“I created my course!! Now what do I do?”
This is a question that we receive from our community of online course creators on a regular basis. Now, they may not use those exact words, but the issue remains: they have a course to sell, but they don’t have any students yet. Maybe you’re in this exact situation right now. If that’s the case, our advice is simple: start promoting it!
No matter what you’re trying to sell – whether it’s an online course or some other product or service – until you tell people about it, there is a really good chance that no one is going to see it. And if no ones sees it, no one buys it, which means all the blood, sweat, and tears that you invested into creating it are pretty much wasted.
So how can you spread the word?
Great question. I’m glad you asked.
There are a lot of different ways to market something online. And if you’ve been reading our blog lately, then you’ve probably noticed that we’ve been doing our best to introduce you to marketing strategies that successful online instructors (and online entrepreneurs in general) are using to promote and sell their courses. We’ve covered email marketing, hosting live webinars, creating a Facebook group for your audience, and working with Joint Venture partners, just to name a few. We’ve also got lots more topics coming up in the future as well, so stay tuned.
But in this post I’m going to introduce you to a marketing strategy that is available to pretty much everyone, regardless of their level of marketing expertise. That strategy is getting interviewed on podcasts.
Full disclosure: I’ve been a podcast host since 2013, and doing podcast interviews (whether as a host or as a guest) is something that I absolutely love doing. So my opinions on this topic could be somewhat biased. I hope you won’t hold that against me 😉
Okay, now that my disclaimer is out of the way, let’s move on…
Why is getting interviewed on podcasts such a great marketing strategy?
Compared to other marketing strategies, getting interviewed on podcasts is pretty easy to do. It doesn’t cost any money. It doesn’t take very much time. And anyone who is comfortable talking about their area of expertise can do it. Oh, and getting interviewed on podcasts exposes you to hundreds, sometimes even thousands of listeners – for every single podcast that you appear on. Not a bad way to get your name out there, wouldn’t you agree?
And being interviewed on podcasts isn’t just an effective marketing strategy for online course creators. I’ve seen authors, coaches, consultants, bloggers, and even software entrepreneurs make the rounds on podcasts in order to generate buzz and increase awareness for their product or service. Plus, there are a lot of podcasts out there, and the number of people who listen to podcasts is increasing every day.
In the United States, for example, the number of people who listen to podcasts on a regular basis has more than doubled since 2008. Today, approximately one out of every five adults in the United States listens to a podcast on a regular basis. See for yourself:
The number of total active podcasts online has been increasing at about the same rate. Libsyn, one of the most popular media hosts for podcasts, reported hosting over 28,000 podcasts in 2015. This is more than double the number of podcast hosts that were using their service just a few years earlier.
Can you see the trend?
The evidence is indisputable. More people are listening to podcasts, and more people are starting podcasts. This means that there is are an increasing number of opportunities for you to be interviewed on podcasts. Pretty cool right?
More podcasts + more people listening to podcasts = more opportunities to be interviewed
So whether your goal is to get more people to enroll in your online course, get more subscribers on your email list, increase traffic to your website, or build your personal brand and become a recognized authority in your industry, getting interviewed on podcasts is a great way to accomplish all of these objectives and more.
Okay, so that’s the good news.
Are you ready for the bad news?
The bad news is that you aren’t going to be the only person in the world trying to land an interview on a podcast. The top podcasts get slammed with interview requests, so getting on them is not easy. Even for the newer podcasts with smaller audiences, finding guests to interview isn’t very hard. Finding a great guest, however, is.
Every podcast host that does interviews is always looking for their next great guest, someone who can add value to their audience (and make them look good in the process).
In this complete guide to getting interviewed on podcasts, I’m going to show you how to find the podcasts that your target audience listens to, how to contact their hosts, and how to be a great guest on their show.
The advice I’m going to share with you doesn’t just come from my own experience as the host or the guest on more than one hundred podcast interviews. Before writing this guide, I reached out to over a dozen podcast hosts to ask for their input on this subject. I’ve also included direct quotes from several of these podcast hosts throughout the article.
I also created a free resource to help you get the most out of this guide and start getting booked on podcasts right away. It’s the Podcast Interview Tracking Sheet, which you can use to keep track of all the podcasts you reach out to and the interviews that you book.
You can download the resource for free below. Just tell us where to send it.
How to get interviewed on top podcasts in your industry (complete guide) #teachonline #podcast Click To Tweet
Why you should get interviewed on podcasts:
Okay, before I walk you through how to get booked for interviews on podcast, let me give you a few more benefits of doing so:
Exposure to a highly targeted and engaged audience
When you get interviewed on a podcast, you can trust that you will be heard by a highly targeted and engaged audience. If someone is willing to listen to a 30-60 minute interview with you, you can bet that they are interested in your topic.
“When you are speaking as a guest on a podcast you are speaking to a highly targeted and engaged audience that is there to learn.” – Jessica Rhodes, podcast host and founder of Interview Connections
Build relationships with influencers in your industry
The one thing all podcast hosts have in common is influence. They have audiences of people who choose to listen to them. For that reason alone, building a relationship with these people is generally a good idea. Being interviewed on someone’s podcast is a great way to kick start a relationship with them, which can lead to a number of opportunities including referrals to other podcasts, in-person speaking engagements, guest blogging, and even partnerships or joint ventures.
They don’t take a lot of time to do
Not counting the amount of time it takes to find a podcast and schedule an interview, it doesn’t actually take a lot of time to record a podcast interview. Most podcast interviews are between 30 and 45 minutes long, and that is plenty of time to tell your story and share some of your best advice. Compare that to the amount of time it would take you to write an article for another website (probably a few hours right?). 30-45 minutes of your time in exchange for exposure to hundreds, maybe even thousands of listeners is a pretty good use of your time.
High know/like/trust factor
A major advantage of audio content is it is very personal. When someone hears your voice, they can almost immediately decide if they like you. And as they listen to you share your story and advice, they get to know you and trust you. When people know, like and trust you, they are more likely to buy from you.
More visitors to your website
Most podcast hosts create a blog post (aka a show notes page) for each podcast episode they publish. On that page, they will typically include a link to your website so their listeners can learn more about you or get in touch with you if they want to. It’s also pretty common for a podcast host to mention your website (or ask you to mention it) during the interview. Both scenarios help bring more visitors to your website.
How to find and get featured on top podcasts in your industry:
Regardless of what topic you plan to discuss on podcast, the process of finding and getting interviewed on podcasts is the same. The goal is to find podcasts that your target audience listens to, reach out to their host to request an interview, give a great interview that their listeners will love, and leave those listeners with a specific way to find and/or contact you (aka a call-to-action).
For the sake of this guide, let’s pretend that you are a meditation expert and you have a meditation course that you want to generate awareness for. In this scenario, your goal would be to get featured on podcasts about meditation, or that have an audience that is likely interested in learning about meditation (podcasts with a focus on self-help, productivity, health and wellness, spirituality, etc.).
I’ve broken the process of getting featured on podcasts related to your course topic into 7 specific steps (8 if you can’t my bonus step at the end!). Here they are:
Step 1: Find the right podcasts to pitch
iTunes (or other podcast directories):
There a plenty of podcast directories that you can use to search for podcasts (Stitcher, TuneIn, Spreaker, Google Play, just to name a few), but the biggest one and the one where nearly all active podcasts can be found is iTunes. In fact, in 2013, iTunes reported having over 1 billion podcast subscriptions spread across more than 250,000 podcasts. That’s a lot of podcasts to choose from! And since that was a few years ago, we can safely assume that many more podcasts have launched since then.
Related: The Definitive Podcast Directory List
The great thing about iTunes is that it’s free and anyone can install it on their computer. If you haven’t already, you can download the latest version here. I recommend installing and opening it so you can implement these steps right away. Yes, you can search for podcasts using other directories, but right now I’m going to show you how to search for podcasts on iTunes.
From the podcast section of the iTunes store, there are a few different methods you can use to find podcasts related to your course topic. I’ll walk you through each method below:
1. By category
Just like how books on Amazon are organized into different categories, so are podcasts on iTunes. These categories are listed in a drop-down menu on the top right menu of the iTunes store (just below the word Podcast). The list of categories you will see are the broad categories:
Within each broad category, there is a small list of more specific categories. So if you want to narrow your search even further, you can select a more specific category within these broad categories by scrolling down the page and selecting a specific category from the bottom right menu:
If you click on “See All” text in the top right corner of the All Podcasts section, you’ll be able to see a complete list of the top podcasts in that category.
2. By keyword or topic
To search for a podcast by keyword or topic, you are going to use the search bar in the top right corner of the iTunes store. Just like how Google presents you with search results that are deemed most relevant to the keywords you enter in their search bar, iTunes will present you with podcasts that are most relevant to the keyword you entered.
Here’s what came up when I entered the word “meditation” into the search bar:
Another thing I like about the iTunes search bar is that it presents you with a drop-down list of keywords that are similar to the one you initially type into it. Any keyword or phrase that appears in this drop-down list is worth typing into the search bar to see what results come up.
3. By name of a person
If you know the names of other people that are considered experts on your course topic, typing their name into the iTunes search bar will immediately tell you if they host or have been interviewed on any podcasts.
Since I don’t know any meditation experts off the top of my head, I did a quick Google search for the keywords “meditation experts”. Here’s what appeared in the search results:
The second search result was a link to an online summit that featured nearly 40 different meditation experts. Perfect! I clicked on that link, and found the complete list of their speakers on their Speaker Page:
Next, I entered the name of one of their speakers (Jon Kabat-Zinn) into the iTunes search bar. Technically, I could type the name of every single expert from that summit into iTunes and get a much longer list of podcasts, but for now one search is enough.
As you can see from the results below, Jon Kabat-Zinn has been featured on several podcasts:
4. The New and Noteworthy section
For every category on iTunes (the broad categories, the specific categories, and the overall Podcast store), there is a New and Noteworthy section on the top of that category’s home page. This section is where all new podcasts that are picking up in popularity get featured. Since most podcasts listed here are only a few weeks old, their hosts are often eager to interview more guests for their show to keep their momentum going.
5. The What’s Hot section
iTunes also has a What’s Hot section (just below the New and Noteworthy section) for every podcast category. This section is where podcasts that are very popular (they have a high number of downloads and positive ratings and reviews) get featured regardless of when they launched. Podcasts that have stood the test of time and that generally have large audiences can be found here.
Here is a screenshot of the New and Noteworthy section and the What’s Hot section for the Health category on iTunes. If you click on “See All” for either section, iTunes will show you the complete list of podcasts featured in that section.
Google search
Another great way to search for podcasts is to use Google. Search for your course topic and add the word podcast to your search to see what comes up.
Google search: [your topic] podcast
A neat trick you can do to help filter your search results is to add the following text to your search:
Google search: [your topic] inurl:/podcast/
This will filter the search results so that only pages with the word podcast in their URL will appear. Here are the results that came up when I did this for the word meditation:
Radio Guest List
Radio Guest List is responsible for connecting thousands of media outlets including podcasts, radio shows and even television producers with experts and PR firms who are looking for exposure. If you sign up for their free emails, they will send you specific interview opportunities. From there, you can email the hosts and producers your pitch to appear on their show.
Interview Connections
If you don’t have the time to search for podcasts, sift through the results, and contact each podcast host individually, we recommend getting the folks at Interview Connections to do the work for you instead. In exchange for a monthly fee, they will find podcasts that you are a good fit for, pitch you to their hosts, and help get the interview scheduled. If you’re a busy entrepreneur, their service is a huge time saver!
How to search for top podcasts to get interviewed on. #podcast #teachonline Click To TweetStep 2: Research the podcast before you contact the host
Nothing bugs a podcast host more than receiving a request for an interview from someone who obviously has not done their research on the show. Please, please, please don’t waste your time contacting a podcast host without researching their show first. If you do, I can pretty much guarantee that you’re not going to get the interview. You’ll be wasting your time (and the host’s time) in the process, and that isn’t exactly a great first impression to make.
Fortunately, researching a podcast to make sure it’s a good fit before contacting them does not take very long (another reason why not doing your research makes you look really bad). As you go through your list of potential podcasts to contact, ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. Is the podcast relevant to your topic?
Who is the target audience the podcast is trying to reach? What is the goal of the podcast? What topics have been discussed on previous episodes?
The answers to these questions can usually be found in the show’s description on iTunes. You should also visit their website to read their About Page or some of their blog posts (if they have any). It is also a good idea to listen to a few episodes of the podcast. This will give you an idea of the host’s style and interview flow.
Don’t reach out to a podcast unless you are confident that you can add value to their audience, or contribute a unique perspective on a topic that has already been discussed on their show.
2. Does the host do interviews?
Have any other guests made an appearance on the show? Not all podcast hosts do interviews. Some hosts prefer to share their own content on each episode instead of interviewing a guest. If you don’t see the names of any guests in the episode titles, they probably don’t do interviews.
3. Is the podcast still active?
If the podcast hasn’t published any new episodes in several weeks or months, they are likely no longer active. That doesn’t mean they won’t be releasing new episodes at some point in the future, so if you want to reach out to them you can, but you should probably ask if their podcast is still active before you ask to be interviewed.
Here is a screenshot of a podcast I found while browsing on iTunes. In the description of the podcast it clearly states that they do interviews. In the episode titles I see the names of people they have interviewed. I can also tell that the podcast is active simply by looking at the dates that their most recent episodes were published.
Step 3: Contact the host to request an interview
Once you’ve compiled a list of potential podcasts to be featured on, the next step is to start contacting their hosts. Remember, you should only be contacting the podcasts that meet the criteria from the previous step (relevant, accepts interviews, and active).
How you contact each podcast is up to you. The most common ways to contact a podcast are by email, on social media, or using the contact form on their website. Some podcast hosts even have an application form on their website specifically for podcast interview requests.
Most conversations between podcast hosts and potential guests end up being moved to email anyway. So if you contact them on social media or elsewhere, the goal of your interaction should be to ask permission to pitch them and move the conversation to email.
If you send a message to a podcast host using Facebook, for example, I recommend saying something along the lines of “Hey (host name), I just listened to your podcast. Loved the episode with (guest name)! Just out of curiosity, are you looking for more guests to interview? If so, I would love to be considered.” If they respond with a yes, ask for their email address to you can send them more details.
What to include in your pitch:
Rule number one when it comes to pitching a podcast host is to send a personalized email. NEVER send an identical email to multiple podcast hosts, and if you hire someone to send your pitch emails for you, make sure they don’t do this either.
To maximize your chances of getting booked on podcasts, EVERY email you send to a podcast host should be customized for that specific podcast.
“If someone is contacting me cold I want them to let me know they’re interested and then put the ball in my court to ask for more from them. It’s like going to a bar. If you see someone you’re interested in you might smile and compliment them and see how they respond before offering them a drink or sitting down. But you wouldn’t walk up to a complete stranger and tell them you want them to take you home! It’s like that with cold pitches. Get my attention, pique my interest, and let me ask you for more.” – Nicole Holland, host of the Business Building Rockstars Show
A pitch email does not have to be very long (cut to the chase sooner rather than later), but there are definitely certain details you should include in order for it to be effective.
Here is what you should include in a pitch email:
- Your name, contact details, and link to online assets (website, social media, book, course, etc.)
- Your bio and relevant credentials and achievements (to show credibility)
- A list of topics you can discuss (the value you can add to their audience)
- Social proof (other interviews you’ve done, connections you have in common, etc.)
- Your one-sheet or media kit (if you have one)
Nick Loper, host of a top business podcast called The Side Hustle Show, shared a screenshot of an email he received from a potential guest in an article on his blog. I’ve included the screenshot below, so you can see what an example of a well-written pitch email looks like:
Offer to schedule a brief call to see if there’s a fit
At the end of your pitch, I recommend offering to schedule a brief chat (a 15 minute call via Skype is perfect) to help the host decide if you’re a good fit. Not all podcast hosts are comfortable committing to interviewing you based solely on information that you send them or that they find about you online (and yes, they will check you out online).
Some podcast hosts will want to schedule a brief chat with you to make sure they like you. These calls are a great opportunity to build rapport with the podcast host before your interview together, plus you can discuss ahead of time what the focus of the interview should be.
“I want to know as much about the guest as possible in order to prepare the show notes. Links to social media, websites, other interviews/articles about them – all of that helps me put an episode together and build a list of questions with which to guide the discussion.” – Harry Marks, host of the COVERED podcast
Follow up:
Some podcast hosts receive more interview requests than others. Understandably, the ones that receive a lot of requests may take longer to respond to you. If you don’t hear back after about a week, I recommend sending a short email simply to ask if they received your first email.
In some cases, the host will be interested in having you as a guest, but they’ve already booked all their interviews for the next few weeks or even months. If that’s the case, simply ask them for permission to follow up with them in a few weeks (or months) to see if they have an opening at that time.
“What bothers me is when a potential guest or a PR rep requests an appearance when they barely know what my podcast is about. Nothing makes me decline a request faster than receiving an email template.” – Josh Morgan, host of the The Plural of You podcast
Step 4: Schedule the interview
Once a podcast host agrees to interview you, the next step is to schedule the interview. Most podcast hosts use an online scheduling program such as Schedule Once or Calendly to book their interviews. This helps avoid unnecessary back-and-forth emails and time zone confusion.
If fact, if you’re planning to speak on podcasts regularly, you should probably create your own account with one of these programs. They’re also great for scheduling consultations, coaching sessions, meetings, and call with your clients, etc.
You should also confirm how the host is going to call you. Most podcast hosts use Skype to conduct their interviews, so make sure you exchange Skype IDs before the interview start time. If they plan to use some other program (Zoom is a popular alternative), make sure you know what they will be using and how to get on the call. Now would also be a good time to ask if the interview will be audio only or if they want to record video as well.
Step 5: Prepare for your interview
Treat a podcast interview like you would any other important appointment. Show up prepared. Here are some things you should do to make sure you’re ready to rock and roll when the interview starts:
Show up on time (early is even better)
There are a few things that podcast hosts hate, and showing up late for your interview is one of them. In fact, some podcast hosts will have to cancel the interview if it doesn’t start on time. Assume they have another call scheduled immediately after yours. Plan to be ready 5 minutes before your scheduled interview start time.
And whatever you do, do not pull a no show. If something more important comes up (like an emergency) and you need to re-schedule your interview, give the host as much notice as possible. Depending on the podcast host, they may be willing to re-schedule. Otherwise, not showing up for your interview may cost you your one and only opportunity to be a guest on their show.
“Show up on time and free flow. I love natural conversation.” – Ani Alexander, host of the Brand Architect podcast
Use an external microphone and headphones
Never use your computer’s built-in microphone to speak with a podcast host. Podcast hosts hate poor audio quality, and most will refuse to proceed with the interview if you don’t have a decent microphone. Also, never use your mobile phone to conduct a podcast interview. Use your computer, and use an external microphone that plugs into your computer.
You should also wear a pair of headphones during your interview. If the sound of the host’s voice comes out of your speakers, that sound will get picked up by your microphone and fed back to the podcast host. This creates a very unpleasant feedback loop that is difficult to get rid of during the editing process. Listen to the host with your headphones. Speak into your microphone.
If you do not currently own an external microphone or a pair of headphones, a good starting point is the Logitech ClearChat USB Headset. These are headphones with a microphone attached (two-in-one).
Minimize background noise
During the time of your interview, do your best to enclose yourself in a room that contains minimal background noise. Close all windows and doors. If you’re doing the interview from home, make sure the people you live with know not to interrupt you during the interview.
“I had one guest start the interview in what sounded like a hotel lobby bathroom (lots of echo and marble flooring), followed by a hinged door opening and closing, walking through a large space, sounds of the outdoors, a car being unlocked and then started – all while giving his canned story as I described above. It was so bad, I asked him to do it again. Which he did, and hardly changed a single word.” – Michael Neeley, host of the Consciously Speaking podcast
Close all tabs, notifications, etc.
Before your interview starts, make sure you close all browser tabs and notifications that will potentially make a noise during your interview. Log out of social media. Log out of your email account. Put your phone away or put it on silent. You want to be as focused as possible during the interview and not be distracted by any interruptions.
How to give a great interview as a guest on a #podcast. #teachonline Click To Tweet“A great guest will be able to talk fluently about their topic. If you do NOT feel comfortable going off the cuff (maybe it’s one of your first interviews), ask the host to send you questions ahead of time, so you can at least prepare with some answers as a fallback.” – Dan Shure, host of the Experts On The Wire podcast
Step 6: Give a great interview
Your number one job as a guest on a podcast is to give a great interview. Not to put any pressure on you or anything, but the people who listen to your interview will likely be hearing you for the first time. And you only get one chance to make a first impression. Plus, when you give a great interview, you feel good, the host feels good, and the listeners are happy. Overall, everybody wins.
Here are a few tips to help you give a great interview:
Before the interview starts
- Make sure the host can hear you clearly (and see you clearly if you’re also doing video)
- Thank the host for interviewing you
- Ask for a quick reminder of who their target audience is (so you can adapt your responses accordingly)
- Ask when the interview will be published (so you know if and how you should mention specific events, like a book or course launch)
During the interview
- Use the host’s name often
- Share stories and real examples to support your points
- Don’t hold back – share your best advice!
- Respect the time limit (don’t ramble)
Here are a few more tips on giving a great interview that I collected from other podcast hosts:
“Be a good listener as well as a talker. Think about the question and answer in the moment, instead of giving some pre-determined response that may or may not even fit the question. Be present, and remember that it is simply a conversation between two people. Talk to the host like you are talking to a friend.” – Michael Neeley, host of the Consciously Speaking podcast
“Give mostly succinct answers. Not too short, but not too long. If you find yourself kind of rambling, just tie it up with confidence and let the podcaster take charge and lead the conversation or ask a follow-up. And we LOVE specifics! Especially in a marketing podcast. Don’t just answer in generalities, but rather name specific tools, processes, people, tactics etc. These give the listeners concrete takeaways to apply to their situation.” – Dan Shure, host of the Experts On The Wire podcast
“Have great examples to back up your assertions. Relate your story in a way that provides value to the listener, not just promote you.” – Kevin Craine, host of the Everyday MBA podcast
“Just be yourself and have a conversation like you were hanging out at a bar or getting coffee. Don’t try to be perfect. Be candid. Be human. Show your sense of humor. Show that you’re a real person.” – Dave Gerhardt, co-host of the Seeking Wisdom podcast
Step 7: End the interview with a specific call-to-action (CTA)
As a general rule, podcast interviews are pitch-free zones. Unless you have a discussion with the podcast host ahead of time and you have mutually agreed that the purpose of your interview together will be to make a specific offer to their listeners, the purpose of your interview is not to generate a sale. The purpose of your interview is to share content that helps their listeners. Do not turn your interview into one big sales pitch.
That being said, a certain percentage of the people who listen to your interview will likely be interested in learning more about what you offer. For that reason, you should give the listeners a clear way to find you or get in touch with you if they choose to.
What to say at the end of your interview:
- Tell the listeners how they can find you or get in touch with you (ie. your website URL)
- Offer a free gift or a helpful resource (aka a lead magnet) to help build your email list
- Thank the host for interviewing you
“Every podcast is building up your business or promoting you or your product. Be excited about that or don’t do the interview.” – Barry & Catherine Cohen, hosts of the Together 24/7 Podcast
Bonus Step: Make friends with the host!
Most podcast hosts will appreciate a short “off the record” chat after the interview is over. Even if the conversation only lasts a few minutes, these short chats are great opportunities to learn more about the host and their business, and commit to staying in touch in the future.
Here are some things you can do to win brownie points from podcast hosts after they interview you:
Ask the host if there is anything you can do to support them
Before you hang up, ask the host if there is anything else you can do to support them. This is a great way to kick start a long term relationship with them. It shows them that you didn’t just use them for an interview, but that you are genuinely interested in building a mutually beneficial relationship. If you know any other people who would be a good fit for their show, an offer to introduce them to the host will likely be appreciated.
Leave a rating and review for their podcast
Head over to iTunes (or whatever directory their podcast is listed on) and leave a positive rating and review for the podcast. Positive ratings and reviews help podcasts rank higher on podcast directories, which helps them attract more listeners to their show. All podcast hosts appreciate positive ratings and reviews.
Share your interview with your audience
When your interview gets published, the podcast host is most likely going to send you an email (or tag you on social media) to let you know. It takes a lot of work to plan for, record, edit, publish and promote a podcast interview. Many podcast hosts are too humble to ask you to share your interview, but they are secretly hoping you will because it helps them grow their audience. If you share the link to your interview with your audience, they will really appreciate it.
Are you ready to start booking interviews on podcasts?
I hope this guide was helpful for you and you are now confident enough to start contacting podcast hosts and scheduling interviews.
If you’ve never been interviewed before or you don’t have any sort of formal media training under your belt, don’t let that stop you. We all start somewhere. My first podcast interviews (as a host and as a guest) were not my proudest moments. But I learned from each interview and improved my skills over time. Like all things in life, it takes practice to acquire and improve a skill. There are no shortcuts.
So before you approach the big-name podcasts with massive audiences, I recommend reaching out to a few smaller, lesser known podcasts first. You can usually tell how big a podcast is by looking at the number of reviews they have on iTunes, the number of followers they have on social media, and the names of the guests they’ve had on the show. The big podcasts are harder to get interviewed on anyway, so it is best to start with the smaller ones and work your way up from there. By the time you contact the big ones, you’ll have a track record of other podcast interviews behind you.
If you haven’t already, don’t forget to grab our free Podcast Interview Tracking Sheet. Use this to keep track of all the podcasts you reach out to!
If you have any questions about this topic or some tips that you would like to share, please leave them in the comment section below. Even better, go apply the steps I’ve shared with you, book a few interviews, and then come back to this post to tell me about your experience!
