How to successfully pitch your story to podcast hosts

PR is the Best Way to Get More Visibility For Your Business and to Control What Others Think, Say, and Feel

about Your Business. Here’s How to Successfully Pitch Your Story.

About Michele Glogovac

Michelle Glogovac is THE podcast matchmaker! Not only is she the host of the My Simplified Life Podcast, but the Founder and CEO of The MSL Collective, a PR agency helping others get featured interviews on other podcasts and traditional media outlets. As a podcast host and PR agent, she knows the ins and outs of how to successfully pitch your story and get more visibility to connect with a larger audience.

Think About How to Be a Great Podcast Guest Before Thinking About How to Successfully Pitch Your Story

Michelle is a previous guest on The Second Phase Podcast. In episode 53 Michelle shared tips on being a great guest and following podcast guest etiquette. As Michelle mentions again, the key to being a good guest is to remember to be authentic and that the interview isn’t about you. Yes, you have knowledge and information to share, but it isn’t about you, it’s about giving, that will land you the interview.

It isn’t about promoting your business or book it’s about giving to the host and their audience.

Michelle used the analogy of a dinner party to relate to how to successfully pitch your story. Your pitch is going to be the hostess’s gift. Then you are going to be a good guest, listen to episode 53 to learn how, and then you thank your host. Think about the fact you wouldn’t go to a friend’s home without a gift and it’s the same concept when you are a guest on a podcast, bring the gift of your knowledge to share with the host and her/her listeners.

Robyn reminded me that a personal brand is what other people think say and feel about you. Similarly, when you pitch to be a guest on a podcast, you want to control the perception that the host will have of you when reading the pitch. The more you offer to give, the better the pitch will be received.

How to Successfully Pitch Your Story – What Goes Into The Pitch

During the first part of your pitch, make a human connection and share that you’ve listened to episodes of the show and how you relate. Show the host that you care about them and their audience.

Really know who you are pitching to.

Do not copy and paste a pitch from one person to another.

Some items may be the same, for example, topics that you will speak to, but there must be an original, unique component for each pitch.

Relate to the host what you’ve gotten out of their previous episodes, and tell them how they resonate with you. It’s about building an authentic human connection. If you are wondering how to successfully pitch your story, take note that it’s important to express that you genuinely want to be on their show and make it about them, not you.

Include topics and tools that you are an expert on. Include features you’ve been on if you are a host of a show, etc., and hyperlink them. You don’t want to give the host any additional work. Make it simple for them to find more information should they need it.

Most hosts have jobs outside of their podcast so reviewing pitches takes time away from their jobs and the podcast so if you give them homework to do, they will say no, they don’t have time to chase information about you.

Don’t pitch to a host who does the same work you do. Be sure that you do your homework and be very specific about what the host and their audience will learn and gain from you. Include links to demonstrate why your topics are pertinent and how you are an expert.

The Things a Successful Pitch Includes

How to Successfully Pitch Your Story for a Podcast Guest Interview

Relate to the host. Look at past episodes. Tell them why you liked it, how you related to it, and why you felt connected to this show and this host.

Don’t just look at their show, look at their website and Instagram. Get to know the host and really get to know them.

Make sure that the host is accepting guests or is it a solo show?

Include some topics that you can speak to. Select three or four that are really applicable to this show.

Always include a link to your website. If you are a podcast host, include a link to your show and include links to your most recent interviews on other podcasts.

Include a brief bio, and a few short sentences, and attach your one-sheet.

Thank the host for the opportunity to pitch.

Your follow-ups should be 2 to three weeks out and they should be very short. The final follow-up should state that this is the final time I am following up. Yes, podcast hosts are planning, but it is much more relaxed and not time-sensitive like traditional media.

How to Successfully Pitch Your Story to a Traditional Media Outlet

This pitch is going to be very short, very brief, only 200 words. The pitch will not go into a lot of detail about you or your client. It has to relate to the journalist.

Journalists are mostly on Twitter. Follow them and engage with them so that they will recognize you. Most online entrepreneurs are on Instagram.

Let the journalist know that you’ve read their recent articles. These pitches must be relatable to current events. Plan ahead. You don’t want to pitch for Father’s Day a week before.

When pitching a topic, provide research to show why the subject is relevant and why the journalist would want to cover the story. Provide stats and data and hyperlink them so that the journalist has all of the data at their fingertips.

Follow-up is 2 to 3 days because it is timely.

How to Successfully Pitch Your Story for Help A Reporter Out (HARO)

HARO is a great resource for finding opportunities to pitch.

Reporters will post what they are looking for and a list will drop into your email inbox after you subscribe. The reporters will specify pertinent details, deadlines, and requirements. After reading the post, you simply click to respond to the reporter with your pitch. Oftentimes, the quickest pitch seals the deal. Don’t delay and pitch right away.

Types of PR

HARO is reactive PR. You are reacting to what someone else is looking for versus being proactive which is making a recommendation for the kind of news you want to share.

A similar platform to HARO is Qwoted. You can only send 3 of your pitches per month for free and then you will be charged.

Note that you do not send attachments with this type of pitch, you use hyperlinks to your one sheet.

The pitch is brief. The journalist will vet the responses they get and then come back with more questions.

How to Successfully Pitch Your Story Using A One-Sheet

A One-Sheet is also called a pitch or media kit. It should have everything important about you, everything you want the podcast host or journalist to know. A One-Sheet is branded to your business and should include hyperlinks.

Things to include in a One-Sheet

Full bio

Logo

Headshot

Website

All of the topics you are an expert on

The cover art of all podcasts you’ve been featured on with hyperlinks to the episodes

Logos and hyperlinks to any other outlet you’ve been featured on

It’s really everything there is about you in one spot with all of the links embedded so that the person can go anywhere to find out more about you.

The one-sheet really showcases and highlights the key things about you.

One-sheets should be updated on a regular basis as more interviews occur. It is forever revolving, keep it fresh.

Michelle uses Canva to create her One Sheet template. Canva makes it easy to hyperlink the graphics included in the One Sheet.

Additional Tips on How to Successfully Pitch Your Story

Engage with hosts that you eventually want to pitch to. Same thing with journalists. Retweet and share content. The key is to become recognizable by the host or journalists so that when you do pitch and show up in their inbox, they know who you are and are more likely to engage with you and say yes to your pitch.

Be proactive and engage before you even start pitching.

Using Twitter as a Resource to Successfully Pitch Your Story

Share and add a comment, create lists of who you want to engage with, and use Twitter chats, there are so many options for sharing and engaging on Twitter. It is easier to grow a following on Twitter unlike Instagram, where people hem and haw about following others, or they follow and unfollow.