Most of my social media clients end up asking me, “Should I start a podcast?” and my answer is the same, “Start by going on as a guest on half a dozen or so. If you like that process, know that having your own is that times 10.”
Not only is pitching yourself to be a guest on podcasts a lot of work, it is a key element to getting your name and brand out there. We know marketing, be it social media or traditional print or commercial marketing is important.
But, going on podcasts to talk about yourself and your brand is another, often neglected way to be heard and known.
This past May, Studio Cotton and I attended The Podcast Show conference in London where 6,000 podcast professionals came to network and learn from each other. I was pleased to know that a top recommendation to spread the word about yourself is to go on a guest on other podcasts.
I have been right all along!
As a marketer and podcaster producer, I specialise in social media marketing and act as podcast booking agent for small businesses, nonprofits and organisations. Now here is the other piece of advice I did not hear people talk about, but I am going to share with you:
Think outside the box, what are you passionate or an expert on to talk about? Pitch yourself on those topics too.
You don’t need to put yourself in a small business box
Most people make the mistake of focusing on just their particular concentration and similar podcasts on that topic as well. You are limiting your reach.
Let’s say you own a business as a graphic designer and have your own podcast that caters to small businesses about branding.
Your first instinct is to pitch yourself to other podcasts that are about small business owners, graphic designers/artists, branding, etc. Great, nothing wrong with that.
They are kind of your competition but hey, their audience is your target audience as well.
Take note of the topics you are comfortable talking about
Are you fluent in Spanish or Japanese? Did your family immigrate, and you are the first generation to be raised in an English-speaking country? Look into finding some podcasts that are in the languages you can confidently also speak in.
There are also podcasts about families that moved to different countries, bilingualist family homes, how to adjust in a new country, etc.
You can also have fun with it. Are you a Trekkie aka Star Trek fan? Let your Trekkie nerd flag fly high! Pitch yourself to the many Star Trek podcasts. Remember, do not limit yourself to just that.
Find general fan culture podcasts, maybe even a The Big Bang Theory fan podcasts since that show mentions Star Trek often.
What do any of these have to do with your graphic design business and your podcast on branding? Nothing really. But you will be able to talk authentically, and that will allow listeners to feel connected and more comfortable towards you.
But don’t forget your small business name drop
Then of course, during the episode, usually at the end, the podcast hosts will thank you for coming on and ask what else you have going on. That is when you have a chance to promote your podcast and business.
They also have the show notes where you can put your links and contact info. Now, you have widened your reach to an audience that speak the same languages as you, who have grown up in an immigrant household, who are also into Star Trek, and/or into fandoms.
Real Example: GoodFavor
I work as a podcast booking agent where my clients want to get on podcasts to promote their business or services. One client was Josh Mojica, who started a nonprofit, GoodFavor to help refugees. I made a list of podcasts that focused on refugee work and nonprofits.
I also asked Josh, what else is he comfortable to talk about. He was a flight attendant for 9 years and has traveled to over 90 countries. So, I made a list of travel based or travel worker based podcasts. I got to working and started pitching him to all of these.
Surprisingly, many of the refugee focused podcasts were not interested, they wanted to speak with refugees, not with a person who works with them. I got him on some great, notable nonprofit podcasts. But it was the other topic that was our success.
Josh was a guest on the UK-based Not Just Crew podcast, a top rated and trusted podcast for aviation workers across the globe.
They spoke about favorite types of airplanes and funny stories of passenger antics. Sprinkled in was how his travels led him to meet refugees and inspired him to create GoodFavor. Mission accomplished!
Real Example: Myself and how it all began
For years, I tried to get a film made on the life of Lidia Zamenhof. Her father invented the language Esperanto. She went on to teach the language across three continents between two world wars. After multiple attempts to save her life (which included a spy in the German army), she ultimately died in a concentration camp. She was so inspiring and brave.
Ultimately, I decided, enough is enough. I will make this dream film into a documentary podcast instead! And hence, Who was she? Podcast was born.
But how will I promote it? A podcast usually has a guest on, this will not. I decided to pitch myself on other podcasts in order to promote mine. I made a list of female history led podcasts, history podcasts, and language podcasts.
It was limiting and frustrating. I started to think, what else can I talk about. For my graduate studies, I focused on fandoms in the digital age, particularly on parasocial relationships. Looking into any fan-based podcasts, I was able to pitch myself on more and more because they were interested in my graduate final paper.
I was on podcasts based in Australia, Canada, UK, etc. all about fan cultures to explain the latest research and studies I had conducted and learned about on parasocial relationships in the digital age. Then I was able to promote Who was she?
That is when I knew I found this recipe: think outside the box.
So dear reader, I practice what I preach. The next time you want to pitch yourself on a podcast, make sure it is not just focused on your specific concentration.
Have a little fun with it because you never know who else will listen.
A note from Aime at Studio Cotton
Thank you so much to Tara who was so kind to chat with me and write this article for the Studio Cotton website. It was a ruddy delight meeting at The Podcast Show, and I’m really looking forward to our paths crossing again.
If you’re a podcaster or business owner who would like support in social media marketing and want to explore getting booked on more podcasts – whether it’s a traditional fit or an outside-the-box creative idea, make sure to check out the wonderful, knowledgeable Tara Jabbari.
Based in the US, Tara has clients from all over the globe, from New Zealand to our home here in the UK.
You can check out her website at tarajabbari.com, and make sure to connect with Tara on LinkedIn.
