Crafting Your Podcast Pitch: A Step-by-Step Guide for Small Business Owners Wanting to Guest on Podcasts.

Crafting your podcast pitch is a crucial aspect of growing your business and reaching new audiences. This article provides a comprehensive guide to crafting a pitch that stands out, with detailed steps and tips to help you increase your chances of being featured on a podcast.

Appearing as a guest on a relevant podcast can help you showcase your expertise, gain brand exposure, and connect with potential customers. Whether you’re new to podcasting or an experienced podcaster, this guide can help you with crafting a pitch that will not only grab the attention of podcast hosts but also increase your chances of being featured on their shows.

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Does guest podcasting actually work for growing a business?

In our experience guest podcasting is an excellent way to connect with a wide range of potential customers. Not only does it give you the chance to talk about your business and what sets it apart, but it also allows you to discuss topics related to your industry and showcase your knowledge.

By appearing as a guest on podcasts, you can expand the reach of your business, increase brand awareness, and ultimately build relationships with potential customers.

We’ve had great results with podcasts over the past few years:

• We successfully booked over a dozen guest podcast appearances for our business in a period of 6 months.
• In a couple of instances, guest podcasting led to the actual hosts of the podcasts hiring us for our case study service, immediately after interviewing us for 60 minutes and learning about what we did.
• We’ve helped a couple of other service businesses to book guest podcast appearances, and we’ve heard from them that a specific appearance resulted in sales enquiries coming their way.
• We also hosted a virtual summit in 2019 and secured 25 high-quality speakers in less than 2 months. All guests had a 15-min segment on our Founders Connect podcast as a way to introduce their businesses to our audience, and help promote our upcoming summit. It was a win-win! You can view a sample snippet of one of the episodes below.
• We’ve also been involved in producing the Bean Ninjas podcast, an e-commerce accounting podcast that recently reached over 100 episodes. They’ve had multiple clients mention how they discovered the company via the podcast before becoming customers.
• We’ve also published our own Authentic Marketer podcast, which is close to 100 episodes and features guest experts from reputable brands like Hubspot, Sparktoro, SYSTEMology, and Dent.

Our accumulated experiences have given us unique insight into what hosts look for in terms of excellent guests, and we are certain that our knowledge and abilities make us a great resource to help businesses from all kinds of industries reach their podcasting ambitions.

Why is it important to craft a compelling podcast pitch?

So you’re convinced – guest podcasting can be beneficial for growing your business. But how do you make sure you get noticed, and ultimately accepted on a podcast?

Podcast hosts are busy people too, so they don’t have time for terrible pitches. We’re all getting bombarded with emails daily, so if you want to stand out and increase your chances of getting a podcast booking, then you need to craft a compelling pitch.

Now that you know the importance of crafting a compelling podcast pitch, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how to make it stand out.

Identify the Right Podcasts for Your Content

Before you start crafting your pitch, you need to identify the podcasts that are the right fit for your content. It is important to research and identify podcasts that have a similar target audience and cover topics that align with your area of expertise.

One way to find podcasts is to use search engines or podcast directories, such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google Podcasts. You can also use social media platforms, such as Twitter or LinkedIn, to find podcast hosts in your niche.

There are also podcast-matching websites that can help you find relevant podcasts. For example, Podcast Guests and Matchmaker.fm both offer directory listings of podcast show along with their contact information.

How to decide which podcasts are right for your business?

If you search for “business podcasts” there are literally thousands of results. Here are some tips to help you decide which podcasts are the best fit for your business:

• Look for podcasts that have a minimum number of episodes (that shows they haven’t fallen victim to “podfade“), and have published an episode recently.
• Look for positive podcast reviews on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
• Evaluate their content and see if it aligns with the topics you’re interested in discussing as a guest. Were there any previous episodes that covered similar topics? If yes, that’s a good indication that the podcast may be a good fit for your business.
• Look at their listener engagement metrics (if they’re publicly available). How many downloads does the podcast get?
• Check the podcast’s past guests and see if there are opportunities for collaborations or cross-promotions. Are any of your competitors or strategic partners on there?
• Make sure to listen to a few episodes of the podcasts you’re considering before submitting a pitch.
• Research the host and find out what topics they tend to discuss on their show.
• Use SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to determine how much traffic the podcast’s website is getting and its ranking on major search engines.

Once you’ve identified a few podcasts that meet your criteria, you can start crafting your pitch.

Crafting an effective pitch involves more than just introducing yourself and pitching an idea. It requires careful planning, research, and thoughtful consideration of how to best engage the podcast host.

Introduce Yourself and Your Expertise

The first step is to introduce yourself and explain why you are reaching out to the host. Be sure to keep your introduction brief and to the point.

Start by mentioning your name, your area of expertise, and your website or blog. You can also include a brief explanation of why you are interested in appearing on the podcast.

Showcase Your Value as a Guest

After introducing yourself, it is important to show the value that you can bring to the podcast. Podcast hosts are always looking for guests who can provide value to their listeners. So, it is essential to showcase your knowledge and expertise in your pitch.

Highlight your unique perspective, your experience, and your accomplishments.

Explain how your story or insights can help their audience, and what makes you stand out from other potential guests.

Pro tip: incorporate social proof such as case studies, testimonials, and reviews to demonstrate your expertise. You can also share recommendations you’ve received from hosts of previous podcasts you’ve appeared on (example below).

Suggest Relevant Topics to Cover

Another crucial part of your pitch is to suggest topics that you can cover on the podcast. This not only shows the host that you have done your research, but it also gives them a better idea of what to expect from your appearance.

When suggesting topics, make sure they align with the podcast’s theme and audience. You can also pitch a new angle or a fresh take on a topic that has already been covered on the podcast.

Pro tip: Spend some time actually listening to the podcast to get a better understanding of the content and topics. Also, listen for the show format and questions the host typically asks their guests.

Personalize Your Pitch to the Podcast Host

Personalization is key when it comes to crafting a pitch that will get you on someone’s podcast. Do your research on the podcast host, their past episodes, and their interests. This will help you tailor your pitch to their specific needs and interests.

You can mention a recent episode that you enjoyed, a point the host made that resonated with you, or a personal connection you have with the host. (Note: Don’t pretend to have listened to an episode when you haven’t! This will only get you into trouble and you’ll lose credibility if the host calls you out on it.)

You can also share information such as your audience size, the number of people on your email list, social media following, and how you are willing to help promote their podcast with your own audience.

By personalizing your pitch, you show the host that you have a genuine interest in their show, and you increase your chances of being invited as a guest.

Follow Up and Stay Professional

After sending your pitch, it is important to follow up with the podcast host. Podcast hosts are busy people, and they receive many pitches every day. Following up shows that you are serious about appearing on their show and can help your pitch stand out.

However, it is essential to be respectful and not come across as pushy. Wait a few days to a week before sending a follow-up email. In your follow-up, you can reiterate your interest in appearing on their show and offer to provide more information if needed.

Template for crafting your podcast pitch

Here’s a sample template that you can use as a starting point when crafting your podcast pitch:

Subject Line: Potential guest for {Podcast Name}

Dear {Name of Podcast Host},

My name is {Your Name} and I’m the founder/CEO/expert in {specialty}. My website is {website URL}. I’m writing to you today because I’m interested in being a guest on your podcast.

I believe I can provide value to your listeners by sharing {topic/insight/personal story}. Here are some of the topics that I think would be relevant and helpful for your audience:

{list 3-4 suggested topics}.

I understand that you receive many pitches, so if there is any additional information that you need from me, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my invitation. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

{Your Name}

This is only a sample and you’ll need to tailor your pitch to the podcast host and their show. As long as you personalize it, include relevant topics, and demonstrate your expertise, you will have a compelling podcast pitch that gets you in front of the right audience.

By using this step-by-step guide and template as a starting point, you’ll be able to craft a compelling podcast pitch that will help get your message heard.

Podcast One Sheets: Say hello to the ultimate podcast pitching tool!

Imagine for a moment that you could take everything that we’ve spoken about above and present it all in a sleek, one-page document. That’s exactly what podcast one sheets do!

A podcast one sheet is a one-page document that summarises your topic, credentials, and other relevant information about you as an expert guest. It serves as the ultimate pitching tool to get onto podcasts, as it gives hosts access to everything they need to know about you in one place.

Here’s an example of a podcast one sheet that we created for one of our podcast outreach service clients.

Crafting your podcast pitch for small business FAQ

You’re Now Ready to Craft a Pitch That Will Get You Featured on a Podcast!

In conclusion, crafting a pitch that will get you on someone’s podcast requires a combination of research, personalization, and showcasing your value.

By identifying the right podcasts, introducing yourself, showing your value, suggesting topics, personalizing your pitch, and following up, you increase your chances of being invited as a guest.

Remember, podcast hosts are always looking for guests who can provide value to their listeners, so be sure to showcase your knowledge and expertise in your pitch! Good luck!

Happy pitching! 🙂

PS. Short on time and prefer to have someone with experience to help get you booked on podcasts? Let us help you! Contact us today and ask about our podcast outreach service.

Article featured photo by George Milton.