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(By Troy Price) Here’s some good news. Back on January 6, 2020 Podcast Business Journal published an article titled, ‘Four Whys Women’ in which four women who were just starting out shared their ‘Whys’ behind starting their podcast.
Becca, Jenny, Katie, Kelly recently had a very good week. First, they were featured in a local newspaper article that shared several columns about their show and what makes it unique. The Richmond Register has a circulation of almost 4,500. Oh, and did I mention that their podcast received that level of coverage including a picture and links at no cost?
And to reiterate, this media coverage happened just four months after their first episode. How much they benefit from this media attention is yet to be seen, but we all can learn from their example and emulate their success. Their lesson for us is this, do not forget traditional media as we strive to promote our podcasts.
Your local paper and radio station as well as any local and regional magazines are always thirsty for content and are on the lookout for stories like yours. You just need to talk to the reporters or editors and tell them why they should cover your podcast. Below is the process to work through to make the best impression through this process…
An editor or station manager is going to want to first know why their readers or listeners will care about what you have to say. Have that answer prepared before you reach out to them. A few examples of what to say that might be successful are:
- I am just a local person that has a world-wide following on my podcast. I can help your listeners understand podcasting in a down-to-earth way.
- I have a podcast about (insert topic here) and I can help your readers take advantage of (insert topic here) like they have not before.
- I have a podcast episode that I am particularly proud of, can I send you a link to it and maybe you rework it as a guest feature?
Now that you have landed your interview, know that your first statement is going to set the tone for the entire interview. You should have that first statement prepared and rehearsed. A few examples of what might be successful are:
- I am going to share 3 ways you can (insert topic here)
- I have a podcast that covers (insert topic here) and I know that…
- I grew up just down the road and now I have clients from all around the globe. I’ll tell you how I did that, and how you can too.
Some people are only going to remember the last thing that you say (if you are being interviewed on the radio) or the last thing written about you (in an article). You must get your conclusion just right. Consider creating a special website to drive people to with your conclusion. It should have a simple web address like www.yourwebsite.com/moreinfo or /recap or /article where people can easily go and read the key details you shared from your interview. And make sure to have links to the rest of your website, podcast, and email address on that page. With that in place, practice your conclusion again and again so that when you say your website address it sounds as sweet as melted chocolate in your mouth.
As you can see you are at the end of this article. All you need to do now is search for some traditional media outlets and put yourself out there! If you follow these tips be prepared for a quick and eager response. Then, make sure to buy and extra copy of the paper and download a copy of your radio interviews. Those make for great keepsakes.
Troy Price is the co-founder of Front Porch Studios in Berea, Kentucky. He has been involved with podcasting for over a decade. Listen to his show “Podcasting Tips From The Front Porch” HERE.