Want to be a podcast guest on another show?
Getting featured as a guest on other podcasts is one of the best ways to grow your audience. Why? Because the easiest people to convert to listening to a new podcast are people listening to podcasts already.
So how do you pitch yourself as a podcast guest in a way that makes someone think: “I want this person on my show!” and not “I want this person to go away!”
Listen to the podcast you’re pitching to
This is the most important part of any podcast pitch because if you’re going to send someone an email with a compelling idea that fits perfectly into their show you have to know what their show is about.
This isn’t something you can do in five minutes because you need to understand their audience and their content so you’ve got to listen to a few episodes at least.
If you have a clear understanding of what content works for them you’re much more likely to come up with a pitch that will make sense for their show. And if you get that right, it’s a no-brainer for a host to say yes.
The content beast is hungry and someone turning up in their inbox with an idea that feels tailor-made for their audience is one less episode they’ll need to think about.
Make your pitch compelling and short
When you’re writing your pitch you want the reader to feel like your personality is jumping off the page. So don’t make the mistake of sending a boring press release or something that reads like a formal essay.
If you’re pitching yourself as an interview guest you want to come across as someone who’d be great to have a conversation with so make sure you’re using language that’s conversational and engaging.
And keep it short because no one has time to read a nine-page email.
By the end of the opening paragraph the reader should be super clear on your idea, the value you’re going to bring and why your pitch is perfect for their show.
Pitch your idea in the first email
Don’t make the mistake of being one of those people whose first email says “Hey, I’ve got a really great idea for you. Let me know if you want to hear it!”
You might think that’s polite but actually, you’ve just asked someone you’re trying to woo, to chase up an idea they didn’t even ask for.
If you’ve listened to their show and thought a lot about how you can provide value you want to pack that punch in your first email.
Send a follow-up email … but not too many
If you don’t hear back it’s fine to send a follow-up email but just watch you don’t slip into the vortex of chasing them up for the rest of time.
Sending one or two emails to make sure the first one didn’t get lost in their inbox is ok but after that, you’re getting into dangerous territory.
Remember, this person didn’t ask for your submission and it’s entirely up to them if they want you on their show or not.
Of course, it’s polite to send a reply but some people don’t feel comfortable saying no.
So, if you send a follow-up but don’t hear back just assume it’s a no and they’re not sure how to tell you.
You want to feature on shows where people are super keen to have you anyway, so just fire up the next killer pitch and approach someone else.
Make sure you’re pitching yourself to the right shows
Don’t just pick the biggest shows because you want to get in front of many people as possible because that’s not always the most effective strategy.
Smaller podcasts with a really engaged audience of dedicated fans are a great place to spruik your show, so don’t discount the little guys.
To feature on the bigger shows you’ll often need an existing profile or a really compelling pitch because there’s a lot more competition.
Smaller podcasters are often a much easier sell and they’re more open to having people in a similar position on their show.
You also might be able to return the favour by featuring them as a guest on your show which would be great for your audience and great for you too coz who doesn’t want to make a new podcasting pal?!
Want to start your own podcast but need a little help? Download my “How To Start A Podcast” guide or sign up for my online podcasting course, PodSchool.
Got some time on your hands? Read the full episode transcript
Hello and welcome to the show. Today…how the heck do you get your little voice on other people's podcasts? Getting yourself and your show featured on other podcasts is a great way to bring new listeners into your show, because the easiest people to convert to listening to a podcast are people who do it already. So how do you get yourself on other people shows without being annoying? The very first piece of advice I'm going to give you is to listen to their show. I’ve been pitched a number of times and sometimes I’d get emails where it would be obvious they hadn’t listened to a single episode because the pitch they were giving me didn’t suit the audience at all. When you get pitches like that it feels like you’re on the receiving end of a message saying: “Hey, I'm just looking for new listeners. Could you put me on your show so that I could get some?” And that's never the way you want to come across if you want somebody to want you on their show. Now, when I say listen to their show I don’t mean 15 minutes. I mean, really listen. Check out multiple episodes and get across the vibe, get across the content that works for their audience. So when you're trying to put together your pitch, it can be based on a real understanding of what they do. You’re much more likely for a host to read your email and think, “Wow! I've got to get this person on my show!” if it's clear that you understand their content and also their audience. The only way to do that is by listening to what they're shipping out every week. So make sure you get your ears across a decent chunk of their show because you want them to know that you have done your research and you’ve tailored your pitch to their audience because you understand who that is. If you can get this right, it's a no brainer to say yes to a pitch because, as we all know, the content beast is hungry. So, if somebody turns up in your inbox with an idea that perfectly suits your audience, that is one less episode you have to think about. If you can make it simple for someone and you can tell them exactly what value you are going to bring, exactly why their audience is really going to enjoy what you have to say, then for somebody that can be a real “PHEW” moment, because all of a sudden they’ve got one less thing to do on the to-do list.
The next piece of advice is to send a pitch that is compelling and also short. You do not want to send a press release or anything that is written in the style of a press release, because that is boring, and nobody is going to read that. You want your personality to spring off the page. You want somebody to think “This person sounds like a great person to work with!” You want them to feel engaged and interested in you as a person via your written word, so they have more interest in sitting down with you and having a chat. You want to make sure you get to the point quickly because nobody is going to read an email that's nine pages long. So in the opening paragraph, the person on the receiving end of your email should be super clear on what your idea, why you're going to add value, how you understand the audience and that you've listened to the show. Basically, when somebody reads your email, they've got to think “This person has really thought about how they could help my audience,” not “This person wants promotion for their podcast.” And that's what a lot of the emails I see look like and that’s the first way to turn off someone who’s busted their butt to grow their audience because it feels like they’re being used. So make sure you provide value and make sure you’re getting to the point quickly.
The other thing you want to do is make sure you’re doing the pitch in the first email. Don’t send an email that says “Hey, I've got a really great idea for you. Let me know if you want to hear it!” If the idea is so great why not sell it to me in the first email? By sending an email like this you’re making the person you’re trying to woo chase you up for content they didn’t even ask for. If you’re going to pitch something, just do it. If you’ve done your work behind the scenes, you've listened to the show, you know you've got a killer idea that fits their audience then pack that punch in your first email. Then make sure you follow up but don’t chase them. It’s their decision whether they say yes or not and some people don’t feel comfortable saying no. So it’s fine to send a reminder email because things get lost in people’s inbox but don’t send four or five emails begging them for a response. If you don’t hear back after a reminder, assume they’ve got it and they just don't know how to let you down gently. So make sure that your pitches are really compelling, written in a really comfortable, relaxed, engaging style then do a quick follow up, and if they don't say yes or no, then leave it at that.
The last piece of advice is to think about who you're choosing to send these emails, too. Don't just pick the biggest shows because you want to get in front of many people is possible. Appealing to smaller, more engaged audiences are often way more effective and the hosts of those shows are often going to be more open to the idea of, bringing other people on who are in a similar position to what they are. Some of the bigger shows will have a lot of pitches coming in so you really need to have a decent profile or a super compelling pitch. So finding other shows in your niche could be a much better way to do it. And also you can repay the favour by having them on your show as well and doing a bit of a swap so that your audience gets something really valuable out of it as well on. Then there's a mutual exchange, and you've also made a new pal in the podcasting space.
Hope that's helped you think a little bit about how to pitch yourself to other podcasts in a way that makes them say “Yes please!” not “Please go away!” If you'd like a little bit more help with your podcast, please check out my online podcasting course PodSchool. You can find all of the details at PodSchool.com.au. It is a step by step super-comprehensive best practise guide to podcasting from the very beginning of coming up with an idea all the way through to monetising your show if that's what you would like to do. And, of course, if you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with a friend or leave a little five-star review if you're listening in Apple Podcasts. I'll see you next week and until then, happy podcasting
