Written by James Patrick
Being a guest on a podcast, or a series of podcasts, is one of the most effective and expedited ways a fitness professional can amplify their authority within their field of expertise as well as generate new leads for their business.
Let’s first understand why podcasting is such a powerful medium for marketing and sales. Podcast downloads has continued to increase year after year and has not showed any signs of slowing down. It is estimated that nearly a quarter of all internet users are listening to podcasts. Thus, even though there are so many new shows constantly popping up, there is a significant growth of listeners to match the supply.
Next, it is important to understand the benefits of the medium itself. Unlike other medias, podcasting offers one of the only passive forms of consumption. You can listen to podcasts while driving, working, workout out, doing chores, etc. This has aided with the increase in downloads.
Also, most podcasts offer a longer form content with many interviews lasting around 30-to-45 minutes in length. That is a substantial amount of time for a guest to impart knowledge and value to the listeners building trust and rapport.
Finally, podcasts are access via the same device that listeners would use to take the next step in entering into your ecosystem. If a listener likes what you have to share, they quite literally only have to click your name to enter into your sales funnel.
This has made it phenomenal for not only growing awareness with new leads, but simultaneously nurturing those leads into prospective clients.
Before embarking on a podcast tour it is important to get your assets in shape. Come up with 4-to-5 talking points or topics that you can speak on or be interviewed about. These topics should be unique, interesting and relevant to the shows you want to be a guest on.
Although optional, you can create a press page which highlights these topics as well as includes your bio, contact information and headshot. There are plenty of sample press page templates on sites and apps such as Canva.
Once you know what you can speak on, it will then be time to find the podcasts you wish to pitch to. You can dive through relevant categories or subcategories on the Apple Podcast App or use sites such as Chartable to find out what shows are hitting charts in these various categories.
Make a list of shows in which you believe you would make a sensible guest. Go to the show’s website and ensure that the podcast is still publishing, that they feature guests and the name and contact information of the show’s host.
Now comes the time to send off your pitches. Your pitch e-mails should be short and to the point, as well as illustrative who you are and what you want to speak about on the show. Your press page can be hyperlinked or attached in the pitch.
For my podcast, Beyond the Image, I receive 1-to-2 pitches every single day from guests wanting to be on my show. The very first (and often the only) thing I look at is the topics that they can speak on or be interviewed about. That is why your topics are so important.
After you send off a round of pitches, you will want to make a date in your calendar to follow up with the podcasts you are proposing to. It can take sometimes as many as 8-to-12 pitches before you get picked up to be a guest on a show.
This is why you will want to schedule follow ups with new ideas, new pitches or further validation to your current pitches every 3-to-4 weeks. Simply track all of your efforts in a spreadsheet so you can stay atop of your pitches. It truly is not a question of if you will book shows, it is a question of when.
Remember, lead your pitches with the value you want to bring to the podcast and why your topic matters to the listeners of that show. It is about them and how you can serve them.