Lovebugs,

Let’s swan dive into the goodness that is podcasts and interviews!

Buuuut before we get started: are you up to date with the Business Success series so far?

  1. How to Work Out Your Ideal Client
  2. Online Networking & Masterminding
  3. How to Sell More with Blogging
  4. How to Grow a Mailing List
  5. Grow Your Biz Using Free Opt-Ins
  6. Using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to increase your sales

Want to listen to the companion podcast for this post as you read?

Easyyyy babes! Just click play above, or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PocketCast (or wherever else you listen to podcasts!)

I’m a bit of a fan of podcasts and interviews.

They can definitely help you gain exposure, along with developing your communication skills, refining your message and helping you find your people.

How I book podcast interviews

Last year, I put the call out to my mailing list + social media accounts letting peeps know that if they wanted to interview me for their podcast, show or magazine to email in and my assistant would get them booked.

There were significant pros and cons for this.

The pros: Within two weeks I was booked out for interviews for 10 months in advance!

The cons: The inbox was FLOODED with requests and my assistant was flat out for about 3 weeks getting everyone booked in. We also didn’t implement a screening process nor did we automate our booking system. This meant there were a large number of interviewers that forgot or just didn’t turn up to their interviews, or just weren’t a good fit.

It was an important lesson!

This year, we’ve changed it up entirely so the entire process is streamlined.

We’ve got an ever-growing list of podcasts that I think I’d be a good fit for that my assistant pitches to. We also use a pitch template (that we heavily personalise for each podcast/interview we’re pitching to) and use Calendly to book interviewers into the calendar. Calendly also sends out automated reminders 24 hours & 1 hour before the interview to minimise missed interviews, and we can ask our screening questions through it.

It’s saved us oodles and oodles of time.

How to Succeed At Podcasts & Interviews

  • Try and get in front of people who are… YOU GUESSED IT! YOUR TARGET MARKET! Because it’s kind of useless talking to people who don’t give a crap about what you’re talking about or would never buy your thing ever. Hang where your audience is.
  • When you’re approaching larger podcasts, make sure you check out their FAQs & submission guidelines. Don’t think you are above them. Don’t think it’s a waste of your time. If you want to play in their territory, you need to play by their rules. Make it easy for the interviewer to say YES! Make it easy for them to think “ERMAGERD THIS IS GOING TO BE SO AWESOME FOR OUR PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO!”
  • Also, if you haven’t listened to their podcast before, listen to an episode or two. Especially other interviews they’ve done. Get an idea of their interview style.
  • Switch yourself ON before you do the call. Place yourself in the position of really connecting with listeners, and helping them in whatever way you can. Be in service to them. It will light you up. And it will light them up too. They will remember your authenticity, heart, advice and generosity more than someone who is just there to tick it off their list.
  • Know BEFORE interviews whether it is going to be an audio interview or a video interview. I don’t even want to tell you how many times I have been caught out, and how many video interviews there are of me with bedhead and a grungy shirt on. Hint: more than zero. #keepcalmandcarryon
  • Ask super nicely beforehand if you can make an upsell/invitation at the end. My advice for podcasts and interviews is to make it a softer option by inviting the audience to get your free opt-in offer. That way they don’t feel sold to, but feel like they are getting a gift from you. This will develop more trust in you through your newsletters and eventually convert to a customer. Instead of just saying “BUY NOW” and 99% of people saying “NOPE” – say “HEY I’D LOVE TO GIVE YOU THIS FREE THANG THAT WILL HELP YOU” and 30% of them saying “OH HEY! THANKS! THAT’S LOVELY! WILL DO!”

Want to do more guest blogs and interviews?

  • Ask your mastermind peeps if they want to do tradesies
  • Advertise on your website that you are available for interviews
  • Send out an email to your list saying you’re happy to do interviews on such & such topics (have boundaries + systems in place to deal with an influx of responses if you have a big list)
  • Pitch to your fave podcasts that are relevant to what you do + offer

More interview tips!

  • When you start out, say yes to everything you can. Focus on links back to your website, opt ins and ultimately getting them on your mailing list.
  • As you grow bigger, you can start refining your goals more. You won’t be able to say YES to everyone. You’ll need to start building some parameters around who you want to do podcasts and interviews for.
  • At some point it’s no longer profitable or feasible for you to do podcasts and interviews for brand new websites or ones that have a tiny audience. Instead you will need to concentrate your efforts on opportunities that give you access to more people, focusing especially on those in your target market.

I’m much, much choosier now with guest blogs and interviews. I have to be.

  • Here’s a handy trick: if you’ve reached the point where you can’t take on every interview and podcast request, you can create a library of videos, articles and audio workshops that you can offer in lieu of original content.

 

Here are some of the boundaries and guidelines I have in place:

  • If someone wants to interview me, they have to answer our screening questions, which are fairly lengthy and gives my assistant enough information about whether their audience is the right fit for me or not. That way, we don’t have to go back and forth to ask questions.
  • If people don’t answer all the questions or don’t answer them properly, they are an immediate red flag for me. Why? It shows they don’t respect my time. They are usually unprofessional, will have smaller list sizes, be late to interviews and otherwise be a major pain in the ass. People usually show you who they are from the very beginning.
  • There are a million other things I could be doing as CEO of my business. For every YES I say, there is an opportunity cost. If I’ve agreed to use an hour of my time for an audience of 50, I’m saying no to the potential of using my time in a better way to reach 10 times that amount
  • Late cancellations, no-shows or rocking up to the interview 10 minutes late are 100% not okay with me. If that happens, I won’t reschedule the interview. I respect other peep’s time, and I don’t work with nonprofessionals. I was way more laidback about it in the beginning, but after yet another early-wake-up where I’ve forgone much needed mama sleep and rearranged my family’s schedule for an interview where the interviewer hasn’t turned up… well a woman’s gotta have her boundaries.
  • I’m not going to sacrifice my time, energy and family for peeps who aren’t in integrity with doing what they say they will do.


Booking interviews is a brilliant way to be introduced to a whole new audience!

Any time I’m interviewed, I always end up with new peeps signing up to my mailing list and buying my shiz. Why?

Because listeners of the interview (the interviewer’s audience) are introduced to me & my offerings, and resonate.

It goes both ways too.

When I promote the interview by writing a blog post and adding it to my podcasts page I’m introducing my audience to the interviewer. Mutually beneficial, babes!

It’s time!

Put yourself out there, start pitching podcasts or people in your circle to interview you. Or, start your own podcast!

You’ve got experiences, perceptions and stories no one else has. And only you can tell them.

Big love,

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