Get Booked On A Podcast!
Being on a podcast as a guest is all the rage right now. And why not? If you can find podcast that match your topic, appearing as a guest is a great way to reach a targeted audience.
NUMBER OF PODCASTS – 2020 Podcast Stats
ITunes as of January 2020 reports over 850,000 podcasts with 30 million episodes. in 2018 there were 550,000 podcast reported – that is a big growth rate. And that’s a lot of podcasts. See podcast stats here.
That’s a lot of podcasts. Many of which would like to have guest on the show. Fabulous
How do you get booked on a podcast?
Many authors and experts are interested in getting booked on podcasts. They want to be on podcasts that would be a good match for their topic. Such as leadership experts would most likely want to be on podcasts that had a profile that includes leadership, business, career development, management issues, building a company, new developments in leadership etc. For success in booking, be sure that you are good match for the show, profile-wise.
A good example of how booking podcasts works.
We call matching the guest to the profile of the show, “The Match Game”. This is a short-hand way of saying the topic being pitched must always match the profile of the show. The shows do not stray from the profile of their show. This is because the audience will be surprised at the topic. They might be expecting something else from the podcast. And they might just click off the podcast. That is not good for the podcaster of course.
Booking a guest on a topic that falls outside the profile of their show can impact their listeners loyalty to the podcast. They might not tune in again. Podcasters know this. They want to please their audience with consistency, so they would not book an “off the profile of their” podcast interview.
What are podcasters looking for in their guests?
This brings us to the topic of understanding the podcaster. What are they looking for overall? Are they looking for significant interest in their podcast that would help their podcast rise to the top of the charts? If so, why? Advertisers may want to reach the podcasters target market so they may be willing to pay the podcaster a fee to do so. Podcasters may want to become an influencer to attract a sponsor that would like to reach their audience. The more subscribers and downloads the podcast gets, the more influencer status is created for them.
Podcasting is a business model for many.
With so much change in the way people absorb or obtain new information podcasting fits right in with the “listener on the move” society. Most people listen to podcasts on the move, in their cars, commuting, working out, running etc.
How do podcasters choose guests?
A savvy podcaster would only book interviews with guests that forwarded their business growth strategy. This means that the guest is a good match for the show and would help the show achieve their optimal goals.
Many podcasts specialize in a topic area. There are lots of podcasts formats and profiles. The topics covered by a podcaster can be anywhere from news talk, to political commentary to contemporary issues, to sports, to pop culture to health and wellness to feature or general interest, to business to metaphysical and so on.
There is most likely a podcast show for everyone.
You may wish to speak with Annie Jennings PR so she can get you booked on podcasts that are right for you. Just click the ‘speak with Annie’ box below.
So you want to be a guest on podcasts that accept your topic via their profile.
Unless your topic speaks to the audience, that is, your topic is a fit for the audience’s interests and expectations it would be unrealistic to expect a booking. Not all guests qualify per the booking parameters for the podcast. If you continue to pursue the show even when they don’t get back to you, you incur an opportunity cost to spending time on projects that are likely to yield low or no results.
Finding a podcast that works for you.
Here is a good way to think about achieving your goals – consistency over time. What if each day you found ONE podcast, through research of word of mouth that might be good for you. Or check out iTunes for a list of top podcasts. Then research the type of guests they have and prepare your pitch exactly to the profile of the show. Follow the directions on the website on how to submit your guest request exactly. It’s a test. Who can follow the directions? Seriously, it is. So just do as they ask because that is how they process the requests.
What are some deal breakers?
Let’s start with your website. Podcasters will create first impression via your website so be sure it is up to date and nicely organized. Be sure your bio is also up to date and easy to find on your website. The podcaster will like that you have given them the information they need to make the right decision for their show. This will work in your favor.
However, podcasters would like you to have a history of being on other podcasts, radio shows or other media so you have experience and understand how to have an interesting conversation. So the advice is to always keep growing in the media to gain as much experience as possible and update your website with your new media placements.
Enjoy your time as a podcast guest by being well matched to the subject matter of the podcast and have the media skills to be prepared, savvy and confident on the air.
Annie Jennings is a highly respected and accomplished National Publicist who creates meaningful and valuable publicity strategies that help her clients be heard in the world.
Annie offers her famous #1 radio talk show interview campaign that comes with free unlimited media training, a performance guarantee and bookings on the major, high-listenership radio shows that include the nationally syndicated networks that help share your message coast to coast. Performance publicity programs are offered for TV bookings, prestigious print and influential online media placements.