Podcast Sponsorship Secrets with Rich Bennett

Wendy & Rich 0:00
Hey, everyone is rich Bennett. Can you believe it? The show is turning 10 this year. I am so grateful for each and every one of you who've tuned in, shared an episode, or even joined the conversation over the years. You're the reason that this podcast has grown into what it is today. Together, we've shared laughs, tears, tears, and moments that truly matter. So I want to thank you for being part of this journey. Let's make the next 10 years even better. Coming to you from the Freedom Federal Credit Union Studios Harford County Living Presence, conversations with rich Bennett. 

Like, you know what the truth is. 

Rich Bennett 1:00
Today, we're diving deep into the world of podcast advertising. What actually works, what to avoid, and what smart businesses should be asking before they ever sign on as a sponsor. So if you're a business owner or a non-profit leader, this episode is going to give you the clarity you've been missing. So just to give you a little background, I've been doing this for 10 years, over 750 episodes. As you all know, well, at least most of you know, I started with Hartford County Living.com, a good news website. So my sponsors are also sponsors of the podcast. Now with Hartford County Living, that is all local news. With the podcast because of Christy Breslin's, you know, bright idea to go worldwide, smart move on, and I want to thank you for that. We're in over 125 different countries, so the message is getting out there. So first, why advertise on podcast or be a sponsor? They're intimate. You're literally in someone's ears in their personal time where their attention is genuine. listeners, trust, the host. People choose podcasts intentionally. It's not background noise. And that trust extends to the businesses, the host endorses. If you look at some of these top podcasts, I'm gonna say like Joe Rogan and a lot of your other ones. They're the ones talking about the sponsors, their ads, talking about how they use them because the listeners already trust them. Podcasts create loyal repeat listeners. A good show becomes part of a listeners routine. They come back episode after episode. They also binge them too. Episodes live forever. See, unlike radio or social ads, podcast episodes keep working for you months and even years down the road. I have sponsors from 10 years ago, and when you listen to that episode, it's because it's baked in. So I'm talking about them during the episode. That's long-term brand exposure without paying long-term prices. Now, let's clear up the biggest misunderstanding out there. Downloads do not equal listeners. Let me say that again. Downloads do not equal listeners. A download just means the episode fall got delivered. Not that anyone press play or listening long enough to hear your ad. Again, downloads do not equal listeners. You get another thing. You can have one download, but you could have a carful of people. That's several listeners. So ignore the downloads. That's not the important thing. Here's what actually matters. How long has the podcast been active? A season show with years under its belt tells you the audience is loyal and the host isn't going anywhere. Geographic reach, countries, states, cities, a show heard in dozens of countries or even thousands of cities has real influence and credibility. Now, I know some of you may say, well, why would a local company worry about that? Well, as a business, you should worry about your brand being known everywhere. People move from other places to other places. And if they heard you say in California, and they move to let's say your podcast is based at like mine here in Maryland, and they move here, well, guess what? They know who to look for already. Audience alignments, another one. You don't want the biggest audience. You want the right audience. Host listener relationship. Is there trust? Is there engagement? Is there community involvement? A lot of podcasts will just get on and talk and don't engage with their audience whatsoever. You know, you want people that listen to their audience to give them feedback, to give them ideas or even to their sponsors as well. Consistency. Sponsors need a stable show with reliable publishing. You want it advertiser become a sponsor of a podcast that is consistent. They're always dropping episodes on the same days. It's not like they're pushing out several episodes at one time and then taking a break for months and months. No, you want something that's reliable. It's always consistent. It's the same days that they're dropping episodes that they're publishing. Professionalism and reputations another thing. It shows tone, the host integrity, and the production quality all reflect on your brand. Now, here's something most businesses never think to ask but absolutely should. What hosting service does the podcast use? And is the show audio, audio and video or only video? And let's break this down why these matter. So free or low-cost hosting can actually hurt your brand. Some free hosting services insert their own ads into shoes. Including competing businesses, irrelevant or inappropriate products. Ads mid-episode, usually where as a sponsor, the host right ad is right there. Ads right before or after your paid placement. So imagine paying to sponsor a podcast. And during your segment, listeners hear competing business advertised automatically. That's a mess. And it has happened to many businesses who never thought to ask the question. Another thing is too, what if like I said just a little bit ago, the host is talking about your business and then all of a sudden because it's on a free hosting plan, 

another ad stirring right in the middle. Then people are forgetting who you are already. So that's a big thing. And format matters too. A show that is audio only or audio and video is a true podcast. But a video only show? That's not a podcast. That's a YouTube program. Now, there's a lot of arguments about that. But a YouTube show does not offer RSS View. It doesn't count down, it's it'll count views. The other thing is too, you're limited to where you can watch it. No, but you're only on YouTube. Audio and podcast or audio and video are carried on several different platforms. Just like when you're advertising, you should be advertising in several different outlets, whether it be magazine, whether it be print, whether it be TV, whether it be radio, whether it be a podcast. Well, podcast are the same way. They're carried in all a true podcast is carried on all platforms, even though I'm only video or only audio. I'm sorry, even though I'm only audio, it's still carried on YouTube. You're just not getting a video. Also, the other thing with video platforms, they often insert automated ads. You see it all the time you're watching YouTube mid-row interruptions, competitor promotions. You don't want your business ads sandwiched between two random commercials. That's you didn't approve. As a sponsor, you deserve control and protection of your brand messaging. So yes, always ask, where's your podcast hosted? Does the platform insert ads? Do you control every aspect of sponsor placement? Is this audio or audio and video? Or is this just video labeled as a podcast? Those questions will save you headaches and especially money. Before I move on, I want to point something out because like anything marketing, there are exceptions to the rules, and I'll use my own story as an example. See, when I started conversations with Rich Bennett 10 years ago, the podcast was part of harfordcandyliving.com. Actually, the podcast was called "Harford Candy Living with Rich Bennett". It wasn't even its own brand yet. It was an extension of harford county living, a medium platform that had already been around for a few years, featuring local news, good news stories, business spotlights, community features and nonprofit highly. So in the early days, my sponsorships weren't podcast sponsors. They were Harford county living sponsorships. and the pie case was part of the package. And they still are. Businesses weren't paying for a 32nd ad. They were invested in a local media ecosystem that included a website with tens of thousands of monthly viewers in, social media exposure, weekly features, and eventually yes, the pie case. And honestly, that model worked beautifully because businesses weren't betting on a brand new pie case. Back then a lot of people didn't even know what a podcast was. They were aligned in themselves with an established local platform that already had trust, reach, and reputation. Today, I offered two paths. Full, Harford county living sponsorships, which includes pie-cast mentions, website placement, social promotion, business features, interviews, and a lot more. Also offer pie-cast own sponsorships. These are designed for businesses who went targeted pie-cast exposure, dedicated ad placements, guest opportunities, exclusive category openings, and full use of episode files for their own marketing. You heard me right. If you come on the pie-cast, your sponsor, I will give you the files for you to use for your own marketing, your website, however you want. Both options work, they just serve different goals. So yes, there are exceptions in pie-cast advertising. If a pie-cast comes from an already established brand, news outlet, or media platform sponsorships, might be bundled or structured differently. But those situations are rare. In most cases, a pie-cast should offer clear standalone sponsor benefits. And benefits should align with your business And here's what makes pie-cast sponsorship different from traditional advertising. You're not just buying a 30-second or 60-second slide. You become part of the show. So sponsorship can include a host red ad, meaning that, for instance, with me, I'm reading the ad. So it sounds like it's part of the episode, website placement, social media mentions, that catalog exposure, event involvement, newsletter highlights. There are so many things. I can even offer dynamic content placement. You could become an advertiser, and I can place it to where it either falls before or at the end of all the episodes, or as just a certain amount of episodes for like a month or whatever you prefer to do. Now that's different than sponsorship. And when done well, your business becomes part of the listener's world. But I also want to talk about what my sponsors receive specifically, because this is something I think more pie-cast should offer. See, these are the unique benefits that you can receive. One thing I'm proud of with conversations with reach bandit is that my sponsors aren't just names on a website or a 30-second or a 60-second mention. They're partners, and I treat them that way. My sponsors are always welcome to come on the pie-cast. They enjoy me to share their business story, talk about their services, highlight an upcoming event. Although usually those were records separately because the episodes usually evergreen, discuss their mission, or even special offers, again, which could be as dynamic content. They're also welcome to be a co-house for other episodes as well. It's a spotlight episode dedicated entirely to them. That's something most pie-cast never offer. Sponsors can use the pie-cast files however they want. Once the episode is recorded and uploaded, sponsors get access to the full audio file if they want it. The full video file if we do video and clips and segments, and they can use them on their website. Social media, newsletters, marketing materials, land and pages, press kits, whatever they want. It's their content to their voice, their expertise, their story, and they're free to repurpose it however they see fit. Most pie-cast charge extra for media, right? I don't. If you're a sponsor, you're part of the family, and family gets to share the spotlight. So before you sign anything, ask the following. How long have you been pie-cast? What hosting platform do you use? Is it free? Or do you pay for it? Does your host insert ads that you can't control? Is your show audio, audio and video or video only? How many countries and cities is your show heard in? Do you engage with listeners regularly? And how do you integrate sponsors beyond the ads lot? Can sponsors appear as guests? Do sponsors get access to media files for reuse? ..n, do you limit sponsor categories, so we're not competing? If a show can confidently answer these, you're dealing with a professional. And that last question. Do you limit sponsor categories, so we're not competing? With my sponsors, it's exclusive. So if, let's say I have a roofing company that is the sponsor of episode, that dirt ad is baked in, there will not be another roofing company on that episode, so that's something important to know. So podcast advertising is powerful, personal and long-lasting, but only when you choose the right show, the right host and the right structure, and whether you sponsor Carfakini living as a home, or you choose just conversations with Richard Bennett, you're not just buying airtime, you're joining the community, you're becoming part of a network of listeners who value honesty, positivity, and real conversation. So if you're interested in sponsorship or even if you just want to advice before investing in somebody else's podcast, reach out to me. I'm always happy to talk. Thanks listening, stay safe, stay positive, and we'll talk real soon. 

Rich Bennett 17:16
Thank you for listening to the conversations with Rich Bennett. I hope you enjoyed today's episode and learned something from it as I did. If you'd like to hear more conversations like this, be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode. And if you have a moment, I'd love it if you could leave a review. It helps us reach more listeners and share more incredible stories. Don't to connect with us on social media or visit our website at ConversationsWithRichBentit.com for updates, giveaways, and more. Until next time, take care, be kind, and keep the conversations going. You know, it takes a lot to put a podcast together, and my sponsors help add a lot, but I also have some supporters that actually help when it comes to the editing software, the hosting, and so forth. There's a lot that goes into putting this together. So I want to thank them, and if you can please please visit their websites, visit their businesses, support them however you can. So please visit the following. Full circle boards, nobody does charcuterie like full circle boards. Visit them at fullcircleboards.com. Sincerely, so your photography, live in the moment, they'll capture it. Visit them at sinceritysoyer.com. The Joppatowne Lions Club, serving the community since 1965. Visit them at JoppatowneLionsClub. org and don't forget the E at the of Joppatowne because they're extraordinary.