Advertising on The Journal: Attribution Setup, CPM Rates & ROI Guide
Everything you need to know about running ads on The Journal and actually proving the ROI — audience profile, typical costs, and how to set up attribution that captures all your conversions.
Hosted by
Kate Linebaugh & Ryan Knutson
Average downloads
500,000+ per episode
Typical CPM
$35–$60 CPM
Who listens to The Journal
Business professionals, WSJ subscribers, decision-makers
Best product fit
Conversion profile
High-income professional audience with purchasing authority. Good brand lift and strong for subscription products. Long decision cycles typical for B2B conversions.
How to set up attribution for The Journal ads
The four attribution signals to use
🔗 Tracking link
A unique link for your The Journal campaign in show notes. Captures listeners who click through directly.
🌐 Vanity URL: yourbrand.com/the-journal
Host reads your URL on air. First-party detection captures visitors who type it directly with no redirect needed.
🏷️ Unique promo code
A code exclusive to your The Journal placement. Captures listeners who come back days later without clicking anything.
💬 Post-purchase survey
"How did you hear about us?" on your confirmation page. Catches The Journal listeners who searched your brand directly.
Ready to track your The Journal campaign?
Set up four-signal attribution for your The Journal ad in under 30 minutes. Free to start, no credit card required.
Start free — no credit cardCommon questions
How much does it cost to advertise on The Journal?
The Journal typically charges $35–$60 CPM CPM for host-read ads. The exact rate depends on ad placement (pre-roll vs. mid-roll), episode frequency, and whether you are buying directly or through a network.
How do you track conversions from The Journal podcast ads?
Use four attribution signals: a unique tracking link in show notes, a host-read vanity URL (e.g. yourbrand.com/the-journal), a unique promo code, and a post-purchase survey. This four-signal approach captures 2–3x more conversions than link tracking alone.
What attribution window should I use for The Journal?
High-income professional audience with purchasing authority. Good brand lift and strong for subscription products. Long decision cycles typical for B2B conversions.