Everywhere you look, podcast stats are growing. The number of listeners, shows and episodes has each exploded, and the industry is showing no sign of slowing down. Now is a great time to get involved. Podcasts are always looking for interesting guests to introduce to their listeners, and if you have a story to tell and lessons to share, that could be you.
How to blow up your personal brand as a serial podcast guest
Being interviewed on relevant podcasts can be a low-effort way to resonate with millions of people, all based on your personality and experience, which in turn can benefit your business and personal brand.
Ray Blakney is an entrepreneur who has started and scaled multiple seven-figure business and the founder of Podcast Hawk, a software that helps business leaders to be booked on multiple podcast episodes per month. Blakney himself has published over 200 episodes on his own podcast and been a guest on a further 200, with 100 of these in the last year alone.
Blakney shared his four steps to being booked on multiple podcasts every single month.
1. Define your goal and get clear on your value
Before starting your journey to appear on podcasts, Blakney advised you “have a clearly defined goal for being on shows.” Whilst your goals don’t have to be the same for every campaign, they should be distinctive. For example, “one podcast tour might be to promote a new product, and another to build backlinks to your website.”
It’s a mistake to squeeze multiple objectives into one campaign and will confuse your message, so split your efforts up according to their accompanying goal. Once you know your goal, figure out the value that you can add to a podcast audience. “The key here is to add value, not try to sell anything,” explained Blakney. Try to be of service, a font of knowledge and a source of great insights. Don’t promote too soon. “Every podcast has an outro section where the host will ask how listeners can find out more about you. That is where you can plug your product or service.”
A pro tip is to create a custom landing page on your website for every podcast you appear on with a special offer. “This will help you get more customers and track which podcast generated the most sales. You can then reach back out to that show for a second appearance or see if you can advertise with them.”
2. Prepare and research
“The success rate of a podcast outreach campaign is improved by having a one-page media kit,” advised Blakney. “The pitch emails you send should be short and to the point but providing more information that you link to is a great hack.” This means an interested host can always find out more. Combine this with point one and use the one-pager to explain what value you will add to their audience. Spell it out for the host and tell them what their audience will gain from hearing from you.
Now that you know what you will share, it is time to find podcasts where your message will resonate, that will help you reach your goal. “For example, if your goal is to get more clients for your life coach consulting business, and your message is how you recovered spectacularly after a divorce, pin down shows where both those topics meet.” This might include shows about life after divorce, shows about recovering from tragedy, shows about personal development, and so on. Niche down into the specifics of your message to find podcasts that are perfectly aligned with your message and can’t wait to invite you on.
Blakney recommends these three ways to find podcasts. “Search on Google for ‘podcasts about [topic]’, use streaming services such as iTunes or Spotify, as well as ListenNotes.” Make your shortlist in a spreadsheet and find the email addresses of all the shows, which are usually on their websites.
How to blow up your personal brand as a serial podcast guest
3. Send pitches and follow up
The most important components of pitching to a podcast are “ensuring your message is right for the audience, making a compelling pitch in your email, and following up,” explained Blakney, who added, “a compelling pitch does not mean a long one. The shorter the better.” Blakney himself starts an email pitch “with a compelling or funny fact about me that piques their interest and keeps them reading more.”
The first email is the most important one and is the one that will get you the most replies, so spend the most time on it. After the first line, “share the value you can add to their audience. Research the podcast by going to the website and social media accounts, reading the show description and listening to parts of different episodes.” Include at least two personalized lines to demonstrate the email is not a mass mailout. At the end, include a link to your one-pager or LinkedIn profile so they can find out more about you.
After the first email, Blakney recommends at least two follow up emails. “The first is to check in and should be sent three or four days after the first. Keep it short.” He recommends you send another follow up about one week later, “also short, but with a reminder of who you are and the value you can add.” After this, follow up a few more times in one-week increments, a tactic Blakney said has helped his clients “secure a few more shows, since many podcast hosts just need chasing.”
4. Practice and promote
Once you get booked on the show it is not the end of the journey. Blakney knows it’s essential that you “prepare extensively for the interview and are a great guest.” This includes sending any additional information to the host in good time before the recording date. “Some podcasts have an intake form that you should complete.”
More advice from Blakney for perfect preparation is to, “listen to some of the most recent interviews and take note of any common questions. Notice elements that appear in every show, such as a regular topic of discussion or a quickfire question section.” Practice telling your most impactful stories until you can deliver them perfectly. After that, it’s setting up an optimal recording space. “Make sure your room is quiet and that you have a great internet connection, ideally connected with an ethernet cable.” Blakney recommends investing in a good microphone, which he said, “is worth it for the sound quality and means you will come across more professional.”
It’s important that you not only make a good impression on the listeners but also the host. Prepare well, record a great episode with heaps of value, then follow up again. “The day after the interview, send the host a thank you email.” Be an even better guest by “sharing any links or graphics the host provides once your show is live. This will show your audience that you are appearing on shows and that may lead to you being invited as a guest on more.” After that, you might want to “ask the host for an introduction to any of their friends with podcasts that might like to feature you.”
Having a proven process that you stick to without fail is the most powerful way to make a success of your podcast guest campaign. Define your goals and ascertain the value you will bring before you do your research and start your outreach. Approach, follow up, then prepare well for every show that has agreed to have you on. Follow up some more to keep the stream of podcast invitations flowing.
