Side Hustle: Podcasting - Podcast advertising - 2020 guide

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Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
Listen up!
It’s no secret that podcasts are becoming one of the most popular channels for consumers to get information. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy for advertisers to know where to focus their budget in order to capture (and keep) the attention of the right buyers.
In case you haven't heard enough compelling podcast stats yet: 42 million Americans (or 15% of the US population) listen to a podcast every week. That’s five times the number of people who go to the movies! Advertisers recognize a rapt audience when they see one: 85% of people who click “play” on a podcast listen to nearly all of it. Without the right research, however, it’s difficult to pinpoint the right podcast to deliver your message. Advertisers that explore which podcasters have the right audience demographics for their brand are the ones whose messages lead to conversions. Understand where you fit, what kind of ads will resonate with your audience and how to invest the right resources to see results.

Find your fit
Here’s some good news: 75% of podcast listeners not only pay attention to podcast ads, but they also follow specific calls to action after hearing them.
The key is in the connection to the audience.

Is Podcast Advertising Effective?

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Podcast ads are capable of generating two to three times more engagement than radio ads, and 61% of podcast listeners claim to have bought something after hearing a podcast ad. Podcast advertising revenue topped $678.1 million in 2019 and is projected to exceed $1 billion by 2021. It’s no wonder that more businesses are steering towards this novel way of advertising.

key factors to keep top of mind when marketing your podcast:
Planning:
Quality content requires a solid plan that maps out what topics you will discuss (and with whom), why that content maps back to brand objectives or content pillars, and when it will be released. After all, a failure to plan is a plan to fail.

Here are some ways you can find your target audience:
  • Google “Topic target audience is interested in + Podcast”.
  • Browse podcast directory category listings for many shows about one theme.
  • Use Facebook’s Audience Insights tool to figure out what pages your users interact with most then find podcasts related to those subjects.
  • Look through podcast networks that cater to specific shows. For example, HeadGum (a comedy podcast network), Wondery (known for its immersive podcasts), and EarWolf Podcast Network (known for its celebrity-hosted podcasts) are networks that allow brands to advertise across multiple shows.
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Production: Ensuring that you have the best quality audio means you have to keep up with podcast production best practices. This doesn’t mean spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a podcast studio – you just need a solid wifi connection, a good microphone and some professional audio editing software.

Publishing: The days where you could simply publish new content and expect users and searchers to find it are long behind us. Publishing is key to your podcast marketing strategy in a few ways: Making sure you’re on the right distribution channels and making sure you’re publishing at a consistent cadence so return listeners know when to expect (and look for) new content.

Promotion: If you’re proud of something, you naturally want to brag about it! The same goes for your podcast content. Make sure you have a promotion plan, which includes content optimization, social promotion, paid media, and relevant influencer activation and coverage.
Sounds easy, right? The trick to podcast marketing is consistency and dedication.

Choose the best placement
Podcast ads usually have three different placements: pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll. As the names suggest, pre-roll ads take place at the beginning of a podcast episode, mid-roll ads take place in the middle, and post-roll ads come in after the episode is over.

Pre- and post-roll ad placements are shorter and cost less. However, it is easy for listeners to miss them since they aren’t a part of the episode.
Pre-rolla 15-50 second ad at the beginning of the podcast.

Mid-roll ad
placements are slightly longer and cost more. They typically garner more engagement as they appear within the podcast’s content. Using a host read ad allows the episode to seamlessly transition into the advertisement without disrupting the tone of the show. The most valuable time spot is mid-roll because listeners are more engaged and less likely to skip through the ad. If you don’t want to spring for a mid-roll ad, a pre-roll spot is a second-best option. People are more likely to listen to a commercial before the show starts then after it ends!
Mid-roll- a 1-1.5 minutes in the middle of the podcast.

Post-roll - a 15-30 second ad at the end of the podcast.


The script format is slightly different for each type of placement.

Pre-roll Format
Prerolls are around 20 secs long, so try and keep your script to about 100 words. They often begin with a shout out from the host, briefly thanking the sponsor for today’s episode and then a few sentences describing the product/service, the value for the listener, and the call to action. You can try using an engaging hook or question to grab the attention of the listeners.

Example Preroll Script
This podcast has been brought to you by RealtyShares. With RealtyShares, you can invest in professionally-vetted real estate deals in just a few minutes. Join thousands of other investors by registering free at RealtyShares.com/podcast.

Browse all the investments at no cost once you’re qualified, invest as little as $1,000 per transaction, and diversify your portfolio in minutes by visiting RealtyShares.com/podcast. RealtyShares has already returned over $10 million to investors to date. Visit RealtyShares.com/podcast.

Mid-roll Format
Midrolls are around 60 secs long, so try and keep your script to about 200 words. Make sure to read it aloud and time yourself. Use a bullet point format that highlights the key things you want the podcast host to mention, but also allows them some freedom for improvisation. Try to mention your call to action at the beginning and then again at the end as a reminder for the listener.

Example Mid-roll script (I used these scripts at RealtyShares!):

If you have money in the stock market, you probably broke even this year. Maybe you even lost money! But, if your dollars were in invested in real estate in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Chicago or almost any other major city in the U.S., you likely enjoyed solid returns. Diversification is the name of the game when it comes to investing. If you’re looking to diversify your portfolio with real estate, look no further than RealtyShares.com [at RealtyShares.com/podcast]. RealtyShares is an online real estate investment marketplace that allows accredited investors to invest as little as $1,000 per transaction in residential and commercial real estate projects across the United States. RealtyShares is active in over 100 major metro areas. Thousands of investors use our platform to invest in real estate deals that are sourced and vetted by our experienced investment professionals. You can browse and invest in minutes, all from your computer.

Call To Action: Go to realtyshares.com/podcast to create your free account today. We have already returned over 10 million dollars to investors. Start investing today at realtyshares.com/podcast! Investments are risky and may lose value. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

  • Invest in private real estate deals from your computer in minutes
  • All deals are first reviewed by experienced professionals
  • You can create an account and browse deals at no cost once you’re qualified
  • Invest as little as $1,000 per transaction
  • Thousands of investors use our platform and RealtyShares has already returned over 10 million dollars to investors to date
  • CTA: Create a free account at RealtyShares.com/Decode
Post-roll Format
Postrolls are the same length and format as prerolls, so you can use a very similar script.


Example Postroll Script
You work hard for your money, so you should get the most return on your investments with the least amount of work. So you should check out RealtyShares.com at RealtyShares.com/podcast. RealtyShares is an online real estate marketplace that lets you invest in private real estate investments reviewed and vetted by investment professionals. You can invest as little as $1,000 in different real estate projects, diversify your risk, and participate in both short- and long-term investments.

The perfect podcast ad script contains the following key components:
  1. The intro – this is often a personal story from the host that acts as a segue into the concept of your product. Or it can also be a statistic that creates context around the product.
  2. Talking points– these are the key value propositions around your product or company that you want to make sure the host mentions during his live read.
  3. Call to action– this is the most important part. This is where you tell the listeners what you want them to do, which is usually visit your website at yourwebsite.com/yourvanityURL. Make sure that the host reads your call to action at least 3 times at the end of the live read, literally spelling it out if necessary.
Are there other things you want the host to know or mention? Make sure to tell them. If you need to make certain sentences mandatory, do so. If they need to read any specific disclaimers aloud, make sure you make that clear from the get-go

Now that you understand the different time slots, it is essential to know what type of read you should purchase. Choosing the right time slot read is crucial because it affects the actions your listeners take after hearing the ad. There are two types of time slot reads.

Live read–This is when hosts integrate your product into the current episode in an authentic way, maybe even improvising on the spot.

Recorded read–This is a timeslot in which a host pre-records an audio commercial about your product that will be played during a specific time slot within the podcast episode.

Use host-read advertisements
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Since 2018, host-read ads have been the preferred ad type in podcasts.
According to a study performed by Nielsen, host-read podcast ads were “significantly more likely to be described by respondents as authentic and believable, and less likely to be felt as forced.”

When you let a podcast host read your advertisement, it follows the original tone of the show and is integrated seamlessly to match what the host is talking about. To have an authentic ad, encourage the podcast host to try your product. Listeners can distinguish when a podcast host has tried a product, compared to when they haven’t.

In contrast, podcast advertisements that are prerecorded and placed throughout podcasts lack engagement opportunities. Listeners can fast forward through the programmed ad, causing a loss for your business and the podcast.

Pay attention to attribution
To justify spending money on podcast advertising, it’s important to track its effectiveness.
Here are some tips to make podcast ad attribution simpler for your business:
  • Drive listeners to a dedicated landing page only referenced within podcast ads.
Check out this example of a dedicated landing page from EachNight that is dedicated to sleep health:
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EachNight sends podcast listeners to a dedicated landing page to track their ad’s performance.
When EachNight approaches podcasts they would like to advertise on they can provide podcasts with a specific landing page to be mentioned during the advertisements. Then, they can track the traffic to this page. The visitors that visit the newly created landing page are directed solely from the podcast.

Distribute a podcast-specific discount code.
When users use this special discount code to purchase your products, you’ll l know that they came to your ecommerce website from the podcast.
Include a “How did you hear about us?” question in the user registration flow.
When you include this question in your website registration form, users can check off podcasts as an answer, helping you keep track of your traffic sources.

Average Podcast Advertising Rates
According to AdvertiseCast, the industry average rates for podcast advertising are:
  • $15 for a 10-second ad CPM
  • $18 for a 30-second ad CPM
  • $25 for a 60-second ad CPM
Since CPM is cost per mille or cost per 1,000 listeners, your advertising costs will go up depending on how many listeners the podcast has, if you run a 60-second spot on a podcast with 100,000 listeners, you can expect to pay about $1500.

Pricing Calculator ( click it)
Here are the average rates based on all active listings within AdvertiseCast's marketplace. Podcast audience size is determined by how many downloads each episode receives on average over a 30 day period. CPM is cost per mille or cost per 1,000 listeners. Please note these are marketplace averages. To see specific ad spot pricing for a podcast, please visit their listing page.

Reporting Data for 1,746 Podcasts
Listeners Per Episode30-Second Ad CPM60-Second Ad CPM
500-999$21 $0.12$23 -$0.61
1000-2499$24 -$1.03$34 -$1.84
2500-4999$22 -$0.14$30 $0.31
5000-24,999$21 -$0.17$28
25,000-99,999$22 $0.11$30 $0.29
100,000-999,999$29 $0.25$29 $0.28
 
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Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
Nogood-podcast-1-1472x736.jpg


Midroll
an online advertising company that matches podcasters with advertisers. They provide production, distribution, and monetization services for podcasts. Midroll hosts read live ads that endorse a particular brand or product.

AdvertiseCast
claims to integrate an ad buying and management platform with full-service agency capabilities to make podcast advertising simpler.
They help to start and manage efficient advertising campaigns that provide both advertisers and podcasters with unparalleled returns.

PodGrid
aims to connect great advertisers with great audiences. The company was started by two independent podcasters when they faced the challenge of finding a model for advertisers on their show for their niche audience.
PodGrid network shows have small but niche and engaged audiences, which is what sets them apart. They take away the hassle of scouting for shows that focus on your target audience. This reduces wastage of expenditure on shows that don’t bring you much revenue.

Archer Avenue
helps advertisers reach highly engaged and tech-savvy consumers through podcast advertising.
They also help podcasters pitch their shows to great sponsors to find the best match. They deliver your message in a style that is a seamless part of the show.

PodcastOne
is an advertiser-supported, on-demand digital audio network. They help advertisers discover, connect, and collaborate with high-quality podcasts that have a targeted and engaged audience.
They have more than 2.1 billion downloads each year and produce about 350 podcast episodes per week.

Authentic Shows
(formerly Podtrac ad services) boasts 13 years of experience as a podcast advertising company. They provide advertising representation for podcasts and support advertiser media planning.
They work with over 200 top podcasts and help leading brand and direct response advertisers plan campaigns to reach their target audience on top podcasts.

Podfly
Location:
Montréal, Canada
Founded: 2013
Specialties: Podcast Pre-Production, Podcast Post-Production
Podfly is an audio editing and production agency. The agency has worked with many brands across many industries such as education, government, and non-profit institutions. Podfly works directly with organizations on brand messaging, audience targeting, and creative for podcasts.

NoGood
Location:
New York, New York
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcasting Marketing, Podcasting Partnerships
NoGood works with Fortune 500 and corporate brands to build strong partnerships and podcast ads. The agency has a vast network and understands how to execute strong campaigns that will help brands reach their ideal audiences. Their execution and strategy are focused around bringing the best ROI for companies.

Seattle Podcast Company
Location:
Seattle, Washington
Founded: 2019
Specialties: Podcast Marketing, Podcast Production, Content
Work:
Seattle Podcast company is a full-service podcast production and marketing agency. The agency is committed to helping brands and organizations execute on audio and podcasting content to their overall branding strategy through strong storytelling.

FieldCast
Location:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Founded: 2018
Specialties: Podcast Content Streaming, Creative, Podcast Hosting
This agency specializes in private podcasts for businesses. Their team of producers, writers, and storytellers know the ins and outs of the podcast industry. The agency works in planning, production, hosting, distribution, and reporting.

Sweet Fish Media
Location:
Orlando, Florida
Founded: 2015
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Branding
This agency specializes in producing podcasts for B2B Brands. Sweet Fish Media is a production engine that helps create high-quality content that will help your B2B business resonate with the right audience.

The Podcast Haven
Location:
Burbank, California
Founded: 2016
Specialties: Podcast Editing, Podcast Production
This podcast production company produces strong podcasts for brands, business owners, and corporate partners like Nike & LA Times. The Podcast Haven understands podcasts are some of the best ways for audiences to consume content and they have produced over 1,500 podcast episodes.

Pacific Content
Location:
Vancouver, British Columbia
Founded: 2014
Specialties: Branded Podcasts, Podcast Production, Podcast Consulting
This award-winning podcast agency works relentlessly to connect brands to listeners. Their skilled team has experts that collaborate closely with clients to drive the best approach for success. This includes execution in all areas including brand strategy, audio storytelling, and distribution.

Freedom Podcasting Company
Location:
Reno, Nevada
Founded: 2012
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Editing
Freedom Podcasting Company helps entrepreneurs and artists of all kinds grow their business through podcasting. Their world-class production service helps organizations reach their most important audiences and customers.

True Native Media
Location:
Morro Bay, California
Founded: 2016
Specialties: Podcast Monetization, Podcast Marketing, Podcast Sponsorship
True Native Media works with both advertisers and brands to reach relevant podcast listeners. This representative agency manages ad campaigns and helps clients find ideal advertising partners to create strong relationships.

ADOPTER Media
Location:
Petaluma, California
Founded: 2016
Specialties: Podcast Advertising, Podcast Sponsorships
This podcast advertising agency unites brands with relevant and highly engaged audiences through successful podcast ad campaigns. ADOPTER Media provides full-services from podcast network selection, onboarding, and creative to collaboration, maintenance, and metrics.

The Talent Squad
Location:
New York, New York
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcast Consultancy, Podcast Host, Podcast PR
The Talent Squad provides strong podcast consulting services. During these consulting sessions, the agency will help you identify gaps in the podcast market, strategies for relationship building with podcast hosts, ways to develop a podcast interview strategy, and much more.

FRQNCY Media
Location:
Atlanta, Georgia
Founded: 2018
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Audience Development, Podcast Strategy
This full-service podcast production agency is the ultimate solution to help brands reach new audiences and build loyalty. They are an extension of your podcast team and use research-driven insights to align with your companies goals and KPIs.

Ad Results Media
Location:
Houston, Texas
Founded: 1998
Specialties: Podcast Advertising, Podcasts Audio, Podcasting
Ad Results Media has over twenty years of experience and the agency has combined their expertise across various audio advertising platforms including podcasts, radio, and streaming audio to help brands reach success. The agency has worked with many unicorn brands.

SOUND MADE PUBLIC
Location:
Sausalito, California
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcasting, Podcast Branding
This agency partners with organizations and individuals who want to build compelling content. This includes everything from design, concept development, and production planning to distribution, launch strategy, and media partnerships.

Podot
Location:
London, England
Founded: 2018
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Distribution
This talented group of writers and researchers help brands and businesses carefully execute on the best content. The agency takes care of the production of podcasts including editing process, music composition, and visual branding. Finally, they create and manage campaigns to the right audiences for your podcast journey.

Transmitter Media
Location:
Brooklyn, New York
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Editing
This woman-owned and award-winning podcast agency has helped companies with everything in podcast execution. Their editorial process has helped brands create and publish impactful podcast content that has reached millions of listeners.

Red Cup Agency
Location:
Santa Monica, California
Founded: 2010
Specialties: Podcasts, Branding
The Red Cup Agency develops podcasting ideas and loves collaborating to shape strong content for audiences. The team of podcast producing professionals specializes in everything from pre-production, post-production, and podcast marketing consultancy.

Trigger Direct
Location:
Poway, California
Founded: 2001
Specialties: Podcast Coaching, Podcast Advertising,
Trigger Direct is an agency that is committed to organizations in a number of podcasting areas including podcast coaching, podcast advertising, and podcast technical services. They will help you grow your audience and open up revenue-generating opportunities, create strong brand messaging, and run your podcast with the best technology.

Pod People
Location:
Los Angeles, California
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcast Production
With their collection of 500 of the best independent producers, editors, writers, and engineers, Pod People works with clients to create some of the best podcasts. This podcast production agency works with countless brands and guides the entire podcast process from concept to launch.
 

mailboxpimp

Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
MULTICULTURAL PODCAST ADVERTISING AGENCY
Gary_Headshot_HighRes-2-e1543392126464.jpg


Your background
I’ve been in the advertising space since 2003, starting at WPP—24/7 Real Media where I managed digital search campaigns. Following that, I went on to the brand side working for companies such as at Lacoste, L’Occitane, Pierre Fabre USA. Then I returned to the agency side overseeing and managing media strategy and execution for brands such as Dell, BMW, VW, L’Oreal, Luxottica & others. Past agencies include GroupM Mediacom, Omnicom Resolution Media, and Wasserman Laundry Service, Therefore I have a deep insight into the needs and expectations of brands and agencies.

Why did you start Pod Digital Media?
As podcasts emerge as a new and viable medium, there weren’t one destination brands can go to reach the multicultural segment within the podcast space. There also was no agency that podcasters could rely on, to connect them with blue-chip advertisers. This huge gap opened the door for PDM to step in as an authority to service advertisers, podcasters, and agencies to build the bridge that seamlessly connects all parties in an efficient and lucrative manner.

What is the benefit for advertisers to connect with multicultural podcasters?
There is an intimate connection between multicultural podcasters and their audience, pair that with the hyper-engaged podcast environment + the multicultural audiences’ $3.4 trillion buying power. It’s a game changer!

How does it benefit a podcaster to become a part of a network like yours?
Helping podcasters monetize their shows is the No.1 goal and main benefit. However, we also assist on strategic content curation and program formatting to increase their appeal to advertisers. Additional services include promotional tactics and audience development to podcasters who are not as well versed in the space as others.

Who are some of the podcasters that you currently work with?
We work with Gold Medalist Swin Cash “She’s Got Time” podcast, Oprah Rose Show, Angela Yee Lip Service, Marissa Explains it All, and Ed Lover C’Mon Son to name a few.

Where do you see the podcast space in the next 3-5 years?
When you keep in mind that podcast listenership has grown by 90% from 2017 to 2018, it’s a clear sign that podcasts are here to stay. Not only have podcasts broken the traditional radio host mold, where now anyone can be a publisher, but there is also a thirst for compelling audio content that is more reflective of the diverse audience. Consumers want to hear shows created and hosted by women, people of color, and the LGBTQ community, so as more influential talent makes the shift to creating their independent podcast, it will fuel the growth exponentially. Lastly, measurement and attribution will be fully solidified. It’s experiencing similar concerns like digital content in its early stages. So I fully expect those doubts to evaporate.
 

3mpimp

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
Good info fam. Any of these companies in this list have any Melanin Rich ownership?

Nogood-podcast-1-1472x736.jpg


Midroll
an online advertising company that matches podcasters with advertisers. They provide production, distribution, and monetization services for podcasts. Midroll hosts read live ads that endorse a particular brand or product.

AdvertiseCast
claims to integrate an ad buying and management platform with full-service agency capabilities to make podcast advertising simpler.
They help to start and manage efficient advertising campaigns that provide both advertisers and podcasters with unparalleled returns.

PodGrid
aims to connect great advertisers with great audiences. The company was started by two independent podcasters when they faced the challenge of finding a model for advertisers on their show for their niche audience.
PodGrid network shows have small but niche and engaged audiences, which is what sets them apart. They take away the hassle of scouting for shows that focus on your target audience. This reduces wastage of expenditure on shows that don’t bring you much revenue.

Archer Avenue
helps advertisers reach highly engaged and tech-savvy consumers through podcast advertising.
They also help podcasters pitch their shows to great sponsors to find the best match. They deliver your message in a style that is a seamless part of the show.

PodcastOne
is an advertiser-supported, on-demand digital audio network. They help advertisers discover, connect, and collaborate with high-quality podcasts that have a targeted and engaged audience.
They have more than 2.1 billion downloads each year and produce about 350 podcast episodes per week.

Authentic Shows
(formerly Podtrac ad services) boasts 13 years of experience as a podcast advertising company. They provide advertising representation for podcasts and support advertiser media planning.
They work with over 200 top podcasts and help leading brand and direct response advertisers plan campaigns to reach their target audience on top podcasts.

Podfly
Location:
Montréal, Canada
Founded: 2013
Specialties: Podcast Pre-Production, Podcast Post-Production
Podfly is an audio editing and production agency. The agency has worked with many brands across many industries such as education, government, and non-profit institutions. Podfly works directly with organizations on brand messaging, audience targeting, and creative for podcasts.

NoGood
Location:
New York, New York
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcasting Marketing, Podcasting Partnerships
NoGood works with Fortune 500 and corporate brands to build strong partnerships and podcast ads. The agency has a vast network and understands how to execute strong campaigns that will help brands reach their ideal audiences. Their execution and strategy are focused around bringing the best ROI for companies.

Seattle Podcast Company
Location:
Seattle, Washington
Founded: 2019
Specialties: Podcast Marketing, Podcast Production, Content
Work:
Seattle Podcast company is a full-service podcast production and marketing agency. The agency is committed to helping brands and organizations execute on audio and podcasting content to their overall branding strategy through strong storytelling.

FieldCast
Location:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Founded: 2018
Specialties: Podcast Content Streaming, Creative, Podcast Hosting
This agency specializes in private podcasts for businesses. Their team of producers, writers, and storytellers know the ins and outs of the podcast industry. The agency works in planning, production, hosting, distribution, and reporting.

Sweet Fish Media
Location:
Orlando, Florida
Founded: 2015
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Branding
This agency specializes in producing podcasts for B2B Brands. Sweet Fish Media is a production engine that helps create high-quality content that will help your B2B business resonate with the right audience.

The Podcast Haven
Location:
Burbank, California
Founded: 2016
Specialties: Podcast Editing, Podcast Production
This podcast production company produces strong podcasts for brands, business owners, and corporate partners like Nike & LA Times. The Podcast Haven understands podcasts are some of the best ways for audiences to consume content and they have produced over 1,500 podcast episodes.

Pacific Content
Location:
Vancouver, British Columbia
Founded: 2014
Specialties: Branded Podcasts, Podcast Production, Podcast Consulting
This award-winning podcast agency works relentlessly to connect brands to listeners. Their skilled team has experts that collaborate closely with clients to drive the best approach for success. This includes execution in all areas including brand strategy, audio storytelling, and distribution.

Freedom Podcasting Company
Location:
Reno, Nevada
Founded: 2012
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Editing
Freedom Podcasting Company helps entrepreneurs and artists of all kinds grow their business through podcasting. Their world-class production service helps organizations reach their most important audiences and customers.

True Native Media
Location:
Morro Bay, California
Founded: 2016
Specialties: Podcast Monetization, Podcast Marketing, Podcast Sponsorship
True Native Media works with both advertisers and brands to reach relevant podcast listeners. This representative agency manages ad campaigns and helps clients find ideal advertising partners to create strong relationships.

ADOPTER Media
Location:
Petaluma, California
Founded: 2016
Specialties: Podcast Advertising, Podcast Sponsorships
This podcast advertising agency unites brands with relevant and highly engaged audiences through successful podcast ad campaigns. ADOPTER Media provides full-services from podcast network selection, onboarding, and creative to collaboration, maintenance, and metrics.

The Talent Squad
Location:
New York, New York
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcast Consultancy, Podcast Host, Podcast PR
The Talent Squad provides strong podcast consulting services. During these consulting sessions, the agency will help you identify gaps in the podcast market, strategies for relationship building with podcast hosts, ways to develop a podcast interview strategy, and much more.

FRQNCY Media
Location:
Atlanta, Georgia
Founded: 2018
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Audience Development, Podcast Strategy
This full-service podcast production agency is the ultimate solution to help brands reach new audiences and build loyalty. They are an extension of your podcast team and use research-driven insights to align with your companies goals and KPIs.

Ad Results Media
Location:
Houston, Texas
Founded: 1998
Specialties: Podcast Advertising, Podcasts Audio, Podcasting
Ad Results Media has over twenty years of experience and the agency has combined their expertise across various audio advertising platforms including podcasts, radio, and streaming audio to help brands reach success. The agency has worked with many unicorn brands.

SOUND MADE PUBLIC
Location:
Sausalito, California
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcasting, Podcast Branding
This agency partners with organizations and individuals who want to build compelling content. This includes everything from design, concept development, and production planning to distribution, launch strategy, and media partnerships.

Podot
Location:
London, England
Founded: 2018
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Distribution
This talented group of writers and researchers help brands and businesses carefully execute on the best content. The agency takes care of the production of podcasts including editing process, music composition, and visual branding. Finally, they create and manage campaigns to the right audiences for your podcast journey.

Transmitter Media
Location:
Brooklyn, New York
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcast Production, Podcast Editing
This woman-owned and award-winning podcast agency has helped companies with everything in podcast execution. Their editorial process has helped brands create and publish impactful podcast content that has reached millions of listeners.

Red Cup Agency
Location:
Santa Monica, California
Founded: 2010
Specialties: Podcasts, Branding
The Red Cup Agency develops podcasting ideas and loves collaborating to shape strong content for audiences. The team of podcast producing professionals specializes in everything from pre-production, post-production, and podcast marketing consultancy.

Trigger Direct
Location:
Poway, California
Founded: 2001
Specialties: Podcast Coaching, Podcast Advertising,
Trigger Direct is an agency that is committed to organizations in a number of podcasting areas including podcast coaching, podcast advertising, and podcast technical services. They will help you grow your audience and open up revenue-generating opportunities, create strong brand messaging, and run your podcast with the best technology.

Pod People
Location:
Los Angeles, California
Founded: 2017
Specialties: Podcast Production
With their collection of 500 of the best independent producers, editors, writers, and engineers, Pod People works with clients to create some of the best podcasts. This podcast production agency works with countless brands and guides the entire podcast process from concept to launch.
 

sorcererforemost

Rising Star
Registered
This is good info. When youtube was still in its early stages I was pulling in around 1k views per video and at the highest 5k but that was over a decade ago and wouldn't dare go back to the platform for podcast now.

Have been thinking about getting back into the game though
 

mailboxpimp

Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
THE PODCAST AUDIENCE
These facts were gathered by the resources listed in the footer below. Please click on the links in the footer for more information and full lists of research.

Men - 56%
Women - 44%
4 Year Degree or Higher - 51%

Income
100K or Higher - 21%
75K or Higher - 41%

Age
18-34 - 38%
34-54 - 34%

Listen on Smartphones - 64%
Listen on the Computer - 34%

Podcast Listeners Are Mobile
52% -
Listen in the Car
46% - Listen While Traveling
40% - Listen While Walking, Running, Biking
37% - Listen While Taking Public Transportation
32% - Listen While They Workout

Podcast Listeners are SOCIAL!
93% of them are on social media
76% - facebook
41% - instagram
36% - twitter
33% - linkedin
30% - pintrest

Podcast Listeners are Loyal
88%
Listen to Most or All Episodes
79% Listen Immediately
55% Listen Within 24 Hours
61% Made a Purchase Resulting from Podcast Ads


THE TYPES OF ADVERTISING
Audio
All podcasts will include audio ads, either pre-recorded or a live host endorsement. They are placed at the beginning (pre-roll), middle (mid-roll), and end (end-roll) of the show.

Website Advertising
As part of an advertising package, podcasters can offer you graphic banners in the sidebar, show notes, in the footer, etc. in all different sizes.

Social Media Mentions
As part of their offering, many podcasters will mention and link to you on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, or wherever their community and your audience hang out.

Blog Posts
If the podcast has a healthy blog, they may consider including some dedicated blog posts as a part of your ad package. This could be as a review, or they could allow someone from your company to write a piece as well.

Email
Email is a great way for you to get in front of your podcast partner's audience. They may link to you in their emails, include a graphic banner, or perhaps dedicate an email every so often to your company and it's benefits.

Events
Many podcasters speak all over the world, and/or host events for their podcast. You could sponsor or co-host these events, or you could have logo placement on any podcast branded materials they take along with them.

THE BENEFITS OF ADVERTISING ON A PODCAST
Engagement
Mobility
Multi-Platform Exposure
Selectivity
Buying Power

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS
Step 1 - The Inquiry

The first step is to reach out, usually via email, and make contact. Send a note to see if the other party is interested in a partnership, with a very brief overview of why you think it would make a good relationship. This exchange will hopefully result in a scheduled phone call.

Step 2 - The Preparation
Next, the podcaster should create and/or send the media kit over. The media kit is a visual representation of their mission, vision, host info, audience demographics, and community numbers. This site was also created to use to send either podcasters or potential advertisers to learn more about sponsorship and advertising when preparing for a call.

Step 3 - The Personal Contact
In a perfect world, this would be done in person, however, Skype and the telephone are more common nowadays and give both parties the ability to get a feel for how a partnership would work. One party, usually the podcaster, has the task of pitching the partnership, ad package, and everything involved in the ongoing relationship.

Step 4 - Signing the Contract
The podcaster sends a contract detailing everything agreed to in the phone call, the advertising package chosen, payment arrangements, and any deliverables both parties are responsible for. Signing digitally via a company like Echosign or via Adobe is perfectly acceptable in this day and age and should be ok with both parties.

Step 5 - Payment
Payment is made in advance to the podcaster. Usually, it is preferred to pay digitally via credit or debit card or via PayPal or Stripe. Payment can be made monthly or for the entire quarter in advance. It is normal for podcasters to only offer 3-month contracts since it yields the best return for the advertiser.

Step 6 - Advertising Creation
At this point, all of the advertisements are created and sent for approval. This can be the podcaster recording and sending audio pieces, or the advertiser sending talking points. It can also mean designing banner advertising, blog posts, or just simply specifying to what links the advertiser would like to drive traffic. Either party can be responsible for creating the graphic pieces, and even in some cases the audio, if it's not alive or recorded host endorsement.

Step 7 - Implementation
At this point, the podcaster will edit the audio ad into the show, and place the graphic banners in the proper place, and basically implement the contract.

Step 8 - Monthly Tracking
It is the podcaster's responsibility to provide monthly insights into how the advertisements are doing. Obviously, they cannot measure how many people have purchased, unless there was a special tracking mechanism like a coupon code or special link, but they can offer download numbers, web traffic numbers, advertisement impressions, and click-throughs, email click numbers, and more.

Step 9 - Review
At the end of the QUARTER, the success of the partnership is reviewed by both parties and a decision is made as to whether or not to continue. Usually, partnerships aren't reviewed earlier than this because all advertising campaigns need time to gain traction. You wouldn't run one TV commercial 4 times, and the same should hold true for audio advertisements as well. Hopefully, both parties can tweak the contract and/or deliverables and try again.

Step 10 - Renew!
A good partnership, like friendships and marriage, takes time to develop and some work. Both parties compromise and want what's best for the other involved. The advertiser should want their product to be helpful and useful to the listener, and the podcaster should want to do what they can to sell as much as possible for the advertiser. When partnerships have a mutual "win" like this, everyone benefits, and the contract is renewed for another quarter.
 

mailboxpimp

Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
Growing an audience, ultimately, starts with creating good content on a consistent basis though. Then, if you make it easy to find and share, you'll struggle not to grow your audience.

What are the Paid Podcast Advertising Options?
The following list is ever-changing, ever-growing. At the time of writing, here are the best options available to you.
They're in no particular order, because in podcasting it's rarely ever a case of “the best”, and almost always a case of “it depends”.

Advertising on Social Media
Perhaps the most immediately obvious option is running an ad somewhere like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Depending on the platform, you might opt for text, image, or even video.

Your ads can be very specifically targeted on these platforms. Targeting helps whittle down the types of people you're looking to reach. That means you can spend less money, and reach more relevant listeners.

These are busy platforms and, with a good advert and the right targeting, it isn't too difficult to rack up a few ‘likes'. But, these don't always translate to listens. In fact, there's no guarantee the folks you'll reach with your ads are podcast listeners – or even know what a podcast is.

That's where a second layer of targeting fits. Target those who like BOTH space AND podcasting. Then, you'll reach folks who are more likely to listen. This cuts your reach, of course, but makes it more relevant. And I definitely think there are advantages to reaching outside of our already crowded ‘existing listeners' pool. With the right show and a powerful message, perhaps you can create a few brand new podcast listeners! In my experience, you rarely forget your first favourite show, and you're even more likely to tell your friends.

Remember, social media advertising can be good for visibility, but people seeing it are still a few clicks away from listening to your show. And these platforms are busy, distracting, and cultivate short attention spans. So, tread lightly at first, test it out, and only commit real funds once you know it works for your niche.

For more on this, check out How to Grow Your Podcast with Facebook Ads.

Promoting a Podcast on Google Ads
Google ads is another behemoth of online advertising, and there's a good chance you see dozens of these every single day. The image below shows some examples – spot the [ad] marker beside the URL for the top 3 results. If you have a show which answers a question, in any way, then Google ads could work really well for you. For example, you're a coach that teaches people how to be more confident on your show, or you're a running influencer who tells people what are the best running products to buy.
If you know what people are searching for in your niche, and your show has an answer for that search, then you can use Google ads.

Moving to how they work, Google ads are ‘text only' which is a benefit for many people.

Firstly, it means it's quick. You can have a campaign up and running in just 20 minutes. All you have to do is write. No pesky image or video creating.
Next, it means that anyone can compete on an even playing field, no matter your budget. In contrast, on Facebook and Instagram, it's often those with the biggest budget that win. The big companies can spend more on amazingly designed image adverts, or pro video content.
On Google ads, though, it's about your message, and that alone. So, if you know the words people are typing into Google, and what they really want as a result, you can hook them in with a nicely crafted message.

For example, we might choose to advertise our ‘how to podcast' show, Podcraft. I know that one question it answers well is: How do I start a podcast? So, I think of the terms related to that. For example:
  • how to start a podcast
  • how to make a podcast
  • how to create a podcast
create one ad-set (a Google ads term that just means a collection of adverts) that targets all of those keywords together.

Create a headline and a subheader for my ad that answers the question those searchers have. Such as:
Learn How to Start a Podcast
Podcraft's Step by Step Guide

Finally, you can give a bit more detail in the description.
Podcraft is a podcast that teaches you everything you need to know about starting your own show. Listen as Colin & Matthew break it down, as if you were a 5-year-old!
You can run Google ads for as little as $1 (or less!) per day, just to try it out. Even at that level, you should be able to grow awareness, bit by bit. Just like social, it'll take a little testing to find the right keywords and the right message. Once you've found it, you can ramp it up and capitalize on that success.

Advertising on Podcast Listening Apps
Advertising your show on a podcast listening app is a powerful thing. After all, 100% of the people you reach with your ads are podcast listeners. And not only that – they're actively using a podcast listening app when they see your ad.

These are the folks who're most likely to be receptive to your ads. If your content and message looks good, it's not going to take too much persuasion to win them over.

Podcast Advertising on Overcast
Overcast is a popular iOS-based podcast listening app.
You can pay to run ads inside Overcast. They appear as little non-intrusive banners at the bottom of users screens, whilst they're viewing the app.
When setting up your Overcast ad, you choose a category that best describes your podcast (eg; Business, Comedy, Sports, etc). The pricing varies from category to category, which is likely due to demand and popularity.

Once live, your ad will then run for 30 days.
Anyone who sees it is only one click away from viewing your show in the app, and two clicks away from listening or subscribing.
Recently, we ran an ad campaign on Overcast to test it all out. Click the link to see our results in full!

Podcast Advertising on Pocket Casts
The Pocket Casts app is available on iOS, Android, or Desktop, so you have a huge potential reach here.
The app has a ‘Discover' section, where you can run paid placements. This section gets 350k unique views per week, according to Pocket Casts. Another stat they provide is that their average user listening time is 10 hours per week.
You need to have at least 2 published ‘episodes' to run Pocket Casts ads. This includes trailers or Episode Zeros, but shows with no published content will be automatically rejected.

Sponsored slots on Pocket Casts costs a cool $2000. Your show will be displayed right there in the ‘Discover' section for one week.
This option looks suited to big brand or network shows who're short on time, but have a bit of budget behind them to help grow that early core audience.

Podcast Advertising on Podcast Addict
Podcast Addict is another of the biggest listening apps in the world. Recently, Podcast Addict created a podcast advertising feature.
Podcast Addict's ad setup is similar to Overcast in many ways, in terms of how it works, and its benefits.
One slight variation is that there are 2 different ad placements available. You can opt for the main screen – the area where users are searching for new podcasts. Or, you can place your ad in a specific category to target users browsing in there.

You can run your podcast ad in any language. Once live, it will run for a full month.

Podcast Advertising on Spotify
Spotify has invested big in podcasting this past year. They've also cemented their position as the number two place podcasts are consumed, behind Apple themselves. Granted, most Spotify users will be on there to listen to music. But there are certainly far worse places to advertise your podcast. Currently, the app boasts a whopping 116 million “ad-supported” listeners. These are folks who obviously enjoy listening to audio.
Spotify ads are predominantly audio, though there’s a visual element too. They display your logo on screen with a “Learn More” button, whilst the ad is playing. The ads are played in-between songs or podcast episodes, to listeners who use Spotify on their free tier.

You can create and run a 30-second audio ad for your show by signing up to Spotify Ad Studio.
Here, you can really hone in on the targeting, selecting things like age, gender, location, and even the styles of music your ads will appear alongside.
Spotify ads are similar to social media ads in the sense that you set a budget and date range, before being offered an estimated number of ads to be served. For example, $500 might get you around 25,000 ads.

This is better than social media, in the sense that you're reaching people who are actively consuming audio content. And if they happen to be looking at their screen at the time the ad is playing, they’ll also see your ad logo and a “Learn More” button, which will take them to your destination of choice.

Creating Your Spotify Ad
You can create your own ad, or work with Spotify to have them create it for you. Spotify provides audio and image specs for ads you want to make yourself. Or, they offer a Voiceover Tool service for ad buyers at no extra cost. With the Voiceover Tool, you write your script, select the ad language, choose a preferred voice type to read your ad, and you can choose background music from their extensive library too. Spotify will then have the ad recorded and mixed. It’ll be ready to review within 24-48 hours, after which, you'll have the option to approve it, make changes, or reject it.

Once approved, your ad is ready to be heard.

Podcast Advertising in Print Magazines
Are you podcasting in a traditionally “non-techy” niche? Maybe you spend quite a lot of time explaining what a podcast is to your target audience.
If this is you, then the best route for running paid ads might be through industry or trade magazines. Print magazines have experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years. In fact, it seems to be the ultra-niche ones that have best weathered the digital storm, and continue to grow from strength to strength. This is perfect for doing some targeted advertising for your show. Whether you're podcasting about fly fishing, gardening, or model railways, you'll likely find a magazine serving up the same topic to a dedicated fanbase.

In your ad, you might still have to dedicate a bit of space to the “what is a podcast?” question. Just be sure to really sell them on the benefits of listening, and stress that it's absolutely free. You might even want to send them to a dedicated ‘how to listen to a podcast‘ page on your site, for maximum effect. Some magazines might also be open to a sponsored content partnership. This is something that I'll talk about further on in this post.

Guerrilla Marketing
Guerrilla marketing is a great podcast advertising option for those with little or no budget. The concept is that you use creative, unconventional, or surprise methods to draw attention to your show. This could be anything from a street performance, to releasing a bunch of branded balloons at an event or gathering. It'll always depend on your topic, as well as your target audience, but there are infinite possibilities for getting out there and drawing attention to your podcast. Just be mindful of any local laws, and be sure to stay on the right side of them!

Here's our full guide to Guerrilla Marketing for Podcasters, which will help get you started.

Podnews
Podnews is an essential daily email newsletter. It's predominantly aimed at keeping podcasters up-to-date with the latest industry news. But most podcasters are podcast listeners too, and you can advertise your podcast to them here for $25 a day. You can write your ad, choose the dates you want to run it, and pay online.

With Podnews advertising you can promote your show to over 9,000 subscribers every weekday. And recipients include folks from the likes of the BBC, NPR, Gimlet, and Apple Podcasts – you never know who might take an interest. All ads run in Podnews will also appear permanently on their website.

Running Podcast Ads on Reddit
Reddit is described as a “social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website.” On top of that, it's one of the most visited websites in the world – and it's yet another place you can run paid ads to promote your content. To advertise your podcast on Reddit, you first need to sign up with Reddit Ads. You can then look at creating your first campaign. Here, Reddit will ask you for your campaign objective. The options they give include “Brand Awareness and Reach”, “Traffic”, “Conversions”, and “Video Views”.

You can tailor your ad targeting, going as wide or as narrow as you like, selecting from a range of interests and niche Reddit communities.
You can also run location targeting. If you're based in the US, you can even do this on a per-State basis. On top of that, you can choose which devices your ads will run on – for example, a podcast about iOS/Apple products wouldn't want to waste their money advertising to Android users.

One interesting aspect of Reddit ads is that you can upload video as your promoted content. This gives you the opportunity to use a compelling section of one of your episodes, re-worked in video format. For podcasters, this has the potential to work really well.

Sponsoring a Blog
If you're running a podcast focused on a certain subject, then there's a good chance there are a few blogs out there covering the same thing. Most bloggers will be open to the idea of you doing a guest post, or even sponsored content on their site. This works by you writing an article that's interesting and useful to the audience. This article also links back to your own content, and encourages the reader to go and check that out once they're done.

These relationships can be mutually beneficial, and great for fans of your topic as a whole. If you run an interview show, you might even invite a blogger to be a guest on a future episode.

Advertising on Other Podcasts
This isn't always a paid advertising option, but definitely a useful one, if done in the right way. Podcasts of similar size, covering the same (or similar) topics, can benefit from exchanging short promotional trailers to be played on one another's episodes. After all, you're not in direct competition, in the way two TV shows that air at the exact same time are. And each podcast is unique, with its own exclusive features, angles, and quirks. Your audience aren't going to leave you just because they find another show they enjoy covering the same topic.

Where trailer swaps don't work, is when there's no thought gone into it. Someone on a Reddit thread agrees to advertise someone else's cooking podcast on their baseball show, and vice-versa. Is the podcast enough like yours that your listeners have mutual interests? Advertising on other podcasts can still take the more traditional ‘sponsor a podcast‘ approach too, though. If you're willing to pay, you can get your ads out there just the same as the sock company, the mattress company, and the food hamper company do.

Regardless of who you are or what you do, there’s a pretty solid chance that you’re aware of the increasing number of podcasts at your fingertips. But, the average joe might not be aware of just how much growth the podcast industry is experiencing. Yes, according to Chartable, there are 700,000+ podcasts out there; but the more staggering statistic that truly showcases the industry’s explosiveness – and helps to legitimize it – is that, as reported on by The Verge, podcasting is expected to hit $1 billion in revenue by 2021.

As the industry evolves, so does way that podcasters advertise. While host-read ads remain the most popular format, according to the IAB and PwC’s 2018 report, dynamically inserted ads are on the rise, making up 48.8% of ads. More and more podcast content and tech companies are focusing on making this delivery mechanism more advanced and user-friendly (take, for example, our recent announcement of just that with Audioboom). Instead of editing in ads from the get-go, utilizing dynamically inserted ads allows podcasters to switch out their commercials as time goes by, making listens valuable regardless of when they occur.

As we move through the daily use and analytics of our podcast ad tech tools, we find a lot of interesting nuggets of information along the way. With all the talk of categories lately, due to Apple Podcasts’ adjustments, we wanted to take a look at how the category of a podcast impacts their revenue. Once we pulled out the top five money-making podcast categories in our analytics’ two largest markets, we also highlighted the top advertisers within each category. Read on for our full analysis of the data and thoughts on what this means for the industry.

Top Money-Making Podcast Categories
TOP FIVE REVENUE-GENERATING PODCAST CATEGORIES IN THE U.S.:
  1. Sports (Ads in this category generate most revenue at 7 a.m.)
    It’s not a huge surprise to see this category at the top of the list. While Ad Age reports a decrease in the cost to advertise during NFL games on TV last year, Sunday Night Football remains the most popular show to buy at ad spot on at “over $700,000 a pop.” Seeing the carryover to podcasting is natural for our sports-obsessed culture. Although, it’s interesting to see that ads are most valuable during the morning, when intuition says otherwise.
  2. Culture (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 8 a.m.)
    As mentioned in our last report, Culture is a vague category, but once you understand that true crime shows are categorized under this umbrella, it’s easy to understand why this category grabbed the number two spot on our list.
  3. History (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 10 p.m.)
    It’s no secret that people listen to podcasts to learn, and the history category continues to top the list as most listened to, so it’s no surprise that this category finds itself atop ad earner. As we’ve reported on before, history podcast consumers love to listen late at night, which is why 10 p.m. is the most valuable ad time.
  4. Politics (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 5 p.m.)
    With the increasingly interesting political day-to-day that we live in, this category has shot up in revenue earnings recently. We anticipate the number of ad dollars to only increase as the 2020 presidential election approaches.
  5. Comedy (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 7 a.m.)
    Amongst some heavier topics in the list, it’s nice to see that light-heartedness is getting some love, too. PodcastingInsights.com reports that comedy is the most popular category of 2019, so while it’s in our top five list here, it’s interesting to see that the potential top category is only in the fifth spot regarding revenue.
Top5Cat_US-1-768x403.jpg

TOP FIVE REVENUE-GENERATING PODCAST CATEGORIES IN EUROPE:
  1. Sports: (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 9 a.m.)
    While we mentioned how sports-obsessed the US is, Europe has long been home to the most religious football (or soccer in the US) fans in the world, so this category is right at home at the top of the list. With ad revenue being at its highest in the morning as well as the US, it’s likely that podcasts that recap and release the morning after a game or match would find the most revenue success.
  2. Culture (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 10 p.m.)
    In the same vein as the U.S., this category finds itself on the list thanks to the ever-popular true crime shows that fall within. However, different from the U.S., it’s interesting to note that more listeners are tuning in after nightfall.
  3. Technology (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 8 a.m.)
    As previously mentioned, listeners – regardless of location – are utilizing podcasts as a way to learn. It makes sense why this category is cashing in, especially when you see the learning-focused advertisers in the list below.
  4. Comedy (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 12 p.m.)
    Similar to the U.S., comedy’s category popularity itself connects it to the ability to generate revenue, although we do have to wonder why it seems to be lagging behind less popular category’s ad dollar generation.
  5. History (Ads in this category generate the most revenue at 8 a.m.)
    As mentioned in the U.S. category, listeners are utilizing podcasts to learn and discovery information. With a history so interesting and lengthy, it’s no wonder history tops the charts.
Top5Cat_EU-2-768x403.jpg


Top Advertisers Based on Category
TOP FIVE ADVERTISERS OF THE BIGGEST REVENUE-GENERATING PODCAST CATEGORIES IN THE U.S.
  1. Sports
  2. Culture
  3. History: The advertisers with the largest share of voice in this category are Progressive (9.24%), Geico (4.89%), AT&T (4.83%), Xfinity (4.64%) and Firehouse Subs (4.02%).
  4. Politics: The advertisers with the largest share of voice in this category are Progressive (10.81%), Circle K (4.56%), Quicken Loans (2.59%), Uber (2.24%) and Firehouse Subs (4.70%).
  5. Comedy: The advertisers with the largest share of voice in this category are Progressive (7.70%), Geico (5.22%), Xfinity (4.99%), AT&T (4.38%) and Strong Volkswagen (3.65%).It’s interesting to note that the top advertisers within the U.S. are insurance companies. It’s also interesting that the top ads don’t vary that much based on category. Companies like Progressive and AT&T and Uber are saturating the market regardless of their topic.
Top5_Sports_USA-1-768x403.jpg


Top5_Culture_USA-1-768x403.jpg


TOP FIVE ADVERTISERS OF THE BIGGEST REVENUE-GENERATING PODCAST CATEGORIES IN EUROPE:
  1. Sports
  2. Culture
  3. Technology: The advertisers with the largest share of voice in this category are LogiTravel (20.87%), Volkswagen (17.19%), Fundación Universidad-Empresa (6.20%), Renault España (4.87%) and Audi (4.08%).
  4. Comedy: The advertisers with the largest share of voice in this category are Volkswagen (46.92%), Audi (11.57%), Ikea (8.15%), Q8 (2.70%) and Lidl (2.27%).
  5. History: Volkswagen (17.09%), Avantcard (4.75%), Lidl (4.71%), LogiTravel (4.32%) and Audi (3.89%).

    The overall commonality with the top advertisers is that many of them are car brands. And just like the insurance companies in the U.S., they don’t seem to be strategically selecting the categories to advertise in, they’re getting involved in nearly every one. There is, however, a bit more selectiveness with some advertisers like Fundación Universidad-Empresa who are investing in a topic that’s closely tied to their mission.
Questions and Insights
Will podcast advertisers start being more selective?
This is one question we asked ourselves repeatedly as we reviewed the data. Since advertising in the podcast world, and dynamic ads in particular, are still quite new, we think this is a testing period for many of the big brands. They’re dolling out ad dollars to all the top categories to see what’s successful for them. In the future, we’ll likely see less of a smattering and instead, a focus on the categories that are the most aligned with brand values and attributes.
Will there be prime time forex?
Right now, ads, regardless of the time that they’re delivered, cost advertisers the same amount. But, there is a clearly a higher return on investment when ads are delivered during more popular listening times. We believe there’s a good chance that podcasters and ad networks will start varying their pricing based on the time of ad delivery.
Will podcast advertising eventually look similar to TV advertising?
The last question leads us to believe that the answer to this question is yes. As the industry matures, we believe that podcasting advertisers will have to get smarter with what categories they deliver ads to, and when they deliver those ads. Plus, eventually, we believe there will be more of a focus on buying ad spots with specific shows versus overall categories.
 
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mailboxpimp

Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
Let’s make podcast advertising work for you
So how do you develop a strategy that makes advertisements a lucrative source of passive income through your Podcast?

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There are over 1,000,000 podcasts available in the world. And they are regularly listened to by 90 million people monthly!

podcasting-statistics-listened-in-last-month.jpg


This growing figure holds the fascination of podcast advertisers who would be happy to pay you if you can help them reach their desired demographic.

According to the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PWC, podcasts ad revenue trend is on the rise. Podcast ad revenue was estimated to be $679 million in 2019. It is expected to climb up to $863 million in 2020 and over $1 billion by 2021.

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Another good reason to celebrate and start monetizing your podcast with ads! Podcast network TWiT.tv makes millions in revenue, consistently since 2009. And there are many podcasts that make over $50,000 per month from advertising and sponsors.

All this creates a favorable situation where podcast sponsors and advertisers are ready for new business opportunities. All you need to do is have a good show that will attract listeners.

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.

Nowadays, the consumer is surrounded by visual advertisements. And most internet-users skip the visual advertisements while watching videos. At the same time, podcasts are gaining the attention of advertisers. In fact, people often close videos if they don’t like it in just under a minute.

They can’t be easily skipped over, and most listeners wouldn’t mind listening to them either.

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.

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According to Edison Research, among most engaged and passionate podcast listeners:
  • 44% of people pay more attention to advertising on podcasts than on other media
  • 37% agree that advertising on a podcast is the best way to reach them
  • 70% have considered a new product or a service after hearing an ad on a podcast they regularly listen to
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.

How Does Podcast Advertising Work?
Types of podcasting ads by the delivery mechanism
Before I discuss more, let me elaborate on a few podcast advertising terms that are critical to our discussion.

Podcast ads are of two kinds.

  • Host-read, baked-in ads, which means that the host will read out the ad in the episode. Such ads would be forever there in the podcast unless you edit the audio file and replace it with your media host.
  • Dynamically inserted, which means they are inserted via an ad-server from your media host or podcasting network. All users will not listen to the same advertisement when they download the podcast. Sometimes even people will get ad-free episodes if they listen from a region in which your advertisers do not wish to promote.
Some podcast sponsors will prefer only host-read ads and other work only in the dynamically inserted model. Additionally, many podcast advertisers will give you an exact copy of an ad you need to read, or an outline to follow, where you just add your own flavor.

Podcast Advertising Rates
For either type of advertisement, you can provide three types of ad placements in your podcast.

In all cases, you get paid for 1,000 ads delivered to your listeners, also known as CPM (Cost Per Mile). The industry standard rates paid by podcast advertisers are:

  • Pre-roll ad – A 15 seconds ad that gets mentioned at the beginning of a podcast. It is usually priced at around $18 per 1000 downloads (CPM).
  • Mid-roll ad – A 60 seconds long ad that will run somewhere in the middle of the episode. It can fetch you $25 per CPMs.
  • Post-roll ad – A 30 seconds ad that will play at the end of the podcast. You can get $10 per CPMs from a post-roll ad.
Pre-roll and mid-roll placements are good when the advertisement is very short and concise. While mid-roll ads are ideal when the narrative is longer.

Especially for a baked-in ad, the mid-roll placement is preferred as the ad narrative can be easily blended into the fabric of the episode. Also, it is usually when the listener is hooked and listening closely, so the message tends to be more effective.

CPM in Podcasting is measured by downloads
It is not the number of impressions. The counting mechanism doesn’t check if a person has listened to an entire episode (or a significant percentage). Each download counts towards your CPM. It doesn’t matter if the episode was played at all.

This is a favorable situation for you and a certain risk for your podcast sponsors.

Real-Life Examples of Monthly Income from Podcast Ads
If you reach the important threshold of 10,000 downloads per month, how much will you earn with podcast ads?

It all depends on 3 factors:

  1. Episode CPM (which we calculate by adding the value of all your ad-placements)
  2. Number of episodes per month
  3. Number of downloads per episode
Monthly income = episodes CPM x number of episodes per month x number of downloads / 1000

Podcast-Advertising-Income.png

This table shows an interesting thing.
  • In Scenario A, we have the highest CPM for an episode at $78. This is achieved with 4 ads placements, so it means the show needs to be reasonably long (around 45 minutes), to accommodate them and deliver an overall good listening experience. This show is the lowest-earning show in our example, with only $1,560 monthly income from podcast advertisers.
  • In Scenario C, we have the lowest CPM for an episode at only $25. But this uses only 1 ad placement, can be rather short (up to 15 minutes), but publishes 20 episodes per month. In this example, this show earns the most, $2,500 of monthly income.
  • Show in Scenario B is between two previous examples. It has $43 CPM for an episode, and it earns $1,720 monthly from podcast sponsors. This is achieved with 2 ads placements, which means that a 30-minute episode can easily accommodate that. Being published 8 times per month, it is a moderately frequent publishing schedule.
In the end, you need to figure out what combination works best for you. Interview shows tend to last longer, and heavily researched solo shows often are short-form podcasts.

How many downloads can I reach?
A bit of research can help you understand where you stand in the podcasting world. Have a look at the figures for different podcasts. In fact, open up an excel sheet and type down some figures to review results specific to your niche.

Pick five new, five established, and five highly-popular podcasts. How many times have they been downloaded? Type that number in, and get an average value for each category. Now compare yourself with them. See where do you stand, and where do you want to go.

With my experience and review the average numbers of downloads per episode look like this:

  • 2,000 downloads – this is usually the maximum for brand new or average shows. Someone will eventually listen, but the potential for growth is not tapped yet.
  • 7,000 downloads – podcasts that stick to their publishing schedule and do a decent job in sound quality and content have the potential of reaching 7,000 downloads. Usually, a result of organic podcast growth.
  • 15,000 downloads – this is the average of downloads per episode that good quality shows achieve. To increase those numbers, the creator would need to promote a podcast actively.
  • 75,000 downloads – this is the group of podcasts that are doing really well. The average for this well-performing group is around 75,000 downloads per episode.
  • 100,000 downloads and more – this is for hit shows that usually either have chosen a perfect idea at the right time or shows that have a proven track record of high-quality content delivery. Usually, those are shows 5+ years old.
Advertising is ultimately tied to the number of times your podcast episode is downloaded. Of course, a content-rich episode that connects with your listeners is the prime necessity.

And you need to be consistent in your podcasting efforts. Do not wait till the last moment to create an episode, work in advance so that timely release is ensured.

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.

As your show grows, you can look independently for a sponsor and get a better rate.

1. Join a podcast network
By joining a podcast network, it becomes easier to be seen by an advertiser. Big podcast advertisers, rather than spending time on locating a podcast that would be the right fit for their audience, would approach a podcast network where they get access to thousands of shows.

This way, you would be able to find a sponsor easily in the early stages of your growth. Your advertiser, through a network, gets access to multiple shows, and the podcast network gets a commission.

However, there might be some aspects of cooperation you might want to negotiate (like creative control). You need to read this post on how podcast networks work before joining one. In this post, we discuss many details, including the fact that you usually need to split revenue 70/30 with your ad network.

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.

For instance, Podbean has an ads marketplace that podcasters on Podbean can join for free. It is a platform for your podcast to get noticed by advertisers, and you will also get options to manage the ad campaign when you get selected for an ad. They also offer advice on topics like setting the ad slots in your podcast.

Other big podcast media hosts offering monetization with ads are BluBrry and Libsyn.

This is another easy way to get podcast sponsors and advertisers. The media host will be your intermediary, and you will share part of the revenue.

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 himself!

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.

Naturally, it is a passive way, and you have no guarantee someone will reach out to you as there are many popular shows now. It’s much better to approach a sponsor yourself.

To increase your chances ad contact info on your podcasting website. You can even create a special section named “For advertisers”.

4. Approach sponsors yourself
You can also take the first step and contact sponsors who fit your niche.

How to find an advertiser for a podcast:

  • Listen to other podcasts in your niche and make a list of the companies placing ads in those podcasts.
  • Similarly, go through blogs and social media posts in your niche and find out potential sponsors.
  • Also, pick up magazines in your niche and scan them to find the companies that can be your sponsor.
The best way: podcasts are popular, but advertising on podcasts is not yet mainstream. To be successful and effective, reach out to brands that already spend money on podcast ads.

Very active podcast advertisers usually have contact info on their website. Send a semi-cold mail to their representatives. Look for contacts with marketing or PR representatives.

Highlighting your work, your audience demographics, and what can you do for them, to gain their attention. A small pitch deck may be helpful. You can show similar shows that use their ads to help your case.

How to pick the right sponsors for a podcast?
While advertising might seem like a lucrative idea to podcasters who are all geared to monetize their work, I would suggest them to hold their horses. What makes your podcast different from any other media is your one-to-one connection with your listeners.

If you have earned their trust, at any point, you should not break it.

Choose a sponsor that fits your niche.
The brand image or the product should not clash with what you are preaching on your podcast. For example, a podcast about the vegan lifestyle should not promote any brand that has been linked with clashes with this community either in the past or present. Understand your audience and your sponsors well before making any agreements.

Most brands should be aware of that and avoid advertising on shows that don’t reach their target audience. But since you take a reputational risk, always think about who you are accepting.

Don’t monetize with businesses that have a negative perception
Stay away from sponsorships related to casinos, payday loans, etc. as it could tarnish your image. And if you are going for dynamically inserted ads, make sure that they do not have negative connotations. You may discourage your listeners from listening to your show.

The success of podcast advertising hinges on the shoulder of the podcaster. The ads should sound like a genuine recommendation from you, rather than a forced sales pitch in return for some money. Listeners have an affinity with you, and you need to capitalize on it.

Stay below 10% of ads time per episode length
Lastly, while I have suggested you to provide multiple ad slots in your podcast, don’t overdo it. You need not flood your podcast with advertisements. For a 30-minute podcast, the total time devoted to advertisements should not exceed two to three minutes.

How to Increase your Income from Podcast Advertising?
I already mentioned what the formula for your podcast ad income is. It is:

Monthly income = episodes CPM x number of episodes per month x number of downloads / 1000

So in order to maximize podcast ad revenue, you can work on each component of the formula.

1. Increase the number of ad placements
  • Longer episodes have more space for advertising. But that doesn’t mean you would rant about anything just to increase the episode length.
  • If you are yet to launch your podcast, but you want to have a monetization strategy drafted, determine the length of episodes, and the intervals at which you can give ad slots to advertisers.
  • Podcasters who have already released their episodes should gradually increase the length of their episodes. But don’t dramatically double the length. Increase it gradually, adding a couple of minutes for a period of time once you reach the desired target length.
  • Finally, you can try to negotiate the length of an add and try to place a greater number of shorter ads in the same time slot.
2. Maximize CPM
  • A small audience list means you would not be able to charge much for ad space. Work on increasing the number of downloads so that you can charge higher. Work on your podcast content share strategy.
  • Explore the idea of host-read ads. Communicate to your advertiser that you will pitch their product without making it sound like an ad, and you are willing to do research for it and work on engagement with listeners. This will help you fetch a better price for your podcast.
3. Increase the number of episodes
  • Refine content production technique – You can also increase your episode frequency to gain more popularity, and also to open up more ad slots.
  • Hint – Think about doing an additional Q&A episode every week where you answer listeners’ questions. Gain additional points by live broadcasting.
4. Maximize the number of downloads
  • Brand – Create a strong brand identity for a podcast in your niche and maintain a posting frequency. At the end of every episode, remind your audience to subscribe to your work. They will get an automatic update when you release your next episode.
  • Quality and Engagement – The virtual world is flooded with content. Videos, blogs, and many new podcasters are joining the wagon. Yet, not all of this content offers any value to the listeners. Create podcasts that your audience will love, and would be happy to share with their friends. Share your podcast on social media handles, and ask your listeners for feedback to increase listeners’ engagement. Or incorporate their ideas in your episodes. Your listeners will be thrilled and hooked to your podcast when they hear their suggestions implemented in your episode (do give them credits in the beginning or at the end!)
  • Presence – Your channel and social media alone won’t help you get the numbers that you want. Submitting the RSS feed for your podcast to a podcast directory can boost your visibility. Rather than relying on just one channel, maximize your presence on multiple directories like Apple Podcast, Google Play, Stitcher, Pandora, iHeartRadio, etc.
  • Podcast SEO – Utilize Search Engine Optimization in your transcripts and episode titles to rank high in a search engine. If the name of your podcast comes up on the first page on a google search, you will surely get additional listeners. Use free tools, like Ubersuggest, that will help you find the right keywords. Also, you must have your own website to serve as a landing page for your listeners. Give them an option to subscribe to your work, know more about you and your past work.
  • Email marketing – Creating an email list and sending newsletters to your audience can help you be on top of their mind. Make sure your newsletter is informative and engaging, pepper it with some extra info so that your audience looks forward to it.
Other required skills for Success in Podcast Advertising
Patience. One key point for new podcasters is that popularity takes time to build. Keep working patiently and consistently to make a name for yourself.

Marketing. Promote your show in every possible manner (we have discussed this in many previous marketing posts), as this would help you get more downloads.

Negotiation. Finally, brush up those negotiation skills, they are going to come in handy for convincing advertisers about the price tag for your ad slot.

What are the best alternatives to ads monetization?
For those podcasters who are not interested in podcast sponsors or advertising, or lack the long list of subscribers that advertisers demand, there are some alternatives for monetizing your podcast.

Provide exclusive content on Patreon
Patreon is a platform that connects content creators and artists with patrons. Your patrons would be your highly engaged listeners who are willing to pay a subscription fee in return for exclusive content that isn’t available anywhere else. It is a great option for podcasters with a limited audience base. Have a good podcast Patreon strategy to get most of this platform.

Sell own products
You can create your own merchandise or sell your own products through your podcasts. There are many services that will let you create customized T-shirts, mugs, etc. If you have products that you can sell, your listeners could well be your potential customers.
One of the highest margin products you can sell and promote through your podcasts are info products.

Conclusions
Podcast advertising is one of the most popular ways to monetize a show.
Ads revenue, number of listeners, awareness are all growing at a fast pace. This will be a profitable way for many years to come.
Podcast sponsors always look for high-quality shows working in profitable niches.
There are main 4 ways how to find a sponsor for a podcast. 2 passive and 2 active.
  • Passive – get an offer from a media host or get approached by a sponsor,
  • Active – join a podcasting ad network or search for sponsors yourself.
When using an intermediary (media host or network), it means you will need to share the revenue.

There are 3 types of ad placements: pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll. Mid-roll podcast ads are usually the longest and offer higher CPM rates, at an average of $25 CPM.

You get paid according to a number of downloads, and the formula for monthly income is straightforward.

Monthly income = episodes CPM x number of episodes per month x number of downloads / 1000
You can maximize your podcasting ad revenue by working on each component of this formula, and this includes also getting podcast sponsors who will pay more for access to your audience.
 

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Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
Five tips for effective campaigns
1. Midway is the best way
Schedule your ad to play during the mid-roll slot when possible. At that time, people are listening closely. This could reduce the risk of listeners fast-forwarding past your ad.

2. Find your fit
Because podcasts serve an immense spectrum of interests and audiences, you should identify shows that perfectly sync with your brand, products and services.

3. Test ad performance over time
Running a single ad on a podcast likely won’t reveal if the show is an effective advertising option. For a more accurate view of performance, consider advertising on eight consecutive episodes to reinforce your call to action over time. Then, review the performance after your campaign concludes.

4. Use offer codes and metrics tools
As we reviewed earlier, use promo codes and other tools to learn if listeners acted on your podcast advertising. For brand campaigns, monitor social channels for a bump in mentions, likes and shares.

5. Trust — and tap into — a host’s appeal
Letting a host deliver your ad allows listeners to hear your offer from a personality they like and trust. As a result, warm feelings evoked by a host may carry forward to your brand.
 

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Rising Star
BGOL Patreon Investor
Search for potential sponsors
Now that you understand who your listeners are, what they enjoy, and what turns them off, it’s time to hunt for potential sponsors who match.

Where can you find potential sponsors?

  • Browse the ads on website or blogs in your niche.
  • Check out companies who advertise in industry magazines.
  • Review businesses who purchase paid ads on social media.
  • Look out for any brand representatives who post in your online community/group.
  • Google for common phrases in your niche and check out the sponsored slots.
  • Ask your listeners what kinds of products they like and buy often.
One easy way to find sponsors is to listen to other podcasts in your niche and approach the companies who sponsor them. They’re already paying to reach that demographic of listeners, so they might be receptive to your proposal. Even if those companies don’t want to advertise with you, at least you’ll have a better idea of what kinds of companies to approach.

For example, let’s say you host a podcast about personal finance. Listen to a competing podcast and identify who sponsors them. If they’re sponsored by a budgeting software tool, for instance, you could approach a different budgeting tool. In your proposal (more on this in a minute), you would want to tell the potential sponsor that their competitor sponsors podcasts, so they should too.

Five more tips to find the right sponsors
Part of learning how to get podcast sponsors is trial and error. Use these five tips to land your first deal.

1. Don’t rule out the little guys
Your first sponsor (or any sponsor, for that matter) doesn’t have to be a big-name company that everyone knows. There are countless small businesses and solo founders who are desperate for advertising opportunities. In fact, your listeners may appreciate you more if you make them aware of lesser known companies who sell great products.


2. Don’t be too picky about price
Naturally you want to earn as much as you can from your ads, but don’t use revenue as your standard to pick sponsors. Prioritize the ones that fit your audience best so more of your listeners will engage with the ads. It’s better to sacrifice a few dollars to get ads your listeners enjoy.


3. Choose sponsors who don’t bore you
If promoting a sponsor will bore you because you don’t care about the product, it will bore your listeners too. You don’t have to fall in love with your sponsor, but you should be at least a little excited about them.


4. Stick to companies you respect
Your listeners will know right away if you don’t whole-heartedly recommend a product or service. Before you promote something, make sure you actually approve of that thing enough to stake your reputation on it. If you aren’t sure it’s a good product/service, ask for a sample from the sponsor so you can learn more about it.


5. Keep an open mind
There’s no single, surefire way to find sponsors. Some sponsors have clear programs for you to follow. Others are more flexible. As you hunt for sponsors, don’t be afraid to get creative and look in unusual places. Pitch potential sponsors who haven’t advertised before.


6. Consider a proof-of-concept sponsor
You may find it challenging to get paying sponsors without a history of results, especially if they want a clear idea of how much traffic you’ll send to their website and how well that traffic will convert.

Consider working with a brand for free for a short time as a proof-of-concept. Plug their company at the beginning, middle, and end of your podcast with a call-to-action to visit their site with a special link (that you can track) or a coupon code.

You don’t have to promote someone for free for long, just a few episodes to gather some data. This way you’ll be able to say “We drove $X revenue for our sponsor” or “We sent our sponsor X website visitors.” This kind of data will help you get sponsors in the future.


Step 3: Create your sponsorship proposal
Impress your potential sponsors with a proposal that exemplifies your personality and professionalism. For best results, fashion your pitch into a slide deck for sponsors to flip through.

Your proposal deck should include:

  • Title and logo of your podcast.
  • A summary of your podcast’s niche. Include episode length, subject, format, and any popular guests you’ve had on the show or interviews you’ve conducted.
  • 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. Make it clear that you’re open to their ideas too.
  • Your contact information.
Spirit Podcast’s pitch deck to attract new sponsors to their show.
When you make your first proposal slide deck, save a “master” version as a template. Then customize the template whenever you send it out to a new sponsor. Use specific language and imagery in the deck to connect with the potential sponsor.

For example, let’s say you host a podcast about computers. When you reach out to potential sponsors who sell Windows products, use images in your slide deck of PCs. But when you reach out to potential sponsors who sell Mac products, show photos of Macs.

It’s especially important to let your brand personality show in your proposal. If you want a sponsor your fans don’t hate, it’s important to find one who aligns with your personality and vision.

Step 4: Send your pitch
Once your proposal is ready, it’s time to email it to your list of potential sponsors. This will be the first interaction sponsors have with you and your business, so it’s important to compose a quality email.

Summarize some of the points from your presentation, like who you are and the kind of podcast you host. It’s also a good place to drop some names of popular people who have been on your show or you know listen to your show.

Most importantly, explain why sponsoring your show is a good opportunity for them and their audience. Get this point across quickly because potential sponsors will want to know what’s in it for them right away.

Before you email your proposal, it helps to create some other signals that you’re interested in their brand and their products. Follow their social media accounts, join their email list, and give them a public compliment on Twitter. These little actions will sweeten the deal.


Podcast sponsorship pitch template
We’ve put this pitch email together to give you an idea of what you should say in your first email.

Hi [SPONSOR NAME]
My name is John Doe and I’m the creator and host of Modern Ecommerce, a podcast about ecommerce growth and marketing.
I love your business and wanted to discuss working together to promote your company. We don’t have a sponsor at the moment, so you’ll find our rates attractive.
Our audience overlaps with yours substantially. In fact, some of our listeners already use your product. We believe we can drive a significant amount of targeted traffic to your website.
Each episode of our podcast is 30-45 minutes long. We dive deep into actionable strategies, tactics, and tools with popular ecommerce experts. We market each episode aggressively to our email list and across our social media channels, as well as our guests’ social media channels.
We average 2,000 downloads per episode. That number has been steadily climbing each week. We expect to reach 3,000 downloads per episode by mid-August.
If you’d like to check out our show, we recommend [EPISODE LINK], [EPISODE LINK], and [EPISODE LINK]. They will give you a feel for the type of content we produce.
I have attached a PDF with more information about our show, our audience, and our team. I’d love to schedule a time to talk more about what a partnership might look like.
Cheers,
John Doe
Naturally, you’ll want to customize that template for your own needs. Try not to come off like a corporate robot. Sponsors expect you to have a personality, so don’t be afraid to inject it into your pitch.

Finally, make sure to tweak your pitch over time as you learn more about your type of sponsors. Try to respond to their objections before they have them.

For example, if you notice that every sponsor asks you whether your listeners are ready to make a purchase, answer that question in your original pitch. This will make you seem like a perfect fit early in your relationship.


Step 5: Follow up with potential sponsors
Just because a potential sponsor doesn’t respond to your pitch doesn’t mean you should abandon all hope. Your message could have just gotten lost in their inbox. There’s a good chance they receive a lot of pitches and just need time to get through them.
Send follow up emails seven days after your original pitch. Politely ask them for an answer to your pitch, even if they intend to decline your offer.
Most people appreciate a follow-up email, so don’t worry about annoying anyone. If a sponsor does grow annoyed at your persistence, well, they weren’t going to sponsor you anyway, so you won’t lose anything.
End you're follow up graciously. Let them know they’re welcome to contact you at any time. Then move on to other opportunities.

Here’s useful follow-up template:

Hi [SPONSOR NAME],
I sent an email last week about possibly working together to promote your company. I just wanted to follow up to make sure you didn’t miss my email. I believe your product would be a great fit for my audience and we could have a prosperous relationship.
Tell what you think or if you have any ideas. I understand if you refuse, but please let me know either way.
Thanks again for your time!
Cheers,
John Doe
 
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