Pitch to Podcasts

by | Podcast, Top

Podcasts

Pitching to Podcasts

Podcasts have become an increasingly popular medium for spreading information and ideas, and as a result, appearing as a guest on a podcast can be an excellent way to increase your online exposure. However, with so many podcasts out there, it can be challenging to figure out how to pitch to podcast hosts effectively.

In this blog post, we’ll outline some steps involved in pitching to podcast hosts, suggest some websites to use to find podcasts, provide case studies of how appearing on a podcast helped increase online exposure, and show website links to sources cited.

At the end, we’ll also briefly touch on ways appearing on podcasts (and hosting them as well if you’re so inclined) can boost SEO.

Step 1: Identify Relevant Podcasts

The first step in pitching to podcast hosts is to identify relevant podcasts that align with your area of expertise or industry. One of the best places to start is iTunes or Spotify, where you can search for podcasts by category or keyword. Alternatively, you can use websites such as PodcastGuests.com or PodMatch to find podcasts looking for guests.

Step 2: Research the Podcast and Host

Once you have identified a podcast that aligns with your expertise or industry, take some time to research the podcast and host. Listen to previous episodes, read reviews, and check out the host’s social media profiles to get a sense of their style, tone, and interests. This information will help you tailor your pitch and increase your chances of being selected as a guest.

Step 3: Craft a Compelling Pitch

When crafting your pitch, be sure to include a concise summary of who you are, why you are an expert in your field, and what unique insights you can bring to the podcast. Additionally, include a few potential topics or angles that would be of interest to the podcast’s audience. Be sure to personalize the pitch and reference specific episodes or topics covered in the podcast to demonstrate your familiarity with the content.

Step 4: Follow Up

After sending your pitch, give the host a few days to respond. If you haven’t heard back after a week, follow up with a friendly email or social media message. Be persistent but polite, and remember that podcast hosts receive a lot of pitches, so it may take some time to hear back.

Case Studies

Here are a few case studies of how appearing on a podcast helped increase online exposure:

John Lee Dumas

John Lee Dumas, the host of the Entrepreneur on Fire podcast, invited Pat Flynn, the owner of Smart Passive Income, to be a guest on his show. After appearing on the podcast, Flynn reported a significant increase in traffic to his website, as well as a boost in email subscribers and social media followers.

N.K. Jemisin

N.K. Jemisin, a Hugo Award-winning author, has appeared on several podcasts, including “The Ezra Klein Show” and “SFF Yeah!” to discuss her work and the state of the industry.

She credits these appearances with helping to increase her visibility and connect with new audiences.

John Scalzi

John Scalzi, a New York Times bestselling author, has made numerous appearances on podcasts like “The Coode Street Podcast” and “Geek’s Guide to the Galaxy” to promote his work. He attributes these appearances to helping him reach new readers and expand his fan base.

Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor, a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author, has been a guest on a variety of podcasts, including “The Nerdist” and “I Should Be Writing,” where she’s discussed her writing process and the importance of diverse representation in science fiction and fantasy. She credits these appearances with helping to expand her audience and increase interest in her work.

Neil Patel

Neil Patel, a well-known digital marketer, appeared on the Tim Ferriss Show, which led to an increase in website traffic, email subscribers, and podcast downloads. Since that time, Patel started his own podcast, his own popular YouTube channel, has appeared on countless other podcasts, and become extremely popular.

Kelly Roach

Kelly Roach, a business coach and podcast host, invited LinkedIn expert Brynne Tillman to be a guest on her show. Tillman reported an increase in website traffic, LinkedIn profile views, and lead generation as a result of appearing on the podcast.

Tim Ferris

Tim Ferriss Tim Ferriss, the author of “The 4-Hour Work Week” and other books, has been a guest on several podcasts over the years. According to this Forbes article, Ferriss credits his podcast appearances with helping him reach new audiences and sell more books. In particular, Ferriss says that his appearances on Joe Rogan’s podcast have been especially beneficial. The article notes that Ferriss’s book “Tools of Titans” sold 150,000 copies in its first six months, which Ferriss attributes in part to his podcast appearances.

Pat Flynn

Pat Flynn, an entrepreneur and blogger who runs the website Smart Passive Income, has also been a guest on many podcasts. In this blog post, Flynn shares how his podcast appearances have helped him build his brand and grow his business. He notes that after appearing on several podcasts, his website traffic and email list subscribers increased significantly. Flynn also says that his podcast appearances have helped him establish relationships with other entrepreneurs and influencers in his industry.

Laura Roeder

Laura Roeder, the founder of MeetEdgar, a social media scheduling tool, has also seen success from her podcast appearances. In this interview with Shopify, Roeder shares how her podcast appearances have helped her build credibility in her industry and attract new customers. She notes that after appearing on several podcasts, MeetEdgar saw a significant increase in signups and revenue. Roeder also says that podcast appearances have helped her establish relationships with other entrepreneurs and influencers in her industry.

Cheryl Strayed

Cheryl Strayed, the author of “Wild,” leveraged podcast appearances to promote her memoir. She appeared on popular podcasts like “The Nerdist” and “The Joe Rogan Experience,” sharing her personal journey and discussing her book’s themes. The exposure she gained through these podcast appearances led to increased book sales and a broader readership base.

Brené Brown

Brené Brown, known for her books on vulnerability and courage, utilized podcast appearances to reach a larger audience. She appeared on podcasts like “On Being with Krista Tippett” and “The TED Interview,” where she discussed her research and ideas in-depth. These podcast appearances helped her connect with new readers, expanding her influence and boosting her book sales.

Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday, the author of “The Obstacle Is the Way” and other books on stoicism, used podcast appearances to attract readers. He appeared on popular podcasts like “The Tim Ferriss Show” and “The Art of Charm,” where he discussed his books and shared practical insights on applying stoic philosophy to modern life. These podcast appearances helped him gain a dedicated following and increase book sales

How to Become a Podcast Guest

It’s not difficult to become a podcast guest when there is literally an infinite number of podcasts currently. Additionally, there is a wide, and ever-growing, selection of podcast guest websites, booking services, and support groups and forums online to help the business owner, entrepreneur, author, or other interested person, become a guest on a popular podcast. Provided below is a brief list of podcast guest services, some being paid, some being free, others with varying levels of membership.

 

 The Big List of Podcast Guest Resources

  1. https://www.Anchorguests.com
  2. https://www.expertbookers.com/
  3. https://www.Guest.market
  4. https://app.guestio.com/register/
  5. https://interviewconnections.com/
  6. https://www.Interviewvalet.com
  7. https://www.Matchmaker.fm
  8. https://perfectpodcastguest.com/
  9. https://www.Pitchpodcasts.com
  10. https://www.podbooker.com/
  11. https://www.Podcastbrokers.com
  12. https://podcastcola.com/
  13. https://www.podchaser.com/
  14. https://www.Podcastdirectory.com
  15. https://podcastguests.com
  16. https://podcastgueststar.com/
  17. https://www.Poddit.com
  18. https://podcastguestacademy.com/
  19. https://www.Podmatch.com
  20. https://postygo.com/
  21. https://www.radioguestlist.com/

 Facebook Groups

Reddit Groups

SEO Benefits

Boosting SEO can also be a benefit of appearing on podcasts, both as a guest and as well as hosting your own podcast.

By appearing on podcasts as a guest you can create four major ways to boost Search Engine Optimization for your website:

  1. Network with new contacts
  2. Write a blog post summarizing key points and topics discussed.
  3. Link to internal sources (your other related blog posts) and external sources (the host’s website, scholarly sources related to your areas of expertise or topics mentioned)
  4. Create marketing collateral you can distribute and repurpose for social media channel distribution (see infographic on Dribbble)

Summary

To sum up, being a guest on podcasts can be fun, encouraging, promote networking and help you build SEO and online awareness over time. It can require some amount of “heavy lifting” on your part as far as vetting podcast types, making sure scheduled appearances stay scheduled and on-point, and there can be technical glitches along the way.

However, if you have books to promote, branded online visibility, social media channels created and set up properly, lists of topics to discuss, a “pitch deck” (which is a whole other blog post), and enjoy being conversational, it can be a blast growing your base.

 

Sources Cited

  1. PodcastGuests.com – https://www.podcastguests.com/
  2. PodMatch – https://podmatch.com/
  3. Entrepreneur on Fire – https://www.eofire.com/
  4. Smart Passive Income – https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/
  5. Neil Patel – https://neilpatel.com/
  6. Tim Ferriss Show – https://tim.blog/podcast/
  7. Kelly Roach – https://kellyroachcoaching.com/
  8. Brynne Tillman – https://www.socialsaleslink.com/
  9. Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ryanrobinson/2018/08/27/how-to-get-featured-on-top-podcasts/
  10. Source: https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/how-podcast-appearances-can-help-your-brand-grow/
  11. Source: https://www.shopify.com/blog/entrepreneur-laura-roeder-meetedgar-podcast