The decision to try podcast sponsorship to expand your prospect’s reach might come with some doubts. Brand managers ask popular questions like how do I ensure the podcast ads generate more sales? Is podcast advertising really worth it?
The answer is yes! Podcast sponsorship has many benefits for brands. Click here to join a podcast advertising marketplace that helps you attain your business goals.
Read on to learn more about what it means to sponsor a podcast and the benefits that could have for your business.
What is podcast sponsorship?
Podcast sponsorship is a promotional strategy where a brand buys advertisement slots on a podcast to convert listeners into prospective buyers.
Therefore, the sponsoring brand must verify that its target demographics align with the listener’s persona of the podcast. They must be qualified prospects – people with a common interest in your products/services. Otherwise, the chances of conversion are slim.
The top 7 benefits of podcast sponsorship for brands
Check out seven essential advantages of sponsoring podcast ads as a promotional method to grow your brand.
Podcast sponsorship increases brand awareness
An essential benefit of podcast sponsorship is the opportunity to sell your brand to more audiences. Experts predict that the total number of podcast listeners will reach 23.5% of all internet users in 2025. That means one thing – the potential of advertising on podcasts is huge.
With proper planning, promoting your brand using podcasts creates wide awareness for thousands and even millions of prospective customers.
However, that makes it more challenging. How do you navigate this vast online media space to connect with podcast listeners who want what you sell? The next point answers that.
Podcast sponsorship offers targeted advertising
The challenge of reaching interested customers in the large podcasting space brings us to the next benefit of podcast sponsorship. That is target advertising!
Podcasts are generally classified into different sections on the significant media directories. Therefore, brands looking to sponsor a podcast can quickly locate shows with topics relating to their products.
That way, a brand only contacts podcasts with its target demographics as subscribers. Win-win for everyone since listeners are more likely to be converted to customers.
Podcast sponsorship boosts the brand’s credibility
Have you ever bought a product only because a friend recommended it? Or purchasing because you know someone that tried it, and it worked? The same applies to sponsored podcast ads.
When a brand sponsors a podcast for adverts, the host promotes their products. Often, the podcaster uses the “host read” method to announce the ad script. In some scenarios, the host offers a personal experience of how the product/service was beneficial.
That is an immense benefit of podcast sponsorship for brands – the personal endorsement by the host. It significantly boosts the brand’s authenticity and credibility to loyal customers.
Podcast sponsorship guarantees long-lasting returns
Many people wonder if they should sponsor a podcast for advert slots and only consider immediate returns. However, the benefits of podcast sponsorships for brands are in their potential for long-term returns.
For better context, a radio or TV advert is only broadcasted for the number of times agreed upon during payment. Did the sponsoring brand pay for a 40 seconds slot twice weekly for three months? The media station stops the adverts after three months.
But there is a difference with podcast advertising. Podcast ads become part of the uploaded episodes and remain available for downloads unless the whole episode is deleted.
Podcast sponsorship has trackable results
Imagine being able to promote your brand and have access to how the target audience interacts with your adverts. That is one of the additional benefits of podcast sponsorship for brands. Businesses can finally advertise with verifiable data for what works and what doesn’t.
When you sponsor a podcast, the host inserts your advert somewhere during the selected episode. Metrics like click-through rates, downloads, and the number of listens should be available via the podcasting platform.
Hosting sites like Podbean offer this and interpret the analytical data to improve future podcast ads and measure the success of targeted campaigns.
Podcast sponsorship is cost-effective
Sponsoring a podcast advert is not free and comes with a price negotiated with the host. However, the ROI, financial risk levels, and profit margin are much better when compared to traditional marketing methods.
Perks like long-lasting returns, targeted podcast advertising, and leveraging on the podcast host’s credibility contribute to that. The benefits of podcast sponsorship for brands from the cost-effective perspective are even more significant, considering the low entry barrier.
Every brand has a budget, depending on the podcast sponsorship model it desires. We even have models like affiliate podcast ad slots, which means you only pay when a listener buys via a link from the podcasting host.
Podcast sponsorship ads are less intrusive
An immensely underrated benefit of podcast sponsorship for brands is its less-intrusive form that increases conversion rates. We see people subscribe to YouTube Premium because they don’t want ads. Guess why? Because it primarily did not relate to the content they wanted to see.
However, this is less common in podcast advertising. We always advise brands to sponsor only podcasts closely related to their niche or product. This ensures an even higher rate of listeners that pay attention to your sponsored ad.
Host-read ads are also beneficial since it is in a narrative format that the listeners just listen to along with the topic. You want the target audience to listen to your brand’s offer carefully, and podcasting does just that.
Conclusion
Brands looking to sponsor a podcast must understand that podcast advertising has many benefits. But those perks are better enjoyed when you select a podcast with a listener persona that fits your target audience.
Start by doing your research on podcasts with similar topics and interests. Reach out to shows that fit your search and ask essential questions about their audience and process. To enjoy the benefits of podcast sponsorships, always make sure to ask the right questions.
