When I first started working in the online space more than three years ago I’d never heard of podcast pitching. But to be fair, I also didn’t know how to post a pin to Pinterest or update a website either.
One of my very first clients heard that pitching podcast hosts to come on their show and bring value to the host’s audience could be a great form of marketing, and also establish her as an expert in her field. So she purchased a course for me to take and we got started!
Since then, I’ve pitched hundreds of podcasts for clients, set up podcast pitching systems for online business owners and trained people how to pitch podcasts. I want to share with you what I’ve learned – so if you want to be a guest on other people’s podcasts, you (or your team) can dive in and get to pitching!
Create a System
The first recommendation is not a surprise for an online business manager to be making, but IS critical so you don’t end up wasting time or throwing your money away by pitching shows that don’t accept outside guests or not following up to actually get the guest spot.
Whether you want to pitch 3 podcasts or 100, creating a system of research, writing and following up is critical.
First, start by building templates and a system you or your team can follow month to month.
- How do you want to find podcasts to pitch?
- Where can you bring the most value?
- How will you vet the podcast to make sure they take outside pitches?
- Do you have a good email address to send your pitch?
- How often do you want to follow up after a pitch is sent? (hint: a minimum of 3 times)
Draft Your Templates
Now that you have the how, it’s time to craft your pitch templates. I recommend creating a short pitch, longer pitch, and topic bank of ideas for things you can confidently teach about.
For your pitch, you’ll want to be sure to include a customizable section to speak directly to the podcast host, making it clear that you understand their mission and their audience (no spammy pitches here!), a section talking about your expertise on the topic, a proposed interview topic with a few bullet points, and what their audience will gain from this interview.
Don’t Get Discouraged
Even with the best research and pitches coming from the heart to the podcast host, be prepared to get lots of ‘No’s.
Some podcast hosts only interview their own students or clients, some only find guests through trusted referrals or agencies, some may not feel connected to the topic you pitched on – the bottom line is to not get discouraged or take it personally when hosts don’t say yes. As long as you’re connecting with the hosts in a genuine and personal way, with the intention of showing up to deliver major value, there’s nothing to feel bad about. Move on to the next pitch!
Also, consider your own network because there may be connections you can reach out to that would be happy to make an introduction for you to a host who would love to share your expertise with their audience.
Consider Outsourcing
As you can probably tell, podcast pitching can be a time consuming, and sometimes discouraging form of marketing. We’ve found that after the templates are created and the system is ready, it takes about 7 hours to draft, send and follow up with 10 pitches a month.
While my company no longer offers pitching as a service, there are agencies and freelancers who do a great job of pitching podcasts on behalf of their clients. One important caveat is that you find a reputable company or freelancer who is not spamming or sending in-authentic, robotic pitches to every podcast they find in a Google search. Ultimately it’s your name on the pitches and your reputation that will be affected.
Done well, podcast pitching can be an amazing experience that benefits both the guest and the host.
Now tell me, if you could be a guest on your dream podcast…what podcast would it be?