So you like being on podcasts. Who doesn’t? They’re easy to do, can offer great promotion for you or your business, and more often than not can be recorded right from wherever you happen to be.
So the key is, how do you get on more of them? Here’s some basics that I’ve learned after not only being a guest on over a thousand podcasts, but having hosted more than a hundred guests on mine:
- The best stories (and the best guests) are honest, raw, and truthful.
I’m always first to tell the host of any podcast I’m on that nothing is off limits to ask me. Anything they ask, I’ll answer, except where I’m legally obligated not to. Otherwise, no holds barred. Make sure, when you’re pitching yourself, that the host knows that you’ll be open and honest, both about the good and the bad. This’ll immediately position you towards the top of the list – If you’ve got a good story and are willing to share it, that’s a huge stand-out when I’m looking for guests.
- Invest in a good microphone and put as much effort into the interview as you would if you were being interviewed by CNN.
Check out the [amazon_textlink asin=’B00TREF98S’ text=’Blue Yeti Microphone’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’shankmancom-auto-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’d76e4217-7b65-11e7-8753-112924ed44f1′]. Great quality, relatively inexpensive. A simple investment like this will pay for itself over and over, as you now sound terrific on the podcast, and that’s much less work the producer has to do to fix your sound quality. Also, kill all your background apps, be somewhere quiet, mute your mobile, and make sure your bandwidth is up to par. The little things help a lot. - Truly listen to the podcasts you want to be on, long before you pitch them.
I can’t tell you how many annoying pitches I get from people that go something like this:
Publicist: “I think X would be a great person to be on your Faster Than Normal podcast. He does X and Y, and can easily talk about X, Y, and Z, which would thrill your listeners.”
Me: “OK, does he have ADHD?”
Publicist: “No, is that something you talk about on your podcast?”
Seriously?? I guarantee, doing your homework and pitching on target to what the podcast is about will vault you right to the top, 95% of the time. Why? Because 95% of the people who pitch podcasts don’t bother doing it. - Finally, showcase your audience. If you’re pitching a podcast with a very select niche of an audience, and that audience vibes with your audience, be sure to mention in your pitch that you’ll gladly feature your interview to your audience more than once – Whether it be in your email newsletter, FB, TW, LI, etc. Why? This helps the podcast build their audience as well, and that’s always struggle #1 for any podcast host.
Just like regular PR for traditional media outlets, a little advance homework and smarter pitching will benefit you in ways you’ve yet to imagine.
Have fun, and happy pitching!
