One of the most underutilized strategies for gaining credibility and authority and growing your audience and reach is being a guest on other peoples’ podcasts, also known as guest podcasting.
Being a guest on other podcasts (guest podcasting)
The beautiful thing about guest podcasting is that you don’t have to have your own podcast in order to do it!
Plus, being a guest on other podcasts gives you an amazing opportunity to provide massive value to a potentially brand new audience AND build a great relationship with a leader in your industry or niche (that’s the podcast host).
When you provide massive value to a potentially brand new audience, that audience takes interest in you and what you have going on. And when you connect with a leader in your industry or niche (the podcast host), then your network will continue to grow.
These are two huge wins if you ask me.
How to be a guest on other podcasts
So how does guest podcasting work?
Well, the formula is really quite simple, but it takes time, energy, and effort, which is why 90% percent of people don’t do it.
If you’re looking to leverage the massive opportunity that guest podcasting brings, then here are the four simple steps you must do consistently.
1. Do your research
What podcasts share the same or a similar audience as you that you can add value to?
Those are the podcasts you want to be a guest on.
When you’re a guest on podcasts that share the same or similar audience as you, then you’re not only guaranteeing that you’ll be providing value (this is your area of expertise), but you’re also guaranteeing that those who are tuning in could be very interested in what it is you have going on.
You can research podcasts by:
- Going to Apple Podcasts and typing a keyword in the search bar
- Going to Apple Podcasts and searching for podcasts by category
- Going to Google and typing in your industry or niche + podcast
- Searching on other podcast directories like Spotify or iHeart Radio
- Reaching out to your existing network and letting them know you’re interested in guest podcasting, and then asking if they have any recommendations
When thinking about your existing network, think about someone who could potentially make an intro between you and one of the podcast hosts you want to chat with. A direct introduction is a great first step because then the podcast host already feels a connection to you.
2. Reach out
Once you have a list together of the podcasts you want to be a guest on, it’s time to reach out.
The best option for reaching out is to send them an email.
Create an email that contains all the necessities a podcast host would want to know when making a decision as to whether to have you on as a guest:
- Communicate why they would want you on their podcast (establish authority and credibility),
- Share the value you’re going to provide to their audience (what lesson will you teach or what advice do you have to share?), and
- Be honest about your reasons for wanting to be on their show (maybe you’re launching a book, a product, a service, or you’re looking to provide value while growing your authority and reach)
It’s okay to create a template for this email and repurpose it for the several requests you’ll be sending out to different podcast hosts, but be sure to include at least one personal thing in each of those emails about why you reached out to them specifically.
Also, keep it short and to the point. Your goal is to peak their interest so they reply and you can start a conversation.
Another option is reaching out to them via social media. If you’ve followed them on Twitter for a long time, or you see them posting on Facebook often, then don’t hesitate to send them a Tweet just to create that initial connection, or shoot them a message on Facebook.
3. Follow up
This is the most important step.
People are busy, so you have to follow up with the podcast host after you send them an email request. In fact, I would follow up 3 times, 2-3 days apart if you don’t hear back.
It doesn’t have to be a long follow up. Simply say you’re checking in to be sure they received your request and that you look forward to their reply.
Don’t ever be the one to stop the conversation (unless you’ve followed up 3 or 4 times with no reply – at that point, you might consider reaching them through another channel).
4. Provide massive value
Hopefully by this step you’ve been accepted as a guest on the shows you’ve reached out to.
If that’s the case, your number one goal from here on out is to provide as much value as possible to both the podcast host and their audience.
This not only means you take interest in the podcast host and what they have going on, but also that you take the time to share your interview on their show once it goes live.
Wrap up on guest podcasting
And there you have it! If you did your research, provided massive value to both the host and their audience, and you take the time to share that episode with your own audience – and you do all of this consistently – then you will reap the benefits of guest podcasting.
Drop a line below and share how guest podcasting has helped you in your business!
