Podcasting Q&A

Pitching a Podcast Sponsor: How to Write a Winning Pitch Email

• Buzzsprout

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In this episode, we give tips on how to craft the perfect pitch email to grab the attention of a potential sponsor. 

TIPS FOR MAKING A GOOD FIRST IMPRESSION

  1. Do your research: look into the brand to be sure they are a good fit & customize the pitch with information about the potential sponsor
  2. Look the part: use a pitch deck or one-pager to show you mean business! Check out our previous episode about how to make a pitch deck or one-pager here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/328913/10857825
  3. Be clear & confident: be concise, friendly, & confident in the way you write your email


CREATE AN EMAIL TEMPLATE
Creating a word document and saving it as a template to copy & paste into the body of an email will save lots of time!

A pitch email should have three basic things: 

  • Podcast name and a brief description
  • Why you think the sponsor would be a good fit
  • Links to the podcast website & socials

Remember, be personable and friendly!

Things to avoid:

  • Complaining about how hard it is to find sponsorships
  • Including large attachments such as audio files or press kits 
  • Asking for too many sponsorships upfront


WHERE TO FIND SPONSORS:

Cold Email

  • Target emails to appropriate brands
  • Listen to other podcasts in your niche to find brands interested in podcast advertising
  • Try finding a local company with a digital storefront

Podcast Ad Marketplace

Agency or Network Representation


Have a question?
Record & submit your question at podinbox.com/buzzsprout to be featured on a future episode!

Podcasting Q&A is hosted by Jordan Blair @jordanpods

Jordan:

Many podcasters feel insecure when it comes to pitching their podcast for a sponsorship, it can be difficult to know where to start or what to include in a pitch email. I'm Jordan host of Podcasting Q&A, where we answer your questions about how to start, grow, and monetize a podcast. When getting a sponsorship for your podcast, a lot of times you'll have to pitch your podcast to a potential sponsor. So here are some tips to increase your chances of securing a sponsorship for your podcast. No matter what your podcast is, if you're looking for a potential sponsor, you'll want to make a good first impression. After all, first impressions are important and you want your sponsor to see how awesome your podcast is. Here are a few tips to help you make a good impression. Number one, do your research. Before you even approach a potential sponsor, makes sure you know everything there is to know about their company and what they're looking for in a sponsorship ways to make sure the sponsor is a good fit for you and you're a good fit for them is to take a few minutes to read through their website and look at their social media accounts. Doing this research will not only ensure that your values and branding align, but also give information to Make Your Pitch more custom tailored to them. Number two, look the part. One way to really set your podcast apart and look good doing it is to include a pitch deck or one pager that has the podcast information detailed out in an aesthetically pleasing way. I covered how to create a podcast pitch deck or one pager in the Podcasting Q&A episode before this one, and we'll link to it in the show notes. Number three, be clear and confident. When pitching your podcast to a potential sponsor. Be concise, friendly and confident in what you're saying. This will show the sponsor that you know how to convey a message to your audience and give them affirmation that they have chosen the right podcast to spread the word about their company. So let's move on to crafting a pitch email. Sending emails to sponsors can be time consuming. So I recommend creating a Word document and saving it as a template to copy and paste into the body of an email. And then you can edit however you need for each sponsor. A pitch email should have three basic things. First, the podcast name and a brief description of your podcast. Second, why you think the sponsor would be a good fit, and maybe put in a personal story as well. And third, links to the podcast website and socials. When creating your email template, make sure that it sounds personable and unique to you and your podcast. Some things to avoid are complaining about how hard it is to find sponsorships, or including large attachments such as audio files or press kits, or asking for too many sponsorships upfront. These kinds of things could potentially turn a sponsor away from you. So here's how a pitch email for Podcasting Q&A Might sound: "Hi there, my name is Jordan. I'm the host of Podcasting Q&A, a podcast where we answer your listener questions about how to start, grow and monetize a podcast. I am a huge fan of super duper microphones, and know that my listeners will love your microphones as well. I was wondering if you might be interested in working with me to promote your brand by sponsoring an episode or two of the podcast. If you'd like to have a listen, visit our website at pqa.buzzsprout.com. I have attached a one pager with more information on the podcast, pricing and audience demographics if you'd like some more information. I look forward to hearing from you soon!" That sounds pretty good, right? When you're ready to pitch your podcast to a brand, simply copy and paste your template into the message body edit with customized information for that company, attach your pitch deck or one pager and send you'll likely have to do this many, many times just to get one sponsor, but it's well worth it and practice makes perfect. So you've got your pitch template looking good. But now you need to find some brands looking to sponsor podcasts. There's three primary ways you can go about this. First is a cold email. To better your odds of having success. Try targeting your emails to appropriate brands. Listen to other podcasts in your niche and create a list of the companies that are sponsoring them. Do a quick Google search of the brand to try and find the appropriate email to send the pitch to. You can also try finding a local company that operates digitally and use your locale to make a connection. This method of finding a sponsor is time consuming, but it also takes 0% of your advertising income because you've done all the work. The second place to find sponsors is the podcast ad marketplace. Podcast ad marketplaces are a great option if you're still not sure about going out and spending Hold emails to brands that may not be interested in podcast advertising. The companies listed on marketplace sites are active participants in the podcast advertising space, so your odds are a little better at scoring a deal. When using ad marketplaces, you can expect somewhere around 10 to 30% of your ad revenue to go to them in exchange for using their platform. One example of a marketplace is Podcorn, Podcorn lists sponsorship opportunities, and then podcasters who think they would be a good fit send a pitch right on the platform. Though there are loads of sponsors on their site. There's also high competition in these spaces, so make sure you're willing to pitch to many sponsors and follow up each week. Another example that works a little differently is Gumball with their service the brands browse podcasts and purchase the ad slots, which means the podcasters profile will serve as a pitch to any brands browsing, and finally, agency or network representation. Signing up with a podcast advertising agency or network is a great way to sit back, relax and have someone else pitch your podcast for you. Depending on the company or network, they may require shows with 200 monthly downloads minimum all the way up to 30,000 downloads minimum! Advertising companies usually charge about 30% commission from your sponsorships, but it can be well worth it for the time and work save finding and getting paid by sponsors. Some examples of agencies or networks for podcasters are Advertisecast, Midroll, and True Native Media. By following these simple tips, you should be able to secure a sponsorship for your podcast in no time. I hope this episode of Podcasting Q&A has been helpful to you. If you have a question you'd like us to answer on a future episode, go to podinbox.com/buzzsprout or click the link in the show notes to leave us an audio message. And as always, Keep podcasting