One of the most common questions I get when I meet with podcasters during my free coaching call is ‘How do I grow my audience?’, ‘How can I get more downloads’, or ‘How do I increase my podcast’s reach?‘
In this episode, I review my favorite strategy for growing your audience. I call it OPP (yeah, you know me) — Other People’s Podcasts.
My clients have found that being on a guest on podcasts is an effective way to get your message and brand in front of new potential listeners (and customers).
It’s a winning strategy so how do you pull it off and do it right?
Here are my top tips for growing your podcast audience by being a guest on other podcasts:
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Focus on quality over quantity. A lot of podcasters who decide to use this strategy set big goals around how many podcasts appearances they are going to make. Wrong. Don’t do this. Set goals around how many perfectly aligned podcasts appearances. Sure, the desperate new Remember the 80s podcast might love to have you on to talk about your obsession with Joy Division but that’s not really going to help you get more listeners to your Mindset for Millenials podcast. Make sure that you are only saying yes to podcasts that are likely to have your ideal client in their audience. And, make sure that you can show up as the expert you are — as it relates to your podcast and your business.
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Have a selection of topics ready to go. You’re an expert. Pick a few of your valuable ideas. Package them up to make them attractive to a podcast host and don’t forget to have a story locked and loaded for each one. Stick to what you know and what is related to what you talk about on your podcast. You can always put a spin on it depending on the podcast and it’s format, but if you have about 3 go-to topics, you should be set.
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Pitch, bitch. If you want to get on more podcasts, you need to pitch to be on more podcasts. And, if you don’t want to waste a lot of your time (and other people’s time), do it right. Do the research before you start bombarding podcasters. You probably know what this feels like on the other end — I can’t tell you how many pitch emails I from would-be guests who claim to LOVE my show and then ask to be on my show. Um, I don’t have guests… ever. So, save yourself from this kind of embarrassing oversight and do some research. Here’s what that might look like:
- Create a list of potential podcasts by looking for shows that your audience might be listening too (sneaky tip: surveying your audience about what podcasts they’re loving).
- Listen to their podcast! Check to make sure that they actually have guests, what kind of guests they like to have, who their audience is, and what their format is. Oh, and make sure that their quality and values align with yours.
- Determine which of your go-to topics makes the most sense to pitch based on what they’ve covered in the past. Note a specific episode that you can refer to in your pitch that explains why you think their audience might benefit from what you have to offer.
- Make your pitch about them, not you. How can your proposed interview help them and serve their audience? Don’t be cocky like you’re doing them a favor, just make it clear what you have to offer.
- Be authentic. Make sure your personality comes through in the email so they know a robot hasn’t churned it out.
- Create a spreadsheet (or use a project management tool like Asana). Tracking your pitches will help you avoid double pitching and will also show you which go-to topics are the most attractive.
- Follow up. Lots of emails get lost in crowded inboxes. Don’t be shy about checking back in. And if you follow them on social (hint: you should) check in with them there to make sure they got the email. BUT don’t harass them. We’ve all be on the other end of that stick. I once had a guy who was insistent that he was my number one fan, continue to request to be a guest even after I told him I don’t have guests. Block city.
Pay attention. Some podcasts are actively looking for podcast guests. They might post on social media about it. They might list their needs on services like Connectively (a website tthat helps journalists find experts). There are directories and emails lists you can subscribe to like Podcast Guests that share connections to podcasters actively looking for guests. You might meet someone at a networking event who has a podcast (psst, ask them if they have guests). Or, they might reach out to you via social media or email. Be on the lookout but be aware that some podcasts ask guests to pay an appearance fee and they are more likely to be the ones marketing to you so don’t be shy about asking up front about their business model.
Pitching can be a bit soul crushing. You’re going to get No’s and you’re going to get ghosted. Keep going. It’s worth it. Consistency is the key to this strategy so if you’re thinking, ‘I don’t have time for this!’ then consider getting some help. You can hire your own VA and train them on your system or you can hire a pro to do the work for you. PR companies might include podcasts in their larger package or you can work with a company that specialized in securing podcast interviews like Interview Connections – Jessica Rhodes heads up this organization. She and her team have been in the podcast connections game for over a decade so they’re real pros with lots of valuable contacts.
It might sound like a big undertaking. Good. If you want results from this strategy, you need to do it right. Getting a good ROI on any marketing tactic is all about doing it right.
And when you do this right, you are going to be amazed at how many new, perfectly aligned listeners you attract to your show.
Which leads me to one last tip about pitching to be a guest on other people’s podcasts… your show can’t suck.
You better believe those invitations are not going to come if the person booking guests listens to your show and hears crap. And even if you do get on these podcasts and do attract brand new, excited-to-hear-more-from-you listeners, are they going to be impressed when they tune in? Are they going to know how to work with you? Are they going to tell all of their friends about this great new podcast they discovered?
If you’re not sure, I have a quick and easy (and free) way for you to find out. It’s called the Podcast Audit. It’s a 7-step diagnostic check on your podcast to will help you determine if your podcast is share worthy.
Grab it for free: https://podcastperformancecoach.com/free-podcast-audit/
Additional Episodes on Guesting:
085 How to Grow Your Podcast by Being a Great Guest
