Perfect Your Podcast Pitch with Christine McAlister
Welcome to the Courage and Clarity podcast! This week, I invite you to listen along to a fabulous Facebook Live that I did with my good friend Christine McAlister (who you might have heard previously here and here). We're talking all about how to properly pitch podcasts hosts to be on their podcasts. I know that reaching more people in 2020 is probably a huge goal for you, so you can get paying customers, get more customers, or get your first customers. And being on other people's shows can really pour rocket fuel on what you're growing within your own community.
I wanted to bring Christine on because this is something that she does really well. She has written many pitches and has received replies from people saying that hers was the best pitch they've ever received (think big podcasts that you guys would recognize). So she's here to tell us some of the secrets to getting in front of the right people.
Here's a sneak peek of what we're in for today:
What does visibility mean? [04:55]
How to provide the right kind of value [11:06]
What's wrong with most pitches? [12:26]
Create a personal connection [20:38]
Be clear on what you would talk about [26:27]
How will you help them? [30:08]
Make sure to include your bio [36:16]
How to discover what value you can bring [37:41]
Visibility is just connection
The word "visibility" is everywhere these days, and everyone says you've got to be visible. But what does it really mean? And why does visibility matter?
Christine is an introvert, so she doesn't relish the idea of visibility just for visibility's sake. She's not about going to every networking event there is and handing out your business cards to everybody. To her, visibility is simply connection: connection with hosts, editors, and curators -- but also with the audience that you're trying to reach.
At the end of the day it's all about being seen, even if it's by just one person. It's about making some kind of a connection with a new person or a new group of people. Visibility means getting in front of people who could potentially love your message, love what you're about, and want to hear more from you.
When you are trying to gain more visibility from going on other people's podcasts, your pitch needs to be "visible" enough to cut through the noise. Podcast hosts receive hundreds of pitches, so it's all about making the connection with the host so that they feel like they need to have you on their show.
Provide the right kind of value
"Value" is another word that gets thrown around a lot, where everyone says you need to "add value." But how do you actually do it? Some people would be really specific and say that it means you make really long Facebook group posts three times and then you can pitch once, or something similar like that. But for Christine, value is in making friends with people.
"If you are feeling like you are thinking about pitching, but you get those heebie-jeebies because you don't want to make it all about yourself, I think that's a signal that you need to shift that off of you and ask the question, how do I make it about them?"
Whether it is making friends with an editor of a site, or a podcast host, it's all about showing up and being human. Christine has gotten personal replies from Ariana Huffington, Pat Flynn, and Denise Duffield-Thomas simply by following that cliche of "being social on social media."
What does providing value and being a human look like when you're pitching someone to be a guest on the show? Think of how you can make it less about you and more about them. If you are afraid to pitch yourself because you're worried about being too self-promotional, that's a signal that you need to shift your pitch off of you and ask the question, how do I make it about the host and how I can help them?
Now let's look at 4 parts that make a great podcast pitch:
4 Parts of a Great Podcast Pitch
1. Create a personal connection
Why do people regularly say that Christine's pitches are so good? It's because she's not constantly saying "I'm awesome, share me with your people!" Podcast hosts spend years building up their know, like, and trust factor, and put their blood, sweat, tears, and money into building their audience. Anytime they have someone come on their platform, they are basically endorsing that person. So whenever they get a pitch, every podcast host is thinking, how is this person going to make me look good?
So you have to make your pitch all about the host. The first thing that's going to get your pitch thrown out the window is if the host feels like you are copying and pasting pitches. Make sure you do your research and find some common ground with the host (remember, it's all about connection). If you would not listen to a show yourself, don't pitch that place.
"I had a client who felt a little funny about name dropping. And I said, well, if you and I met in person, we would be looking for something in common. So we would go, oh where do you live? Do you know so-and-so? What do you do? Oh we both run online businesses. Oh my gosh, in what industry? Do you know this person, or this person? It's the same. And so in a pitch, there's nothing skeezy about it when you are looking for common ground in order to show up and add value."
This is something that a PR person or subscription cannot do for you, because nobody could do a better job at creating that connection than you. So find that common ground with the host, and show them the connection and value you can provide them.
2. Pitch Clear Topics
Think of this as kind of your portfolio of topics that you can speak about. Hosts will appreciate that you've spent some time workshopping clear titles instead of vague topics. For example, instead of saying "I can talk about my experience as a mom with a stillborn child," it's more compelling to make one of your topics "Four incredible lessons that my stillbirth taught me."
Make it really easy for the host to say yes: make your suggestions for episodes pithy and memorable, so that the host can see the episode come together.
3. Share How You'll Help
This goes back to making it all about the host. Always include the ways that you can help share the episode. List your platforms with links to them -- it doesn't matter if you don't have a massive audience. What matters is your commitment to help the host or editor grow theirs. As a host, I would rather have someone who has 100 people following them who is committed to broadcasting the episode and talking about it a ton, versus a big name who isn't going to mention it and considers it a favor.
4. Don't Forget Your Bio
Finally, make sure you include your bio and headshot. That's yet another way that you're showing that you can make it really easy for the host. You're showing up prepared and organized, so the host won't have to chase you down for your info. You are also showing that you are serious, and are considering what they need as a host.
Want more tips on how to make your podcast pitches stand out? Christine is going to be hosting a totally free masterclass on how to be a podcast guest powerhouse. She is going to be on stages this year teaching her methods, and she is truly gifted at this. So if visibility and value are two things that you're focusing on this year, you need to get yourself signed up and be there!
Christine's free masterclass: How to Be a Podcast Guest Powerhouse