So You Want to Be on Podcasts

Whether you are coming out with a new book, or want to promote your business, podcasts are an excellent way of promoting yourself. I have pitched a wide variety of people to podcasts, and I've learned a few things I wanted to share with you that will help you get into podcasts.

1) Focus on topics you can take a lot about.

You don't have to be some certified, PhD-holding, expert to be on podcasts. You just have to be passionate about something and be willing to talk about it. To figure out topics you can share with a podcaster, ask yourself these questions:

• What or who inspires you?
• What do other people ask you for help with?
• What are the challenges you have overcome?
• What advice would you give to your younger self?
• What makes you laugh/cry/passionate?

You'll want to make sure you have a clear idea about your topic. Brainstorm everything you feel like an expert on or that you can talk at length about, and be as specific as possible. 

2) Listen to podcasts.

If you have only heard of podcasts, and haven't really bothered to listen to them, take the time to actually listen to podcasts, especially if you want to be on them. Most of all, focus on the ones that interest you. 

There are tons of writing podcasts, true crime podcasts (one particularly amazing one is hosted by WOW's very own Renee Roberson called "Missing in the Carolinas"), mommy podcasts, single women podcasts, mental health podcasts, comedy podcasts, and so much more.

Pay attention to the ones who have guests and see how that guest presents themself. Pay close attention to the topics, how they talk about them, and how the podcaster engages with the guest. This will not only help you in preparing to be on a podcast but maybe even give you ideas for your own podcast topics.

Not to mention, podcasters like to have guests on that actually listen to their show, so be sure to target the podcasts with topics you like and the ones that you want to appear on.

3) Start small. 

While you may want to be on the biggest podcasts out there, you want to get comfortable on podcasts first. In fact, podcasters like to see you've been on podcasts before and use previous episodes you've been on to figure out whether or not you can talk comfortably in that type of format. 

If you have no idea how to find podcasts to pitch, here's a few places I recommend:

Sign up for PodcastGuests.com for their newsletter, and you'll find out which podcasts are looking for guests. (And if you are willing to pay a little money, consider adding yourself to their guest list and podcasters will come to YOU!).

Another one you'll want to sign up for: RadioGuestList.com. They do the same as Podcast Guests and offer opportunities for you to sign up for shows.

There's also many Facebook groups that have people sharing podcasting opportunities. Here's a couple I'd recommend: Podcast Movement Community and I'll Guest for that Podcast.

One important thing to note: you don't have to pay to be on a podcast. Some podcasts will tell you that but I assure you that you do NOT have to pay to be on a podcast. 

4) Format a pitch email.

Many podcasts will have a sign-up form that you can use to be on their show that will ask you to fill out info and list out topics you want to talk about, but there's also a pitch email you can craft that helps you when pitching directly to an email. I recommend checking out this pitch template to help you craft yours (and if that doesn't help you, I'd recommend googling "podcast pitch template" and you'll find many, many resources that will help you write one).

So, this certainly isn't an extensive, exhaustive guide to be on podcasts, but it's a starting point! And I recommend along the way, doing your research to figure out the best topics for you, the best way to pitch podcasters, and keep listening to the podcasts that interest you.