How To Get Podcast Sponsors For Your Podcast
In the world of podcasting, it is considered the holy grail when you learn how to get podcast sponsors.
If you don’t know what a podcast sponsor is, put simply, it’s when you’re paid to give a company a short commercial spot of either fifteen or thirty seconds on your show.
Usually, the commercial is recorded by the show host and helps the sponsor get recognition from your audience of faithful podcast listeners.
How To Get Podcast Sponsors To Work For You
Learning how to get podcast sponsors is touted as the most lucrative way to make money via podcasting, but though I disagree.
There are many great ways to make money from a podcast.
However, I still think learning how to get podcast sponsors is an excellent way to add another income stream to your business.
Since a podcast sponsorship income stream can help you earn $50-$100,000 a month, it’s good to consider podcast sponsors as one more way to make money with your podcast.
In the case of someone like Tim Ferris or Joe Rogan, this income stream equals millions of extra dollars annually.
And in the case of someone like Pat Flynn, it’s added hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to his pocket.
5 Types Of Sponsors To Consider When Looking At How To Get Podcast Sponsors
Before we dive into how to get podcast sponsors, let me say this, getting podcast sponsors often takes a lot of work.
After having numerous podcast sponsors myself, I know this firsthand.
While I’ve had clients who figured out how to get podcast sponsors before they even launched a show, usually it doesn’t work out to be a fast process.
I don’t want to dissuade you; I want you to be prepared to put in some effort.
As you’re planning and researching how to get podcast sponsors, let me share with you the five types of podcast sponsors.
#1. Your Hosting Can Be A Podcast Sponsor
Your podcast host offers a service to connect with you a sponsor. Hosting sites like Libsyn and Podbean offer this to their paid users.
Personally, having looked at these services, I know they don’t pay that well and are hard to land.
#2. A Company Asks To Be A Podcast Sponsor
A company or individual seeks you out to buy a podcast sponsorship spot.
In my experience, this rarely happens. It’s likely you’ll need to be more proactive than just hoping your show reaches the right person who will then message you and ask to buy a commercial spot.
#3. Your Big Show Brings In A Podcast Sponsor
Do you have a big show, boasting at least one-hundred thousand highly engaged listeners? If so, you can contract a professional company like Midroll to acquire, close and manage podcast sponsors for you.
If you have a show with the right metrics and don’t have the time or patience to handle the legwork with landing paid podcast sponsors – this route could be a great fit.
#4. Your Listeners Donate As Podcast Sponsors
Another thing to consider when looking at how to get podcast sponsors is through your listeners.
You can ask your listeners to make donations.
While donations are not exactly a sponsor, they can still fulfill the role of a sponsor.
You could use a service like Patreon to have listeners make contributions and donations to your podcast.
Maybe you’ve seen this method before; like when PBS or NPR asks listeners to make donations, and that helps keep the show and programs in production.
And if you’d like to learn more about this option, here’s an article to help you get started.
#5. You Pitch Podcast Sponsors
Another thing to consider when looking at how to get podcast sponsors is you can pitch podcast sponsors yourself and land them.
In this case, you’re one hundred responsible, and in turn, you reap the full rewards when you acquire a sponsor.
Below you’ll find the five steps on how to get a podcast sponsor through pitching.
5 Steps On How To Get A Podcast Sponsor Through Pitching
Want to know how to get podcast sponsors that pay you, and sponsors who give you free stuff in exchange for sponsorship spots on your show?
Some sponsors may choose to give you free stuff rather than money.
For example, one of our podcast guests, Erica Duran, shared that instead of having paid sponsors she accepted gifts of week-long stays in resorts and reimbursed for travel excursions.
The obvious upside to this method is that a company may be more likely to give away free services than money.
With a hotel stay, a flight, or some product made by the company – it may not even cost them anything.
But the service or product may be extremely valuable to you, so the trade works out very well.
Whatever you decide, trade or straight out payment of cash, the process of securing a sponsor yourself is still the same.
Let’s get started, here’s how to get podcast sponsors through pitching – In just five steps.
Step One – How To Get A Podcast Sponsor Through Pitching: Start By Making Your List Of Possible Sponsors
Like you did when you first thought about who you’d want to interview, make a list of potential podcast sponsors you’d like to have.
In your list, I encourage you to do your best to put down anything from highly-unlikely sponsors like big brands to potential sponsors of people you know.
When you think about people you know, you can also consider people who you’ve had on your show, or would likely come on your show as possible podcast sponsors.
While it may seem odd to jot down the names of people you already know, your acquaintances are most likely to pay for a sponsorship spot on your show.
Just like they teach in almost all sales classes, it’s your close circle that is most likely to become your first clients.
Consider Brands And Products Your Audience Will Vibe With
On your list, I also want you to consider companies and brands that your audience will likely vibe well with.
For example, my show Thriving Launch is a podcast made for business owners and entrepreneurs who want to boost their online presence.
Since my audience includes soon-to-be podcasters or people with a show, my list includes companies that sell podcasting equipment. In your case, your list should ideally include highly synergistic companies to become sponsors of your show.
The More Aligned Your Show Is With A Product, The More Likely They’ll Become Sponsors
Start by thinking of companies that sell stuff your audience is already buying, or if they know about the product or service, they will become clients of that company.
The more aligned your show is with the sponsor’s offers – the more likely they’ll pay for a commercial spot on your show.
If your show is about weight loss – maybe consider weight loss supplements companies, exercise equipment, gyms, meal plan companies, fitness professionals with programs, or nutritionists who want to reach a bigger audience.
Similarly, if your show is about dating, your list could include dating websites, relationship coaches, matchmakers, and things that singles would like to buy or learn about.
Make your list; it’s the first step of landing a podcast sponsor.
Step Two: Make A List Of Why A Podcast Sponsor Would Pay To Be On Your Show
Before you can pitch, make a sale, or collect money – you need to know what makes you the ideal matchup.
Before any sale happens, you have to know very clearly – what does my show have that will make a company want to pay for a commercial spot.
When we want something from someone we need to be able to convince the other person that the pros of going with us are in their favor.
When it comes to pitching sponsors, you need to know this well.
A few examples of why someone might pay for a sponsorship spot are:
✅You have an ideal audience.
✅You have had guests that give their brand more prestige.
✅Your show has been featured in reputable outlets that the sponsor respects.
✅You have fantastic download numbers (if you don’t have a big audience – don’t worry I’ll show you ways around this).
✅You have already had sponsors just like them.
✅You have an email list that will be lucrative for the sponsor.
✅You have a social media following that the sponsor will benefit from being exposed to.
✅Your show has a lot of views and listens on one or all of these places; iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, TuneIn FM Radio, and SoundCloud.
✅You have a Facebook group of the sponsor’s target audience.
✅You have a thriving blog and can give your sponsor backlinks on podcast show notes and blog pages (read here to learn about show notes).
✅You are great at running ads and can drive clicks with your podcast and ads combined for an extra appealing partnership.
✅This is just the beginning of reasons you could come up, but as you’ll notice each reason is about the benefits to the sponsor. Everything on your list should somehow help you see a positive reward for your podcast sponsor.
✅If you have an email and the sponsorship deal includes an email shout-out, the upside is you’ll give them exposure through another medium and it’ll produce website clicks and buyers (or email opt-ins).
✅When you mention a link on your podcast show notes and blog, you promise an increase in SEO juice as well as more website clicks to their website (or link of their choosing).
The more you are familiar with the benefits and have a solid rationale behind the pros of doing business together, the more likely you’ll get an easy yes.
Step Three: Review Your List And Pick Your Best Podcast Sponsor Candidates
Now that you have a list of benefits and a list of potential sponsors – it’s time to pick who you’ll pitch.
Who on your list are you noticing is a good match?
Which of those people on that list are likely to respond?
Who on that list excites you to reach out to (even if it might be a long-shot)?
It’s time to pick out a few people you’ll pitch, but before you send that email or make that phone call, let me show you how to prepare.
For now, make a few checkmarks next to your most ideal candidates.
Step Four: Gather Data Before You Pitch A Podcast Sponsor
Just like in a podcast guest pitch, you need to find the information for the person you want to invite on your show – you’ll need to find the information about your ideal sponsors.
You need to get the email address of someone who can make a decision, and you need to reach them.
By looking at their website contact page and their social media pages, I can gather lots of important information about contacting them.
Next, I like to use data mining tools like Email Hunter to get the specific emails of the decision-makers.
During your search, try to identify who the key decision-maker is.
In smaller companies, you’ll be able to speak with the CEO or whoever handles human resources. In slightly bigger companies you may want to identify who the head of marketing.
If a company is big and you can’t easily decipher who it is you’d contact, you can go to Linkedin and type in the name of the company and look at their company page.
When you reach out, it’s good to know who it is you need to speak to, in sales and landing sponsors this helps fast-line you to the decision-maker.
Step Five: Putting It All Together To Land Your Podcast Sponsors
Now, you’ve got the why and how for landing sponsors.
You know why sponsors would want to pay you and you how to reach out to them (using email hunter and gathering data via their website and Linkedin).
Let’s move onto crafting your pitch.
The Email Subject Line
In your email pitch, you should include a good subject line that will encourage the reader to open the email.
A strong subject line should appeal to the person who will receive the email.
So, if you have bought the product of the company or person, your subject line could be: “I love X product.” As a business owner, anyone who loves my products interests me, and I’ll open the email.
Another strategy for an email subject line is mentioning some recent win you saw the company had.
For example, if the company was featured in a major magazine, you might make your subject line: “Loved your article in Forbes.”
The idea is, the subject line needs to appeal to the person who will open it.
Want To Know How To Get A Podcast Sponsor? Use This Pitch Template
Next, is your pitch – in this part you’re going to try to get them on a phone call.
A short, simple pitch like this can work great – and worked for me.
Hi [Name]
[Start with a compliment that is genuine and concise].
I am a big fan of the ATR2100 microphone; I love it so much I purchased five of them.
[Next, briefly state who you are – and the value proposition]
I run a hit podcast show and would love to speak with you because I have an audience who would love more of your microphones. And I’d like to tell my audience about how amazing they are.
[Ask to get on a phone call]
Would you be open to a short phone call to discuss the opportunity?
That’s it – short and sweet.
Now, don’t copy this verbatim. Add your own words to it, but essentially short and sweet wins the deal and gets you on the phone.
Then when you’re on the phone, you can discuss the sponsorship opportunity.
You can share with them the pros of working with you and you can use that list we made earlier.
Wrapping It Up – How Much To Charge Podcast Sponsors
What you charge a podcast sponsor depends on you and the value you can bring.
That’s hard to determine, isn’t it?
When people search for what to charge for podcast sponsors, they usually find the CPM model, which is charge a set dollar amount per one thousand listeners.
In my opinion, I’m not a fan of that model for most podcasts.
If you have a thousand listens per episode and your audience is highly engaged, that could be worth a lot more than a show that has ten thousand listeners per show that won’t be active.
Instead of using the CPM model of per one thousand listeners, I prefer to charge a set amount per episode.
Some podcaster clients of mine started by charging a few thousand dollars per episode.
They didn’t have big shows, but they had great niche audiences and could easily make a case for why their sponsorship spots cost that amount.
Come Up With A Price That Works For You
Other podcasters that I know started by charging sponsors $100 per episode and included links to the sponsor on the show notes.
Another podcaster I know held a bidding war where interested parties could bid on a sponsorship spot for a whole month. He made a few thousand dollars from sponsors before he even launched his podcast by doing this.
Whatever you charge, I recommend you put together some kind of package where a sponsor gets a commercial spot plus some links on your website.
You come up with a price you think you can sell that at, and once you make one sale sell it again but make it cost more.
Now that you’ve read this much, it’s likely you’re clear – You Want To Make Money Podcasting, and I have the answer. Sponsors are a good start, but there are Many Ways Podcasters Make Money.
If you’d like to master those income streams and have them work for you, you can pick up the Launch A Podcast Guide.
And if you’re to busy to go through all the reading and video watching, you might be ready to hire a coach to take you all the way – you can message me by email or even on meet me on Facebook via my private profile too (so that you know I’m a real person).
