Unlocking Podcast Growth: The Power of Partnerships

Podcast: School of Podcasting: Expert Tips for Launching and Growing Your Podcast
Host: Dave Jackson
Guest: Stephanie Thompson (podcastexpertlab.com, host of The Lowdown with Brave Mama)
Date: March 24, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into how independent podcasters can unlock audience growth and potential monetization by forming partnerships with brands, rather than seeking traditional sponsorships. Stephanie Thompson shares her journey and actionable strategies, focusing on aligning your podcast with like-minded brands—even before you've launched or built an audience. The conversation emphasizes the path to meaningful, mutually beneficial brand relationships and dispels common myths and mistakes about partnerships.

Key Insights & Discussion Points

1. Defining Partnerships vs. Sponsorships

• Partnerships are ongoing, mutually beneficial relationships integrating brands into the fabric of your podcast and community, involving multiple touchpoints and creative exchanges.
• Sponsorships are generally one-off, transactional, and focused on short-term exposure.

“We would define a sponsorship as generally a one way transaction ... With a partnership, you have the ability to integrate the brand with your audience in multiple different ways.”
— Stephanie Thompson, 16:41

2. Stephanie’s Origin Story: Partnerships from Zero Audience

• Stephanie launched her podcast out of necessity, with no audience and few resources, after self-publishing a book on childbirth and realizing the need for wider conversation.

“When your back’s to the wall, you gotta figure out something.”
— Dave Jackson, 04:39

• Instead of crowdfunding, she reverse-mapped which products she already used and trusted—specifically, women’s health brands.
• Her first step: reaching out to a relevant company’s CEO explaining her story and vision, not asking for money but starting a conversation about shared values.

“The pitch itself was structured in a way that I said, hey, this is something that’s happened to me. This is why I need your product. The people who I'm going to be speaking to over here could also benefit from knowing about your product. Can we start a conversation? It’s that simple.”
— Stephanie Thompson, 08:15

3. Getting “Partner Ready”: Asset Audit and Alignment

• Identify brands aligned with your identity, values, and what you already love/use.
• Audit your “assets”: Is there an engaged Instagram following, a book, a Facebook group, an email list, etc.? These demonstrate real influence, even with small numbers.
• Email lists and small, engaged private communities (vs. big social followings) are especially valued by brands.

“Even though it was under 300 people, ... they were highly engaged. That’s really valuable because the brand knows my authority and my ability to talk to my audience where they want to take action.”
— Stephanie Thompson, 10:42

4. The Value of Engagement Over Size

• Brands increasingly care about quality of interaction and audience fit, not just download numbers.

“It’s not about having this giant mountain of people. It’s about having the right people that they’re looking for.”
— Dave Jackson, 11:54

• For podcasts just starting out: focus on direct access to your audience (especially via email), and the story of your mission.

5. The Pitch Process and Early Negotiation

• Reaching out is easier before launch, as the conversation can focus on vision and unique value, not just audience metrics.
• Share your journey, be authentic, and ask brands what they need.
• Involve brands as guests or contributors beyond just ad spots (e.g., writing a book foreword).

“With a partnership, you have the ability to integrate the brand with your audience in multiple different ways.”
— Stephanie Thompson, 16:41

6. Determining Value & Pricing

• Pricing is not one-size-fits-all. Start by identifying what you need (production costs, marketing, etc.).
• Instead of guessing, ask brands for their budget ranges during negotiations, then custom build partnership packages accordingly.

“When you show up to a conversation with a brand knowing, okay, I need $5,000 for the season production, I need $2,000 for marketing… I know I need $10,000.”
— Stephanie Thompson, 19:16

• Brand perceptions of budget may surprise you:

“She said…'anywhere between 25 and 40.' Great. Okay, there you go.”
— Stephanie Thompson, 21:05

7. Reaching the Right People at a Brand

• Research company staff on LinkedIn, target the marketing department (not always the CEO).
• Use tools like Hunter.io to deduce business emails for outreach.

8. Post-Partnership Analytics & Retention

• At the end of a campaign, provide transparent results (downloads, open rates, click-throughs, meaningful comments) in a simple, visual report (e.g., Canva doc).
• Human connection—testimonials and authentic comments—matter as much as numbers.
• Always propose future collaborations if the fit is right.

“At the end, what you do on the last deck is that you preempt working with them again for next season...”
— Stephanie Thompson, 33:36

9. Mistakes to Avoid & Core Principles

• Integrity First: Never promote products you’ve not used/loved yourself.
• Audience-Centric: Your audience’s needs must come before your relationship with the brand.
• Don’t lower your price for underperforming campaigns; instead, adjust the strategy or pitch.

“If you do that, you're devaluing your audience.”
— Dave Jackson, 34:39

10. Ownership & Content Rights

• Negotiate which partner packages include content repurposing, for how long, and where.
• Exclusive deals and content usage beyond the podcast should be valued higher.

11. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You don't have to have a giant audience to have value. You just need the right audience and know how to communicate your value to potential partners.”
  — Dave Jackson, 11:54

• “If you are one of those people who have 10 people in your community right now, just make sure you have the ability to communicate directly to them … and the best way to do that is through an email list.”
  — Stephanie Thompson, 12:31

• “From this moment on, I will only ever work with a brand that I purchase myself. I already have tried it. I already love it … It has to be your audience centric first.”
  — Stephanie Thompson, 29:30

• On attention-grabbing titles:
  “I always talk about the importance of titles for episodes. ... I'm a guy. I see that title, I'm at least picking up the book and flipping through it.”
  — Dave Jackson, 25:34

Important Timestamps

• 04:39 – Stephanie’s origin story: pivoting from author to podcaster and first partnership.
• 07:48 – Asset audit and walking through “what brands align with me?”
• 10:33 – Engaged micro-communities as partner assets.
• 16:41 – Difference between sponsorship and partnership.
• 18:59 – Pricing strategy and negotiation tips.
• 21:05 – Brand perceptions of “small” budget.
• 22:00 – How to reach the decision makers at a brand.
• 28:48 – Biggest mistake: never promote something you don’t believe in.
• 31:44 – Reporting campaign results to partners.
• 39:37 – Negotiating content rights/packages.
• 45:34 – Bonus insights from Dave on negotiating partnerships and sponsor relationships.

Actionable Takeaways

• Be brave and authentic—start conversations with brands whose values and products you genuinely respect, regardless of your audience size.
• Conduct an “asset audit” to showcase your value: include private communities, email lists, books, and engagement over vanity metrics.
• Design partnership packages that clarify deliverables, scope of content use, and exclusivity.
• Always report outcomes transparently, including qualitative feedback, and advocate for win-win relationships.
• Protect your audience’s trust by only partnering with brands/products you genuinely use, and making your decisions audience-centric.
• Continue developing and nurturing relationships, seeking long-term collaborations over one-off transactions.

For more help on podcast growth, branding, and partnership strategies, check out Stephanie’s resources at podcastexpertlab.com, or connect with the School of Podcasting community at schoolofpodcasting.com.