🎧 Prefer to listen? Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player.
“How do I get a sponsor for my show?” is probably one of the most common questions I see from new podcasters, and honestly, I’ve got a whole folder full of screenshots on this topic that I was reviewing before I even hit record on this one!Â
But before I get into the strategy, I want to ask you something first. Something most people skip right over.
Do you even want sponsors for your show?
It sounds almost too simple to ask, but hear me out.
Some of the biggest, most well-established shows we’ve worked with over the years have flat-out said they’re not going the sponsorship route. They’re promoting their own services and keeping full creative control. And that’s a completely valid choice (it’s the one I’ve made for my own podcast).
I’ve seen sponsorship arrangements work really, really well. But I’ve also seen cases where it came with baggage. Hoops to jump through, unrealistic expectations, loss of creative direction. So it’s worth getting honest with yourself about what you actually want before you go any further.
If the answer is yes, great. Keep reading!Â
The First Thing I’d Do
Here it is, and I’ll warn you in advance: it’s simpler than you might expect.
Reach out to your circle.
That’s it. That’s the strategy.
If you’ve been podcasting for a while, that could mean past guests. If you’re brand new or still in the planning stages, it could be industry peers, colleagues, or people who already know what you’re building. You don’t need a media kit. You don’t need polished download numbers. You don’t need an agency acting on your behalf to give you more legitimacy.
You just need to start a conversation.
A Real Example That Stuck With Me
We worked with a client years ago who had great content, a solid professional reputation, a newsletter, and a long list of past guests who were authors and service providers. She came to me asking about sponsorships and was already spiraling a little. Was her media kit good enough? Were her numbers strong enough? Did she need a pitch deck? Should she hire someone to reach out on her behalf?
I said: Why don’t you just reach out to your past guests?
She was skeptical. It sounded too simple (I’d probably think the same)!
I told her to draw up a list, lean on the goodwill and credibility she’d already built, and just open a conversation. She didn’t even need to talk numbers right away. Something as casual as “hey, I’m looking to add a couple of sponsors over the next few months, here’s what’s available, can we chat?” is enough to get the ball rolling.
She lined up two or three sponsors. On the first day.
I’ve seen this play out more than once over 11 years. It’s always the first strategy I mention when someone asks me about sponsorships, because it’s the easiest one to actually get moving on.
What It Looks Like From the Other Side
We (PodAssist) are currently sponsoring two other podcasts, so I’ve been on the buyer’s side of this too, and it’s a good reminder of how this strategy actually works in practice.
The first is Denise Griffiths and her show, Your Partner In Successâ„¢ Radio. Denise has been podcasting since 2008 and has done thousands of episodes. She reached out to me on LinkedIn to connect for a chat. We’d crossed paths online but had never actually spoken. We got on a call, talked for over an hour about the podcast space and online business, and at the very end she mentioned she offered sponsorship opportunities.
Honestly? I was already sold before she even sent the details. The call built the trust. Her content did the rest!Â
The second situation is with my brother Marc and his long-running Natural Born Coaches Podcast. This one is a non-cash arrangement, where in exchange for editing and post-production services from PodAssist, Marc runs a mid-roll promoting our services in each episode, links to our offers in his show notes and description, and he even does some social media and email mentions for us. It’s been a genuinely good fit for both sides since we started doing this in March.
Which brings me to something worth mentioning: sponsorships don’t have to mean a cash exchange. If you’re already paying for services in your business or for your podcast, whether that’s a VA, an editor, a designer, or tools you use regularly, it’s worth asking those providers if they’d discount or swap services in exchange for ad space on your show. The worst they can say is no!
Your Permission Slip
Think of one person in your circle right now. Just one.
Ask yourself if they’d be a good fit for your show and your listeners. Then go ask them if they’d be interested.
You don’t need to have all the details figured out. You don’t need to know your exact rates or have a polished package ready to go. Just start the conversation. Then, once you’re comfortable, put together a list of 10 or 15 people you know, like, and trust, and work through it.
If even one person says yes, and there’s any kind of exchange whether it’s a few dollars or services you’d be paying for anyway, that’s your proof of concept. That’s you monetizing your podcast and you’ll be on your way to doing it again (if you want to)!Â
One last practical note: if you do start selling ad spots, try to sell them in packages rather than episode by episode. A minimum of four or eight episodes saves you the administrative headache and gives the relationship room to actually work. You can always discount for larger commitments or extend from there, and a longer runway will benefit the sponsor too as your listeners will hear more ads, instead of just a one-off.
The Bottom Line
You don’t need a huge audience. You don’t need to wait a certain number of episodes. You don’t need an agency or a pitch deck or a perfectly formatted media kit to get your first sponsor.
You just need to ask someone who already knows you!Â
And if you try this and it works, I genuinely want to hear about it. Reach out at matt@podassist.com or podcast@podassist.com and let me know how you make out. If you’ve already monetized your show and want to share how you did it, reach out too. I’d love to feature your experience in a future episode.
Remember, it’s YOUR show and there are NO RULES!