[podcasters] How to format a sponsorship proposal
Ivy Reisner
Hi,
I think I've reached an audience large enough now to seek a sponsor. I
run a knitting podcast (Knit Spirit) with a subscriber base hovering
around 1,000 and I do a weekly show, so about 4,000 downloads a month.
Would that be too small? It's a focused audience, so I think an online
yarn shop might be interested in advertising with me.
If this seems viable, my first question would be, how much should I
charge? I'm thinking $100, maybe $200 per month.
How would I go about writing a proposal? Are there any guides online
that show how to format it and what information to include? I assume I
need to include download numbers from the last few shows where the
numbers are close to complete, the site's URL, the theme of the show,
and a description of exactly what I'm offering (a shout-out in the
beginning of the show and a mention of the sponsor in the middle of the
show).
Or am I too small a fish to try to play in that pond?
Thank you.
-Ivy
--
For my project from knitting videos to a writing podcast, please visit
www.IvyReisner.com.
YahooGroups Podcasters Links
<*> The Podcast FAQ
http://www.podcastfaq.com/
<*> The Official Podcasters Wiki
http://www.podcasterswiki.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___
Stephen Eley
On Thu, Mar 27, 2008 at 2:04 PM, Ivy Reisner <ivy@kehinde.com> wrote:
>
> How would I go about writing a proposal? Are there any guides online
> that show how to format it and what information to include? I assume I
> need to include download numbers from the last few shows where the
> numbers are close to complete, the site's URL, the theme of the show,
> and a description of exactly what I'm offering (a shout-out in the
> beginning of the show and a mention of the sponsor in the middle of the
> show).
That's all good information, but at your audience size and given the
sizes of the business you'd be targeting, I'd try establishing a
personal relationship and not making it too formal. Send a friendly
e-mail to the yarn shops you already frequent, say you've ordered from
then and you love their product and service, and you'd like to help
let other people know about it. Ask them to listen to your podcast
and then continue the conversation about whether you could help each
other. Perhaps offer them an episode or two for free, so they can
gauge for themselves whether they get any traffic from you. (Be sure
you arrange some way of tracking that, too -- a discount code, or
trackable URL, or just tell people "Be sure to say in the order that
you came from Knit Spirit!")
That's how I'd do it, although I've never been that aggressive about
hunting down sponsorships so I can't claim much experience. Still,
the key here is to keep a relationship with the people you want to
sponsor you. Don't just send them a form and expect them to fill it
out. Yarn shops are generally real people, not big companies, so you
have to approach them as you'd want to be approached yourself.
--
Have Fun,
Steve Eley (sfeley@gmail.com)
ESCAPE POD - The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine
http://www.escapepod.org
YahooGroups Podcasters Links
<*> The Podcast FAQ
http://www.podcastfaq.com/
<*> The Official Podcasters Wiki
http://www.podcasterswiki.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___
Andrew Darlow
Hi Ivy:
I think that you are in a great place to start earning revenue. I'll
let others discuss things like joining a podcast network or
contacting specific companies, which are great options. People who
sew also have many other interests, so you may be surprised at how
valuable your show is with a current listener base of 1000.
You can also start doing a pick of the week (maybe a book, knitting
pattern or product used by people who knit) from a company who has an
affiliate program. Amazon.com's affiliate program: http://affiliate-
program.amazon.com is very popular, easy to set up and implement.
You could mention the product(s), then include those items in your
show notes on your website with a link that has your affiliate code
embedded. I would make it clear that these are your picks of the week
in a special section. I would not use the term "sponsored by
Amazon.com" though. That language, in my opinion, should be reserved
for companies with which you (or a network) enter into specific
contractual advertising relationships.
You might also think about complementary items, like travel and
custom eyewear. There are affiliate programs for these types of
companies. Commission Junction has many to choose from. www.cj.com
These affiliate programs can get you started and generally can be
used in conjunction with more traditional advertising programs.
If you have educational content in your show that can be bundled into
a "best of" CD or DVD (or just a group of shows), that content can
also be sold to existing listeners, or as a gift item. You may be
surprised at how popular that will be for people who commute or for
those who aren't plugged into the world of podcasting.
And I'd recommend checking into leading a workshop (or being an
instructor) on a cruise for knitters. Here's one company which you
may know about: http://www.cruiseknitters.com/ . My guess is that
there are many opportunities like this. Now that I think about it,
they might be an ideal advertiser. You can also start with a private
affiliate program relationship with a company like the knitting
cruise. That is common in the world of podcasting.
I'd also recommend writing a press release and sending it to all the
knitting-related magazines you can. I'd make a CD with a few episodes
for them, as well as a direct link to a few mp3's. And I would follow
up with a phone call after sending an e-mail. PR like that is
priceless, and you can announce your advertiser relationships like
that as well.
All the best and good luck!
Andrew
---------------------------------------------------
Andrew Darlow
Editor, The Imaging Buffet
http://www.imagingbuffet.com
Author, 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques:
An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers - http://
www.inkjettips.com
On Mar 27, 2008, at 2:04 PM, Ivy Reisner wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I think I've reached an audience large enough now to seek a sponsor. I
> run a knitting podcast (Knit Spirit) with a subscriber base hovering
> around 1,000 and I do a weekly show, so about 4,000 downloads a month.
> Would that be too small? It's a focused audience, so I think an online
> yarn shop might be interested in advertising with me.
>
> If this seems viable, my first question would be, how much should I
> charge? I'm thinking $100, maybe $200 per month.
>
> How would I go about writing a proposal? Are there any guides online
> that show how to format it and what information to include? I assume I
> need to include download numbers from the last few shows where the
> numbers are close to complete, the site's URL, the theme of the show,
> and a description of exactly what I'm offering (a shout-out in the
> beginning of the show and a mention of the sponsor in the middle of
> the
> show).
>
> Or am I too small a fish to try to play in that pond?
>
> Thank you.
>
> -Ivy
>
> --
> For my project from knitting videos to a writing podcast, please visit
> www.IvyReisner.com.
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
YahooGroups Podcasters Links
<*> The Podcast FAQ
http://www.podcastfaq.com/
<*> The Official Podcasters Wiki
http://www.podcasterswiki.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___
Ivy Reisner
That sounds like a really good idea. Thanks! :)
Stephen Eley wrote:
> That's all good information, but at your audience size and given the
> sizes of the business you'd be targeting, I'd try establishing a
> personal relationship and not making it too formal. Send a friendly
> e-mail to the yarn shops you already frequent, say you've ordered from
> then and you love their product and service, and you'd like to help
> let other people know about it.
YahooGroups Podcasters Links
<*> The Podcast FAQ
http://www.podcastfaq.com/
<*> The Official Podcasters Wiki
http://www.podcasterswiki.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch format to Traditional
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe
__,_._,___