How To Secure Long-Term Podcast Advertising Partnerships

This transcript has been edited. 

[00:00:29] Heather Osgood: Hello, and welcome to the Podcast Advertising Playbook. I'm your host, Heather Osgood. Today, I'm joined by a special guest Samantha. She actually has worked with True Native Media for a number of years, as one of our podcasters. And she is a host, a podcast producer, and also a teacher at PineapplePodcasting.com. Welcome to the program, Samantha. 

[00:00:53] Samantha Lee Wright: Hi, Heather. Thanks for having me. 

[00:00:55] Heather Osgood: Thanks for being on the show. So, I said you're a special guest because I think you're one of [00:01:00] our very first podcasters to actually ever come on the program. So I'm super excited to chat with you.

[00:01:06] Heather Osgood: I should have looked back in the records, but I want to say, we're going on probably three years working together, where True Native Media has been placing ads on your podcast. Does that sound about right? 

[00:01:17] Samantha Lee Wright: I know. I meant to look at that too. I think it's been closer to four or five years actually. I've been podcasting since December 2015, and I think it was about a year in, that I started working with representation with True Native Media.  But I'd have to go back and double-check that.

[00:01:33] Heather Osgood: Yeah. So it's been a little while, and your show has definitely gone through several different kinds of renditions. And now, you've started your Pineapple Podcast Academy, where you're helping other podcasters learn the ropes and get started.

[00:01:48] Heather Osgood: And for the purpose of our conversation today, I, of course, want to focus on podcast advertising, and just that piece for you personally, as a podcast host. And so, I guess I'm really [00:02:00] curious what made you decide to go ahead and take advertisers on? Because I know there are certainly podcasts out there who are like, I'm not really interested in having advertisers.

[00:02:10] Heather Osgood: What made you decide to work with advertisers? 

[00:02:13] Samantha Lee Wright: Yeah, and I think that advertising isn't the right choice for all podcasts out there. I think it really depends on the type of podcasts that you have. The kind of message that you're bringing to the world. And what kind of monetization strategies that you're planning to partake in?

[00:02:30] Samantha Lee Wright: For me, my podcast, my audience is a very, very niche audience. So, my podcast is all about the world of essential oils. Very, very specific, and a very tight-knit community. The show that I provide to that community is education. People come to learn from me. They don't really come to buy from me.

[00:02:53] Samantha Lee Wright: And because usually people already own essential oils. So really, the only monetization strategy I had in place at [00:03:00] the time for my personal business, was selling essential oils. So, when I start a podcast about essential oils, I do get a few customers now and then, that are maybe new, and they want to buy essential oils through my company.

[00:03:12] Samantha Lee Wright: But for the most part, people who love my show, my true fans, are already into the essential oil world. They're never really going to be my customer unless I create other products geared towards them, which I have done. But, when you look at my audience as a whole, I realized, wow, I've got this great community of people who know me, who like me, who trust me.  I really feel like it just, all the stars aligned to be like, let's do advertising because I think I can monetize that well. I can do it well, it's not going to offend my audience. And it just, it just made sense. 

[00:03:48] Heather Osgood: Yeah. That's awesome. Well, you have done a great job with your ads in terms of really delivering for the advertiser. And that is such an important piece [00:04:00] of the campaign. So, accepting advertisers. When it gets down to you selecting an advertiser, so often True Native Media will bring you a variety of different ad options. How do you choose the advertisers that you want to work with, as opposed to those where you're like, gosh, I just don't really feel like that's going to be a fit for maybe myself or my audience? 

[00:04:22] Samantha Lee Wright: Yeah, well, and it's funny.  I have this running joke when I reply to an email that, I think it's Gretchen who usually sends the emails out that's like, "Hey Sam, we're working with a potential new advertiser. Do you think it's a good fit for your show?" And you guys are so great at finding these advertisers and sending in those inquiries to me. And every time I reply back with, "no, not a good fit." I have this running joke that's just like, oh, they must hate me over there, because I'm always saying no. Or I feel like I'm always saying no.

[00:04:50] Samantha Lee Wright: Even though I'm not. I'm booked with enough ads. I say yes to enough to make it count. But, I think not being afraid to say no to potential [00:05:00] advertisers, is really key. And how I base that decision, is always coming back to just knowing who my audience is. I know who my ideal listener is.  I know who that person is.  And I know what kind of products they are going to align with. I also work in a space where there's a lot of competition, and there are already certain products that I endorse or I promote. And so, if there's another advertiser that comes in that's just too closely competitive to one of those things, then I'll tend to turn it down, because I don't want my audience to get this very confused message from me of like, "oh, Sam said she really liked this energy drink, but now she's promoting this other energy drink in the same week." It doesn't really make sense to do that. So at the end of the day, I really ask what would my audience like from me.  Could this benefit my audience?  Because advertising to me should be a win-win. A win for the advertiser.  A win for me financially.  And a win for my audience, because I [00:06:00] want to recommend products to them that will truly benefit their lives, or that I think they'll really enjoy.

[00:06:07] Heather Osgood: Yeah, I totally agree with that. And I still look back on my early years in the podcast industry, and I will never forget when podcasters started saying no to advertisers, because having come from a very traditional advertising background if someone had money and they wanted to place an ad, we said yes.

[00:06:29] Heather Osgood: Unless it was illegal to advertise that service. And I am always still, to this day, surprised sometimes when podcasters turned down advertisers, because I think, gosh, this is a great revenue. Let's take this advertiser on.  But all of the points that you make are so important and so valuable, and I believe that they're one of the reasons that podcast advertising is so effective. Because as you mentioned, if you are talking about one energy drink one day, and the next day you're talking about another energy [00:07:00] drink, really, how is that coming across to your audience? And are they actually going to be interested in that product or service, when it feels more like you're just saying, hey, I've got all these advertisers if you're interested, go buy it. As opposed to saying, no, I actually really liked this. And what I love about what you're doing is that you actually really consider the product before you take them on as an advertiser. Do you feel like that's something that all podcasters do? Do you have any idea, or do you feel like that's something that is near and dear to your heart, that you only advertise products that you can get behind?

[00:07:37] Samantha Lee Wright: I think it depends on the podcaster, the podcast, and the brand. My brand really is a very personal brand. It's sort of me at the front and center of it. I'm the face. I'm the voice. I'm the message. And it's this very small tight-knit little niche community, focused all around essential oils, and health and wellness.

[00:07:59] Samantha Lee Wright: [00:08:00] And so, for my show, in particular to me, I treat my show like it's a baby.   Like it's just this little baby that I'm protecting all of my listeners, all the time. I just feel very protective of my listeners, and the messages that they're hearing, especially within that framework of health and wellness.

[00:08:15] Samantha Lee Wright: I remember I will get a request maybe for a Jack Daniels, or a whiskey company, or something alcohol-based. And even though I personally drink alcohol, I don't have anything against alcohol. It's just to me, doesn't feel like I can, with good conscious, come onto my health and wellness audience that are trying to live their healthiest lives ever, and they're there to learn how to do that from me, and me going, "well, commercial break real quick, let's enjoy some alcohol." So, I think that if you are the personal brand behind your podcasts, and your podcast does have a very tight-knit, small, or niche community, then it is more common for you to say no, and you have to keep that [00:09:00] trust with your audience. But, if your podcast is more of a generic or broader podcast, like true crime or something like “This American Life,” where it's more investigative journalism, and the topics are all over the place, and it's not so much about the personal brand of the host as much, then I really think it matters a lot less.

[00:09:21] Samantha Lee Wright: I think that you can have much more general advertisers come on. But I remember Heather, one day you told me because we were looking over at numbers, and I was also thinking of switching over to dynamic advertising, and we were really getting into the nitty-gritty of the numbers, and I was beating myself up.

[00:09:39] Samantha Lee Wright: I was like, "well, I don't know, Heather. I only have, eight to ten thousand listeners. I'm so small. I'm nothing." And you're like, "Sam, your ads are more effective than shows that I've seen that have a hundred thousand listeners." And because it is such a focused, targeted community, and [00:10:00] I think that there's a two-edged sword. When you have that targeted community, you do have to be more protective. You do have to say no more, but the flip side of that is, the trust that you have with your audience is so strong. And so, you really are able to advertise way more effectively. And like you said, please those sponsors a lot more, and yeah, and get that ROI for them. 

[00:10:23] Heather Osgood: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. 

[00:10:24] Heather Osgood: So, what I see about your show is that your audience is really engaged. And, like you said, and you've referred to your community several times. From an advertiser standpoint, when you're thinking about the types of podcasts that maybe you should advertise on, I think it's really easy to see these mega shows and think, oh, well, I have to go over to this mega show if I really want to get results for my campaign. I'm going to have to advertise there. But we have seen, as you said, tremendous results with your show for advertisers. And I really attribute that to the engagement that, like [00:11:00] you said, you are that front and center face of your brand. And I really believe that you are an influencer, and that's part of the reason that when you say, hey, this is a really great product. You should go check it out.  People are going to respond to that. S,o I guess I'm curious. Do you feel like you have done anything, in particular, to really create that engaged audience? 

[00:11:24] Samantha Lee Wright: With my advertiser’s advertisement specifically, or for this show in general? 

[00:11:28] Heather Osgood: I think for the show in general. I'm really interested to hear about how you create engagement with your advertisers. But for me, it does start with just general engagement, period. Because if you're a podcaster, and you've got a very transient audience that's coming and going, they are not going to be as powerful. Number one, for you the host, but they're also not going to be as powerful for an advertiser.

[00:11:51] Heather Osgood: So, do you feel like you've done any specific practices, or have you done anything in particular, that has made for a more [00:12:00] engaged audience? 

[00:12:02] Samantha Lee Wright: I think that in the beginning, when I was deciding to launch my podcast, I went through a really, really in-depth brainstorm session, and took a really long look inside to think, wow, okay. You've decided you're going to start a podcast. What exactly is this podcast going to be about? People who've listened to my show for years, which by the way, is called The Essential Oil Revolution, in case people are wondering. They've been listening for years, and they get really shocked when I tell them, this podcast almost didn't happen.

[00:12:31] Samantha Lee Wright: I almost started a completely different podcast. I was thinking about starting a podcast, either about childbirth, because I was a doula at the time, and I taught childbirth education. Or more of a women's health podcast, or just an alternative health podcast, a much broader podcast. And when I looked at all my options out there, I decided, you know what, the thing that I'm just most excited about right now, the thing that I'm really [00:13:00] plugged into the most right now, as far as the communities I was interacting with online, like in Facebook groups and whatnot, really was my essential oil community. I was a young mom. I had just started my business with essential oils. I've been teaching classes around it, and I was just really, really excited and passionate about it. And, I also recognized I'm already really plugged into this community, based on just the groups that I was in and whatnot.

[00:13:26] Samantha Lee Wright: So, I think first-and-foremost, understanding, starting your podcast based around where you already have a little bit of influence, even if it's not a lot.  But where you've plugged in already, that also allows you to truly understand who that audience is. Because at the time, my audience was me.  My audience was just people who are starting out in the essential oil world and wanted to know everything. And so, starting my podcast was super fun because I got to really put all of the questions I wanted to answer [00:14:00] out there, and talk to experts, and have all those questions answered. And so, I stayed really plugged into that community.

[00:14:07] Samantha Lee Wright: The podcast was just that next level up of, okay, I'm not just interacting with this community on a peer level now.  I'm becoming a voice of this community. But I never lost touch with who that original community was. I was still active in the Facebook groups. I was still having conversations. I'm still networking. I'm still going to conventions, and just being a part of that community.

[00:14:32] Samantha Lee Wright: So, I think that one mistake some podcasters can make, especially when they have a niche community is, once they put themselves in the role of influencer or authority, then they forget to also stay a part of the people. Go do all the things that the listeners are also doing. Whether that be going to certain events, or interacting in groups.

[00:14:55] Samantha Lee Wright: I think that's really important to keep in mind, and also [00:15:00] engage that community in your podcast somehow. On my show, I have a segment where we read a recipe out of what we call our DIY dugout, and all of those recipes have been submitted by listeners. So, I like to pick a random recipe for the week, and read it out loud and give a shout-out to, "oh, thanks Susan, who lives in New York City for this recipe." And have that really interactive part of the show. I think those little things really do count when it comes to keeping that engaged community, and staying a part of a community, versus, just becoming some influencer who's high up in the clouds, and never on the same level anymore as their fans or their listeners.

[00:15:42] Heather Osgood: I think that's really, really good advice because I totally agree. I definitely have seen that happen in my life with influencers that I have followed, where it feels like people reach a certain level, and it's almost like they're looking down on you. So when, maybe they had [00:16:00] been a part of your community, now all of a sudden they're like, oh, I'm over you, or I'm above you, and then suddenly they don't feel as relatable anymore, or they don't feel like they're part of your community. And I think that that detachment really impacts them. So, going back to your original question, how do you then take that engagement of your audience, and bring that engagement to advertising?

[00:16:25] Heather Osgood: It's so critical and it's very difficult for, I would say the average podcaster to create engagement around ads. How do you do that? 

[00:16:35] Samantha Lee Wright: Yeah. Most advertisers will request personal experience of some sort. And I think some podcasters take that as just one of those things they have to check off the box.  Like, okay, I talked about how I liked that it's red, or I like the flavor of it, or whatnot.

[00:16:50] Samantha Lee Wright: And they do a quick, a really quick personal experience thing. But for me, I always start out in ads when I hit that record button, I'm looking at all the talking points [00:17:00] that I'm supposed to hit. I always start out asking myself, what is my personal experience with this product? And I base my entire ads typically around what that personal experience is.

[00:17:13] Samantha Lee Wright: And I think that gives just a genuine, like, I'm talking to a friend that I'm recommending a product to, and that can make a really big difference. And part of that is also not being afraid to get vulnerable with my audience in my ads. You know, I'll have ads that I'll have people approaching me like, oh, I heard your ad about, you know, this or that.

[00:17:33] Samantha Lee Wright: And like, it got me a little teary, because sometimes I can get very vulnerable with my audience. You know, we were running ads for a new, a weight loss product.  And, you know, my first ad with them was like, hey guys, I have to admit, you know, I have not been walking the walk. I'm like, I've been telling you guys about eating healthy and doing these things.

[00:17:54] Samantha Lee Wright: And I've been really struggling with those things. So, I was introduced to Noom, and I [00:18:00] resisted it because I didn't want to do it, but I tried it anyway.  Because, you know, I'm not going to try any products and advertise them to you guys, that I haven't tried. So, I resistantly tried this product, and Noom helped me lose twenty pounds. And maybe it helped me really regain my confidence.

[00:18:15] Samantha Lee Wright: And so, this ad was just an example of how that personal experience can get vulnerable and real. And that's really where I think effective podcast advertising comes from. 

[00:18:28] Heather Osgood: And that to me, really goes hand-in-hand with you accepting or declining advertisers, right? So, if you took every advertiser that came to you, you couldn't possibly have a personal connection with every brand that comes across your desk.

[00:18:44] Heather Osgood: And so being selective, choosing the advertisers that you know you could potentially get vulnerable with that product, or create a really compelling message around, it is going to make a world of difference to your [00:19:00] audience.  Because you're going to be able to create ads that they're actually interested in listening to.

[00:19:05] Heather Osgood: And then subsequently, of course, create a world of difference for your advertiser, because then they're going to see results. So that is really a pivotal piece in creating successful ad reads. Would you agree with that?

[00:19:18] Samantha Lee Wright: I would a hundred percent agree. Absolutely. And I think there's only been one time where I had to actually back out of an ad, because of my personal experience.

[00:19:27] Samantha Lee Wright: And I felt very bad about that for you guys. I was like, ah, Heather's going to hate me backing out of this ad. 

[00:19:32] Samantha Lee Wright: But, I know you don't actually feel that way, but that's my volt. My 

[00:19:37] Samantha Lee Wright: self-talk. 

[00:19:40] Samantha Lee Wright: No. Anyway, I remember this one advertiser that we had signed the contract with. We'd done the things, and they sent me the samples, and sometimes these processes can feel a little rushed.

[00:19:50] Samantha Lee Wright: It's like, okay, I'm saying yes, but I haven't gotten the sample yet. So, you know, hopefully, this works out. And in this one case, I got the sample, and I tried the product out for like a week, and [00:20:00] I was just like, man. I really hate this product. I'm just, this is something I would never use. I thought I'd really like it, but it's just, it's not working.

[00:20:08] Samantha Lee Wright: It's not giving me the results that they said they would. So, I'm sorry, but I got to back out of this contract.  And I think that's only happened one time, so it does help to be very scrutinizing beforehand. But sometimes, you really do have to stick to your guns and be like, nope, I don't like this, so I'm just not going to advertise it. 

[00:20:27] Heather Osgood: Right, right. Well, and that, you know, it's not ideal when we have an advertiser that's ready to go and run. But I think that does speak to again, your ability to be authentic. And realistically, when we are doing these host-read endorsement ads, we don't want hosts talking about products that they don't actually really like, because ultimately the success of the campaign is based so much on your ability as a host to do a good ad read. And if you've got a product, that in the back of your mind, you're thinking like I really would [00:21:00] never buy this product. That's going to come across in your persona, and even your tone. 

[00:21:08] Samantha Lee Wright: It's just the question of, well, I could maybe do a good job of selling this, but then my listener who then gives me their trust, and says, oh, well, Sam says this is good.

[00:21:17] Samantha Lee Wright: I'm going to buy it. And then they have a bad experience with it. Then what does that do for that trust that we had, you know?  And so sometimes, I am like, well, yeah, I could sell the crap out of this, but I don't think I want to.   You know, that trust to me, is the higher currency than the dollar amount. 

[00:21:34] Heather Osgood: That goes back to engagement as well, right? Because if they buy a product that you've advertised as being really great, then they don't if they don't like it.   Or they can tell when they get the product, that it's not actually really what you discussed, that they're not going to be engaged anymore. They're not going to trust you, and everything kind of falls apart. So, it really is pivotal to go down that path. 

[00:21:58] Heather Osgood: I'm curious if [00:22:00] we had, let's say ten companies in a room together that we're all doing podcasts advertising, and you could tell them anything about, maybe, how to make successful campaigns work, or maybe ask them questions. What would you want to ask, or what would you want to tell them? 

[00:22:19] Samantha Lee Wright: Hmm, that's a great question. Well, I would say first-and-foremost, yeah, give great samples to us. Enough samples that we can really truly get a personal experience from. And the more that you can keep those coming, it really is easier to keep those ads really enthusiastic.  Because they liked the ads to change up each month, and I get that and stuff. But if, you know, if I'm basing all my personal experiences off of one sample of trying that product one time, then it does start to feel stale, and it does start to feel like, okay, well, I'm just going to keep giving the same personal endorsement.

[00:22:55] Samantha Lee Wright: So, keep on with the samples, even though I know it costs money to [00:23:00] send samples.  But I think that the payoff is gonna be way, way higher. So that, and then when you're creating your talking points. So, when I get a campaign order from True Native Media, and they're, alright, here's the order. And here are the talking points to go over.

[00:23:16] Samantha Lee Wright: Please make them one page. One page long maximum, because I've gotten, you know, four-page long talking points, and you're, you know, it's a sixty-second ad, you know? And I tend to go over. I tend to do more like ninety-second ads. But I know people really like short-and-sweet, and it's really hard to get short-and-sweet, when you're trying to figure out, okay, out of these four pages of talking points, what is the most important thing to include in a sixty-second ad read? So, I personally really like it when there are advertisers that give some flexibility, but they also have certain things bolded, or certain things in red, where it's like, you can basically say anything you want, but please make sure you at least say [00:24:00] this or that.

[00:24:02] Samantha Lee Wright: And I love it when they include a nutshell or subtitle of what this company is because I love being able to give a quick explanation of, hey, this, you know, this week we want to thank blah, blah, blah for sponsoring the show, and blah, blah, blah, is a quick, short-and-sweet elevator pitch of what that product is. 

[00:24:24] Samantha Lee Wright: When a company can provide that for you, it really makes your job a lot easier. And I think it makes the ad more effective too because they know their company better than I do. And they typically have way more talented copywriters than I do as well. You know, I'm not a great copywriter. So, I have a hard time kind of summing things up short-and-sweet.

[00:24:44] Samantha Lee Wright: So, if they have a team that is talented at doing that, then please include that in the talking points. It's very useful. 

[00:24:51] Heather Osgood: That's awesome. So just to summarize that obviously as a host, the more products that you receive, the easier it is to keep the [00:25:00] address reads fresh.  And with the talking points, which I know I have personally seen as well, as you could imagine. If you give a host way too many things to say, I think it is very overwhelming. And ideally, in creating these authentic reads, we want to give the hosts space to interject their own experience, and their opinions are takes on that brand. And so, by giving too many talking points, it makes it really difficult to focus on the core of what's really important.

[00:25:31] Heather Osgood: So, I would definitely second that, if you are putting together your talking points, to make sure that they're really focused, because that will allow you to get the best ad reads possible. So, I want to transition a little bit and talk about the academy that you've started.

[00:25:48] Heather Osgood: So obviously you've been successfully podcasting for a number of years. What made you decide to go ahead and start an academy to help others transition into podcasts? 

[00:25:57] Samantha Lee Wright: Yeah. So, the academy [00:26:00] started as a book really. And the book started as just a response to people asking me for it. I'd been podcasting for a while, and I remember when I hit one-million downloads for the first time, I started, a lot of people started approaching me.

[00:26:14] Samantha Lee Wright: Oh, Sam, you must be really good at this. I have an idea for a podcast. Can I pick your brain about it? And that would happen a lot. And more recently, we've passed five-million downloads of my show, and sometimes, I look at that number and I forgot how much has happened to get me to that point.

[00:26:31] Samantha Lee Wright: And then other people will be like, five-million downloads? Sam, like, that's incredible. You're really good at this. And I'm like, oh yeah, I guess I am good at this. And so, people will ask me for advice all the time, and I only have so much time to give to each individual person. So I was like, I reluctantly wrote a book Pineapple Podcasting, to provide all my answers for how to get started in podcasting. 

[00:26:58] Samantha Lee Wright: And how to do, [00:27:00] specifically, on a shoestring budget, because that's where I started out. When I started my podcast, we were a family of four. We were making $17,000 a year. That's where I started. I started my podcast in my crappy basement with my, you know, $40 microphone, and bumming money from people, so that I could afford the media hosts.

[00:27:20] Samantha Lee Wright: And I have a very big passion for helping other people who are newbies, who are just getting started, who have small budgets. But have an idea that they're passionate about, and really need to make it work. You know, I am a huge fan for podcasting, for the sake of podcasting, and putting a message out there.  But I'm also a bigger fan of making it monetarily work for the host as well because that's what I needed for me and my family when starting out. I was like, I need this to work. I need this to bring in money. So, I learned a lot in that process. And the more people approached me for help, the faster I started writing the book. The book came [00:28:00] out, and I got really great feedback from the book.   But, the one component that was really missing was that feedback.   Was that ability for people to talk to other students, or to talk to me and be like, hey Sam, I'm really stuck on XYZ.

[00:28:15] Samantha Lee Wright: Can you help? So, I essentially turned the book into an online academy, which also is much more visual, because podcasting is a very visual thing. I've got a lot of lessons about sound editing, and how to use Garage Band, or how to set up a studio, and set up a microphone. And these are all very visual things.

[00:28:34] Samantha Lee Wright: So, I had a lot of fun turning those concepts into an online video-based lesson platform, that also has weekly group coaching as well. So, every week my students get to come on, talk to me directly, talk to each other, get feedback, and that has been such a blessing. It's been really, really fabulous to see my students get the feedback that they need and to see those light bulb moments go off to be like, oh [00:29:00] my gosh, I never thought of that.

[00:29:01] Samantha Lee Wright: Like, thank you. And to come back next week and be like, yeah, so I started recording and because of this thing.  But, you know, maybe this other student said I was able to get the show that I've always wanted to have. So, it's been a really beautiful experience. 

[00:29:17] Heather Osgood: It's so awesome. Very, very cool. In terms of really creating the podcast space.

[00:29:24] Heather Osgood: I feel like oftentimes people act like we are saturated. We have had so many new podcasts start since January of 2020,  and you know, now we're headed into 2022. Last, I checked there are over two million podcasts. And so, I think that people feel like, oh, it's so saturated.

[00:29:44] Heather Osgood: What's your opinion?  Do you feel like the podcast industry is saturated?

[00:29:48] Samantha Lee Wright: Absolutely not. I mean, even if you look at, okay, maybe we're at two-million podcasts right now.  And that's a debatable number because you have to also look at how many are actually active anymore. [00:30:00] And that number, last time I saw, was much much lower.   You know, somewhere in the five-hundred thousand range, or something where podcasts are actually producing ongoing content. And if you look at how many blogs are written each day, you're looking at millions upon millions. If you look at YouTube content, that's pretty, you know, published each day is in the millions, I believe. I have these numbers written down somewhere. But compared to other platforms, absolutely podcasting is still a much easier place to find your footing, than other places. I just think it's also one of the more accessible places to get started as well.

[00:30:39] Samantha Lee Wright: You know, you just need a microphone, a computer internet access, and you know, fifteen bucks a month, maybe too, to get hosting. You don't need a huge budget like you would if you were producing videos, or producing a book is really expensive, and is a lot of work as well. So, I think [00:31:00] there's tons of room, tons of room still.

[00:31:02] Samantha Lee Wright: And we're only scratching the surface at the genre itself. You know, if you look at film and the music industries, which have been around for a century or more, and you can see the development of those platforms, those mediums, and what has happened to those mediums, artistically, it's evolved over time.

[00:31:22] Samantha Lee Wright: Podcasting has only been around for like a decade, and the creative elements that have gone into it, have come further than they used to be. But there's still so much more that can be done. Like, I cannot wait to hear what podcasts are going to sound like in another ten years. I think they're going to be just this next-level experience, but it's going to keep evolving. So, we need more creative people to come in and push those envelopes, and push those boundaries to be like, well, what if we did a podcast like this? Or what if it sounded like this? That stuff gets me very excited. 

[00:31:56] Heather Osgood: Yeah. Yeah. Awesome. Well, Samantha, thank you so much for coming [00:32:00] to the program today.

[00:32:01] Heather Osgood: If people are interested in connecting with you, maybe learning more about your podcast or the podcast academy, where can they connect with you? 

[00:32:09] Samantha Lee Wright: Yeah, the best place to do that is on my website, PineapplePodcasting.com. If you're kind of newer to podcasting itself, and you want a beginner, the beginner's guide to getting started, I've got a free workshop on there, that you can sign up for.

[00:32:22] Samantha Lee Wright: And if you want to find my book, Pineapple Podcasting, it's on Amazon. 

[00:32:27] Heather Osgood: Excellent. Well, thanks for being on their show. And I hope that this episode has been informative to you. It's great to talk with an actual podcaster and get kind of a peek behind-the-scenes, about how they approach podcast advertising.

[00:32:40] Heather Osgood: So, thank you for joining me. If you're interested in learning more about True Native Media or learning more about podcast advertising in general, head on over to TrueNativeMedia.com. Thanks so much. And we'll talk to you again in the next episode.