Podcast Sponsors- How You Can Get Them
Podcast sponsors can help you make money from your passion for podcasting. But, it’s not as simple as just putting an ad on your show and waiting for the cheques to roll in. You have to do your research, find companies that are a good fit with your audience, create relevant content for them and pitch them—all while maintaining your integrity and authenticity.
What Are Podcast Sponsorships?
Podcast sponsorships are a type of advertisement where an advertiser pays you to mention their product or service on your podcast. In exchange for the sponsorship, you may be required to mention their brand during your podcast and include a link to their website. Sponsorships can be paid per episode or on a monthly basis, depending on your agreement with the advertiser.
In this world where everything is moving to a digital format, podcast advertisers are looking for new ways to reach their target audience. Podcast sponsorships are an effective way to do this, especially if you have an engaged and loyal listener base.
How to Get Sponsors for Your Podcast
There’s tough competition for podcast sponsors, which means you’ll need to put together a compelling pitch for your show. Here are some tips for getting started:
Write a Remarkable Proposal
Write a proposal that explains why your podcast is a good fit for the sponsor’s brand and audience. Include any relevant metrics from previous episodes (e.g., downloads and engagement statistics). Here are other details you can add to your proposal:
- an introduction explaining who you are and what your podcast is about
- details about your rates and promotional packages
- the length of time the sponsorship will run (if applicable)
- any other details you think are important to include
Before you write your proposal, make sure you understand what the sponsor’s brand is all about. You don’t want to pitch a podcast on cooking if the sponsor is focused on beauty products!
Give Your Proposal a Strong Call-to-Action
Include a call-to-action in your proposal that encourages the sponsor to respond within a certain timeframe. This could be as simple as “Please let me know if you are interested in discussing further” or something more specific like “If you’re interested in sponsoring an episode, please contact me no later than April 10th at [email address].”
Doing so will eliminate any delays in getting your podcast sponsored. If the sponsor doesn’t respond within the timeframe you specify, then it’s not a problem—you can move on to another sponsor.
Create an Email Template For Your Sponsorship Proposal
It’s important to have a template for your podcast sponsorship proposal so that you have one handy when needed in the future. If you’re using a template, you can easily customize it for each sponsor. It’s important to be specific about what you offer so that there aren’t any misunderstandings or questions about what is included.
Find Podcast Sponsorship Leads
Your next step, how to get podcast sponsors is to find leads. The easiest way to do this is by searching for companies that are relevant to your podcast and/or niche. You can also reach out to people who have been guests on other podcasts you enjoy listening to.
Send them an email using the template you made and attach your proposal. You’ll find that some sponsors for podcasts will be interested in what you have to offer and others won’t. If they aren’t interested, don’t take it personally—just keep trying until someone says yes!
What to Look For in a Podcast Sponsor
While all sponsors should be looked at with the same level of scrutiny, there are a few things that you should look for in a podcast sponsor. These will help you determine if they are the right fit for your show.
- The sponsor’s product or service is relevant to your audience
This is the most important thing to look for in a podcast sponsor. If their product or service doesn’t have anything to do with your audience, then they won’t be able to help you grow your listenership. Their product or service should also be relevant to what you’re talking about on your show—if it’s not, then they’ll just be wasting their money.
- The sponsor has an established brand that is respected by your audience
Working with reputable sponsors will help you build trust with your audience. If they’re willing to work with you, that means they respect what you do and like being associated with it. If the sponsor has bad press or a reputation for shady business practices, your audience will think you’re the same.
- The sponsor has a budget for podcast advertising
This is where things get tricky: You want to work with sponsors who have the ability to pay for ads on your show but don’t want them wasting their money on spots that won’t be effective because of poor targeting or copywriting. The best way to ensure that doesn’t happen is to work with sponsors who have already run ads on other podcasts. If you know their campaign was successful, then it’s likely yours will be too.
How Much Can You Make with podcast sponsors?
For podcasts with fewer audiences, the average rate ranges from $18-$20 for 30-second ads to $20-$30 for 60-second ads per 1k streams. Those with higher listening activities are paid anywhere between $20 – $30 for 30-second ads and $30 – $40 for 60-second ads. Note that everything will always depend on the initial agreement of both parties or the terms and conditions of the hosting service.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. The amount you make will depend on a lot of factors: The size of your audience, how often you release new episodes and where they’re hosted (iTunes, Google Play Music), who the sponsor is, and what kind of deal you negotiate.
For example, if it’s someone like Squarespace, then it’s likely going to be higher than if it’s a local business that doesn’t have much advertising experience (or budget). The good news is that you can use this podcast to build your audience, which will help in getting sponsors for podcast shows. The more popular your show becomes, the more likely people are going to want to advertise on it. How much other podacsters make? should not be your driving factor but for sure inspiration can be drawn from it.
Benefits of Getting Sponsorships:
Now that you know how to find sponsors for podcast shows, it’s time to know what you can get out of it.
Earning by Doing What You Love
In this day and age, it’s hard to make a living doing what you love. If you’re lucky enough to have a job where you get paid for doing something that’s enjoyable, it’s often low-paying or not very rewarding. For example, if you’re a writer who wants to make money from your craft but can’t find an audience willing to pay for your work then you may need to find another way of making money from writing.
So if you love podcasting and want to make some money from it, then sponsorships can be a great way to do so. You get paid for doing something you love and are good at while also getting the chance to expand your audience. This is a win-win situation for both you and your sponsors.
Expand Your Audience
The best part about podcast sponsorships is that they can help you expand your reach. When you have a sponsor, they will often add you to their promotional materials such as email lists, social media accounts, and even websites where people can go to learn more about your podcast.
This means that if someone clicks on one of these links and then finds out that they like what they hear then they may listen to more episodes in the future.
Build More Connections
If you have a successful podcast, then you will start to build relationships with other podcasters. As you connect with more people in your niche, it will become easier for them to promote your work as well as theirs. It’s also possible that some of these connections could lead to future collaborations or even employment opportunities in the future—so keep an eye out for those opportunities!
These are just some of the benefits that come from having a podcast. Once you get started and start building an audience, it can be a great way to make money online.
Disadvantages of Monetizing Your Podcast
There are a few drawbacks to monetizing your podcast. Making money from a podcast can be difficult, and you may need to put in a lot of work before you see results.
- The most obvious drawback is that it takes time and effort to set up an ad network account and start getting paid for your content.
- You’ll also have to decide how much money you want to charge per episode and how often your listeners will hear ads—both factors could affect the number of people who listen to your podcast.
- As your workload grows, you’ll eventually feel the pressure to publish more often, which can be a problem if you want to maintain quality.
- What was once a hobby now has deadlines and expectations. If you’re not prepared for this, it could be a stressful transition.
- Not having a dedicated revenue stream can be risky, especially if you’re relying on only your podcast’s advertising revenue.
Just like any job, podcasting has its ups and downs. It can be fun, challenging, and rewarding—but it’s not for everyone. So before you decide to earn a living from podcasting, make sure that it’s something you truly want to do. If you still feel passionate about starting a podcast and growing your audience, then go for it! Just remember that all of the tips we shared above on how to get sponsors on your podcast will help you get started on the right foot.
Where To Find Podcast Sponsors
As we mentioned above, there are a number of ways to find sponsors for your podcast. Here are a few options and platforms to get you started:
Buzzsprout
This is one of the best platforms for podcasters to find sponsors. Buzzsprout offers a free analytics tool that allows you to track your audience and see how many downloads your podcast gets each week. It also provides tools for hosting and distributing your podcast, which is helpful if you want to get started right away!
BuySellAds
This website offers advertisement spots for different brands and websites. You can submit your podcast for consideration and then wait for a response from one of the companies on the site. If you get accepted, you’ll receive an offer for advertising space that you can accept or reject.
Podbean
This platform is similar to Buzzsprout in that it offers businesses the opportunity to advertise on your podcast. It also gives you access to a variety of other features that can help you manage and grow your show! You can use this platform for things like hosting, distribution, analytics, and much more.
Podcorn
This is a marketplace where you can sell ad space on your podcast. If you’re looking for a more robust podcasting platform, this is the one for you! It offers many different features that can help you market your show and grow your audience.
Acast
Acast is another podcast advertising platform. It gives sponsors the ability to sponsor your show, which means that they’ll be able to place ads between episodes. You can also use the platform for things like hosting, distribution, analytics, and more.
These are just some of the many podcast advertising platforms out there. There are many others, so if you’re looking to grow your podcast and make it more profitable, then we would recommend looking into all of them and choosing the one that works best for you.
Final Thoughts
Podcasts are one of the fastest-growing mediums in the world, and they’re going to keep on growing. As more people begin listening to podcasts, there will be more opportunities for you as a podcaster. This guide on how to get a sponsor for a podcast show is just the beginning. There’s so much more to learn about this amazing world of podcasting, and we hope you’ll stick around for the ride!
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