How to get podcast sponsorships and get podcast sponsors with Debbie Arcangeles.

How To Get Podcast Sponsorships With Debbie Arcangeles: 5 Steps To Work With Brands – Episode 1

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Are you looking to make more money with your podcast by working with brands? If so, Debbie Arcangeles has firsthand experience to share with you on how to get podcast sponsorships. As the host of The Offbeat Life Podcast, Debbie quit her nine-to-five and became location independent by monetizing her podcast. In this podcast episode, Debbie shares six steps for Women of Color to work with brands effectively. Learn how to get the most out of your show and reach your goals by getting sponsors.  

Debbie Arcangeles was living the “American Dream” but felt something was missing. She started a podcast as a hobby, but when she was approached by a brand shortly after, Debbie knew she had to seize the opportunity. Debbie realized that with the right audience, she could turn her podcast into a business. She began working with brands and negotiating deals. Debbie now works with her clients to find the freedom she once sought, creating an income that works with their ideal location-independent lifestyle.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

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Support the podcast by joining us on Patreon or buying us a coffee.

In this podcast episode, we cover how to get podcast sponsorships:  

  • [3:04] How podcasting has changed since Debbie started in 2017.
  • [4:14] When Debbie knew her podcast had the potential to be more? 
  • [7:25] Why it’s not about having a large audience but the right audience.
  • [10:32] What brands are typically looking for when working with podcasters? 
  • [12:59] Is creating a media kit necessary? If so, what sort of details should you include?
  • [15:35] How to make our podcasts more attractive to brands? 
  • [27:28] How to know you are ready to invest in a podcast coach?

A special thank you to our partners and supporters.

How To Work With Brands & Land Podcast Sponsorships

How to get podcast sponsors – here are five steps to follow.

  • Understand your target audience.
  • Create content that answers the questions they have.
  • Create a media kit that highlights your brand and experience.
  • Reach out to brands that align with your message.
  • Negotiate and explain why you should work together.  
  • Helpful Tip: Be consistent and have patience.

1. Understand your audience

The first step for podcasting as a business is understanding your audience. Debbie started her podcast to explore the lifestyle of remote work and location independence. She did her research, spoke with inspiring people, and listened to other podcasts in order to understand her ideal audience.

To ensure your podcast is attractive to brands, understand the questions and topics your ideal audience is interested in. This can be done by researching online, joining Facebook groups, surveying listeners, and speaking with people who have the same goals and interests as your ideal audience.

Consistency is also important, as it takes time to build an audience and see results.

2. Create content that answers the questions listeners have.

Debbie says, “Your content either has to be helpful or it’s entertaining, or it can be both.”

To understand your audience, research to determine what kind of content they are looking for.

Ask these important questions:

1. What are their interests?

2. What kind of content do they want to hear about?

3. Which pieces of existing content are performing the best?

Reviewing your analytics will help you understand how well your content is performing and signals what learners are most interested in.

Once you have a better understanding of your target audience, you can create both helpful and entertaining content. This content should answer their questions and keep them engaged, coming back for more.

3. Create a podcast media kit.

Next create a podcast media kit that showcases your audience and the topics you cover, as brands will often request this.

Reviews from your listeners can be a great way to show potential sponsors the impact your podcast has had on your audience. Additionally, any experience you have with other companies will help demonstrate you are capable of working with big brands.

Other important things to include in a podcast media kit includes a short bio, who your audience is, downloads (total and average), experience working with other brands and testimonials if you have any. This will help potential sponsors determine if your audience is the right fit for their product or service.

Create beautifully designed podcast media kits with the 2023 Podcast Planner which includes a media kit checklist and Canva templates so you can spend less time designing and more time moving your business forward.

Tailor your media kit to each company

Creating a tailored media kit for each company is a great way to showcase your podcast and highlight the most important aspects of your show that is relevant to the brand.

A great way to do this is by highlighting what makes you and your show stand out. This could be the topics you cover, the style of presentation, or the production quality. You can also include any awards your podcast has won or any press coverage you have received.

Additionally, if you have any current partnerships, or if you have worked with any brands in the past, this is a great way to show you have a successful podcast.

4. Reach out to brands that align with your message.

Debbie says, “Make sure you’re reaching out to brands that really align with your message, and that’s also what they’re looking for.”

Once you have solidified your podcast content and finalized your media kit, it’s time to reach out to brands that are a good fit for your audience. Send them a pitch outlining the value you can bring to their brand.

By creating a tailored pitch for each company, you are showing you have put in the effort to understand their needs. This will help demonstrate to potential sponsors you are serious about your show and you have the necessary knowledge and skills to create a successful and engaging campaign.

It also shows you are willing to go the extra mile to make sure your podcast is successful and you are a reliable partner.

Don’t be discouraged if brands don’t respond right away, as it can take time to build relationships and get podcast sponsorships.

Demonstrate how your podcast can be beneficial to them. When reaching out, make sure to explain how your podcast and audience can help with their brand awareness and purchases, and spell out the ROI (return on investment).

Keep in mind that it may take some time to find the perfect fit, so don’t give up! As you continue to create content, your podcast will only get better and more attractive to brands.

5. Negotiate and explain why you should work together.

Negotiating with a brand and explaining why you should work together is an important step in setting up a successful podcast sponsorship. Once you’ve made contact with a brand and they’ve expressed interest in working with you, it’s time to start negotiating and explaining why you should work together. Be sure to speak to the benefits of your podcast for the brand, such as brand awareness and the potential for click-throughs (no guarantees, though).

Outline the scope of the sponsorship: how the brand will be featured and how long the campaign will last. This could include a podcast intro, episode mentions, or a 30-second ad spot. Outline your expectations, as well as any deadlines you may have. Setting a timeline will help ensure you and the brand are on the same page and understand what each party expects from the partnership.

By being upfront and professional throughout the negotiation process, you’ll be able to explain why you should work together and secure the podcast sponsorship.

By working with brands, Women of Color can create campaigns and initiatives that bring visibility to causes they care about and help brands spread their message.

To work with brands effectively, it is important to understand your target audience, reach out to brands that align with your message, create a tailored media kit that showcases your audience and content, and be consistent.

“I’m almost at five years and we’re still steadily growing.”

Believe in yourself and take action – you can achieve the similar success as Debbie Arcangeles, become location independent and monetize your podcast!

Listen to this podcast episode on Spotify.

About Debbie Arcangeles

Debbie Arcangeles is a podcast coach and the host of The Offbeat Life, a top rated travel podcast and website. Debbie is passionate about helping experienced podcasters scale their online businesses through profitable podcasting. She has partnered with brands like Johnson and Johnson, Visit Maine, and many other brands. As a podcast coach, Debbie helps experienced podcasters scale their online businesses through profitable podcasts.

Memorable Quotes

  • “It’s very important for you to not only just want something but for you to actually do something about it.”
  • “You could have a podcast that gets listened to by a million people every month, but if only a handful of them are the ideal customers for that brand, it doesn’t really mean anything to them, right?” – Debbie Arcangeles
  • “If you love it, just continue to do it. And at the end of the day, the money is great, but you have to focus on something that you also enjoy so that this could have longevity.” – Debbie Arcangeles
  • “Make sure that you’re reaching out to brands that really align with your message. If your podcast doesn’t make sense with that company, then they’re not going to want to work with you.” – Debbie Arcangeles
  • “I’m a big believer that action is so much more important than book learning.” – Debbie Arcangeles

Listen to this podcast episode to learn more about Debbie Arcangeles on The Thought Card Podcast!

Resources Mentioned

  • How to Create a Profitable Podcast – a guide that shares Debbie’s proven strategies that will help you start a profitable podcast right from the beginning.
  • 2023 Podcast Planner – this bundle includes a customizable Google Sheets podcast production planner and downloads tracker, various sponsorship pitch templates, a media kit checklist, and more.

What other tips do you have for landing podcast sponsorships?

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