Getting on podcasts as an author can be a game-changer for your book’s success. It boosts your visibility, enhances your credibility, and connects you with a wider audience – through authentic conversations instead of traditional sales tactics.
You’ve poured your heart and soul into writing a book, but how do you ensure it reaches the right readers? The answer could lie in a powerful yet often overlooked medium—podcasts.
In this post, I’ll show you why podcast appearances can dramatically elevate your author platform and how you can leverage them to promote your work effectively. Let’s dive in.
Knowing who your target market is.
You need to make sure you are speaking to the right people so research to find out what kind of audience they have and also spend a bit of time listening to some of their episodes. You’ll get a clearer picture of whether this is a podcast you want to be a guest on.
Little Hint: When researching a podcast – See if you can find an episode where someone in a similar niche or genre is being interviewed and make notes on the discussion.
You might think well why is this a good idea?
If they’ve already had someone on talking about a similar topic to what I might want to talk about why would they want me on?
Well guess what, if this is the case… you’re their target market.
You are the person that they want on their podcast because that’s what their audience is listening to. But the trick here is that you need to pay close attention to the episode to find out if you have a different perspective to bring to the audience.
If you can offer thoughts or ideas from different angles this is going to intrigue the podcast host and their audience which is what you want. You want the host to say YES I NEED YOU ON MY PODCAST and offering a different perspective on things will do that.
How to research a podcast
Podcasters tend to promote their podcast on 2 main platforms:
1. Linkedin
2. Twitter
A basic search like ‘book podcast‘ in any of those platforms will reveal a seemingly never ending list of potential podcasts. See if there are any you’d like to be a guest on and reach out to them directly on social media.
Another really cool platform you will want to check out is MatchMaker. (I promise it’s not a dating site)
It’s a site that podcast hosts use to help find the perfect guests and for the potential guests to look for a podcast to be a guest on.
This is perfect because everyone on there is a podcast host looking for a certain someone to feature on their podcast. Use this opportunity to see if there are any podcasts that jump out at you.
If you do find a podcast you’d like to reach out to, remember to do your research and actually listen to a few episodes. The reason why this is important is because you may be asked by the host if you have actually listened to the podcast and if you come back to them with a big fat ‘no’, it’s not the best look and it may put them off giving you an interview.
Especially as the host may ask to do a pre-screening. This is a chance for the host to get to know more about you and see if your personalities are a good match.
Search within your Niche
Once you know your niche don’t be afraid to ask the podcast host questions. Things like where are most of your listeners based? So for example if you’re targeting listeners in Europe and their target market is in Asia you will need to have a think if that is the right podcast for you.
Another example is if your target market is families or people with young children and their audience typically don’t have young kids then again it’s probably not a good match.
So don’t be scared to ask these questions, the podcast host will probably appreciate you more for doing your due diligence rather than just sending a blanket copy/paste email to a number of hosts.
It’s not all about you
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when approaching a podcast host is going there with ME ME ME ME ME – I need to sell this book, I need to get my brand out there, I need to promote this blah blah.
Naughty *slaps wrist*
It’s not all about you and everything about the host and the audience. Once you come from a place of service and show how your viewpoints can benefit them and their audience changes the game completely.
So make it clear and explain what type of value and benefits you can bring. Podcast hosts get guest requests all the time so make sure you do everything you can to stand out from the rest of the pack.
If you want more ideas on attracting traffic to your author platform, check out my guide on 12 incredibly easy ways to drive traffic to your author website.
You’ve got to have a CTA (call to action)
I’m going to talk about that dreaded ‘S’ word now… you know the one… SELL
You have to get comfortable with selling. You write books for a living, you’re in the business of selling books. Get used to it and get good at it. Especially if you’re a team of one… getting on a podcast as an author is something you’ll need in your book marketing arsenal.
When your interview is wrapping up, always have a Call to Action (CTA) ready. Don’t just say “Thanks for having me!” and disappear. Leave listeners with something more—something that keeps them engaged with you after the episode ends (and of course make sure it is ok to do so with the podcast host).
A great way to do this is by offering a lead magnet, such as:
- A free mini eBook
- The first chapter of your latest book
- An exclusive bonus guide
This not only provides additional value but also helps grow your email list—one of the most effective tools for long-term author success. If you’re unsure what to offer, I’ve put together a list of 15 things you need for your author website, which includes lead magnet ideas.
Leave them with something more.
Leave them with intrigue and and leave them wanting to know more about you.
You can do this by offering a great lead magnet. This could be a free mini ebook, the first chapter of a WIP. This will offer further value to their audience and will help you build your email list.
I’ve actually created a list of lead magnet ideas ideas for authors to attract podcast hosts you can download for free below:
The Power of Evergreen Content
The good thing about podcasts is that they are evergreen. They will be around forever. It’s not like a book signing event where you are in your local Waterstones for a few hours (which is great) then leave… a podcast is available online all the time.
People searching for you online will come across your interview at some point, it could be a month from now, a year or maybe even 2 years. Make sure that listener can still download your lead magnet whatever it may be.
Getting on podcasts as an author will massively help you on your journey to building relationships and cementing yourself as a writer worth following.
If you’re struggling to get started or want more guidance, feel free to contact me here. I’d love to help!
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