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How to pitch a new podcast sponsor
Most sponsorship templates assume the brand already buys podcast ads. This one is for the brand that never has. When a company has not run a single host read, your pitch has a second job on top of selling your show: it has to sell the medium itself, because they do not yet believe a podcast ad works.
So do two things at once. Explain why forty minutes of chosen attention and a personal recommendation beat the ads they already run, then make the first buy so small and so measurable that saying yes barely feels like a risk.
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Subject
Ramp's first podcast read, and why it should be The Build
Hi Dana,
I host The Build, a show for early-stage founders, and as far as I can tell Ramp has not run on a podcast yet. That is exactly why I am writing.
Here is what a host read does that a banner or a feed ad cannot. My listeners choose to spend about forty minutes with me, and when I recommend something in my own words, they treat it like a tip from someone they trust, not an ad they scroll past. That trust is the whole reason host reads tend to outperform the formats you are already buying.
You do not have to bet big to find out. Start with one host-read episode, a unique code so every sale traces straight back to it, and a plain recap when it wraps. If it works, we scale. If it does not, you have spent very little to learn something real.
My listeners are founders choosing their first corporate card in year one, the exact people Ramp is trying to reach. I can send a short media kit with the numbers and a small first-run option. Would it be worth a quick look?
Thank you, Jordan
Why this one gets a yes
- It sells the medium before it sells the show. A brand new to podcasts does not yet believe a host read converts, so the pitch explains why chosen, forty-minute attention beats an ad people scroll past before it asks for anything.
- It shrinks the first buy to almost no risk. One episode, a unique code, and a recap turns a scary new channel into a small, traceable test, which is the only yes a first-time sponsor is ready to give.
- It still names the fit. Tying your specific audience to who the brand sells to keeps the pitch from reading like a generic case for podcasting and makes it about them, not the format.
Common questions
How do I pitch a brand that has never sponsored a podcast?
Sell the medium before you sell the show. A first-time sponsor does not yet trust that a host read converts, so explain why chosen, forty-minute attention and a personal recommendation outperform the display and feed ads they already buy. Then shrink the risk: offer one host-read episode with a unique code and a recap, so their first test is small and fully traceable.
What makes a host-read ad worth more than a banner ad?
A host read arrives as a recommendation from someone the listener chose to spend time with, not as an interruption they have learned to tune out. People act on a trusted voice far more than on a display impression, which is why host reads tend to convert better than the formats a brand is used to. For a sponsor new to the channel, that trust is the whole pitch.
How do I lower the risk for a first-time podcast sponsor?
Start small and make everything measurable. Propose a single host-read episode instead of a full flight, give them a unique promo code or tracked link so every sale points back to the read, and promise a plain recap when it wraps. A first buy that is cheap, short, and traceable is easy to approve, and a good result is what earns the bigger deal.
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