Building a loyal audience for your podcast is an accomplishment to celebrate! But as your listenership grows or as you’re growing, you might consider monetizing your passion project through advertising. Wokpa empowers creators with powerful tools, and attracting external ads is a great way to take your podcast to the next level.
If you’ve ever listened to a podcast or a radio station or watched a YouTube video, you’ve likely noticed an ad wedged in there somewhere. Even if the host cleverly integrated it as part of their script, you could tell they were promoting a product that wasn’t theirs.
As you know, Podcasting is a relatively new medium that has seen a boom in recent years
Many businesses have made use of this powerful tool to help promote their brands through influencer marketing. But how do podcasters connect with companies for sponsorship deals? How do you get ads to run on your podcast?
Fortunately, you don’t need hundreds of thousands of downloads to tap into podcast advertising. If you’re new to podcasting and are wondering how to get ads for your podcast, this post is for you. In this article, we’ll break down the most popular ways you get connected with brands and start monetizing your show.
Want to learn more about how you can benefit from podcast advertising? Keep reading!
Benefits of podcast ads
Podcast advertising is a win-win for the podcaster and the business. Businesses get to promote their product to a niche market, so they save on marketing costs. As a podcaster, you get funding (who doesn’t want to get paid doing what they love?), the chance to build your listener base, and the potential to grow your network for future business opportunities.
So how do you get started? The following section will cover everything you need to know.
How to get ads on your podcast on Wokpa
It’s important to note that we’re diving into these steps, assuming you already have quality content that is consistent and listener-focused. Before you think about monetization, ensure your content is up to par with the others in your niche. Use a podcast content quality checklist to make sure you’re ready to advertise.
If your podcast is ready for ads and now you’re wondering how to get ads for your podcast, here are the 4 most popular ways:
1. Get approached by sponsors
Picture this. You’re at your desk drafting the script for an upcoming episode when you receive an email from a local business asking if they can pay you to promote their product. Sounds great, right?
When a sponsor approaches you, you don’t have to do any of the leg work. Instead, the sponsors pitch to your brand.
Depending on your podcast’s popularity, you may have some businesses approach you to ask if they can use you as part of an influencer marketing campaign. Influencer marketing is when a brand uses a popular face or voice to promote its product. Ideally, this suits podcasters who have an established listener base within their niche.
Benefits and drawbacks
A benefit of this method is that you don’t have to make a pitch and can avoid facing the sting of rejection. The issue lies in its passivity; you have to wait to be approached instead of making the first move yourself. This may not work well for newer podcasts and podcasters with smaller audiences.
2. Pitch to sponsors and businesses directly
In a podcaster’s perfect world, businesses would approach you and beg you to promote their product or service. If you’re wondering how to get ads for your podcast, we’ll tell you that, in reality, it’s not always that easy.
Most times, you will have to make direct pitches to businesses you want to work with. It’s more work, but you can find sponsors related to your niche that you want to collaborate with.
It’s important to take note of who you’re reaching out to and do your research. We’ve all heard of the PR horror stories when a brand partners with the wrong business, and it tarnishes its reputation. Ensure the companies you pitch to are ones you’d be confident supporting.
This method is excellent for all podcasters but especially hosts with an existing network of businesses to pitch to, and those who want to keep the entire monetization revenue.
Benefits and drawbacks
The benefit here is that you don’t have to wait to be approached; instead, you can choose who you want to work with. Connecting and communicating directly with a business can develop the sponsorship relationship into a much closer business partnership. You also get to keep the full revenue from all the monetization on your podcast.
This approach can often result in a lot of rejection, especially if you’re a smaller show. Many companies may not want to work with a solo podcaster who isn’t part of an official network unless they have a large existing following.
3. Join a podcasting network
Joining a podcasting network, like Wokpa, for example, allows you to get matched with the right sponsors without having to pitch to brands on your own. When you join the network, they will assist you with sponsorship partnerships. The ideal podcaster is anyone willing to join, and pay the podcast network and a percentage of your commission.
Benefits and drawbacks
It’s a lot easier to find sponsors through a network, and you don’t have to face rejection from multiple sponsors. Also, since the sponsors you connect with will have to register with the network, you can avoid getting ripped off. Podcast networks are focused on helping you get the most out of podcast advertising.
For the skeptics wondering what the catch is, it’s this: easy access to sponsors is too good to be free. While finding sponsorships is easier, you will have to pay the network a percentage of your commission. Every network’s percentage differs so always check the fine print before signing a contract.
4. Try an ads marketplace
If you’re wondering how to easily get ads on your podcast, you could try an ads marketplace. This is a popular feature on some podcasting networks. Marketplaces allow sponsors to choose podcasts to advertise with.
Benefits and drawbacks
While podcast networks will often take a part of the commission, you have easy access to countless sponsorship opportunities. Depending on the network, there may not be an ads marketplace feature, and if there is, you may not have control over which ads run with your show. It’s advisable to always check beforehand.
Takeaway
Whether you’ve been hunting for sponsors or only recently considered monetization, getting ads on your podcast doesn’t have to be complicated. Podcast monetization has several benefits, but the biggest one is getting paid to build your brand.
Ensure you actively:
- Leverage social media: Promote your podcast across platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Utilize relevant hashtags to reach potential listeners and advertisers alike.
- Network with other podcasters: Collaborate with podcasters in your niche or complementary niches. Cross-promotion can expose your podcast to a wider audience and potentially attract advertising opportunities.
