Being a podcast guest can help you reach a new audience, build credibility and authority in your niche, and foster a sense of community with other experts and influencers in your space. It can also be a lot of fun! At NEAT, we frequently pitch our clients as podcast guests, so we have the lowdown on what to do to get your pitch noticed. Since we also have our own podcast and get a bunch of pitches from potential guests, we also have the scoop on what NOT to do when pitching a podcast host! (Pet peeves alert!)

Statista’s annual survey found that 62 percent of U.S. consumers listen to or have listened to podcasts. Statista’s data also shows that podcasts are on a huge growth curve, with the number of people listening having doubled over the last decade. Podcasts are such an easy way to consume content about a topic or a group of related topics. It’s no wonder people love them!

In business, podcasts are a great way to reach a niche audience—an audience that’s interested and engaged in the subject matter. If you don’t have your own podcast (and even if you do!), you can tap into that engaged audience by being a guest. As a podcast guest, you get the chance to chat about something you’re passionate about with the host, giving you free exposure to the host’s audience and the chance to grow your own network through earned media coverage.

But first, you must pitch. And you must pitch well.

So here they are—our top 5 tips for pitching a podcast!

1. Quality over quantity. You may be tempted to take a scattershot approach—emailing three dozen podcast hosts after doing a keyword search for your subject on Spotify. You could get lucky—sure! But what would be better is taking the time to find the best three to five best fits and write a custom, specific pitch to each of those hosts. 
2. Answer the questions: Why them and why you? Once you’ve selected a small handful of podcasts to pitch, tell each host in an email why you love her work, then briefly explain why you are an expert, AND why the podcast audience would want to listen to your expertise. Explain how you can bring value to the podcast, its host, and its audience.
3. Lay out your ideas. In each email pitch, include a few topics you can speak on as a guest on that particular podcast. Make sure your ideas aren’t too general (e.g., “3 content marketing hacks to grab the attention of your dream client” vs. just “content marketing”).
4. Promise to share. Say the magic words: “I’d be happy to help promote this episode by sharing it with my XXXX (followers, subscribers, etc.).”
5. Follow up! Don’t be afraid to send a follow-up email if you don’t hear back after a few days. It’s not annoying and can actually be very helpful for the podcast host if your first email got buried or came in at an inconvenient time.

OK, pet peeve time. When pitching yourself as a podcast guest, please don’t make the whole podcast pitch about you. Your goal is to succinctly introduce yourself and explain the value you can bring to the podcast without going overboard. Just a few sentences will do! Ready to give it a go? (For even more tips, listen to this episode of Served NEAT!)

For help landing a guest spot on your favorite podcast, book a sales call with us!