How to Sell Ads as an Independent Podcaster

To sell ads as an independent podcaster can seem a bit intimidating at first! But don’t worry, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about podcast advertising so you can start making money! 💰 

Why should I sell ads as an independent podcaster? 🤔

There can be a few reasons why you should sell ads as an independent podcaster. 

First, you want to be able to pay for your podcast host so that you can continue to release new episodes and access all their helpful features. (like Ausha for example 😉 ) 

Secondly, you’ll need to be able to buy new equipment for your podcast so that you can keep the quality of your podcast at its best. 

And thirdly, so that you have the opportunity to support other businesses the same way that they are supporting your podcast. 💪 

What I mean by this is, you are reading advertisements for them in your show, which could help with their business. And they are sending you money in return which supports your podcast. 

How can I sell ads as an independent podcaster?

Send pitches to companies: ✉️

To start, you need to figure out which brands you want to reach out to, to see if they would be interested in advertising within your podcast. 

So, look for brands, or sponsors, that would have a similar target market as you, meaning that the people who listen to your podcast would also use their products or services. 

And try to look for companies that seem to want to grow their business just like you want to grow your podcast. 📈 

This will maybe make them more inclined to create a partnership together. 🤝 

After you have found some companies that fit the profile, send them a pitch through email asking if they would be interested. 

Your pitch should include: 📋

• Who you are
• What your show is
• What your show is about
• Why you think your audience would be in their target market
• Link to your podcast website
• Link to your episodes
• Or if your show is really long, send a shorter demo to make them more likely to listen to it

Keep it to the point and tailor it to each company that you’re sending it to. 🧵 

If you don’t hear back, send a follow-up about one week later, but be polite and keep it lighter than the first email with the full pitch… they don’t need to hear it twice. 

You want to keep the door open for future partnerships 🚪 when maybe their budget or schedule allows for it more than now. 

Wait to be approached:

I have to say, I do not recommend this method. 

It can take a lot of time to actually be approached by a company that wants to advertise in your podcast. 🕑 

Because, I hate to break it to you, but they probably aren’t sitting around listening to podcasts that they could be interested in partnering with.

However, if you end up in the rankings on Apple Podcasts, or featured on Apple Podcasts, you have more of a chance to be discovered and approached by a company who is willing to place an ad in your show. 👍 

Join a podcast network: 👥

You can also join a podcast network. 

This is becoming a very popular way to sell podcast paid ads as an independent podcaster. 

A podcast network is a group that you join, where everyone’s podcasts usually have a similar theme or audience. 

Then they all are pitched to companies who could want to run an ad in those podcasts. 

These are great because the companies may be more likely to say yes if they see that they will get a lot of exposure because it is more than just one podcast show. 

But on the other hand, if you are part of a podcast network, any money that you make needs to be shared with the network and you cannot keep it all to support your podcast. 💸 

What kind of ads can I sell as an independent podcaster?

You’ll want to sell ads that you know your audience could be interested in. 

So usually it will be ads for companies whose industry relates to your podcast. 

For example, if you have a podcast talking about cars, 🚗 you could have a mechanic shop ad 🔧 within your podcast. 

Another example is if you have a podcast talking about food, 🥘  you could have a market or grocery store ad 🏪  in your show. 

That way you know that the ads that you’re making relate to those that are listening to your show. 

And be sure to partner with companies that not only share a target market, but also share the same values. 

And again, make sure that they offer something that would interest your audience, otherwise it’s a waste of everyone’s time. ⌛ 

Types of ads:

• Pre-roll: at the beginning of the show
• Mid-roll: in the middle of the show
• Post-roll: at the end of the show
• Host-read: recorded directly in the episode’s audio
• Promo code

Note: You can offer a promo code in your episode and also put it in your newsletter! 💌 

How much money can I actually make? 💵

It will depend on how many ads you do and for how long. 

You can be paid per ad, or based on the number of subscriptions or products that you helped the company sell. 

And over time, the more downloads that your episode has, the more you will be able to charge per ad slot within your podcast episodes. 

There are also other ways to monetize your podcast besides advertisements.

How can Ausha help me sell ads as an independent podcaster?

On the Ausha platform you can create ad campaigns for your podcast. 

You can choose:

• The name of the campaign
• What type of ad (pre-roll, post-roll, or host-read)
• From when to when you want the ad to be run in your episodes (dates and times) 🗓️
• Whether you want the ad in all your new episodes or in select episodes only

All you have to do is upload the recorded audio file of the ad and put in the details of the campaign and you’re good to go! 🟢

Note: If you choose to have a host-read ad, you don’t need to upload an audio file because the ad is already in your podcast episode. 

Then you can get paid by whichever company that you have the partnership with. 

Ausha makes it so easy to manage different campaigns for your podcast and all conveniently on our platform. 😀

Key points: 🗝️

Don’t overdo it – meaning don’t have too many ads in your episodes, while we know you could make more money it could decrease your number of downloads. 😬 

Too many ads could take away from your content and your audience will probably not like all the soliciting when they’re trying to enjoy your show. 🎧 

And be patient. 

You won’t make a lot of money overnight, and will have to put in some work to find companies that will want to advertise in your show. 

Let Ausha help you keep track of all your ad campaigns on our platform. 💜