Looking for ways to promote your coaching business?
As a coach, you have one major advantage that not all business owners have — you can help people. That’s your gift.
This ability makes you a valuable resource for podcast hosts. And appearing as a guest on someone’s podcast is a powerful way to promote yourself.
Keep reading to learn how to be a podcast guest, including:
- Why coaches can benefit from being podcast guests
- How to land your first podcast interview as a coach
- How to make the most of a podcast interview
- Free podcast pitch template for coaches
Why Coaches Should Show Up as Guests on Podcasts
When you approach podcast guesting correctly, you can use it as a huge growth opportunity for your coaching business.
No matter who your target clients are, they’re likely listening to podcasts. Did you know that 79% of US adults listened to podcasts in 2022? This figure is up from 22% in 2006!
Whether you create your own podcast or guest on someone else’s, you’ll tap into this huge audience of audio listeners.
But showing up on someone else’s podcast has many unique advantages.
For one, you instantly appear as an authority figure. For you to show up on someone else’s podcast means they’ve vetted you. They consider you enough of an expert to lend you their platform.
In short, it implies endorsement from them!
This means the new audience you gain from appearing as a podcast guest will typically be warmer than sources of cold traffic, such as Facebook ads.
But that’s not all! Showing up on a podcast allows you to “borrow” someone else’s audience. For coaches with little to no social reach of their own, this is a gold mine — as long as you have something valuable to share with that audience.
When you approach podcast guesting with the right strategy (which we’ll help you develop later in this post), you can turn podcast listeners into email subscribers of your own! In turn, those email subscribers can become coaching clients when you nurture a relationship with them over time.
How Do I Get My First Guest Interview on a Podcast as a Coach?
Your first podcast appearance as a guest will be the most difficult to land. But once you show up on one podcast, you can use that experience as an example of why many podcast hosts should invite you as a guest!
Before you consider guesting on other people’s podcasts, make sure you have:
- Valuable insights to share — if you’re a brand new coach with no clients, this experience could come from the expertise you’ve developed in your regular career
- A brand strategy in place to guide your podcast guesting decisions
- A well-defined coaching niche (so you know who you’re targeting as clients)
Have everything ready? Follow the steps below to get your first podcast interview!
1. Make a list of potential coaching podcasts
There are over 3 million active podcasts online. But your goal as a coach shouldn’t be to appear randomly on just any podcast!
Instead, make a list of podcasts that your dream clients will be listening to. These can be coaching podcasts, but they can also be podcasts related to your niche.
For example, let’s say you’re a divorce coach. There are several podcasts that specifically focus on divorces!
Even if they’re not “divorce coaching” podcasts, the people listening are likely to be interested in your coaching services.
You can search for “[your niche/topic] podcast” to find relevant topics. You can also look through popular podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher.
When you find an interesting podcast, you can search to see if there’s a website dedicated specifically to this podcast. If there’s not, the host will usually have a website of their own.
For example, let’s say you want to find info about The Divorce Survival Guide Podcast by Kate Anthony. A quick Google search shows these results:
While there doesn’t seem to be a website dedicated to this podcast, Kate herself has a website!
Some podcast hosts will have instructions on their website for how to apply as a guest. Others won’t. In the latter case, you can look for their contact information on their website and add this to your research.
This is the case for Kate. So, if you were applying to be on her podcast, you’d have to email her directly.
Not sure where to find the best podcasts to pitch? Here are several free resources you can look into:
- Our ultimate list of 61 life coaching podcasts
- Podcast Guests
- Radio Guest List
- MatchMaker
- PodBooker
- Facebook Group – Women Entrepreneurs & Online Coaches: Speaking & Collaboration
Keep your list of podcasts in a spreadsheet along with all the necessary information, including:
- Host’s email address
- Social media profiles
- Website
- Target podcast audience
Start with a list of approximately 20 potential podcasts — but feel free to find more!
2. Craft your outreach pitch template
You’ll need to do lots of outreach to be accepted as a guest. To save some time, you can create a template for yourself.
On your outreach template, you should specify which talking points you can bring and why you’d be a great podcast guest. You can also give a quick overview of who you are as a coach and what type of clients you help.
Brainstorm at least 3-5 talking points. For example, if you’re a financial coach who helps college graduates start their life on the right foot, here are some examples of talking points you could have:
- The fastest way to pay off student loans
- Budgeting 101
- Most common financial mistakes for fresh graduates
- Investment strategies
You should also include some credibility points that make you a good podcast guest — why should this host’s audience want to listen to you? For example, you can share:
- Results you’ve gotten for yourself (and for clients)
- How many clients you’ve worked with
- Other places you’ve been featured (if applicable)
- How many years you’ve been doing what you do (including experience in your traditional job, if relevant)
Read until the end for a free podcast guesting outreach template designed specifically for coaches!
3. Personalize each pitch
A podcast outreach template is a great start, but you’ll get a much better response if you personalize your pitch for every single podcast host.
For example, include a sentence or two about how you found their podcast. Take the time to listen to some of their podcast episodes so you can share some insights you particularly enjoyed!
By personalizing each pitch, you’ll prove to podcast show hosts that you care about their topic — and that you’re not mass-emailing thousands of podcast hosts at once.
4. Don’t be afraid to follow up
People get busy. And if a podcast host doesn’t reply to your email, it doesn’t mean they don’t want you as a guest.
Feel free to follow up a few times via email if you don’t get a response.
How to Prepare for Your Podcast Guesting Appearance
So you’ve finally booked your first podcast interview — congratulations! Now let’s make sure you make the most of this opportunity. Keep reading to learn how to be a great podcast guest and how to generate clients from this opportunity!
1. Become comfortable with your talking points
Ideally, your talking points should be about topics you’re already comfortable with. But it doesn’t hurt to practice those talking points before an interview.
Ask a friend to jam about your topics so that you can have a natural conversation. Encourage them to ask questions so that you’re able to respond organically.
2. Prepare an exclusive offer for podcast listeners
Want to turn someone else’s audience into your own? Prepare an exclusive offer for those listeners ahead of time!
Make sure to clarify what you can and can’t do with the podcast host. For instance, some hosts won’t allow you to share a link back to your website. But most will at least allow you to promote your coaching business at the end of the episode.
Some ideas for exclusive offers include:
- Free access to one of your digital resources usually costs money
- A lead magnet crafted specifically for this target audience
- A free coaching session
The more you tailor this offer to a specific audience, the more likely listeners will be to take you up on that offer.
3. Have your systems ready to go
Imagine getting a flood of hot leads ready to work with you pouring on your coaching website… only for them to have no easy way to get in touch with you. That would be a waste of a podcast guesting opportunity!
Before appearing on a podcast, set up your coaching business systems, so you’re ready for the incoming traffic.
For example, have some clear call-to-actions on your website — and make sure your calendar has some availability in case potential clients want to book a discovery session.
The easiest way to set up your systems is to use Paperbell! You can use Paperbell to set up your coaching packages and get them ready for your clients to pay, schedule themselves, and get coached by you. No complicated tools needed.
Free Podcast Guest Outreach Template for Coaches
If you’re struggling to come up with a podcast outreach template, use this one as inspiration. Just remember to customize it for each pitch you make!
——–
Hi [name of the host],
I’ve been listening to [name of the show] for a while now and absolutely love [something], especially [name a specific episode]. Loved the discussion about [thing!]
I’m [your name], and I help [your ideal client] with [your coaching niche]. [Insert some information about your credibility.] And after [number of years of experience in this field], the #1 thing I see all the time…
[insert a big problem you want to help their audience overcome].
With that being said, here’s what I’d love to bring to your show:
- [Talking point one]
- [Talking point two]
- [Talking point three]
Of course, if I’m a good fit for your show, I will also share the episode with [your own audience you can share with – email list, social media following, etc].
But whether or not you think I’m a good fit for your podcast, I look forward to listening to future episodes and am so grateful for [stuff I’ve learned] thanks to you (and your guests) thus far.
Excited to hear from you,
[Signature]
PS: [if you’ve appeared on other podcasts, publications, or magazines, mention it here!]
Boost Your Credibility as a Coach By Becoming a Podcast Guest
Podcast guesting is a goldmine of opportunity for new and experienced coaches alike. As long as you’ve got something unique to share with the world, you can leverage podcasts to spread your message and land more clients.
But first, make sure you’ve got your coaching business set up for success with Paperbell. Grab your free account today to start selling your coaching online — the crazy simple way!
