I get it, there are just so many podcasts out there.
So many people that set aside an hour a week (or maybe two), head down to their little studio (which might just be their bedroom, I’m not judging), and talk into a microphone for an hour straight to share their opinions or give professional advice or interview another fellow about said opinions or advice.
Sometimes, this act of sharing opinions or giving advice or interviewing of people is performed with another individual or a group of individuals (these tend to be my favourite kind of podcasts).
The point is, there are so many podcasts out there, all with varying formats and structures. How do you find the podcast that fits your client’s needs?
What Does The “Right” Podcast Look Like?
Well, in order to find the right podcast, you have to know what the right podcast looks like. There are a few checkboxes you should probably tick before you decide to get in contact with the podcast production team.
1. Is the podcast able to accommodate the type of sponsorship you’re looking for?
Generally, there are three forms of sponsorships you can consider—roll ads (pre-roll, mid-roll, and post-roll), sponsored content and paid interviews.
Roll ads
As the name suggests, these ads play at different time slots within the podcast episode—either before, during, or after the episode. The number and availability differs between podcasts and production companies.
Whether these ads are spot ads (the host just presses play on a recording of the ad read) or host-read ads (the podcast host talks about the sponsored product in a natural, unscripted manner) is also another factor you should take into consideration. This mainly depends on how much control you'd like to have over what the host says about your product.
Sponsored content
Sponsored podcast content exists in many different forms. It can look like a product review, a separate segment within the episode, or maybe a separate show entirely. The common thread among these being that your brand will be name-dropped and mentioned as a sponsor.
Paid interviews
Arguably, podcasts are one of the best platforms to carry out interviews. Its auditory and long form style of content poises it to garner an audience that is ready to listen to whatever you say.
With that being said, just because podcasts can hold interviews, doesn’t mean all podcasts should. Some genres and concepts simply don’t work with the interview format, or it's a conscious choice made by the host and their production team.
Whatever the reason may be, it’s important to identify whether the podcast has had interviews before, and if not, whether their current style of content would make your client as an interviewee look good.
2. Does the podcast’s current audience overlap with your target group?
No point going on a podcast if you’re not speaking to your prime segment, right?
Beyond just demographic and geographic overlaps between your target group and the podcast's current listeners, I urge you to consider psychographic similarities too. What kind of benefits does their audience seek? What values and attitudes do they hold? And how does that align with what your client offers?
These are questions that can help you discern how similar your audiences truly are, and whether their listeners can be converted to your customers.
This information can be gathered via your own observations, or asking the team directly.
3. Do you as a sponsor gel well with the podcast host(s)?
Chemistry is a big thing in the podcasting world. In order for an interview to work, the dynamic between the host and interviewee needs to be genuine. When you as an interviewee identify with the podcast’s message and values and get along with the host as a person, listeners will be more eager to tune into your conversations.
The same goes for their sponsors too. The best ads are from sponsors that are able to cater to listeners’ needs and wants, products that listeners can envision themselves using. This makes it easier for the host themselves to sell your product. You don’t want a situation where it is painfully obvious that the host is reading from a script and doesn’t believe in the product they’re being paid to promote.
4. Lastly, are their sponsorship rates within your budget?
After all that is said and done, if their ad rates are way out of your budget, there is no point considering a partnership with them. Although rates are bound to differ between podcasts depending on the genre, you can expect it to average out at around $25 to $40 CPM.
Where Do I Find The Right Podcasts?
Now that you have a clearer picture of what kind of podcasts you are looking at, the next step is knowing where you can find them.
This is where PodSeeker comes in handy.
If you already have a podcast in mind, all you have to do is type its name into our podcast search engine. Vital information such as their whether they invite guests, the email address to contact, and their projected ad rates are up on our site for your usage. Alternatively, you can narrow down your search with us via our search filters. Personally, I would recommend focusing on scaling down your search via podcast genre and geographic location first to ensure you're capturing the appropriate pool of listeners.
Conclusion
As the advertising world traverses the newfound land of podcasting, it’s important for you as an agent to have the knowledge and resources to make the right moves. Think of PodSeeker as the GPS to help you navigate through this and make your job easier.
Try us risk free with our 7-days money back gurantee
