Day 1: Why are podcast interviews important?
Before we get into the nuts and bolts of pitching and interviewing, we first need to identify why we want to be on a podcast.
Podcast guesting serves two purposes for you as an author:
- Branding / Establish Expertise
- Direct Response
(Definition: Guesting – when you are in the process of pitching and recording interviews on podcasts)
If you have a book coming out, then getting on a podcast is a great way to build momentum around the launch. But as soon as there is any kind of link to pre-order or buy, you can be guesting. Even a year after the book is out, even two.
For fiction authors, most of the hype is around your release date, but if your story highlights something that aligns with current events you want to be ready to pitch.
For non-fiction authors, you are looking to build hype around the book, and ALSO establish your brand. You want to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable on a given topic and get the listeners interested in more of what you have to say on the topic. This drives book sales, but also the potential for more speaking gigs, booking clients, etc. depending on your current business model.
That’s why you as an author want to be on the podcast. The promotion. The great thing about this format is that a listener will hear your interview the day it comes out or a week later or a year later, depending on when they discover the podcast. You do the interview once, but it doesn’t get lost to time.
That’s easy to understand. But there are two other parties involved in this equation:
- The host
- The listener
So why should a host want to interview you? Why would a listener tune in for your episode? I’ll continue to reiterate this throughout the course, but you have to focus on providing value to the listener (and therefore the host) in order to have an effective interview.
ASSIGNMENT:
I want you to take a few moments to write down what you look for or what you like about the podcasts that you listen to. What do some of your favorite podcasts do well? What are some things that you have heard on podcasts that you didn’t like? If you listen to any podcasts today, start to think about how the host is maybe monetizing the podcast or if they are just investing their blood, sweat, and tears. As yourself why you as a listener keep tuning in.
We’ll learn more tomorrow!
Author Your Ambition 