6 Common Media Kit For Podcasts Mistakes To Avoid (And What To Do Instead)

If you’re a podcaster looking to monetize using sponsorships, a media kit is an important marketing tool that helps brands understand who you are, what your show is about, and why working with you would be a good fit. I’ve reviewed dozens of podcast media kits as a podcast marketing coach. Whether providing feedback or helping my clients create one from scratch, podcast media kits are riddled with mistakes that can negatively affect landing sponsorships and partnerships. But don’t worry though because this article explores six typical media kit mistakes, provides guidance on ways to avoid them, and how to create a media kit that positions you for success.

Mistakes Creating a Media Kit For Podcasts

1. Mentioning where your podcast is available to listen to, like Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Brands typically don’t care about this level of detail, and here’s why.

Brands rightfully trust that you have optimized your distribution by appearing on all the important podcast players.

More often than not, a brand might ask you out of curiosity on an intro call. It’s assumed your show is available on all the popular listening platforms like Pandora, Overcast, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, and more.

While I don’t believe your media kit should have a page limit, every section should contribute to building a compelling story of why you’re the right show to partner with.

Use this space to share more pertinent information, like interesting listener reviews, awards, and accolades.

2. Adding guest names and photos

I often recommend removing this section because viewers lack context.

Unless your featured guests are celebrities or well-known leaders in your niche, a reader will likely not know who they are and why they should care. As a result, they end up skipping this section anyway.

Instead, mention highly-regarded publications your show has been featured in. This social proof proves you are trustworthy and a credible creator worth partnering with.

3. Missing clickable links

On your podcast media kit, hyperlink anything viewers can click on to explore more. Some of the things you can hyperlink include:

• Website
• Social profiles

This makes it easier for viewers to quickly access what they are looking for instead of having to search for this information manually.

Also, links break, so double-check all links are working correctly.

Speaking of links, another mistake I see podcasters making is sending brands PDFs.

PDFs become outdated quickly as your show grows; never worry about version control again by simply sending a link to a viewable document that can be updated in real-time.

Read Next: Tips To Improve Podcast Media Kits (And What Brands Really Care About)

4. Not updating regularly

Your media kit is not a static document and should reflect your changing metrics.

How often should you update your podcast press kit?

I recommend updating monthly, and especially before sharing it with a brand.

5. Small text, hard-to-read fonts, and colors.

My most common media kit feedback for podcasters is related to formatting.

While the data you include in your media kit is important, so are the visuals. The goal is to create a professional, well-organized, visually appealing media kit that draws readers in.

Firstly, make it easy for readers to review all the important information on your media kit by prioritizing readability.

Avoid cursive font, which may be hard to read; use 16 font or larger and remember white space is your friend.

If you use multiple colors, stick to two colors, a primary and secondary color. Also, ensure contrast between light and dark. For example, white text on a yellow background would not be ideal.

Overall, you want to avoid a reader squinting or zooming in.

6. Not including stats because you “think” your audience is too small.

This is a big one.

Hosts of smaller shows are often self-conscious about their audience size, which causes them to want to avoid sharing download stats and follower counts.

Your audience size is an integral part of your brand story, and you should be proud of every download you’ve gained and every listener who follows your show regardless of whether a brand wants to work with you.

Real people are behind those numbers, so keep site of that whether you have 50 downloads, 500, or 500,000.

Brands will instantly spot what’s missing from your media kit and ask you about it, stalling the sponsorships process.

When reviewing your media kit, a brand evaluates if your show is a good fit for helping them achieve their objectives. Your metrics help them determine your reach and how many people they may get in front of.

While I know some podcasters are able to secure sponsorships based on relationships (and never sending a media kit), if a brand is asking for it, they want to see all of your stats. So be upfront and honest about your numbers regardless of how you feel about them.

Don’t let doubt or insecurity ruin the good things in store for your show!

Final Thoughts

In summary, well-thought-out podcast media kits will streamline the sponsorship process and help brands make informed decisions about working with you. No last minute preparation scramble on your end when a request comes in and feel confident knowing this document will help promote your work.

When in doubt, use the podcast media kit template. Skip all the time-consuming design work and feel confident knowing your media kit will attract partnerships and help monetize your podcast.

Creating a media kit is one of the first tasks I recommend all my podcast coaching clients complete when they want to monetize with sponsorships. Follow my framework for building an attention-grabbing portfolio and landing sponsorships at any audience size. I have a few opportunities to work with me one-on-one; apply here.

Read Next: 6 Reasons Why Podcasters With Smaller Shows Should Negotiate Flat Rates