Doing podcast interviews is a great way to drive traffic. First, you get a “live” endorsement from an influencer in your niche to kick start interest. Second, you can tap into a big audience of listeners whom you may not have been able to reach before.
If that wasn’t enough to get you excited, podcasts are awesome material to share. This is mainly because it’s really you right alongside that well-known personality. No one can suspect that you had some writer do up a shining portrayal of what you do. Podcasts also allow you to speak directly to a specific audience that has already been curated by virtue of their interest in subscribing. It’s a golden opportunity to target pain points and really get potential customers revved up.
Podcast interviews are gaining so much popularity in today’s busy world. People prefer them over blog posts and even videos because they can simply listen while doing other tasks like driving or cooking – or even working! If you’re not into them yet, it’s high time you got started.
So here’s how you can drive traffic with podcast interviews:
(1) Identify 50 podcasts in your niche.
Do some research to find the most relevant podcasts to your business. Think about your niche and the audience that you can serve. Then get online with a few keywords to start digging into the results. Your goal is to find 50 podcasts that fit the bill. Focus on the popularity of the podcast so you can get the most exposure.
(2) Craft a unique pitch.
For each podcast on your list, you’ll want to make your pitch relevant. You don’t have to do them all at once, but start with a few. Look deeper into who the host is and what topics the podcast episodes tend to cover. Then write out a polite yet strong pitch to ask for an interview. Focus on what you can offer to the audience and not what you can get in return.
(3) Reach out to the hosts.
Using the preferred or available contact that you found for each podcast, reach out with your pitch. Make sure to monitor responses so that you can respond promptly. You want to put your best foot forward so that you’ll be noticed. Provide any additional information needed, and do it in a way that builds good rapport with the host. Be kind yet professional, and you’re chances of being scheduled will increase.
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(4) Conduct the interview sharing your content and info about your business.
When the day arrives, make sure that you are early. Whether you are going to a studio or recording from home, test all the equipment 30 minutes beforehand. You don’t want to upset the host and mess up the schedule because you’re having technical difficulties. You want the host to think highly of you so that they will speak highly of you and share the episode more. It also gives you clout so you can make a few additional requests.
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When the interview goes live, you are going to get a few things that will boost traffic for you:
- links back to your website, Amazon listing, or wherever you want it to go
- evergreen content that different potential customers can go to and hear you speak
- a relationship with the podcast host that can be nurtured for future interviews, additional endorsements, and referrals
- if the podcast is video as well, you’ll also get that boost for those who want to watch instead of just listen to an episode so they can get a better feel for the face of the business
(5) Share, share, share!
This is a very important step in driving traffic. The podcast’s popularity will do its work for sure, but you want top really maximize your results. To do that, you need to promote the episode on whatever channels you have at your disposal.
Social media is the biggest fish here. People are on their networks many hours a day. Create business social pages if you don’t have them yet, and integrate podcast sharing into your campaigns with stories, graphics and updates. Start with teasers before the launch date, and go all the way through going live to catching up to throwbacks and re-promotion for seasons when the topic is hot.
Newsletters are another awesome way to get that episode in front of even more people. Your customers are already in your camp, but a podcast can solidify their trust in you as well as pull closer the few who are on the fence.
Using your website and posting the episode on a podcast curation website is also a great way to get the word out and have it there as evergreen content to boot.
Leverage any promotion systems that the host already has set up, like snippets, quote images, and soundbites. Basically use whatever you have in your combined arsenal to spread the word as fast and far as you can.
Bonus Tip:
Prepare for the interview!
Once you’re in, you’ll have an idea of when the interview will be conducted. Make sure you are prepared. The host may give you some questions or ask you to prepare a guide on the points to cover. You may also suggest a few points based on what you want to share, but remember that you need to put the audience first.
If this is your first interview, you’ll want to check your equipment. Most interviews today are done remotely. You’ll need a good microphone and a stable internet connection to make sure that all comes out clear. You’ll also want to get cleaned up if it’s a video interview. You may regularly do business in your sweats from your couch, but you want to look fresh to promote a clean image for your business.
Final Thoughts
Over time as you record more podcasts, you’ll see consistent referral traffic coming to your site
Don’t have the time or the expertise to get all this set up? No Problem. There are a ton of freelancers out there that you can hire to help you out. They have experience in the different areas from the research to managing your blog and social sharing.
If you’re new to hiring online, download The 10 Most Common Mistakes of Outsourcing 2.0. In it you will find guidance for avoiding hiring horror stories so you have a smooth experience and great results.
