Guest Booking: Growing your brand through Podcast Appearances

When your favorite Hollywood celebrity gears up for their upcoming movie, it’s ironic that you see them headlining every morning and late-night show on television. Why do they make all of those appearances? They understand that those shows have the audience that they are trying to reach, and if they appear on that show, it creates awareness for their own movie. If you read my recent article about influencer marketing, you are probably noticing a theme. The brand-building strategies I am suggesting are tried and true approaches, the approaches have simply shifted to the podcasting world.

Podcast audiences are very valuable, and in the truest sense of the definition, they are influencers. Subscribing to a podcast may not be equivalent to purchasing a product, but it is just as valuable. Podcasts have become popular because they allow busy people to consume content while on the go but listening to a podcast is still a big-time commitment. Subscribing to a podcast validates the host, and by opting in or subscribing, they are committing valuable time to that podcast.

Why is this important?

If a podcast has built a substantial audience, those listeners are typically very engaged with that show. If you are able to appear on a show that has 5,000 or 10,000 listeners, you automatically build rapport and trust with that audience. They trust the host, and the host is validating you by having you on as a guest. Podcast guests are also very niched, which means the audience is very valuable if that niche aligns with yours. Imagine you are a real estate entrepreneur looking to sell tickets to an upcoming seminar. If you make guest appearances on other real estate shows, that audience has already opted in to a real estate podcast, and if you can connect with them, they are likely interested in what you have to say.

Podcast listeners are also affluent and have buying power. Over 41% of podcast listeners bring home over $75K yearly, so if they like what you have to say, they have the ability to act on it. Furthermore, there are no algorithms deciding who hears your podcast. When new episodes release, your episode will automatically download and alert all of the hosts’ listeners that the show is live. Finally, and likely most important, the host of that show will share your episode and promote you to their entire following. Appearing on a reputable podcast allows you to:

• Align with a reputable brand

• Gain immediate credibility

• Speak directly to an engaged audience

• Showcase your expertise

• Share your vision

• Sell your product/services

• Create content for all social platforms

• Build authority/search presence

• First-hand testimonials within the episode

• Social shares & new audience exposure

• Get mentioned in blog posts for brand/SEO exposure

Guest appearances are the new version of a media tour, but unlike television, the episodes live on the podcast platforms forever. There are a lot of marketing experts trying to figure out the best way to market their own podcast, and the reason most are unsuccessful is that they are attempting to convert listeners from one platform to another (Instagram/Facebook to Podcasts). Instead, they should be connecting with audiences that are already listening to podcasts. Guest appearing on podcasts with niched, valuable audiences is the best way to grow your own podcast audience and your brand.