Podcast FAQ

how to get sponsors for podcast

by Elmira Beahan IV Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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How to get sponsors for a podcast?

  1. Join a podcast network. By joining a podcast network, it becomes easier to be seen by an advertiser. ...
  2. Get an offer from your media host. Bigger and more established podcast hosts provide the option of running advertisements to the podcasters registered with them or partner with big ...
  3. Get approached by a sponsor. While this may seem a bit far-fetched to a new podcaster, a podcaster with a strong listener’s base may be approached by a sponsor ...
  4. Approach sponsors yourself. You can also take the first step and contact sponsors who fit your niche. ...

4 Strategies to Get Podcast Sponsors
  1. Reach Out to Sponsors Directly. The simplest strategy? ...
  2. Partner With a Hosting Service. Podcast hosting services give your podcast a home on the internet. ...
  3. Join a Podcast Network. Some networks let you list your show (sometimes for free) on their platform. ...
  4. Use a Directory.

How to get your first podcast sponsorship?

Three Approaches to Podcast Sponsorship

  1. Media Hosting The first option is to let your media hosting take care of it. ...
  2. Sponsorship Agencies If you’d prefer to keep your hosting and your sponsorship separate, then a dedicated sponsorship agency might work for you. ...
  3. Do it Yourself!

How to create a Patron Program for your podcast?

  • Power off and then restart your device.
  • Log out of your account on the Patreon app.
  • Uninstall and then reinstall the Patreon app (latest versions linked below):
  • Patreon app for iOS
  • Patreon app for Android
  • Log back into the Patreon app.
  • Check for and install any software updates available for your device.

How to get podcast sponsorships that fit your brand?

Your proposal deck should include:

  • Title and logo of your podcast.
  • A summary of your podcast’s niche. ...
  • Information about you, the hosts, and anyone else involved in production (photos and bios).
  • Information about your listeners, such as demographics, download statistics, and any evidence you have that your listeners really love your show.
  • Proposed rates and partnership ideas. ...

More items...

How to get advertisers for your podcast?

How to pick the right sponsors for a podcast?

  • Choose a sponsor that fits your niche. The brand image or the product should not clash with what you are preaching on your podcast. ...
  • Don’t monetize with businesses that have a negative perception. Stay away from sponsorships related to casinos, payday loans, etc. ...
  • Stay below 10% of ads time per episode length. ...

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How much do sponsors pay for podcasts?

Prices for podcast sponsorships are typically based on the number of average downloads. Sponsors pay on a cost per mille (CPM) basis. Rates range from $18 to $50 CPM, though podcasts like This American Life or HowStuffWorks with millions of listeners can pull in a lot more.

How many listeners do you need to get sponsors on a podcast?

How many podcast downloads do you need to get sponsors? Many podcast sponsors are looking for at least 5,000 downloads per episode, and they often pay based on the number of downloads each podcast episode gets (in increments of 1,000).

Do podcasts need sponsors?

Seventy percent of these listeners have considered using a product or service after hearing about it on a podcast. Sixty percent of these listeners say they appreciate podcast sponsors for supporting their favorite shows, and forty-four percent have a more favorable view of brands that advertise on podcasts.

How do I find a sponsor?

How to Get a Sponsorship: 8 Key TacticsResearch potential sponsors. Look at your existing supporters. ... Tell your organization's story. ... Provide sponsor incentives. ... Reach out to established companies. ... Use data to legitimize your pitch. ... Find the right contact. ... Build a connection over time. ... Follow up.

How do podcasts get funding?

Advertising and sponsorships are probably the first things you think of when looking for ways to make money from podcasting. There are several different podcast ad networks that can connect you with advertisers. They do all the work of finding advertisers, negotiating rates, getting the script, and more.

How do you monetize a podcast?

How To Monetize A Podcast DirectlyAsk for donations. The simplest way to monetize a podcast is to ask people for money. ... Create paid membership tiers. ... Sell sponsorships or ads. ... Join an advertising network. ... Sell premium episodes. ... Gate your back catalog. ... Sell repurposed content. ... Syndicate your show to YouTube.

How do I promote my podcast?

On this pageLeverage your guest's audience.Promote on social media … in a dozen different ways.Release at least 3 episodes on launch day.Convert the audio to a YouTube video.Submit your podcast to podcatchers and aggregators.Transcribe the audio.Throw a two-week ratings party.Run a giveaway contest.More items...

How much do podcasters make?

So how much money can podcasters make? To be frank, most make $0. In fact, many podcasts have negative cash flow because they spend money buying equipment and paying hosting fees before they earn a single dollar. Creative work like podcasting doesn't make any money until people choose to watch you.

Which platform is best for podcast?

What are the Best Podcast Hosting Platforms?Fusebox. ... Blubrry Podcasting. ... Spreaker. ... PodcastWebsites. ... Audioboom. Best hosting platform for taking your podcast to the next level. ... Libsyn. The most reliable podcast hosting site. ... Soundcloud. Best platform for audio content creators. ... Podomatic. Best freemium podcast hosting platform.More items...•

How do you ask for sponsorship?

Determine your needs. The first step to asking for sponsorship is determining what you actually need. ... Outline what you have to offer. ... Create a one-pager. ... Create a list of prospects. ... Try to get in touch with an individual, if at all possible. ... Keep it short and sweet! ... Follow Up. ... If at first you don't succeed, try again.More items...•

How do you approach a sponsor?

Here are some tips so you can make that fantastic first impression and get the meeting going with your best foot forward.Research potential sponsors. ... Master the elevator pitch. ... Let your numbers do the talking. ... Remember, sponsorship is more than signage. ... Include interactive activities in the deal.More items...•

What do sponsors get in return?

Sponsors offer funding or products and services to support events, trade shows, teams, nonprofits, or organizations. In exchange, you get business exposure and a chance to connect with new customers.

How much is a podcast CPM?

Thankfully, podcasts are recognized as very valuable advertising opportunities, and it’s not all that rare to see CPMs reaching as high as $40 or even $50. Somewhere in the $20-$25 range is fairly average per Midroll and AdvertiseCast.

What are podcast ad networks?

Podcast ad networks like Midroll, Art19, Acast and others have scaled the ad buying and selling process by using programmatic ads to automate it. With programmatic ads, you could lose some editorial control due to the automation aspect. If you want to cherry-pick all of your sponsors and set your own terms, a network might not be the best fit.

What is a podcast trailer?

A podcast trailer is a great way to introduce your podcast to advertisers and listeners alike, and you could even make a second unlisted version that’s specifically for advertisers to give your pitch a personal touch. 2.

What is native advertising?

Native advertising is where you work more closely with an advertiser in order to integrate their brand with your brand of content. This generally means host-read ads, but could also be a business podcast that interviews the founder of one of their sponsors as an episode.

What is media kit?

A media kit can help answer all of the common questions they may have, and also help you to promote the idea of podcast advertising in general. Some companies will be familiar with podcast ads, others won’t. As you start to learn what the points of friction are, you can adjust your media kit accordingly.

What is CPA in podcasts?

Other companies will pay based entirely on how many sales your podcast can generate for them. Instead of CPM, this is called “cost per action ” or CPA. This is more like a traditional affiliate arrangement where your listeners will either follow a link or enter a referral code when placing their order with the company. Brands really have nothing to lose here, since this is a very advertiser-friendly arrangement.

Do podcast owners get paid?

As the podcast owner, you’re promoting them to your audience and you’re only getting paid for sales that convert. But is it really your fault if a CPA advertiser didn’t target their advertising correctly, or if their order process is clunky, or if their shopping cart crashes and they can’t accept orders? These are all things that are out of your control and that can hurt sales and conversions, which means you don’t get paid. The advertiser is gaining brand awareness regardless.

What is podcast sponsorship?

Podcast sponsorship is the most traditional method of monetisation in the medium. But it can take many different forms, and it's not necessarily the right approach for everyone looking to monetise their content. Here, we'll take a look at the various ways podcast sponsorship can work. We'll also cover how to reach out to potential sponsors – should ...

How Much Does Podcast Sponsorship Cost?

There's certainly no one-size-fits-all answer here, and lots of variables to consider.

How Do I Create a Good Podcast Advert or Sponsorship Slot?

Doing the ads yourself is going to make them more effective. Your audience turns up to hear you , after all.

How Do I Find a Sponsor?

There are media ad agencies and podcast hosting platforms that can work with you to help set up a sponsorship agreement for your show. This is the “middleman” approach, which can be easier to get off the ground, but less fruitful in the long run.

Why do podcasts have pre-recorded ads?

Pre-recorded ads are easier to run a ‘Mid-Roll' ad during a podcast interview.

What does it mean to be successful in podcasting?

Most podcasts that “succeed” focus on a certain topic or niche. That means the audiences they build around them generally share a common interest. That could be anything, from losing weight, to breeding gerbils, to collecting stamps, or brewing coffee. Straight away, this gives podcasting the strength of targeting.

What is a media kit for a podcast?

A media kit is basically the essential information about sponsoring your show, packaged up in an easy-to-read manner.

How to get sponsors for a podcast?

There are 4 ways how to get sponsors for a podcast. All of them can be equally effective in getting ads on your show. When you use intermediaries , of course, you need to share profit, but usually , this is the only way when your show is smaller .

How Does Podcast Advertising Work?

Before I discuss more, let me elaborate on a few podcast advertising terms that are critical to our discussion.

How effective is podcast advertising?

Generally, podcast audiences are in favor of ads on a podcast, and at least doesn’t consider those ads to be as intrusive as ads on other media.

Who should monetize podcasts with advertisements?

Advertising is an excellent source of revenue for podcasters who are focused on creating podcasts and do not sell their own stuff through their episodes. They are free to pitch the products and services of someone else to their audience.

Why are podcast ads not skipped?

Ads are very effective, and listeners approve of ad messages. Also, due to the nature of podcast consumption, many ads are not skipped on podcasts as opposed to other media. This allows for engaging shows to be a very attractive medium for podcast sponsors and advertisers.

What happens if you get picked up by Apple Podcast Algorithm?

For instance, if you get picked up by Apple Podcast Algorithm and rank on their charts, or rank among the most popular podcast on any other platform, there are high chances of advertisers approaching you themselves.

What is ImprovePodcast?

I'm the owner and creator of ImprovePodcast.com, the site dedicated to providing actionable solutions for podcast creators. My goal is helping people to develop their podcasts into effective marketing and sales tools.

What is podcast sponsorship?

A podcast sponsorship is basically a deal between you and a brand or service where you help sell their products and increase awareness of their brand. These goals are priced and measured using two metrics:

How much does a podcast sponsor spend?

But for CPMs, sponsors typically spend $15-25 for every 1,000 listeners.

What is our listeners slide?

Our Listeners – slide about listeners with audience demographics, download statistics, screenshots of messages/posts/tweets showing how much your listeners love you (You can use Podtrac for audience surveys and Edison Research for stats on podcast listeners).

How to build trust with podcast listeners?

Building trust with your podcast listeners is essential in amassing a loyal following, and in order for you not to break that trust, you need to make sure that you promote things that are actually in line with the principles and ideals of your show — or even you as a person.

How much does a podcast ad cost?

Should you decide to offer ad spots, many podcasters would suggest the following rates for pre-roll and mid-roll ads: $18 and $23-25, respectively.

Why are podcasts important?

Podcasts are effective for selling, spreading awareness, and building good reputations for businesses , mainly due to podcasting being an intimate medium for hosts to really connect with listeners. Businesses will need you nearly as much as you need them, so getting podcast sponsors is just a matter of striking a good connection and a mutually beneficial agreement. Good luck!

What to do if your sponsor doesn't respond?

If they don’t respond, that’s not the end of the line. You may consider sending a follow-up email, as your message may have simply gotten buried in their inbox. These are almost as crucial as the first as you don’t want to seem too persistent. There’s a chance that the sponsor hasn’t even read your first email, so you’ll want to be polite about asking for an answer.

We Took Whatever We Could Get

There will be some people who read this article and think, “$8,000. That’s it?” And they’re right that in some ways, $8,000 is not a ton of money.

We Created Niche (Sellable) Content

When I started my show, I was completely focused on its marketability. But not just how attractive it would be to listeners. I also focused on how it would be attractive to potential advertisers.

We Planned for Distribution and Growth

Starting your podcast is just the beginning if you want to produce a show that advertisers get excited about.

We Sold Whatever We Had to Offer

I’m not going to lie—those first few email pitches were a bit awkward. To the sponsors, it probably came off something like this:

We Leveraged Existing Relationships

As anyone who has experience in pitching and sales will tell you, a warm pitch is infinitely easier than a cold pitch. This proved true when it came to selling ads on a podcast that didn’t exist yet.

Partner With People Way More Talented Than You

When I first started this podcast, I knew I wouldn’t be able to tell the kinds of stories I wanted to tell since I had almost no experience in front of a microphone.

You Can Sell Podcast Sponsorships at Any Stage

If selling sponsorships is the way you want to monetize your podcast, then take it from me: you can do it.

How to get a sponsor for a podcast?

Steps in Getting Your First Podcast Sponsor. Step 1: Know your audience. Step 2: Create your pitch. Step 3: Set your price. Based on your episode downloads. Based on your engagement rate. A combination of both. Step 4: Follow up your pitch. Where to Find Podcast Sponsors.

How to make your podcast look official?

Although you can simply email your prospective advertiser, one way to make your podcast look official and irresistible is by using a slide deck. It’s a PDF that contains all the information the advertiser needs to know to start sponsoring your podcast, including details about your show, your team, and your pricing.

What is the CPA for podcasts?

CPA. Another metric that sponsors use is CPA or cost per acquisition. It’s the number of sales or signups that they get because of a podcast ad. Sponsors use CPA to give podcasters a referral bonus for every signup they get.

Why are podcasts attractive to advertisers?

That is why it makes sense to find podcast sponsors who will be willing to invest in your show in exchange for a boost in their business sales.

What does mid roll mean on podcasts?

Mid-roll refers to the host discussing the sponsor in the middle of the podcast for about 60 seconds.

What is a pitch for a podcast?

A pitch is an email you send to prospective sponsors giving them information about your podcast. It should pique their interest and make your podcast look like a lucrative avenue to advertise their business.

Why do podcast hosting services take a cut?

Like podcast networks, podcast hosting services also take a cut because they assist you in matching with advertisers.

Different Types of Podcast Ads

Before looking at the different types of podcast ads, you need to know that the majority of podcasts offer three slots for ads. Your ad can appear in the first 10% of the episode (known as a pre-roll ad), in the middle of the episode (known as a mid-roll ad), or towards the end of the episode (known as a post-roll ad).

Average Ad Rates

When it comes to podcast advertising, there are different ways that the pricing can be structured. Most commonly, it will be a fixed rate or calculated using the cost-per-mile (CPM) model.

Information For Brands Looking to Advertise on Podcasts

If you’re interested in exploring podcast sponsorships, you can either manually shortlist a number of shows and reach out to them on your own or use the services of a company that links businesses with possible podcasts. If you pick the latter approach, you can, for example, try Midroll.

Information For Podcasts Looking to Get Sponsors

While there’s no set method for attracting sponsorships, there are a couple of proven strategies. Initially, you’ll find that you’ll need to put in more work to get sponsors, but as your podcast becomes more popular it will become less work and brands will start to reach out to you directly.

Frequently Asked Questions

People love podcasts and they’ve become increasingly popular in recent years. The number of active podcasts nearly doubled in the span of two years, while almost 60% of all US consumers older than 12 listen to podcasts, according to Statista. Thanks to its popularity, podcasts are excellent for advertising.

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