By Cassy van Eeden
Landing an interview on a podcast that is relevant to what you are promoting, can get you a great deal of attention from a
specific audience, for free.
But you have to get the interview first.
Preparation is everything
What is most important is to choose a podcast that is not only relates to what you are attempting to get publicity for but that caters to the audience you are trying to reach. “There are thousands of podcasts out there. If you’re pitching yourself to appear on podcasts, make sure you’re pitching the right shows,” says marketing consultant and author,
Susan Baroncini-Moe.
This means that the first thing you need to do is research.
“Search Google and the iTunes library by using a few keywords that are relevant to your niche,” recommends
Ben Adam-Smith, podcast producer and content creator for Regen Media. But research doesn’t end with identifying what podcast to aim for. “Listen to the podcasts to get a feel for them. Ideally you would have consumed a lot of the content but if you don’t have time, check out the most recent episodes,” Adam-Smith adds.
It is important to know who it is you will be approaching, what kind of podcast they have and what their content usually entails. Understanding this will help you when it comes time to pitching your idea to podcasters.
Landing an interview
After doing research, your next step is to secure an interview by pitching to the podcaster (or whoever is responsible for setting up interviews for the podcast). But this is not just any old pitch that you will be making, it is presenting them with a plan.
Baroncini-Moe says, “No matter how well-known you are or how amazing you are at what you do, always pitch with the mind-set that you have to show them why you’d be an awesome guest that their audience would enjoy, not why you’re doing them a favour.”
Your plan should include a topic suggestion that will work well with the podcast and then “explain why you are the best person to help – share your passion and experience”, says Adam-Smith.
Jessica Rhodes, founder and CEO of
Interviewconnections.com, recommends keeping your pitch short and simple. “Be confident and include your contact information. Be assumptive. I like to write, ‘I know your guests would get a lot of value out of this conversation. I look forward to scheduling this interview.’”
Something else to include in your plan is any coverage you have had on other podcasts or on the radio. “They may well go and listen,” says Adam-Smith. “If they like the content and can hear the superior sound quality, they may well be tempted.”
What you’ll need
It is important to understand that the podcast you are targeting may require you to participate in the interview via an online platform such as Skype. This means that your sound quality will need to be superior.
Adam-Smith recommends spending some money on a decent microphone and the best Internet connection possible to increase your chances of being featured on a podcast. He adds that this investment will pay off in the long run.
Have you ever thought about getting air time on a podcast for publicity? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below.