How to Become a guest on a podcast

By Donnie Boivin

Being a guest on a podcast is a great way to promote yourself, your company and your services. It is pretty simple to become a guest, I will walk you through not only how to find a podcast to be a guest on, but what do when you're on the show.

The only way to think about being a guest is by proactively reaching out to podcast hosts and promoting yourself as a potential guest. By Playing offense with your "guesting" strategy, you will find creative ways to not only become a guest but also set a number of shows you will be on each month.

There are now over six hundred thousand podcasts in the market place so why should you be a guest? By appearing on podcasts as a guest expert for an interview or a guest co-host or panelist for an episode, you have the opportunity to market yourself and your podcast to that audience.

Once you identify the audience, you need to find these podcasts online. There are a few ways:

You can search in iTunes for specific keywords

You can browse podcasts by category on all platforms

You can search on Google for podcasts that your target market might listen to

You can browse online podcast directories

Create a database of podcasts you want to go after with URLs and contact information.

Then its all about the numbers.

Set a number of reach-outs you will do on a daily basis when you pitch yourself

Know what the show is about

Listen to an episode and reference in the pitch with a few takeaways

Understand what the podcast is trying to accomplish

Pitch with what the audience will get out of the episode

Don't be self-serving help the podcaster understand what value you will bring to the audience

Don't start with “I wrote a book,” lead in why you could share your story a good podcaster when then help you promote your book

Understand how many reach-outs you need to land a podcast guest gig

Starting out targeting shows with less than 10 episodes (You are likely the first person who has asked to be a guest on the show.

Once you're on the show, help the podcaster deliver a good show by, researching before you go on about show flow and questions they may ask. Don't monologue the entire show, this is their show let them get their thoughts in

Don't over-promote yourself - Gently nudge that you wrote a book or that you have something to sell. Relax its just a conversation

After the show airs

Promote the show for the podcaster

Send a thank you for the interviewLeave them a review on iTunes

Suggest another guest they may be a fit for the show

Share the show again 30 days later. We have found that if you share the show again 30 days later, you will usually get more traction with their audience. Think about a time you had heard something the first time and thought "I should reach out" then you got busy, But then you hear it again and BAM you take action. Its the same thing when you are a guest.

At the end of the day, have fun, remember its just a conversation and make the podcaster look like a champ, and you will win.