Knowing how to find podcast sponsors is an important skill for any podcaster. This can feel daunting, but don’t worry. I’m here to help! In this post, I’ll give you some tips on finding and approaching potential sponsors for your podcast.

I also have a free 5-part email series teaching you how to get your first sponsor.

Do your research.

Before you start reaching out to companies, do your homework and ensure that the company is a good fit for your podcast. Take a look at their website and social media accounts to get a feel for their brand.

Are they something that you would feel comfortable representing? Is your audience likely to be interested in their products or services? If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then they might be worth approaching as a potential sponsor.

Also, consider your own audience… Who are you trying to reach with your show? What are their interests? What demographics do they fall into? Once you understand who your target audience is, you can start to narrow down potential sponsors that would be a good fit for your show. Research is essential in knowing how to find podcast sponsors.

Make a list of companies.

Once you’ve done your research and you have a good sense of what kind of companies would be a good fit for your podcast, it’s time to make a list of potential sponsors. I often use Airtable for managing that list.

A great way to find companies to approach is by searching Twitter with relevant keywords. For example, if you have a baking podcast, you could search “food Twitter” or “baking Twitter” to find relevant companies. You can also look on LinkedIn or conduct a Google search.

You can also find podcast sponsors by listening to other podcasts in your industry to find out which companies are sponsoring them. The same goes for branded content in your industry or paid traffic campaigns. Companies that pay for ads will likely also pay for sponsoring your podcast!

Reach out to potential sponsors.

Now that you have a list of potential sponsors, it’s time to reach out! The best way to do this is by emailing the company directly (you can usually find the email address of the person in charge of marketing on the company’s website or via LinkedIn).

In your email, introduce yourself and your podcast and explain why you think the company would be a good fit as a sponsor. If you want to do cold email at scale, I recommend reading the Lemlist cold email templates and adapting them to your tone of voice.

Keep your message short and sweet.

When you’re cold messaging someone, the last thing you want to do is overwhelm them with a long, rambling message. Keep your opening paragraph short and to the point.

Start by introducing yourself and explaining why you’re reaching out. Then, give them a brief overview of what you want to discuss. If you can pique their interest in just a few sentences, you’ll be far more likely to get a response. 

Be professional… but not too professional.

While it’s important to come across as professional, you also don’t want to sound like a stiff robot. After all, part of the reason people listen to podcasts is for the personal connection they provide. So when you’re writing your cold message, strike a balance between sounding like a real person and maintaining a level of professionalism. The best way to do this is by using proper grammar and avoiding slang or overly casual language. 

Know your stuff.

One of the quickest ways to turn someone off is by coming across as unprepared or uninformed.

Before you start drafting your message, do your research and know what you’re talking about. What is it about their work that interests you? What specific points do you want to discuss? Having a firm understanding of both their work and your own will help ensure that your message comes across as sincere and well-thought-out. 

Be sure to include links to your website and social media accounts so they can learn more about you and your show. It can also be helpful to include statistics about your audience (e.g., age, location, interests) so the company can get an idea of who they would be reaching by sponsoring your podcast.

Learning how to find podcast sponsors also means learning how to present your audience so that a potential sponsor can easily evaluate how relevant your audience is to them.

Don’t forget to follow up! If you don’t hear back from the company within a week or two, send them another email or give them a call.

Negotiate a deal.

Once you’ve found a sponsor that you think would be a good fit for your show, it’s time to negotiate a deal. When negotiating terms, be sure to consider things like the length of the sponsorship, the amount of money you’re willing to pay, and any other conditions that need to be met (e.g., mentions in your show notes). If everything goes well, you should be able to reach an agreement that benefits both parties involved.

Do your research on pricing & perks.

The first step in negotiating a sponsorship deal is to do your research. You need to have a good understanding of what your podcast is worth to potential sponsors. Even if you know how to find podcast sponsors, you’ll struggle to get deals if you don’t price your packages accordingly.

A good place to start is by looking at other similar podcasts and seeing what deals they’ve been able to secure. This will give you a baseline idea of what you should shoot for. Once you understand the going rate, you can start thinking about what extra value you can offer potential sponsors. Maybe your podcast has particular demographics that would be attractive to certain brands, or maybe you’re willing to wear their t-shirt during your intro/outro. Whatever it is, ensure you have a solid understanding of your worth before moving on to the next step.

Prepare your pitch.

Once you know what your podcast is worth, it’s time to start preparing your pitch. This is where you’ll sell potential sponsors on why they should invest in your show. In addition to going over basic stats like download numbers, this is also where you’ll talk about the unique value that your podcast offers. Remember, sponsorship deals are all about the sponsor’s ROI (return on investment), so make sure your pitch emphasizes how sponsoring your show will help them reach their own goals and objectives.

Be ready to negotiate.

Chances are, the first offer that potential sponsors give you isn’t going to be their best offer. And that’s okay! It’s all part of the negotiation process. So, when they come back with an initial offer, be prepared to counter with a number that’s closer to what you’re actually hoping for. The key here is not to get too attached to any one number. Be flexible and be willing to compromise so that both parties can walk away happy with the final deal.

Securing sponsorship deals can be a great way to monetize your podcast and take it to the next level. Any new income stream helps you recession-proof your business and lifestyle.

But if you want to be successful, it’s important that you go into negotiations prepared. Do your research, craft a strong pitch, and be ready to compromise so that both you and the sponsor are happy with the final deal.

Finding sponsors for your podcast doesn’t have to be difficult – just do your research, make a list of potential sponsors, and reach out! By following these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to monetizing your show.

If you want more guidance, step-by-step instructions, and templates for pitches and contracts that closed me $100k+ in brand deals, check out my Get Your First Sponsor course.