How to Pitch Podcasts

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Did you know podcasts have about 619 million listeners worldwide? Podcasts are a great way to connect with readers and grow your audience. Plus, podcasts will help you sell books more than any other platform if you’re an author. Pitching them takes a special approach that is uniquely tailored to this growing medium.

Here’s how to pitch podcasts:

1. Do your research.

Before you start pitching, do your research about what shows are actually aligned with your knowledge. That means listening to a few episodes and doing some research online into the podcast’s social media presence to see who they are marketing their show to. You want to make sure this is actually a good fit so you can respect your time and theirs.

Not sure where to start? Rephonic is one great way to see what podcasts are in your niche. You can also search through categories on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other podcast platforms to find shows that might be a good match. 

Source of Sources is another good way to find out what podcasters are looking for. It’s an email list where you’re sent queries from journalists. It’s worth checking out and pitching the ones that are in your wheelhouse. 

2. Prove you know their show.

Now put all that research to good use! You want to make sure your knowledge of the show comes across in your pitch. Podcast hosts get lots of pitches from people who are sending the same pitch to a bunch of podcasts without making sure there is an alignment between their pitch and the show’s topic.

Proving you know their show goes a long way. You can mention a couple of favorite episodes or explain why you’re interested in their content. As long as it’s genuine (and concise — more on that later!) This goes a long way to building a genuine, trusting connection with the host. 

3. Explain your value to their audience.

When podcasters are booking guests, their first priority is finding people who bring value to their listeners. The job of a podcast host is delivering top-quality content that will help their listeners in some way — by offering them a new perspective, entertaining them, or informing them. Making your pitch about the value you bring to the show (and not just about you and your accomplishments) makes their job easier. 

Be specific about why your knowledge is relevant and useful to their audience. What new information will people leave with, and why is it helpful to them?

4. Be concise.

Podcast hosts get lots of pitches every day. They’re busy people and you can get on their good side right away by being concise. It also shows them you’re good at communicating, since they don’t want someone on their show who is going to ramble!

Make sure you include the three elements of a perfect pitch: 

The Hook: Why is this topic relevant right now? 

The Twist: Why is this different from everything else we’ve heard about it? The Takeaway: What will the audience do differently tomorrow with this information? 

5. Make yourself an “easy yes.”

In all your communications pitching a podcast host, you want to make yourself an “easy yes.” What does that mean? Make their job easy by using your pitch to explain why you’re a perfect fit for their show. 

For more tips, check out my guide to writing the perfect media pitch. 

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