Developing a media kit

A media kit is, in effect, a collection of marketing tools designed to awaken potential advertisers to their crying need to shell out big bucks to support your product or service (in this case, your podcast). The size of your media kit depends on many factors, among which are how much you want to spend and how much important stuff you think you have to say. It’s not size you’re striving for here; it’s a compelling argument that you can present to your potential advertisers.

Media kits are most certainly not one size fits all. Your media kit should be representative of the actual feeling you try to produce on your podcast — competent and real, not over-the-top glitzy. Consider it like a job interview: It’s okay to comb your hair and put on a fresh shirt, but you wouldn’t send your good-looking-but-ignorant roommate as a stand-in, would you? Know how to clearly communicate what your podcast is all about and how it would benefit a potential sponsor.

The big fish are very well armed in this pond. Large media outlets tend to have large media kits that were developed with the assistance of large advertising agencies that charged large sums of money for their expertise. The small- to mid-size podcaster need not go this far. But you need something more than just a collection of local news articles about you and an online portfolio of your latest season.

So here’s a practical list of dos and don’ts to keep in mind when considering what to put in your media kit.

First off, the “Yes, go for it” list:

• Include accurate listener statistics. Okay … as accurate as you can get. Focus more on total number of subscribers to your podcast feed before you report direct downloads. Spotlight episodes that stand out in number of downloads. If possible, include player statistics, such as Spotify or your home site’s embedded player. If your podcast is seeing great growth, include a chart that shows these increasing numbers. (For more about listener statistics, see the handy nearby sidebar, “Can you ever really know the size of your audience?”)
• Display your show schedule. If you post an episode several times a week or once a month, include a calendar or schedule of when your updates happen. If your show has no set schedule, be prepared to explain your episode release methodology. Many advertisers expect some sort of consistency (read: reliable exposure) from the places their ads are running.
• Provide demographic information. Some advertisers want to know the general make-up of your audience. The more detailed you can get, the better. At a minimum, show a breakdown of gender, age range, and household income level. These statistics can be difficult to gather, but doing so increases your chances with many advertisers. Consider asking listeners to take a voluntary survey. If you ask your listeners to take a survey, it never hurts to offer them an incentive. Perhaps one lucky random survey taker wins a $50 Amazon gift card. There are many sites like http://surveymonkey.com, pictured in Figure 14-3, that cost a few dollars. Remember — sometimes you have to spend money to make money.

  

• Showcase your popularity. If you get 50 comments on each of your show note entries, talk about it. Technorati (http://technorati.com) and Google (http://www.google.com) can support any claims for the popularity of your site. Print any great testimonials showing your knowledge and expertise in the field. Favorable comments from other known experts go a long way, too!
• Provide a USB flash drive or online portfolio of your show. With a press kit, you do want to make the best impression you can. That means you take the initiative and offer media that features your show. USB flash drives are the easiest media to use, with the drive showcasing only your best episodes (no more than five, even if you think your previous season was the best season ever!). Considering the compression format of your audio, you will not need flash drives larger than 500MB. This means money in your budget to get these drives branded with your show title and URL, if possible.

And in the “No, no, a thousand times no” corner, we have …

• Don't artificially inflate your statistics. Grandmother always used to say, “Lies just cause you to tell bigger lies.” Eventually you find yourself with an advertiser who wants you to explain how you came up with your numbers. Make sure you can support your claims. If they do not ask, you haven’t dodged a bullet as the results your sponsors are expecting will not be what your results yield. Nothing good ever comes from fudging the numbers.
• Don’t use terminology without really understanding what you’re talking about. Marketing and advertising professionals have a vocabulary all their own. ROI. Conversions. CTR. Maybe you do know what these mean; but if you don’t, peppering your media kit with these terms is dangerous. For example, say you look at your numbers in Google Analytics and discover that an episode you promoted received over 1,000,000 impressions. You then proclaim “My podcast has earned over 1,000,000 impressions!” to potential advertisers. An impressive stat, but what does that mean? It means that someone has clicked on a link to watch or listen to your podcast, and that Google was able to look at the network of where that click originated from and calculate how many people potentially saw or heard your episode. In other words, 500 people with 2,000 followers each clicked on the link leading to your episode. That’s 1,000,000 impressions. Welcome to the Doublespeak of Digital Marketing.
• Don’t offer reduced pricing. Unless you have been podcasting for a couple of years, then you likely haven’t had time to put things on sale yet. Pick a price you’re comfortable with and justify why it’s worth it. If you’re not sure of a starting price, ask other podcasters. Avoid discounting right off the bat; it implies that you’re over-valuing your product. You can always negotiate the price, but don’t try that in a media kit. We talk about putting together a rate sheet in the following section.
• Don’t include a copy of your entire podcast season on a USB flash drive. People like to know what they’re getting themselves into. You have a great opportunity to offer that courtesy to potential advertisers — to let them listen enough to sample the wares. Remember, however, that their time is limited. You may include entire episodes if you like, but as mentioned earlier you may find better success by stitching together a “Best of …” reel from your show instead of a full season of your podcast. Select shows, or even highlights from your favorite episodes, take less time to consume.
• Don’t make a halfhearted effort. Okay, you don’t have to create a full-blown presentation that would make the mavens of Madison Avenue envious of your skill set, but we’re not talking Elmer’s glue and crayons here, either. Treat it like a business; invest the right kind of time and money to make your media kit look (and sound) as professional as you can.

When you have your content figured out, go buy a nice, pretty binder. Or better yet, order some custom ones online that feature your podcast logo, slogan, and website address. You can get them online from VistaPrint (http://www.vistaprint.com) if you want large quantities. For smaller runs, see what your local office-supply or copy center can provide.

Establishing a rate sheet

A rate sheet is simply a table of what you charge for ads and other services like audio or graphic production related to advertising. And you thought you were headed into uncharted waters by just creating a podcast? How about figuring out a fair price to charge for running advertising? That’s by no means a science. Heck, it’s not even an art form at this stage! It’s total guesswork — picking a number, throwing it out there, and seeing what sticks.

You can start by reviewing rates of other podcasts with similar topics or audience sizes. A rate sheet can be as simple as a fixed price for a given ad segment, but we like to think podcasting is more flexible than that. Can you offer cheaper prices for shorter ads? Can you offer prices for different placement within the show, keeping in mind that the closer to the top of the show, the more valuable the ad placement? You can offer decreasing rates based on how many shows carry an ad. How about adjusting the price if there’s an ad in your show along with a link on your website? Are you capable of offering production services for an audio or video ad? All of these options can be combined in a variety of ways to complement each other.

Gathering listener donations with PayPal

Some of your audience will so love your show that they’ll happily hand over some of their hard-earned money — if you’ll only ask.

Asking for listeners’ support is a two-step process: First you ask for the money, and then you provide an easy and convenient way for your listeners to send you money. PayPal (http://www.paypal.com) has been handling small and large web-based transactions for years. A PayPal donation link can be fully integrated into your website with minimum hassle. Here's how:

1. Log in to PayPal.

   If you don’t have a PayPal account, click the Sign Up link and follow the simple instructions. You need a valid credit card to sign up.

   PayPal, like much of the web, is subject to change. The flow of these steps might be slightly different at the time you’re reading this. Regardless, the steps you need to follow will basically be the same.

2. From your Account Overview page, click the Manage Buttons in the Selling Tools section on the right side.
3. Click the Create New Button option located in the Related Items section.

4. From the Choose a Button Type drop-down menu, select the Donations option and then designate a region, a language, and a button style; when done, click the Continue button.

   You are taken to the Make Your Donation Button page, as shown in Figure 14-5. If you have a custom button already created, you can point PayPal to its URL, but you should keep it simple and use PayPal’s design.

   

5. Add any additional information to your button. When done, click the Continue button.

   We recommend using “podcast name – Donations” to help you identify your donations if you have other types of PayPal income.

6. Set the Currency, default amount, and donation subscription options. When done, click the Continue button.

7. Review additional options for your Donations button.

   These options include demographics, routing from PayPal to another site, and additional HTML variables.

   If you’re familiar with using HTML forms, you can later add a suggested donation amount, and allow your listeners to change the amount if they desire. Get a copy of Coding All-in-One For Dummies (Wiley) by Nikhil Abraham if you need help with editing forms.

8. Click the Finish and Get Code button to create the code for your Donations button.

   You have some decisions to make about the custom HTML code for your button.

9. Do some minor editing of HTML in order to incorporate your button into your podcast’s blog.

   Adding the HTML should simply be a copy and paste to your template or widget. If you need to go deeper into editing a template in order to accommodate your donation button, take a look at WordPress All-in-One For Dummies, 4th Edition by Lisa Sabin-Wilson.

   This should do it for the donation link.

Building patrons with Patreon

Another alternative that many podcasters and creative artists are exploring for fan-generated revenue is Patreon (https://patreon.com). Patreon offers a couple ways for you to get paid for your content. Like PayPal, you can set up a monthly billing system to charge your loyal followers at the beginning of each month. However, you can also set it up to tap your patron’s wallets on a “per creation” method. For the podcaster, this means the harder you work, the more you can potentially get paid. For the patron, it means if the podcaster starts to get complacent and doesn’t produce any new content, you don’t have to pay.

Many podcasters will set up tiered patronage, much like the different levels seen on streaming services like Twitch or YouTube, or in campaigns found on Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com). For example, for $1 per episode, you get a special episode, show notes, or a postcard once a year. For $2 per episode, you get your name read on the show and a T-shirt. You see how it goes? If you support a show, you get goodies. Each podcast has its own take on what it charges and what it offers.

But how effective can Patreon be? For writers Chris Lester (http://www.patreon.com/authorchrislester) and Phil Rossi (http://www.patreon.com/philrossi), Patreon has proven to be quite the motivator in creating new fiction (see Figure 14-6). Chris Lester, host of the award-winning Metamor City podcast, had stepped away from storytelling for quite some time before returning with The Raven and the Writing Desk, his own author interview show that also journals his own return to writing fiction. His accompanying Patreon supported him writing on a consistent basis, even when finding himself unexpectedly in-between jobs. For Phil Rossi, author and podcaster behind Crescent, Eden, and Harvey, his greatest challenge for writing fiction was time. His Patreon income allows him to invest less in lucrative performance gigs as a musician so he can continue producing more fiction. Both Lester and Rossi offer their Patreon investors exclusive fiction both in audio and digital formats and additional incentives when print versions of their podcasts are released.

Before launching a Patreon campaign, have a plan. Think about what you can offer the potential contributor to make them want to sign up. Once you have your plan, create a Patreon account by following these steps:

1. Click the Create on Patreon button, located in the upper right of the browser window.

   You can use a Google or Facebook account to activate your account, or you can create an account using different contact information.

   If you are already set up with Patreon, simply click the Log In link to the left of the Create on Patreon button.

2. Pick two categories where your podcast best fits and then click the Continue button.

   Yes, there is a category specifically for podcasts!

3. Honestly and accurately answer the question about your content by clicking the appropriate option.
4. Select the currency you want to use with your Patreon account and then click the Continue button.
5. Connect one of your social media platforms as a verification source to secure your custom Patreon URL and then click the Continue button.

6. Click the Start Customizing button and begin to put together your Patreon page.

   Using a simple GUI, Patreon assists in building your website by having you enter basic information like your name, a profile picture, what you’re creating, and appropriate social media links. You can even point Patreon to a short welcome video going even deeper into what you intend to create.

7. When you are done with each section (and your checklist, as seen in Figure 14-7, is completed), click the Save Changes button.

   

8. Click the Tiers option, located to the right of Basics, and then click the Customize button to edit and add tiers for your Patreon page. When done, click the Save Changes button.
9. Click the Getting Paid option to make changes and set your payment schedule. When done, click the Save Changes button.
10. Click the Page Settings option to make any changes you’d like to apply to your Patreon page. Click the Save Changes button.

11. Click the Preview option to review your Patreon page. If everything looks good, click the Launch button.

    At any time, you can update and edit your Patreon page. Under the Advanced option, you have additions you can make to your page to offer your backers even more. Once you click the Launch button, your page is live and you are ready to go!

Now you can put a link or button on your website guiding your audience to your Patreon page, announce it on your show, or any other way to let people know how they can help you. Once a month, it automatically withdraws money from their account and deposits it in yours.

Patreon takes a service fee for hosting and managing your content. Typically this is 5%. However, be sure to review the payment processing fees to understand how much you can expect from your donors.

Selling stuff

Some podcasters offer merchandise for sale as a way to support their show financially — T-shirts, hats, mugs, autographed pictures, you name it. If it’s sellable, chances are good that some podcaster out there is selling it.

If you’re contemplating selling merchandise via your podcast, you fall into one of two groups:

• You have merchandise to sell. Musicians, authors, artists, and craftspeople fall into this category. For these podcasters, offering CDs, books, prints, or other items to the listening audience can bring in significant revenue. (Down the road, there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be possible to make a living via podcasting.)

  Once again, PayPal (www.paypal.com) can be very helpful in taking away the technical hurdles for selling items online and integrating them into your podcast and website. If you can master the process for setting up online donations, you aren’t far from having PayPal work as your entire online shopping cart.

• You need merchandise to sell. If you need stuff to sell, CafePress (http://www.cafepress.com) is more than happy to step in and offer its assistance. Remember the T-shirts and other stuff mentioned earlier? You can go to the trouble of making those yourself, carrying an inventory, and shipping the orders out as they trickle in — or you can let CafePress take care of all that for you.

  Setting up a CafePress storefront is a breeze, though it’s a highly configurable task, and how you set it up depends on what you want to sell. A basic shop is free to set up and to use. Your listeners buy the T-shirts and coffee mugs (or whatever), with your logo or design on them from the CafePress store, and CafePress pays you a commission. It’s very simple and requires only some quick setup information from you to get started. It takes about five minutes to set this up; CafePress takes care of the rest.

Don’t expect to make tons of cash via CafePress. Unless you can convince a large group of your listeners that they simply must have an $18 T-shirt with your logo on it, we wouldn’t recommend quitting your day job just yet.

Is it possible to make money at podcasting? Sure, it’s possible. You can find plenty of realistic success stories where people are turning their passion into a day job. It could be the podcast itself, suddenly becoming a runaway hit. It could be hosting a workshop or a class where you teach students how to podcast. It could be an opportunity where you produce podcasts for an organization, or a group of organizations. It could be getting together with someone you’ve known for years — a friend from the circles in which you podcast — and writing a book on how to podcast. There are a lot of pod-sibilities (oh, come on, your authors are both dads!) with this platform we are introducing you to, and there are plenty of options ahead. You can consider one offered in this chapter or a combination of them, all working to turn what you love into a day job.

So long as you remember the paycheck is not the sole reason you fire up the mics. Without the heart, the voice doesn’t happen. But when it does, the paycheck is a nice perk at the end of an episode.