Thinking you want to be a guest on podcasts? Great idea!

This is the story of two coaches. Ginger and Mary Ann. They both decided to launch their coaching businesses at the same time. Both choose similar coaching paths, how to survive on a deserted island. Sure, it was a bit niche (and I don’t mean the female version of a nephew) but they were each having a decent amount of luck getting new clients.

However, both Ginger and Mary Ann wanted to take their business to the next level. Ginger sat back and hoped her contacts would send her some referrals and business would start rolling in. Mary Ann, on the other hand, decided to go out and get some guest spots on podcasts. 

A career as a coach in life or business matters can be highly rewarding and, at the same time, it can be a lot of hard work and effort. If you're a life or a business coach, then you need to do what you can to spread the word about your awesome services. The more people that know what you do, the more people will raise their hand to work with you. 

There are many great reasons Mary Ann chose to be a guest on podcasts, and so should you.

Making Your Email List a Lot Stronger

Mary Ann had started growing her email list but only have a few hundred contacts. She knew she needed to build a strong list. A rock-solid email list is one of the keys to getting ahead in the digital marketing age. If you want to take your coaching career to the next level online, then strengthening your existing email list can go a long way.

Being a guest on a podcast can rapidly build awareness regarding your services and all that you can do for your clients. You can capitalize on these efforts by offering a free gift to the listeners. This gift will encourage them to sign up for your email list and allow you to continue the conversation. 

Is your email list read? Be sure to read up on how to get the most out of Email Marketing or check out our video on who to hire to help you with email marketing.

If you want to expand your email list and as a result have access to higher numbers of potential clients day in and day out, then being a guest on a podcast can do you a world of good. 

Credibility

Ginger assumed her time as an actress would offer her the credibility she needed and get her hired faster. It worked a little but most people realized that being an actress was very different than being someone who could survive on a deserted island. 

Credibility means so much in the world. People don't want to work with life or business coaches who don't appear to have credibility. They want to hire consummate professionals who know what they're doing. If you want the members of your target audience to be able to believe in you and all that you can do for them, it can help you immensely to land podcast guest spots. 

Getting to be a guest on podcasts allows you to share your wisdom and knowledge in a way that is free to the listeners. When they hear what you have to share, they begin to trust what you can do for them. 

If you're lucky enough to be a guest on a renowned podcast, then you will instantly gain some “street cred”. The podcaster is endorsing you in their own way. But even if you stick with small audience podcasts, these podcasters have a strong relationship with their listeners and you are benefiting from that relationship. The listeners will wonder why you're special and relevant enough to be a guest. 

If you're associated with the host of the podcast, they'll have less reason to doubt you. Strong associations can do a lot nowadays. If you have a tangible "interaction" with someone who has a lot of sway, online or elsewhere, it may rub off on you. It's crucial to do anything and everything in your power to establish ties with people who have excellent reputations. If an individual learns about your life coaching services through a credible podcast, then it may motivate him or her to believe in you and in your talents.

By choosing to appear on several podcasts geared towards her target audience, Mary Ann quickly developed a fan following of her own. A following that was highly interested in what Mary Ann had to offer.

Download our Ultimate Guide to Delegating for More Tips & Tools on How to Delegate as a Solopreneur

Showcasing Your Existence to Brand New People

Scoring a guest spot on a podcast can be an amazing thing for coaches who want to showcase their services to brand new people. If you want people who have never had the chance to find out about you to discover you, then going on a podcast can do the trick. 

Sharing your wisdom on a new podcast will expose you to significant numbers of people who are all hearing about you for the first time. That may open you up to potential clients. They may rapidly make the decision to sign up for your previously mentioned email list. Some of these new people may swiftly opt to purchase the products or services you have available. If you want to open yourself up to new people who are excited about you and your wisdom, then being a guest on a podcast can be a game-changer of sorts.

Don’t be like Ginger and hope to attract new audiences, be like Mary Ann and go find new people!

How to Get Booked as a Guest on a Podcasts

Great, but how the heck do you get on podcasts. It seems like you have to know someone, right? I mean, aren’t most guests on multiple podcasts because it’s an “insider’s club”?

It's not always easy to score a guest position on a podcast. Being a guest on podcasts is something that in many cases demands a lot of effort and time. Some people are lucky and have some ins that others don’t. They may have friends or family members who run podcasts and who are willing to let them on. If you're not that fortunate, however, you don't have to panic. That's because there are a few straightforward strategies that may give you access to invaluable guesting opportunities.

Like Podcasts That Are on Your Radar

If you're a podcast devotee, then that instantly makes your chances of scoring a guest position a lot higher. The more you know about a specific podcast that's on your radar, the better. Follow any and all podcasts you like on social media platforms. Stay in the loop regarding any contests or competitions that may be coming up for them. You might also be ready to jump if they open up a call for guests. 

If you're in the know, then you may be able to devise a strategy that can help you get exactly what you want. Approaching the people who run podcasts out of nowhere can be a huge mistake. If you grasp the ins and outs of a podcast well, that may make you come across as being proficient and serious.

Work on Your Approach to Outreach

If you truly want to score a guest spot on an established podcast, then you need to think about your approach to outreach through in great detail. You clearly have to pitch yourself and your concept to the people who run the podcasts that pique your interest. 

The biggest mistake you can make, though, is sending them pitches that seem spammy in any way, shape or form. You don't want podcast hosts to feel like they're getting the same tired messages as countless others. That's the reason that you should go the extra mile. 

Use the research that you've conducted to pen a highly eloquent, detailed and nuanced message that covers all of the bases and more. Talk about what you specifically could add to their podcasts as a life or business coach guest. Highlight the things that make you distinctive, engaging and worthwhile. You want to make it clear that they can get something out of your guest appearance.

Flattery can also go a long way. It can be insulting to request to be a guest on a podcast that you know absolutely nothing about at all. Don't insult podcast owners' intelligence levels. Talk about their show in detail. Talk about the things they do that you appreciate the most. Go into past podcasts to the best of your ability as well. Don’t focus on just the most recent episode. Be as detail-oriented as possible. People who host podcasts understandably get a lot of messages on a daily basis, especially the bigger shows. They're sick and tired of reading ones that don't say anything different or interesting.

Realize That People Like Talking About Themselves

People who are in charge of podcasts don’t want to hear you ramble on for an entire message about yourself. It's clear that they need to know about you and all of the advantages of your coaching services. But these things should be shared in a way that lets them know how you can help their audience, not how their show can help you.  

Don't bore people incessantly with things about your favorite foods and your aspirations. Make it 100 percent apparent that you want to help their listeners. People appreciate that. If a podcast host gets the impression that you simply want to use him or her, then he or she will lose interest in you and in your life or business coaching career extremely rapidly, and that's the last thing on the planet that you want.

Persevere

Being a guest on podcasts isn't easy. It's particularly hard to be a guest on podcasts that have substantial audiences. That's the reason that you have to be tenacious and determined. Don't give up quickly. If you get rejections from a few podcast hosts off the bat, don't use them as an excuse to get discouraged. Rejections are totally normal. You should use them as motivation to keep pushing forward. Don't forget that they can build character. Don't be demoralized if the first few podcasts you contact have zero interest in you. 

If you keep trying, you'll inevitably come across some podcasts that want to reap the rewards of your insight. The more research you perform, the better as well. If you target podcasts that are in line with your life or business coaching approaches, you may have higher odds of success. 

Delegate Smarter

There are some key ways your virtual team can help you get booked on podcasts. 

• Research podcasts geared towards your niche audience. Help you find the ones you need to focus on.
• Manage your guest appearances by filling requests from the podcaster for things like your headshot, bio, and links.
• Promote your appearances on social media

Notice we didn’t mention sending out the requests. We encourage you to personalize your messages to podcast hosts rather than using canned responses. If your team is strong enough to do this on your behalf, great, but it still comes across better when it comes directly from you.

Podcasts are a great way to get exposure and build your coaching business. By taking strategic action in how you reach out to podcasts, you can start appearing on episodes as soon as next week!

And, of course, we are here to help! Check out related blog posts below.