What does a good podcast media kit contain?

 

You’re ready to start promoting your podcast. Congratulations! But what does a good podcast media kit contain and why do you need one?

This is a big moment for any podcaster, and you want to make sure you go about it the right way. The most professional way to present your podcast to media, industry colleagues, potential guests or sponsors, or anyone else professionally is via a podcast media kit.

In this post, we cover everything you need to include in your podcast media kit, along with some tips to make it personable and help it stand out.

Note that you should have this media kit available as a PDF that you can email to people or share digitally, and also stored in a Google Drive folder that is public-facing so that you can link to it in your show notes, on your website, and anywhere else necessary.

Now, let’s get into building your podcast media kit!

An elevator pitch

Your elevator pitch is a quick, punchy description of your show that showcases what value the listener will take from it, while also highlighting its marketability. Think of the term “elevator pitch” literally.

Picture yourself in an elevator inside a tall building, maybe a hotel where you’re attending a conference. You’re riding up with a person who runs a podcast network, and this is your opportunity to showcase your podcast in the best possible light. 

You have abot 20 seconds — what are you going to say?

For example, the travel podcast No Blackout Dates uses the following copy in its elevator pitch:

“This isn’t a show to help you figure out how to quit your desk job and travel, and we’re certainly not going to give you a blueprint for backpacking your way across the world. What you WILL get is pro-level insight into how travel affects everything in a person’s life from work to family and from recreation to responsibilities.”

It’s succinct, and lets the reader know what the show is about — and what it isn’t. 

This also touches on the other aspect of an elevator pitch. It should elevate what the consistent theme of your show will be. This isn’t the time to use a funny anecdote or talk about what motivated you to start a podcast.

It’s time to show why your podcast is the authoritative show in its field!

Link to a snippet, preview episode, or to your best episode here, to get people hooked in right away.

Your stats

To be sure, you may not have many stats yet, and that’s ok. You don’t need to make this section big if this is the case, and you may consider including it in the audience breakdown. 

But if you have established a following, note your average show downloads and total downloads. Also, list any sponsors or advertisers you’ve worked with, anyone you’re affiliated with, and anyone else that can vouch for your awesomeness and legitimacy.

Most podcast hosting platforms allow you export your listener statistics. Do this, and keep it updated in your kit — a screenshot can be used to add legitimacy.

Host Info

Include a short bio of all hosts, and anyone else affiliated with the show.  You can also include a brief history of the show, like why you started it, what gap it fills (if you didn’t note that in the elevator pitch), and why you are qualified to be considered an authority in your niche.

You should include headshots or photos here, and your logo should be included in this section (and on a cover page, if you have one).

An target audience breakdown

Who is the ultimate demographic for your show? Is it a job hunting show targeting recent college grads in search of that entry-level position? Maybe the aspiring digital nomad who needs guidance on quitting the office life and taking that first step towards location independence?

Whoever your target audience is, that should be very apparent in the “Who” section of your podcast media kit.

Often, the people who are influencers or leaders among your target audience are the people who would make great guests on your podcast. Think about who follows these people — that is your target audience right there, and the reader of your podcast media kit should learn this right away.

In other words, who is your podcast for?

Subtle notes about your podcast’s “hidden audience”

The “hidden audience” is a unique factor that is often overlooked by podcaster, bloggers, and other creatives. You’ve noted who your intended audience is. But are there any adjacent audiences your show could appeal to?

Let’s dive a little deeper into this. The podcast Tropical MBA, a very popular and long-running weekly show for location independent entrepreneurs, targets people running online businesses. 

But adjacent to that are a whole spectrum of other potential listeners that aspire to be your target audience — in this case, freelancers, digital nomads, and those looking to someday run their own online business. 

Each of these groups will take value from the material in the show, even though they aren’t current online business owners themselves.

In your podcast media kit you can leverage these adjacent audiences to note the marketability of your show, and to highlight that you have room for expansive growth and scaling.

Important dates and milestones

You want people to think your podcast is a big deal. Or at least, that it will become a big deal in the near future. You’re on the up-and-up!

Get this across by highlighting important dates in the history of your show. For example, your launch date, the episodes in which you’ve had high-authority guests or influencers in your field, and milestones like the 1,000th download or 10,000th download.

If you’ve been around a while, you may even include bigger milestones like your 100th episode, date of first sponsorship, and other moments that highlight successes big and small.

One cool way to do this is by creating a timeline and including it as an image in your media kit. This makes it easy for the reader to see all of these big moments at once, leaving a lasting impression.

Plus, timelines are easy to make and look super cool (at least to us!)

All relevant links

This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget to actually direct people to their show.

Here, include everywhere people can find it — with active hyperlinks. This includes Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other major podcast publishing platforms. It should also list your website (if you have one), social media networks, and contact information,

Always — ALWAYS — list a direct email contact. Don’t direct people to a contact form on your website, or anything annoying like that. The easier you are to get ahold of, the more likely people will want to work with you, whether that’s sponsors, guests, podcast networks, or anyone else.

Podcast media kit tips

• Update your media kit regularly! It should always include up-to-date info, contact information, and stats.
• Make it look nice. It may be worth hiring someone with graphic design skills to build your media kit  if you or your cohost(s) don’t have those skills yourself.
• This is your chance to shine — don’t hold back! Let people know why your show is worth listening to/supporting/guesting on/sharing.