Podcast Ad Sales Q&A
Plus, tips for your next podcast event
Hello Besties,
Whoa, finishing all my work and preparing for the holidays has really taken it out of me! The past week feels like a blur.
First, I have an announcement I’m super pumped about: I’m teaching another class for Pandemic University. It’s been a year and a half since my last one, so I’m making some updates — it’s been fun to work on my lesson plans. If you’re looking for an encouraging space to workshop and prepare to launch your podcast, or you’re looking to take your show to the next level, this is the course for you.
Recently, a Bestie tweeted me with a question about selling ads, so I reached out to some industry pals to get him an answer. I’d love to know your experience with this in the comments below.
Response #1
“We've found it's easiest to bill 1x per month for all the ads that aired during the prior month. The rates were decided ahead of the campaign, so they are not based on actuals. This is usually advantageous to advertisers since we tend to overshoot our initially estimated impressions.”
Cameron Poter, founder of Pleasure Podcasts and co-host of Sex Talk With My Mom
Response #2
“Most people do it monthly! Just makes it easier on the podcaster / their workflows.”
Arielle Nissenblatt, founder of Earbuds Podcast Collective
Response #3
“Most of this depends on the size of your show and the relationship with the advertiser. The most hands-off solution is monetizing by CPM, so a rate for every thousand impressions, and benefiting from dynamic ad insertion (DAI) for the network you’re with to fill ads for you or for a programmatic partner to do so. But, publishers who can bundle together reach further than podcasting or are capable of selling their inventory themselves (because it’s unique or because of its high volume) should explore flat rates based on estimates of downloads. Ultimately, I think most buyers know what they want when they start the conversation and are rarely looking for the publisher to pitch an alternative unless the publisher has a compelling case for it.”
Bryan Barletta, creator and partner at Sounds Profitable
Response #4
Danielle Desir Corbett, podcast coach and host of The Thought Card Podcast
Response #5
“When it comes to ad billing, ultimately, the best-case scenario for you as a creator is to bill based on a package price that you’ve agreed upon in advance with the sponsor. Ideally, you’ve agreed on a rate for the entire engagement, which may include ad placements across multiple episodes, social media posts, newsletter issues, and more, and then set up the billing schedule in advance.
For a larger engagement like that, you might split the invoice across multiple payments, perhaps 50% upfront and 50% once the campaign ends. On smaller engagements, I would personally bill 100% upfront. Of course, all of this is a negotiation with the advertiser — if you’re billing on a CPM basis, for example, you’ll have to report on the download numbers before sending your invoice.
Don’t forget that it’s your platform, and you get to make the rules however you want. You can create whatever billing agreement works best for you, and if sponsors want to do business with you, they have to abide by it. Don’t be afraid to hold your ground. It’s your show, your audience, and your business, after all!”
Jeremy Enns, founder of Podcast Marketing Academy and The Scrappy Podcasting Newsletter
The Podcast Bestie party in LA last Tuesday was a blast. Big thanks to Libsyn for stepping up as the presenting sponsor. I was delighted with how it went as a pilot event and learned a few things that may help you throw a podcast party or mixer of your own.
Eventbrite is super easy to use as a ticketing platform. Even though the event was free, I set aside some extra tickets as donation-based, and five people were generous enough to donate $50 (thank you, friends!). Eventbrite paid that out quickly, without any hassle — I had some expenses associated with the party, so this was helpful.
I hadn’t thrown a live event since well before the pandemic. I felt a little rusty, so in preparation, I listened to Nick Gray, author of The 2-Hour Cocktail Party: How to Build Big Relationships with Small Gatherings, on Jay Clouse’s Creative Elements podcast in an episode entitled “The secret to throwing great events (online or IRL).”
Follow the “NICK” method for networking party success:
Nametags
Icebreakers
Cocktails only
Kick people out
You’ll have to read his book or listen to the episode for the full rundown on this formula, but basically it validated my instincts on name tags, icebreakers, and making it a cocktail event — and gave me permission to thank everyone and say goodbye at the pre-established end time.
What I forgot:
A group photo! I got some photos and videos, but I meant to take a group photo toward the end, and I totally spaced... probably a good sign I was having fun! But I definitely want to do that next time, so I put a note in my tote bag of party supplies to help me remember.
➡️ Psst… If you’re looking for a hosting platform for your podcast, Libsyn is offering Besties up to two months of free hosting. Use promo code BESTIE or sign up here.
Tink Media’s Audio Delicacies 2022 - I’m delighted to have contributed to Tink Media’s Audio Delicacies for this year — a list of the best podcasts and episodes from 2022 as contributed by over 50 audio creators and industry professionals. Big thanks to Lauren Passell and Devin Andrade for including me. I recommended Jackie Michelle Johnson’s two-part series about pregnancy and childbirth on her podcast, Natch Beaut. Peruse the complete playlist here.
Apply for the PRX Journalism Podcast Accelerator - This program allows journalists who work for news organizations (no independent journalists) to apply with a podcast pitch that their organization wants to start or revamp. Those accepted will participate in a 12-week podcast training program and receive a $5,000 stipend to help start your show! Rolling applications are open for Central and Eastern Cohorts; the deadline for the Central Cohort application is January 20, 2023.
Story Scout, Spooked (freelance) at Snap Judgment Studios | Remote
Production Assistant at Wonder Media Network | New York, NY
Contract Narrative Producer (contract) at Lemonada Media | Remote
Enviro Data Journalist (part-time) at Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk | Remote
Podcast Producer (full-time) at Thee Quaker Project | Philadelphia, PA area (North Carolina or Indiana okay)
Private Parts Unknown: A Sex Work, LGBTQ Rights & Gender Equality-Centric Tour of Tokyo, Japan—Culminating in a Mind-Blowing Happy Ending Massage! - This episode is thrilling because I’m revisiting our Tokyo series, culminating in a happy ending massage that completely changed my perspective on sex, pleasure, and so many things. I’m sharing the details of that experience — an audio riff on my essay published in Cosmo last month — which will probably give you some yoni fever of your own — plus Cliff’s Notes of our Tokyo, Japan series about gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and the five levels of sex and intimacy work.
The Bleeders: How to Write a Novel with Author Matt Bell & His Craft Book “Refuse to Be Done” - Matt Bell wrote his craft book Refuse to Be Done: How to Write and Rewrite a Novel in Three Drafts between drafts of his latest novel Appleseed, and most likely, both books were the better for it. Matt has an exhausting yet enviably productive novel-writing process that is truly inspiring. We also discuss his tips for NaNoWriMo, his favorite craft books, and more.
Private Parts Unknown: “How Sex Changed the Internet & the Internet Changed Sex” with Samantha Cole - Samantha Cole is the senior editor of Motherboard, Vice's tech outlet, and she joins me for a conversation about her new book exploring the synergistic relationship between sex and the internet, including online dating, revenge porn, and social media.
The Bleeders: Alissa Wilkinson Throws a Dinner Party for Her Food Writing Inspiration with Her Latest Book “Salty” - Alissa Wilkinson wrote her book Salty: Lessons on Eating, Drinking, and Living from Revolutionary Women during the first year of the pandemic, which left its mark on both the process and the content. Alissa explains her first two books’ writing and publishing process and a bit about her current Joan Didion-related project. We also talk about how book writing fits in amid her daily journalism grind and her unique publishing path from academic to more traditional.
ISA Game: What We Can All Learn from Skating (ft. Social Media Associate for Rare Beauty, Toni Bravo) - For the latest episode of ISA Game, my beloved client Isabella Di Stefano is joined by the multi-talented Toni Bravo, a content creator, roller skater, and, most recently, a social media associate for Rare Beauty. Listen along as Isa and Toni discuss the parallels between roller skating and their career journeys — like if you're not falling on your face, you’re not taking the risks you need to level up!
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
Do you sell ads on your podcast? If so, what’s your system? Any advice you’d recommend?
Follow me @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
Had a great time meeting many of you at the meet up. Hope everyone has a great Christmas and a happy New Year.