Appearing on a podcast is exhilarating, fun and most importantly: easy. All you need is a skype connection and most podcast crews will be able to have you on their show as either a special guest or temporary cohost. If you are knowledgeable in your subject area and can hold an entertaining conversation, then you are already more than capable of taking advantage of guest podcasting to promote your site (and make money!).
5 Reasons to Guest Podcast
1. Loyal Followers
The audiences of most podcasts are fanatically loyal to their hosts and absolutely love to listen to each and every new episode the moment it comes out. Having run several podcasts in the past, I can assure that your fans are always looking for your next production and they ravenously absorb all the information you send their way.
2. Attentive Listeners
Podcast listeners tend to be busy people who don’t have time to watch the television or get media in normal ways. Usually this is due to extensive travel amounts of travel in cars, buses, trains, etc. This traveling group of listeners are your biggest fans and they are also extremely attentive. By guest podcasting you are essentially getting free advertising to a group that wants to hear what you have to say and will feel more inclined than most target audiences to follow through on viewing your website or service.
3. Instant Credibility
Credibility and trust are hard things to earn online, but by appearing on a credible podcast where the audience already trusts their hosts, you instantly gain some degree of both! Just like guest posting is a great way to gain credibility in a new community, podcasting is the same in audio form.
4. Future Audience
Podcast listeners tend to go back and listen to old episodes and newer subscribers will start from the first episode and work their way up to the most current podcast. This means that your guest appearance will continue to influence new subscribers to the podcast for as long as they are running.
5. Make Money
Obviously all of these reasons to do a podcast also lead to the end goal of making money online. With each new subscriber you bring in from doing a guest podcast, you have the opportunity to make some money providing them with the solutions you always give to new members of your community. What’s more, the fact that this audience is so attentive and willing to listen to you will mean far greater conversion rates than other forms of traffic you’re used to.
Simple Guest Podcasting Strategy
First, go to Itunes.com and search for podcasts using keywords associated with your niche. Next, choose a podcast with at least 10 posts, 10 comments and 10 ratings. Finally, find their contact information (webpage or twitter usually) either on the itunes page or by googling for them. Contact the podcast and explain who you are and that you are willing to come on their show any time. Be sure to explain your level of expertise and what you could discuss on their podcast. Actively communicate and follow up promptly when the hosts respond.
5 Podcast Edicate Tips
- Don’t sell yourself, let the host do that.
- Be gracious and respectful, but don’t brown-nose.
- Never Use foul language unless the podcast has an explicit tag and even then you should ask beforehand.
- Come prepared with topics and write down things you’d like to talk about.
- Listen to at least one of their shows all the way through to learn the flow of their podcast and what segments you might have to participate in.
Guest Podcasting Success
Guest podcasting has done wonders for marketing my blog and that’s why I am highly recommending that you try it out at least once. I’m sure you’ll find that it’s well worth your while! The keys are to come prepared, communicate with the podcasting crew beforehand and to be sure to show off your expertise in your niche during the conversation. If you’ve put the time in beforehand then it will show throughout the podcast and the audience will instantly fall in love with your message.
For an example of guest podcasting, take a look at my interview with Christopher Penn over at Marketing Over Coffee where we talked about how I make over $10,000 per month online as well as how to build a community and be successful.
Will you give guest podcasting a try? Why or why not?
Markco Polo blogs about traffic building tips over at The Traffic Blogger.