The Wrong Way to Pitch a Podcast
As the host of a two successful podcasts that have featured many high profile guests including BJ Fogg, Seth Godin, and Matt Mullenweg, I get pitches all the time. Including from people who obviously have never listened to my podcast. Just last week, I received this pitch. It’s a classic example of what not to do, so I thought I’d share it as a teachable moment.
The Correct Way to Pitch a Podcast
While I’ve had to wade through a lot of bad pitches, I am also occasionally impressed by a pitch email. This was a pitch that I also received last week:
- Create a “one sheet”. A one sheet is a nicely designed PDF with your brand and logo that includes a bio, three to five interview topics with suggested interview questions, and all your contact information including your Skype address, email, website, and social media handles. If you can, work with a professional designer to create it.
- Your bio is important. Spend time crafting a short but engaging bio that demonstrates your value and emphasizes results (client wins, business successes), awards and accolades, media appearances, books, and speaking gigs. According to Jessica Rhodes of Interview Connections, you should always write your bio in the third person.
- Do your research! You want to make sure you’re going to be a fit, so at least listen to one or two episodes. Also, be careful as some podcasts don’t accept unsolicited pitches.
- Spell check everything. Typos make you look unprofessional and unprepared. If you’re not a grammar expert, try using a program like Grammarly to make sure you get it right.
- Stand out by adding personality. No one wants a boring podcast guest, so don’t be afraid to inject a little personality into your pitch. You don’t have to go crazy, but being yourself may help you stick out.
- Subject lines are essential. Don’t just send an email titled “Podcast guest”. I once got an email with a subject line that read, “Whiteboard Timmy is sad.” It’s so off the wall, I opened the email and wound up booking the sender as a guest!
- Don’t be afraid to follow up. We all have cluttered inboxes, so even if your pitch is awesome, it can sometimes be missed. It never hurts to follow up after a few weeks. Just make sure you are respectful and tactful in your follow up emails.
- Know what you want. Are you looking for exposure, leads, or are you trying to grow your own podcast audience? Knowing what you want will help you craft a more targeted pitch.
- Understand the host’s goals. Why did this podcaster start a podcast in the first place? Are they trying to get famous, promote their business, or is it just a hobby? If you can help the host achieve their goal, they’ll be much more open to having you on the show.
- Network, network, network. As I mentioned earlier, some podcasts don’t accept pitches. Others have highly-curated guest lists that are difficult to crack into. Having a relationship with these hosts outside of podcasting could be a foot in the door.
Awesome article. Thanks for the two examples! I’ve learned so much by reading your "insider story"!