How do I get booked on other people's podcasts (O.P.P.)?
Are you down with O.P.P.?
Getting on O.P.P., other people’s podcasts, is a great way to:
Decide if podcasting is right for you. Do I like having conversations in front of a microphone?
Drive listeners to an existing podcast. Clear the way early with a host about getting your podcast promoted.
Build credibility and become an expert on a subject.
I book for several professional podcasts that only do one guest spot a week. One. That means they only have 52 spots open for guest shots a year. And think about what a guest spot is, it’s an hour of the host’s time. The bigger the host/podcast, the more valuable the time. If you want to be on a podcast that has listeners and can drive attention to you and your brand you better be ready to show your value to their audience.
I’ll go in-depth later on some bonus cherries-on-top you can provide to podcast hosts/producers to get on their show but for now here are 3 basic questions I ask myself before booking someone on a major show.
Does this person have something interesting to say that is relevant to my audience? If I can’t describe what this person has to say to my audience in two sentences, I’m out on them. Have stories, anecdotes and strategies at the ready so that a producer knows you can get your message across to their audience.
Have they said that interesting thing in an intelligible and entertaining way on other mediums (blogs (especially ones they don’t own), books, podcasts, television)? My hosts’ time is valuable, I can’t waste it with someone who isn’t used to answering questions about their expertise. Write a blog about the subject you want to talk about. Pitch it to a publication in your field of expertise. Get booked on small podcasts that won’t have this requirement and then have these links ready for the producer or host of the podcast you REALLY want to be on.
Do they have a following or resources that will help promote the show and drive listeners? I’m looking at your presence online. I’m googling you. If you can provide me with a clear picture of how you’re going to get people to listen then you’re only going to better your chances of getting booked.
Use these questions as a guide to build your one-sheet PDF that you will send to producers to say, “I’m awesome. I have something to say. I’m ready to be on your podcast.”