Ep 137: Cracking The Code On The Perfect(ish) Pitch
17:06 Share

Well, hey there, friends. If you're ready to turn your podcast into a pure profit machine, I've got a little something super exciting for you. We are opening registration starting today for the seven-figure podcast bootcamp. Oh my gosh, I am so excited.

For just $32, you're going to get two days of live actionable training by me, yours truly, to help you grow your downloads, build a loyal audience, and start making some real money from your podcast. Trust me, you do not want to miss this. I'm going to walk you through four live sessions over the course of two days where I'm going to give you the exact framework.

worksheets, funnels, templates, everything my team and I used to take the B-Word podcast from broke to no joke making seven figures. Head on over to podcasther.com forward slash boot camp and grab your spot today. Let's make that podcast dream of yours a reality and I'll see you there. The power of

Hi, I'm Joanne Bull and I am obsessed with all things podcasting and creating an unapologetically big revenue business with it. From podcast guesting to podcast hosting and everything in between, we're going to dive into it all and show you step by step how to build a big business.

by Awesome Step, how using a podcast can and will grow your business. So grab a glass of wine and pop your headphones on because girlfriend happy hour has begun here on The B Word.

I don't know about you, but if I hear the term podcast pitch one more time, I may throw up a little bit in my mouth. And here's why. It is so overused. I feel like it is everywhere that I'm looking. Maybe it's just because of what I do, but it is showing up in almost every coach that I see, almost every influencer I follow. And it's all about get yourself on podcasts to promote your business. Well, guys, I'm going to dispel a myth for you today.

Just getting on podcast is not going to grow your business. Getting on a podcast the right way, though, will. You have got to be a little bit strategic and have some intentionality behind that. But before you ever do that, let me just back the boat up for a second with you and kind of go through an analogy, because I think that we get stuck a lot with the fear of I don't know what I'm doing. And therefore, we don't end up on the right podcast to promote our business or we don't

even bother trying to get on the podcast because we don't know what to say. If that is you, it's okay. You are in what I call the freshman year. Work with me here because I love my analogies. You know that by now if you've been listening to the B-word for a hot minute. I like to think of putting yourself on a podcast as your general marketing tour for your business or your podcast. Hopefully they're kind of one and the same. But if you're going to go on a marketing tour, you have to do it in stages.

So if you think about it like being in high school, if you wanted to try out for the cheerleading squad and you had never cheered a day in your life, girlfriend, there's really not a big chance you're making the senior squad. I mean, let's just be honest. You've never cheered. You don't know what the moves are. You probably don't have any gymnastics background. You have never done a stunt in your life.

You are not making it with the big girls, the girls who have done this since they were like four. Those girls are on the senior squad, the varsity squad. You're going to make the freshman team at best. So think of that as the same way in your podcasting journey. If you've never pitched yourself to be on a podcast or your business is so brand new that you're not even sure what's

How to pitch yourself to be on a podcast because you don't know that one thing that you talk about the best. You don't know what offer you want to talk about. You don't know how to slide it into the conversation correctly. Well, that's like getting on the freshman team. And here's where I will encourage you. Just go do it.

Pitch yourself in perfectly. Go find podcasts that aren't huge. You know, those beginner podcasts, the ones that have been out for a year or less. They have maybe 20 or less episodes. They are desperately looking. Maybe desperately is the wrong word, but go with me here. They need people to interview because they're learning how to be a great storyteller and a great interviewee.

at the same time that you're learning how to be a great storyteller and a great interviewee. And so you guys can learn together. And it makes pitching to those podcasts a heck of a lot easier because you just learn your style of email. You learn your style of getting on Instagram DMs to talk to someone about being on the podcast. You learn rejection.

which you've all got to learn because there are some podcasts you're never going to get on or it might take you five years to get on and you need to be okay with that, you will get better and better at the process. So when you're pitching at the freshman level, don't try to go out for the Marie Forleo's of the world. Go for those freshman level podcasts that are going to be a little more forgiving of you when your pitch isn't perfect.

And don't worry if you have a typo or don't worry that you don't have 10,000 followers on Instagram. If you're not there yet, pitch to your level. When you're ready for that next level, that sophomore level is kind of what I call it. Think of now you've entered into 10th grade. You try out for the cheerleading squad again. You've gotten a little bit of experience from being on the freshman squad. So maybe now you make the JV team and that is fantastic. And it's where you want to be.

Now, you've gotten a feel for being on podcast. You've maybe nailed down what offer that you provide that you want to always be talking about on podcast. Or you've nailed down your topic of expertise that you want to start really getting out into the world that you're the thought leader on. And so it's getting easier and easier to actually be interviewed on the podcast and to provide value to that host audience.

Now you probably picked up some Instagram followers. You began building your email list. So now you can actually offer out to other hosts, hey, I would like to be on your podcast for XYZ reason.

Here's my social media following. I would love to promote our interview on my social media. Here's the size of my email list. I email them every week, day, month, whatever it is you email. I would love to promote you and your service or product through my email list as a valued partner. That will start to get you on some of those middle tier podcasts.

The ones who are beginning to be a little bit more conspicuous, I guess, about who they're bringing in, they're being more intentional about who they're interviewing. And you want to make sure at this level, that sophomore-ish level, that you are actually not just hunting podcasts that have maybe 50 to 100 episodes. They're in their second or third year of existence. No, at this point, you're hunting those podcasts that are really leaning into the ideal audience you serve.

and who you feel you could actually offer value to that audience. Don't worry if they're in the same industry as you, by the way. I get this question a lot. Oh my gosh, I coach fitness professionals. I shouldn't be on podcasts that also coach fitness professionals. Heck yeah, you should. And

And here's why. You have a different perspective than the host of that show. You have a different offering. You have a different person that really falls in love with you and what you're doing. And

When you also get on podcasts of similar industries, you can connect with the host in different ways and you guys maybe could collaborate off screen and do other things together. So don't be afraid to pitch yourself to the same industry as what you're providing, as well as go outside that bubble a little bit. Think through that ideal audience. Who are they listening to?

You know, if you can identify someone who isn't getting a million downloads an episode, but maybe is getting a little bit higher level of a podcast following, if you can identify that that person is someone your ideal audience would listen to, you need to be on their podcast. But you have to provide value to their audience. You cannot just say, hey, girl, I want to be on your podcast. This is not where you're just meeting on a networking platform.

Zoom call and raising hands to do swapsies. You're starting to be more intentional and strategic what you're doing, and you have to expect that the hosts are doing the same. Now, as we progress up a little, maybe you're hitting that junior year. So you're hitting now being able to get on podcasts to talk very intentionally about a specific product or offering that you have. You might be

promoting a conference that you've got going out. Maybe it's a higher dollar offering, and so you need it to strategically, you know, that episode be released at certain times. Again, now is when you start reaching out to a little bit bigger of a podcast host. You are still looking at who their ideal audience is, who is listening to this podcast.

Do not at this level just be on anyone's podcast. I firmly believe that throwing spaghetti on the wall is not a value way to spend your time, for lack of a better way to put it. It's just not. You're going to watch those spaghetti noodles slide down the wall and then you've got a slimy mess on your wall to clean up. Just because someone says, hey, you can be on my podcast, doesn't mean you should be.

You should continue to refine your strategy at this point. You want to be on a combination of medium to larger podcast when you're at this level. You need to have a pretty good following on Instagram or Facebook or TikTok or LinkedIn. You need to be willing to promote that person as well as they're promoting your episode. It is a collaboration, but don't expect a swap.

This is not the point where that person, if you go on their podcast, they may be willing to come on yours because they at this level are being extremely strategic with what they're doing. They're not just interviewing anybody. And you're quite frankly lucky to get on their podcast. I will also caution you when you're pitching to that, you know, mid to upper tier podcast.

You got to have a better pitch. This is when the imperfect pitching needs to be refined by. So simply saying, hey, I've got this many followers on social and this big of an email list and I will promote you out may not be big enough. Why? Because they may not need that. The person you're pitching to, honestly,

may just need a really good interview. And so you might want to think about different ways to pitch. One of the things that I love doing is when I'm pitching to this level, I will actually say, I am not going to promote you on Instagram. Why? Because your audience is

is different. And the conversation that you and I are going to have is different. And quite frankly, my audience has already heard it a million times. I need my audience to hear your story as much as you need your audience to hear my story. So I'm not going to just pitch you to my audience on Instagram. What I'm going to do is be very intentional and partner with you on something in my email list. What can we partner on? And

And then when I'm pitching to that, you know, so when I'm pitching to be on their podcast, what I'm essentially saying is I want to be on your podcast to pitch my product. But how can I help you in return? Do you have a book? Do you have a conference? Do you have a course you're about to drop? What are you fixing? You know, what are you about to launch? Like, how can I promote you throughout my world that has nothing to do with the episode you and I are on? Because my audience has heard my story a million times.

That has gotten me on so many upper tier podcasts because it's different. It's not the same pitch that everyone gets.

Does everyone understand it at first? No. Do I have to pitch it a bunch of times sometimes to get on the podcast I want to? Yes, but it does work. Now, as we progress up with our pitching, we get to that senior level. And guys, let me just tell you, yes, there are podcasts everyone would like to be on. You want to be on Jay Shetty? So do I. You want to be on Oprah's podcast? So do I.

The reality is that senior level, the goats probably are never going to look twice at you unless you have something so unique, so inspiring, so different that they almost can't not see you. You have to be prepared at this level, though. You're going through someone to get to them. You're either filling out a form online and never hearing back from them, or you've got to strategically put it in your calendar that you're going to reach out every month until you get on that person's podcast.

And then also recognize that when you get on their podcast, it may have nothing to do with what you need to pitch or what you need to talk about. And it has everything to do with their business. And that's okay. I was listening the other day to Lori Harder. And Lori had Marie Forleo on her podcast. And Lori will openly say she has been trying and pitching to Marie for seven years. Like Marie Forleo loves rap music. And so Lori was sending rap.

rap songs, like her rapping her pitch on a video to Marie's people first seven years trying to get in front of Marie. Well, finally, she got in front of Marie and it was a combination of things. One, they got to the same level of business where they almost started circling in the same circles of networking and masterminds. So they were more peer to peer at this point.

The other piece, and this is really critical for you to lean into, is at that point, Marie was launching her B-School. And her B-School was something she only launches once or twice a year. It is a online digital course. It's one of her staples in the business. She's had it for 14 years. She served over 80,000 people with it. But the thing is, Marie knew in her business, she now needed new visibility. She needed to reach a new audience. And so when Marie was looking through her business,

I need to go on podcast tour concept. She looked over at Lori Harder, who has the Earn Your Happy podcast, and it is one of the upper, upper tier podcasts. I mean, it's one of the top in the nation. So at that point, Marie finally answered the call to be on Lori's podcast. Now, that's an example you or I may never get to. And that's OK. Whoever is your senior level host that you want to be on, post.

Put them on a list. Put them on the I want to be, I dream to be on their podcast list and keep working toward being on them. And just know you may have to be really consistent, dog-eared almost in your efforts.

If your pitches aren't working after the first year, swap them up. Try something different. Do something different to get in front of the podcast that you really want to be on. But remember, at the end of the day, guys, if the podcast you want to be on isn't going to serve your audience, it still doesn't make a darn bit of difference if you're on that person's podcast. You could go get on Lori's podcast, Earn Your Happy. You could talk for an hour on her podcast.

And you will gain a lot of visibility because she has a ton of visibility. However, you may gain some Instagram followers who were like, oh, this girl sounded like she knew what she was talking about. But if they aren't followers who are then going to listen to your podcast, if they aren't followers who are going to purchase your service or product, who are not going to use your offering, then you've really just spread your wings wide and you haven't narrowed your funnel very much. So whoever you're going to list out

to learn to pitch in order to get on their podcast, that senior level podcast. Make sure that you never set out with just a lofty goal of, oh my gosh, that person's got a lot of followers. I want to be on their podcast. Set out with intentionality of whose podcast would I be able to serve their audience

and in turn have them serve my audience. Which one works the best? And then start back at your freshman year. Go start pitching. Do it imperfectly. Do it messy. You'll get better over time. That's the way that this game works. And

Pay attention to whose podcast you were on. Because if you were on a podcast and that podcast is a, you know, ends up in that middle to higher tier, you'll want to link back to being on that person's podcast so that those seniors can look and hear your interviews, hear how you've done. So don't think of your freshman and sophomore years as a waste of your time. It is really just building your resume so that when you're ready to be on the big podcast, well, you're ready.

All right, guys, go pitch yourself imperfectly, build your empire, put a microphone behind it, and I will see you same time, same place next week.

You just finished another episode of the V Word podcast. Cheers to you. If I were with you, I would literally pop a big old bottle of Prosecco and pour you a glass. Since I'm not, why don't you do the next best thing and share this episode with one of your besties? Because we all know you've got that one girlfriend that needs to hear it. Thanks, friends.

Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Before you go really fast, would you please take a second and go and leave me a review here on the B-Word podcast? It really does make a world of difference to how we show up for new people. And to give you a little thank you, because my mama always taught me that you send a thank you note or something in return for a gift.

We have got a free gift that we are changing every single month here on The B Word. So head on over once you've given your review, grab a screenshot of it, and then go to thebwordpodcast.com forward slash review. Upload it for me and I will send you a free gift immediately. Thanks in advance.