And yes, that means you!
Have you been looking for a new way to reach a warm, targeted audience? Are you hoping to build a reputation as an industry authority?
Podcasts are your answer!
Being a podcast guest is one of the most underused marketing systems available to business owners.
In a recent Systems Simplified episode, Adi Klevit of Business Success Consulting Group spoke with Christina Lenkowski, President of Publicity by Christina, about how she has helped clients land more than 1,000 podcast guest appearances. The conversation highlighted why podcast guesting is such a powerful growth tool and how to turn it into a repeatable system in your business.
Read on to find out how anyone, even an introvert, can succeed in promoting their business through podcasts.
Why Business Owners Should Be a Podcast Guest
When considering using podcasting as a marketing tool, most business owners immediately think about hosting a podcast. That can be valuable, but it’s also time-intensive. Guesting, on the other hand, lets you leverage someone else’s audience and infrastructure. When you are a guest, you:
1. Reach warm, targeted audiences.
Podcast listeners have already chosen to trust and follow the host. When you appear on their show, you “borrow” that trust. If the podcast aligns with your niche, you are instantly in front of a highly qualified audience.
2. Build authority without a hard sell.
Podcast interviews give you time to explain your frameworks, share stories, and demonstrate expertise while staying personable. That's far more compelling than an ad or a cold outreach sequence.
3. You create evergreen assets.
Unlike a live talk or a single social post, a podcast interview stays searchable and shareable. Potential customers may find an episode months or even years after it goes live.
4. It works for introverts.
A podcast interview is essentially a one-on-one conversation that happens to be recorded. You don’t need to command a stage; you just need to share what you know.
5. It compounds over time.
Going on two or three podcasts is a nice experiment. Going on 20–25 relevant shows a year turns into a serious visibility engine. Each interview builds on the last.
Five Steps for Building a Podcast Engine as a Guest
As stated above, being a guest is a strategy unto itself. Read on to find an outline that you can use to build a podcast guesting process.
Step 1: Design Your Strategy
Before you send a single pitch, get clear on what you want to get out of the experience. Ask yourself:
What is my primary goal?
It could be new leads, brand authority, relationship building, or something else. Make sure there is one primary goal, not several.
Who do I want to reach?
Define the audience you’d like to reach through the podcast. Make sure to list the industry, company role, company size, and the problems they’re trying to solve.
What topics am I an expert on?
Outline 4 or 5 topics you could speak on repeatedly, from different angles, without constantly repeating yourself. They should be relevant to your industry. You may love golf or fly fishing, but unless you own a golf course or take people on fly fishing excursions, these aren’t the topics you’ll want to discuss.
Armed with your answers, identify the kind of shows that would reach your ideal audience. One common mistake is to fixate on the biggest names, but niche podcasts with dedicated followings often convert better than a massive general-audience show.
Step 2: Pitch Yourself as a Guest
Build a simple, repeatable pitching process that you can use all year long. Here are some simple pointers for building this process:
- Build a pitch template you can customize for each podcast.
- Determine how you will track pitches so that you don't pitch the same place twice.
- Reach out to your existing network. You may already know someone who hosts a podcast.
- Ask your customers which podcasts they listen to.
- Utilize the methods the podcast provides for reaching out. Many have a "be a guest" or "suggest a guest" form.
- Customize your pitch to the podcast, keeping it service-focused and emphasizing what you can provide to their listeners.
- Assign the pitching task to your PR or marketing team.
- Ensure there is a follow-up system in place for anyone who: a) responds and wants to schedule, and b) never responds.
There’s no need to randomly pitch when you have a system.
Step 3: Become a Great Podcast Guest
Once you’re booked, preparation matters. You have to be ready to talk on the topic you pitched them while also having an engaging conversation. Here are some ways to prepare:
- Always listen to at least one episode before the interview. Notice the style, pacing, and types of questions commonly asked.
- Don’t use the podcast solely as a sales pitch. Use the time to educate listeners, share helpful information, and offer practical steps or advice.
- Have a short pitch ready for when the host asks where people can find you.
- Let go of perfection. You will misspeak or go on a tangent. Don’t worry about it. People are listening to podcasts to hear honest conversations!
Step 4: Build a Referral Engine as a Podcast Guest
You can turn every podcast appearance into a relationship-building engine. Here are some ideas that you can use as you determine how best to add podcast guesting into your referral and networking processes.
- Treat hosts as high-value connections.
- Ensure you understand the audience you’re speaking to, and ask the host how you can help their audience.
- Promote your episode when it airs.
- Create clips, articles, quote images, and more from the show, and make sure to mention or link to the show when utilizing these promotional assets.
- Stay in touch with both the host and their audience by tagging them in shared content and working on cross-promotion.
- Become a “friend of the show” by referring guests, offering helpful free materials that their audience can use, or inviting the host onto your platforms if you host events or webinars.
Building a collaborative network over time will provide you with ample referral sources and additional networking opportunities that you would not have had without the podcast.
Step 5: Promote and Repurpose Every Episode
Build a standard “afterward” process that your marketing team can follow after each appearance. Here are some ideas that your team can utilize when creating and tweaking this process:
- Share the episode across channels such as your newsletter, social platforms, and website media page.
- Turn each episode into multiple media assets. From a single interview, you can create:
- Several short video/audio clips.
- Quote graphics.
- Blog post/white paper.
- Long-form LinkedIn post breaking down the most important information covered.
- FAQ-style snippets with questions the host asked and your responses.
- Cross-posted clips created by your host.
- Build a podcast guesting rhythm to ensure you remain top of mind.
Are you ready to document your marketing systems, including your system for scheduling podcast interviews as a guest? Get in touch with the experts at Business Success Consulting Group! Not only have we hosted many guests on our podcast, but we have also worked with business owners across many industries who have used this marketing tactic.
