quotes that are good for sharing on sites like LinkedIn, TikTok, or Instagram.
- Email Campaigns: Send out a series of emails summarizing podcast interviews and linking to affiliate offers.
- Free Guides and Things to Download: Use educational series from podcasts to make free things people can download that include calls to action.
Tools like Otter.ai, Descript, and Jasper.ai can make this process much faster. Tools made for content marketing automation let affiliates and agencies build a whole system from just one recording each week.
Steps to Get Started Easily
Want to jump into podcast affiliate marketing but not sure where to begin? Follow these simple steps to start
- Pick What You Will Focus On: The more specific you are, the better your sales and partnerships will be.
- Choose How You Will Do It: Host your own show, do it with someone else, or work with shows that are already running.
- Use Tools That Help with Affiliates: Work with programs that let you track audio (like using special codes or easy website links).
- Plan How Listeners Will Buy: Design the steps listeners take from finding out about something to buying it.
- Try Things and Make Them Better: See which ways of presenting and which calls to action work best, and do more of those.
Podcasts don’t have to be very long either. Short 15-minute shows can have just as much effect if they are well planned and have a clear purpose.
Chances for Affiliate Programs Themselves
For people who manage affiliate programs and networks looking to help podcasters, here’s your chance to be a leader
- Make Podcast Tracking Pages: Let podcasters see how well each episode and code is doing.
- Give Ad Scripts and Help: Make it easier to create ads by providing ready-made talking points.
- Have Specific People Find Podcast Creators: Get more interest and action by reaching out to people with audio shows in a way that fits them.
- Start Payment Plans That Change: Reward shows that have been running a long time with extra money or higher pay rates based on how many leads they get.
Affiliate programs that see podcasting as a main channel, not just a side one, will get better partners and more sales.
Using Automation for Content: The Key Advantage
One of the biggest good points about podcasting is that you can use the content in many ways. New tools now let creators turn just one podcast episode into
- Complete blog articles that are good for search engines.
- Short video clips or audio with pictures.
- Social media picture posts with quotes.
- Email summaries or emails that help keep people interested.
- Downloadable guides or things to get email addresses.
Put this together with using tools that automate things, and you get a web of affiliate links that keeps growing across different places online. It all starts from one piece of meaningful content.
This way of getting more from what you create is what makes affiliates who do really well different from those who only make a little money now and then.
What Comes Next: Audio Is Here to Stay
More and more people want to listen to audio whenever they want. Things like smart speakers, entertainment systems in cars, and phones everywhere are helping this change. Marketers who are thinking ahead already see podcasting as an important way to reach customers, not just a passing trend.
What’s next?
- Tools from affiliate networks that can track podcast ads directly.
- Podcast scripts made by computers that include affiliate offers.
- Automatic systems for whole campaigns that work across audio and text.
Getting in early offers the best results. In the next year or two, lots of content creators and affiliates will start using this area.
Being in listeners’ ears today means getting into their wallets tomorrow.
If you are a creator, brand, or agency ready to make podcast-driven affiliate content easier, see how our automation system changes spoken words into marketing content that works well. From audio to article to email—all in one flow.
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