How to Get Booked on More Podcasts with Jessica Rhodes and Margy Feldhuhn
Episode 325: Show Notes
We have yet another awesome duo on the show today! Jessica Rhodes and Margy Feldhuhn are equal co-owners of the company Interview Connections, the first and leading podcast booking agency. Jessica founded the business is 2013 and Margy joined just a couple of years later, and now they have a booming business, booking podcasts left, right and center. They are totally on fire, and today they’re sharing with us how we can DIY getting on podcasts, what sort of return on investment we can expect and how we can measure what we’re actually getting out of it.
Listen on your favorite podcast player
You’re going to walk away from today with tips on how to approach the conversation and build the relationships, show up for the interview prepared and how to make the most of it. So even though you guys are going to have many voices in your earholes today, it’s going to be so worth it! Many of you have asked the questions they are answering today, such as how effective podcasts really are for building brand awareness and how to go about doing it. We’re revealing all of this and more, so don’t miss out!
How To Stand Out As A Potential Guest
How do you grab the attention of the podcast hosts you want to be interviewed by? First, you have to do your research! Ensure that you understand what the podcast is really about and what type of guests they’re interviewing as well as the topics they typically choose. Second, you need to motivate why you would be a great fit for their show, explaining what you can offer them. So coming from an angle where you first and foremost want to serve them (before promoting your own agenda) is really important. And finally, when it comes to the actual pitch, remember that this is all about networking. Using social media to connect with the host is a great way of getting a foot in the door. Apart from reading up about their business, ask them to tell you more about what they do to find out more specifically what their needs are.
Getting Systems In Place and Being Organized
As a busy business owner, you don’t want to appear on 20 podcasts every month because you don’t have all that time available, but when you’re launching, you have to take every opportunity you can get and schedule it into your calendar. What’s really important in relationship building with hosts is being well organized. Put all your hosts on a spreadsheet, know when they go live, promote their shows and send a thank you card or gift afterwards. It comes down to being thoughtful, but you need to have your systems organized in order to successfully do this.
With your systems, make very sure what kind of shows you want to go on. You can then categorize the shows and write a pitch for each of the different types of shows. You don’t always have to connect on social media first; sometimes it’s totally fine just to straight up pitch.
Preparing For Recording
In order to set yourself up for the actual podcast interview, you have to prepare thoroughly. Use the time between when you are booked and the actual interview to do more in-depth research about the company and getting to know them online as much as possible. Ask them what they would like to talk about – again, it’s firstly about adding value to them – and working through the list of questions that they will ask you. Also find out what their call of action will entail, what they actually want their listeners to do at the end of the podcast and how this will slot in with your information and contact details.
Measuring Your Return On Investment
Some people have a landing page for every show they’re on so they can see the traffic from each show and this works really well. For more high-end networking, clients might end up working with some of the hosts we book them on, so they automatically have this great client from the host. But, keep in mind, it’s not always the most trackable marketing source. We’d all like to know exactly what we’re going to get from going on a show, but it doesn’t work like that. Some of the less obvious spin offs include getting SEO through a backlink to your website. Moreover, clients might not come from the audience of that interview, but when they Google you, they find all these interviews that you feature in, giving you much greater credibility.
Additional Benefits of Going On A Podcast
Going on other people’s podcasts is an easy way of testing your message and gauging how you talk and present your information. It’s much less intimidating than going on a webinar or going live on Facebook, so you can relax and get into your zone, and practice communicating with your own audience. Another perk is the amount that you can actually learn from the hosts! You come up as the expert, but it’s incredible the knowledge you can gain from the person interviewing you. In this way, it sharpens your own skills. It gives you an opportunity to practice your speaking and even makes you better at video.
The Difference Between DIY And Using An Agency
This is not rocket science, so you can definitely book yourself successfully, but the time aspect is the biggest problem for many people. Having an agency manage bookings for you also gives you a consistent momentum, because often when it’s on your own to do list, it just gets pushed back. An agency also has the advantage of having a lot of connections and you get more suitable podcasts more quickly. Being on other people’s podcasts and hosting yourself similarly gives you a broad pool of connections to tap into, because they are all so interconnected. Whether you outsource or do it yourself, if you want to break into more influential podcasts, we recommend investing in their business a little bit and getting into their community. If they’re offering courses or having a conference, participate in it somehow – it’s important to get on their radar.
Quote This
Building a successful business is all about one-on-one relationships.
Highlights
How to Stand Out as a Potential Guest. [0:05:20.1]
Getting Systems in Place and Being Organized. [0:09:29.1]
Preparing for Recording. [0:11:12.1]
Measuring Your Return on Investment. [0:17:57]
Additional Benefits of Going on a Podcast. [0:21:07.1]
The Difference Between DIY and Using an Agency. [0:23:39.1]
#TalkStrategyToMe [0:30:29.1]
Be clear on your goals.
Get organized.
Write a thoughtful pitch.
Be creative.
Follow up.
Be consistent.
ON TODAY’S SHOW
Jessica Rhodes and Margy Feldhuhn
Jessica Rhodes and Margy Feldhuhn are the equal co-owners of Interview Connections, the first and leading podcast booking agency. Jessica founded the business in 2013 and Margy joined the team in 2016. They’ve scaled the business quickly to high multiple six figures, with nearly no direct marketing or ads, and will break through the 7 figure mark this year. They are the podcast powerhouses behind many of the record breaking book launches you’ve seen, with clients such as JJ Virgin, Ali Brown, Perry Marshall, other authors you may know, and numerous PR agencies who hire them for their podcasting savvy and booking skills. They both live in Rhode Island where they work at their company office along with their team.
KEY TOPICS
Podcasting, Serving, Networking, Research, Organizational skills, Communication skills
WE MENTIONED
Interview Connections Course
