Guesting on podcasts is becoming increasingly popular and is fast becoming an essential part of your marketing strategy.
Whether you want to promote yourself, your business, or a new product or service, featuring as a guest on a podcast is a great way to get more exposure to your audience.
It can help to increase your brand awareness, and can often lead to more amazing business and marketing opportunities.
But the problem is, podcasters get a lot of pitches.
So, what makes a good guest pitch email and how can you cut through the noise to get noticed?
Well, as hosts of the SiteVisibility Internet Marketing Podcast, we know a thing or two about what makes a good podcast pitch. After all, we’ve been doing this since 2006!
We get a whole bunch of emails and messages from a wide range of marketers and their representatives pitching guests for our show. Some of these are great and some…well lets just say that some are not!
In fact, it’s surprising just how many bad pitches we get.
The problem is, it’s really not that hard to write a good pitch and when we get a good one, nine times out of ten we’ll get that person booked in.
In this post, we’ll be running through our top tips for writing a good podcast pitch email and we’ll share the secrets behind what works in getting our attention.
After reading the tips below, you’ll be able to go ahead and write a podcast pitch that’ll get you noticed and booked onto the best shows in your industry.
So, if you want to get your voice heard, you want to tell your story and you want to appear on more podcasts, read on…
8 Tips for Writing a Good Podcast Pitch Email
1. Do Your Research & Know Your Audience
There’s nothing worse than receiving a podcast pitch where it’s obvious to us that no prior research has been done on our show.
Often, it’s clear to us that a templated email has just been sent out to as many podcasts as possible, with the hope of someone coming back and agreeing to have them on.
They have no idea what our show is about, who the host is, or what we might be looking for in a guest.
Whilst a scattergun approach may work for some, if you really want to reach your target audience through podcasting and get your message to the right people, it’s important to do your research first.
The key here is really understanding your audience and the types of podcasts that they’re listening to. Your audience, and the podcasts you want to appear on, should go hand in hand.
By understanding what your audience listens to and what they want to hear about, you’ll be in a much better position when it comes to targeting the right podcast.
We recommend finding the top podcasts in your industry and taking the time to listen to them. Note the tone they use, the types of guests that they have on, and the typical format of the show.
It may be time intensive, but you’ll be able to work out which shows might be a good fit for you and target those with your emails. You’ll also feel more confident as you can provide more information to include in your pitch email.
2. Suggest a Few Topics & Titles For The Show
You’d be surprised by how many emails we get from people who want to appear on our podcast, but don’t specify what it is they’d like to talk about!
It’s a waste of our time having to go back and ask them what they’d like to talk about, and unless the rest of the pitch is amazing, the email is likely to go straight in the bin.
Remember that podcasters have limited time and get a lot of pitches, so make it as easy as possible for them.
We recommend suggesting at least 3 different topics that you’d like to speak about, and including a sentence or two as to why you think this would be a good fit for the show.
By doing so, you’re providing the podcasters with different options and chances are, one of these will resonate with the podcast and their audience. At the same time, it’s also worth noting that you’re open to suggestions for topics. The podcast producers or hosts may already have an idea of a topic that they wanted to cover and you just might be the right person to do so.
Important: When suggesting topics, be careful not to be too broad.
If someone sends us a message saying “I’d like to come on the Internet Marketing Podcast and talk about marketing” or “I’d like to talk about SEO”, then guess what?
Their email is headed straight for the bin too.
Being too broad can lead us to assume that you might not actually know that much about the subjects you’re suggesting. It also means we’ll have to go back and ask what it is specifically that they want to talk about, which to us, feels like wasted time.
Instead, pick a niche subject or aim to answer a specific question with your topic suggestions.
We’re much more likely to have a positive response to someone who says that they’d like to come on the show to talk about “Why you need to undertake an SEO Audit of your site every 3 months and the top issues to look out for” or “Why guesting on podcasts needs to be in your marketing plan for 2023 and how you can do so”
With that little bit more context, we can already see how this might be useful information for our audience.
Want to go one step further and really stand out?
Suggest some potential titles for the show as well. This is a really nice touch as it makes the whole process as easy as possible for the hosts, which after all, is the aim of the game!
3. Showcase Your Credentials & Provide As Much Info About Yourself As You Can
This is really important.
Quite often we get people emailing us and providing little to no information about themselves aside from their name and email address.
This isn’t helpful!
When writing your pitch email, provide as much information about yourself as possible.
Explain who you are, where you work, the areas that you are an expert or specialise in, as well as some background information about your experience.
If you have them, include a link to your social profiles. By providing a link to your Twitter account, your Instagram or your LinkedIn profile, the podcast will be able to get a much better idea about you and what you’re about.
If you’ve been a guest on other podcasts, include a link to these. If you’ve written a book, send the details, or better yet, send them a copy! If you’ve written blog posts on the subject, share those too.
The more information and credentials a podcaster can see, the more confident they’ll feel in getting you on the show. After all, the last thing they want to do is spend time recording with a guest that turns out to be terrible!
Finally, clearly explain why you think you’d make a good guest.
This doesn’t need to be too long, just explain why the podcast’s audience would benefit from having you on the show and what they’ll get out of it.
4. Personalise Your Emails
Don’t just send the same email to multiple podcasts at the same time as you’re not going to have much luck.
You might think that it’ll save you time but it won’t. It’s more likely to be a waste of time!
It’s obvious to us when we receive a templated email that’s been sent out to loads of different podcasts. Instead, take the time to personalise each of your pitch emails and include relevant information that might hook the podcast hosts or producers in.
You can personalise your podcast pitch emails by:
- Addressing the host or show producer by their name
- Sharing something that you’ve listened to on a recent episode and found useful or enjoyed
- Name dropping previous guests
- Mentioning previous topics covered on the show
Bonus Tip: Get the podcast show name and the host’s name right (and the name of the podcast!)
This last point shouldn’t even need to be mentioned, but we’ve had to include it as this happens SO often.
Typically, we’ll either get an email with the first line saying something like:
“I’m a huge fan of INSERT PODCAST NAME and would love to be a guest on your show”
Quite simply, these won’t get a response. If you can’t get the name of our podcast right, what makes us think that you’ll be a good guest on our show?
Take the time to personalise your emails and make sure that you get the names of both the show, and the host correct!
5. Build Relationships With Your Target Podcasts
If you want to go one step further than personalising your emails, try to build relationships with the podcasts before you contact them.
Try to connect with the host or business behind the show by sending them a LinkedIn request, or following them on Twitter and Instagram.
On top of this, you should also engage with them and the show. You can do this by simply liking or sharing their posts, or even commenting and engaging directly.
It’s so easy to give them a like and to share them on your own social channels and adds an extra layer of connection between you and those managing the show you want to appear on.It also provides the added bonus of providing relevant content for your audience too!
By adding these extra steps, you’ll become a familiar face with those in charge before you send your pitch email, and you’ll be more likely to be successful in getting on the show.
6. Offer To Share The Podcast With Your Network
This is something that is so simple, and can go a long way in successfully getting yourself on your dream show.
It’s also something that even the best podcast guest pitches that we get often miss.
In your pitch email, mention that you’d be happy to share the email with your audience once it’s published.
You can offer to share the podcast in the following places:
- Your social channels (say that you’ll @mention the show when you do so and if you’ve got a large following, mention that as well)
- Via an email to your mailing list
- On your own site
- Internally with colleagues
By doing this, you’re adding even more value to your pitch and providing additional promotion for the show.
Win win.
7. Provide Dates & Times You’re Available
Although this is something that we don’t often see with guest pitches, it can be really useful.
When we’ve found a good guest, we typically share a calendar with available slots for them to book in with our host. But on the odd occasion, where we may need to book someone at the last minute due to a cancellation, or perhaps our time has been freed up, we can often use this time to record a show.
As such, we’d suggest providing some dates that you’d be free to record a show, whilst at the same time, saying that you’re open and flexible.
Another really important point when it comes to this, is to provide information on where you are in the world and the timezone you are in.
We often speak to a lot of guests that are podcasting with us whilst travelling, and sometimes it’s impossible for us to suggest suitable times because we don’t know where they are.
As such, it can be really useful to note your timezone so that when it comes to booking you in, your podcaster will be able to work out the timings.
Side note: When suggesting time zones, it’s also helpful for people to think about how the time zone will impact their recording environment.
For example, if someone is recording from an office space, it’s better for them to try and record in the morning before everyone is in the office, or the evening once people have left.
8. Follow Up
You might not hear back right away from the podcast you’ve pitched to, but don’t let that dishearten you or put you off.
In fact, sometimes it takes us weeks (yes weeks) to get back to someone who’s pitched to us.
If you haven’t heard back, we do recommend following up after a week or two. A gentle reminder email can help to put your pitch back to the top of the pile and help you to get booked in.
Saying that, one thing we’d recommend avoiding is sending multiple follow ups, especially if they’re templated and/or automated. If the podcast hasn’t responded after your second or third email, then they aren’t likely to.
Don’t waste your time!
Summary: How to Write a Good Podcast Pitch
- Do your research & know your audience
- Suggest 3 different topics
- Showcase your credentials
- Personalise your emails
- Build relationships with the show
- Offer to share the podcast after
- Provide dates that you’re available
- Follow up
So there you have it, 8 tips for writing a great podcast guest pitch.
If you follow our advice and take the time and effort when it comes to your podcast outreach, you should start seeing success.
What do you think? Is there anything we’ve missed? Do you have any top tips you’d like to share with us? If so, leave a comment below.
The SiteVisibility Internet Marketing Podcast
For those of you who aren’t already familiar with our podcast, here’s a little bit about us:
- The show is one of the UK’s most popular internet marketing podcasts, having been downloaded by over 2 million people
- It’s hosted by our MD, Scott Colenutt but previous hosts include brightonSEO’s Kelvin Newman, as well as Andy White
- It’s published every Thursday (on all good podcasting apps!)
- It’s been running for over 16 years
- We’ve published over 600 episodes
- It includes exclusive insider tips and practical advice on how to get the best from digital and search engine marketing
- We’ve interviewed some of the most respected marketers in the world including Seth Godin, Tim Ferriss, Avinash Kaushik, Neil Patel, Brian Dean & Joe Pulizzi, so what are you waiting for, give the show a listen below!
If you’re looking for a show to help you understand the latest tools, techniques and strategies to help you generate online leads, sales and build engagement with your audience, then what are you waiting for, give it a listen and subscribe!
If you’d like to be a guest on our show, follow the tips above and send an email to marketing@sitevisibility.com.
Just make sure to get our names right!