A Strategic Approach to Podcast Guesting
In it’s short lifetime podcasting has been continuously changing and evolving, and the role of a guest has become increasingly significant. Paul Culligan, author of the “Podcast Guest Manifesto,” sheds light on the myths and truths about podcast guesting in a recent episode of the Podcast Interview Marketing Show with Tom Schwab, the “Godfather” of Podcast Guesting. We will delve into the key themes discussed in the episode and offer actionable advice and expert insights for C-suite executives and professional business owners looking to leverage podcast guesting to grow their businesses.
If you’re a business owner and you’ve thought that podcast guesting is something people do in their free time to feed their egos, you’d be wrong.
When used strategically, podcast guesting can be a powerful way to build valuable connections and create unique content that sets your business apart with a marketing approach others haven’t considered.
Bigger is not Better, BETTER is Better
In this episode, Paul and Tom discussed how exposure can mean nothing if it’s not in the right context and to the right people. Paul even referred to exposure as being “like when you strip naked and run down the street in the middle of an ice storm” People may see you, they may tell someone about seeing you… But what value does it bring?
When you’re considering a show are you thinking about its quality of listeners over the quantity of listeners?
> Relevant
Are the people who listen to this show potential customers? Are the listeners in the right industry? Are their listeners people who are actually interested in what you have to say?
> Impact
There is nothing worse than listening to an interview where one of the parties involved struggles. They haven’t done their research or they’re unprepared. It’s uncomfortable to be a part of and to watch/listen to. If you’re going on the right shows then the host will have a knowledge of your expertise which will help get past the surface-level discussion, keep listeners engaged, and create amazing content for you to repurpose.
> Collaboration Opportunities
Being a gracious guest can open up so many doors with podcast guesting. When you view being a podcast guest as collaborating with the host it can make a difference. You can benefit from extra promotional reach through social media, invitations to collaborate again (either through another episode or through a speaking engagement), and sometimes referrals
Podcast Interview Marketing is a Great Opportunity but Don’t be an Opportunist
Being invited to be a guest on someone’s show can be very flattering. You might want to say yes to everything just because surely the more you’re out there the more you’ll be heard. But if you don’t look at podcast guesting strategically then you’re going to be wasting your time, and effort, and potentially damaging your brand if you appear to be throwing spaghetti at the wall just hoping something will stick.
Are you considering your:
Why?: Why do you want to be a podcast guest? What goals do you want to achieve? What impact will achieving these goals have on your business/life?
When?: Do you have the time to be a great podcast guest? Can you be available to work with the host to find a time that works for you both to record? Are you beginning your podcast guesting journey with enough time for your promotional calendar?
Communication: Are you making the effort to communicate with the host ahead of your interview? This can prevent any unexpected topics from arising during the interview, it can help arrange the promotional material and air date, and it can build great rapport for recording.
Podcast Pay-To-Play Ecosystem
As the discussion continues, Tom and Paul discuss the concept of “pay-to-play” shows within the world of podcasting. These are shows where the guest will pay for an appearance on a show, rather than being invited on. This has been a hot topic over the last two years and has been brought to the attention of the Federal Trade Commission. They concluded that if it’s not clear whether or not it’s an advertisement or an interview, that’s deception. There’s a couple of things to consider when accepting a guest appearance on a pay-to-play show:
Lack of Trust: If it’s not made clear that the interview is sponsored, the listeners can feel misled and lose faith in the hosts and their guests. If it’s a paid-for appearance, making it clear to the audience keeps their trust and stops them from feeling they are being “sold at” rather than an educational discussion between thought leaders.
“If at my website I can list links to 100 different podcasts I’ve been on, then fine, go on everything that moves. But what are you trying to do out of this? You know. And is it worth it? Is it worth it? There’s an old moniker and marketing, you know, half my marketing budgets working. I just don’t know which half now. And the fact of the matter is, if you do 500 podcast episodes, one of them you might hit a home run for. But how about this? How about just doing the one that you hit the home run for, not to the other 499 and not waste people’s time. Your time, audience time. Interview’s time.”
Author of “Podcast Guest Manifesto”
Podcast Guesting can be an amazing tool to get your word out there and tell the world about what you do but “is it effective?”
And the answer to that is “If you go into it with a strategy” then it definitely is.
The main things you want to focus on podcast guesting is:
Who is it you want to talk to?
Why do you want to go on podcasts? Do you have a clear focus? Are you thinking of that great content you can create?
What strategies do you have in place? Where does podcast guesting fall into your overall marketing strategy?
The key to podcast guesting is the same as how all successful businesses succeed… It’s all about a strategy.
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