Podcasting has an ability to put you in front of your ideal audience by generating content that is evergreen, in that as long as a show’s web hosting is paid, it will live online perpetually.

The advent of this new media, has made credibility and celebrity more accessible than it has even been before.

Jeremy Ryan Slate is the founder of the Create Your Own Life Podcast, which helps entrepreneurs live the lives they know they were meant to.  

He studied literature at Oxford University, Specializes in using podcasting and new media to create celebrity and was ranked #1 in iTunes New and Noteworthy and #26 in the business category.

After his success in podcasting, Jeremy Slate and his wife, Brielle Slate, found Command Your Brand Media to help entrepreneurs get their message out by appearing as guests on podcasts.

Jeremy has used the power of podcasting and new media to build a Twitter following from 200 in January of 2016, to 41,000 as of December 2017, in addition to getting his account verified.

How To Get Featured On More Podcasts In 2018

Looking to add a new, media-driven element to your digital marketing efforts? You would do well to consider podcast spots. More people than ever are making podcasts a part of their daily routine, both for entertainment and informational purposes. This means they are a great platform to spread your message and increase awareness of your brand.

So how exactly do you go about getting on podcasts? Let’s go through the best strategies to employ when looking to make podcasts a part of your marketing endeavors.

Getting Your Message Clear

Before you even start reaching out to podcasts for an appearance, it is important you get your messaging as clear and consistent as possible. There are several elements to this.

First and foremost, you must have a personal story that emotionally grabs the listener. The better a connection you are able to make, the more successful your podcast appearance will be and the more likely podcast hosts will want to have you on.

Next, you must be able to use your story to lead into the message of your content. This content should demonstrate that you have valuable knowledge and influence in your field, whether a listener ends up buying something from you or not.

Finally, you need to have a call to action prepared. What is it you want your listeners to do? This call to action should tie into your message. It will drive your listeners to go out and download your eBook, or check out a new piece of content you’ve created on your website, and from there you can pull your new target into your conversion funnel.

When these three components align together, they will all work perfectly in conjunction, and you’ll have a much more effective message to deliver when you appear on a podcast.

How To Deliver Your Story

How did you get to where you are? Think about what it is you are doing now as a professional or as a company, and think back. You should be able to give a linear journey as to how you got to the point you are at today. This makes your message easier for your audience to follow. Get rid of everything that doesn’t matter when it comes to how you got from where you were to where you are now. People aren’t going to give you an unlimited amount of time to tell your story, and even if they did, the listeners would likely stop paying attention if your story starts to meander.

Your story should also lead your audience down the road of being receptive to your message. It should establish credibility when you begin actually talking about the most important content and messaging.

One good strategy is to put together a 75-word bio. Most podcasters won’t put a whole lot of time into researching who you are and what you do, so you need to tell them, briefly, who you are and why you would be a good podcast guest.

Pro Tip: Write your bio in third-person, not first person, so it’s easy for the host to talk about you.

What you choose to include in your bio is up to you, but everything you include should help you tell your story while also differentiating you from your competitors and the rest of your field. You can then use this bio in a variety of different applications.

How To Build A Media Page

Your 75-word bio essentially acts as the first part of your media page, which you will use frequently when marketing yourself as a speaker and podcast guest. You do not necessarily need an entire media kit, unless you become a very in-demand speaker or guest with a significant amount of experience.

Your media page can be a single-page sheet that includes your bio, a high-resolution headshot and some of the places where you have been featured, such as publications, articles, websites, podcasts and other media appearances.

This media page will develop the idea that you are a thought leader in your space. It helps you to build your credibility and the idea that you are an “A” player in your field.

Once you have developed this page, you can start marketing yourself. Start small by sending it to your local paper along with a press release, and they will probably print it. This will help you start to generate some press logos that you can then use on your media page. This is called the “small pond” strategy—by getting in local news publications and websites, you can start building momentum to get on larger sources with a wider reach.

How To Build A Podcast Outreach Page

Along with a powerful media page, you can also create a page designed specifically for podcasters and how you solve their problems.

Building a landing page to sell yourself as a podcast guest or a speaker is not different than building a landing page to sell one of your products.

The key ingredients to a good speaker or podcaster page are:

• A good video – either a promo video or you speaking directly to the camera about why you’d be a good podcast guest and how you can add value to the host. 
• A short bio – Tell them some of your story, why you care and what makes you unique. But always make sure you’re speaking to the host how you can help them and solve their problems

• Popular topics to speak on – This should be a short list of 2-3 topics that you can use to base your interview on.

• Social proof and testimonials – Share past podcasts you’ve been on, testimonials from past hosts (make sure you collect these as you go) or some results you’ve gotten for your clients.

If you want to learn more about great speaker pages check out: The Anatomy Of A Great Speaker Page

Getting The Right Equipment

If you plan on appearing on podcasts, it is important that you have high-quality equipment so you are able to deliver a more professional recording.

You should get a professional studio microphone to record yourself with, and find a quiet space. If you are really worried about sound, find a small, quiet room in your house, preferably a room with carpeting rather than hardwood floor, so the sound doesn’t echo.

If you have the ability to do so, you should plug in an Ethernet cable for a hardwired connection. This will help you ensure a better connection during an interview or recording session.

Consider also the software you use for podcasting. There’s a great app called eCamm Call Recorder for Skype or Facetime. A lot of interviews will be over Skype or other similar apps. When you’re a guest, you can use the app to record on your end as well. The sound will then sound better on your side because it doesn’t have to go through the internet.

Finding Podcasts To Reach Out To

When you are new to podcasting, you aren’t going to have a whole lot of press credibility, which means you need to start small.

To start with, create a YouTube video of yourself telling your story so podcasters know you talk well. This establishes some recorded audio of you talking while also giving you a chance to introduce yourself.

Next, start looking at podcasts that have fewer than 20 episodes and fewer than 50 reviews. Typically, a podcast that reaches 20 episodes is much more likely to stick around long-term than those that do not—the 20-episode mark is typically where “podfading” (the podcaster abandoning the show) occurs. These shows will be more receptive to unknown guests, though they are a little harder to find.

You might start by finding big shows, then looking at similar shows with less viewership and fewer reviews. A good strategy is to create a spreadsheet of “dream” podcasts you would like to appear on, then search for the smaller, related podcasts you can contact to start building up your experience.

While searching for a potential podcast, search for the subcategory that best fits your brand. The broader categories are tougher to break into as a new podcaster, so find a good niche to get into first. Make sure the podcast actually performs interviews before you reach out to the person in charge. Not all podcasts interview guests.

Here’s a quick video of Jeremy using this process to find a show to reach out to.

Tips For Your Podcast Outreach Efforts

Your initial contact to a podcast can be leaving a review or subscribing to the show and sending them a screenshot of you doing so. Podcasts are ranked by subscribers in a 24-hour period, so this is a big help.

Your best bet is to do your first outreach via email. I recommend using a tool like BombBomb for outreach. It allows you to send a personalized video inside your email which brings a nice human touch to the normally cold inbox.

This email should be short—a couple paragraphs at most. Include a personal story (a paragraph or less) that will hook them, and then tie that into what you can teach their audience and what you think a listener will come away with. Write individual emails for each podcast you reach out to—they will be able to tell if you have automated your outreach and sent out mass emails to a bunch of podcasters at once.

You do not have to worry about your call to action in your initial email—the podcaster will give you time to self-promote at the end of your appearance. If it comes across as you just trying to sell something, this can develop negative feelings. Therefore, avoid discussing your pitch in your early correspondence. Instead, only focus on how you will help the podcaster.

End your email with a “soft close.” Don’t come right out and say “I would be a great fit for your podcast,” but rather, “If you think I’d be a good fit, let’s talk more.” As you continue talking to the podcaster, have a calendar link available to use to book an appearance if the show you are pitching does not have its own.

But what happens if you are rejected?

You might consider asking someone what their ideal guest actually looks like. Then, you can reposition your story based on what you say. If they say no again, don’t push it—you still have a chance at appearing on the show someday down the line if you become a better fit. You don’t want to go away easily, but you also don’t want to burn bridges.

If they say no, you can also offer them additional incentives, such as a number of impressions or ad spending.

Don’t let a “no” now be a no forever. If they seem like a great podcast to be on keep the relationship growing. See if there’s ways you can collaborate and add value to eachother outside of the podcast itself. With a little bit of time your relationship should grow and you may get another opportunity to be a guest.

How To Prepare For The Show

Once you’ve been booked, it is important you are extremely prepared for your appearance.

First, make sure you’ve listened to at least a couple episodes of the podcast before your interview so you understand the show and its story and are comfortable with the flow.

Before you begin recording, you might consider asking the podcaster what you can do to make the interview as valuable as possible to the audience. This will help you tell your story through the correct lens to ensure it fits the focus of the show and the interests of the audience.

Once you’re done recording, ask the podcaster what you can do to help moving forward, be it in terms of promotion or anything else you can do.

Conclusion

As you search for ways to expand your reach and build a following for your brand, keep the above tips in mind to help you approach podcasts with direction and purpose. They can be the ideal platform for a speaker looking to expand into new media.