Don’t take the scattergun approach
Before we get into how to find good fit podcasts and judge if they’re right for you, I want you to remember, firstly, that it’s really important you don’t take a scattergun approach.
It’s not a good idea to send pitches to a random list of podcasts in the hope that something will stick. It won’t help your credibility to do this and the results will be mediocre at best.
But if you take the time to research podcasts properly before you approach them and then suggest being a guest the reward will be ten fold. So with that said, lets look at ways to tell if a podcast is a good fit.
1. Finding podcasts
If you’re an author find five books by authors who are in the same genre as you.
If you’re a coach or business owner make a list of five coaches or businesses who have the same audience as you.
Google the authors’ names, coaches’ names, business owners’ names with the word ‘podcast.’ Make a note of all the podcasts that come up.
2. Online presence
- Do they have a professional-looking website?
- Do they have a presence on social media?
- Do they promote their podcast to their audience?
- Do they publish their podcast to their website?
- Do they have an email list?
3. Output
- How regularly do they put out episodes? Are they consistent or sporadic?
- How many episodes have they released? Is it more than 25? If they have a steady number behind them, this can be a helpful indicator as to the hosts commitment to making the podcast a success.
- Is the podcast active? How recent was the last episode?
4. The audience
Look at the show description for each podcast. Often it will state who the podcast serves. This is an example from the podcast PTSD and Beyond:
The PTSD and Beyond Podcast brings experts in mental health and self-development as well as people sharing their mental health experiences and journey. PTSD and Beyond episodes are related to PTSD, mental wellness, PTSD awareness, advocacy, education, peer support, trauma recovery, and post-trauma growth. PTSD and Beyond Podcast guests range from peers sharing their stories to researchers discussing the latest case studies to subject matter experts delivering nuggets of practical information.
Think about the podcast’s audience. Is their audience the same as your target audience?
You can delve deeper by looking at the comments on their social media channels and their reviews on iTunes to get a rounder picture of the show’s audience and how engaged they are.
5. Style
Listen to a couple of episodes. Does their style suit you? Does it fit your brand?
You’ll have your own criteria as well. For example, we have clients who say to us swearing is a No and that’s fine.
6. Content
- Look at the episodes already made.
- Do they chime with the content you could offer?
- Is there a gap somewhere that you could fill?
- How could you add value to the host’s audience?
7. The host
Look at the podcast host. Are they a good connection for you? Sometimes the host is the person who will become your client or someone who can open doors for you. Would it be beneficial to be in their network?
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