{"id":3612,"date":"2020-12-12T22:50:04","date_gmt":"2020-12-12T15:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecopywriterclub.com\/?p=3612"},"modified":"2021-11-23T02:23:10","modified_gmt":"2021-11-22T19:23:10","slug":"pitching-podcasts-mai-kee-tsang","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecopywriterclub.com\/pitching-podcasts-mai-kee-tsang\/","title":{"rendered":"What I learned pitching 101 podcasters in 30 days and getting booked on 33 shows\u2014even though I had no clue where to start."},"content":{"rendered":"

And how you can do it too using the exact same \u201ctemplate\u201d
\n<\/span><\/i>that worked for me (which I developed after learning what DIDN\u2019T work!)<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Referral Reliance \u2190 it\u2019s a thing<\/em>.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>It\u2019s something that many copywriters<\/span> (*raises hand*) <\/span><\/i>experience at some point in their business, when they\u2019re\u2014<\/span>you guessed it\u2014<\/span><\/i>solely reliant on referrals from their network and industry peers for client work.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Which works perfectly fine if there\u2019s plenty of projects in the pipeline. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But when the \u201cReferral Well\u201d runs dry…?
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Uh-oh.<\/span><\/p>\n

You look back over the past few months, realising that you\u2019ve only worked IN your business\u2014not ON it. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Sound familiar?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Well, that\u2019s <\/span>exactly<\/span><\/i> what happened to me in June 2019. I got too comfortable <\/span>(and let\u2019s be honest, pretty lazy)<\/span><\/i> receiving referrals left, right and centre\u2014and <\/span>this<\/span><\/i> was the consequence of my complacency.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>So after panicking a little, I sought help from 4 of my mentors (2 of which, own this website here ;) #meta)\u2014and they all literally told me the same thing:<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cGet on more podcasts.\u201d<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i>Okay, great!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

…but <\/span>how <\/span><\/i>though?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>How do I find the right shows to pitch to?
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>What do I put <\/span>into <\/span><\/i>a pitch that\u2019s going to be valuable?<\/span><\/p>\n

What happens <\/span>after<\/span><\/i> the interview<\/span>?<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Well my friend, I\u2019ve got the A\u2019s for these Q\u2019s in this blog post as I walk you through my journey of becoming an accidental Podcast Guesting Expert after I pitched to 101 shows in 30 days, and got booked on 33% of them.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But first, why podcast guesting <\/b>instead <\/i><\/b>of guest blogging or doing videos on Youtube?<\/b>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/b>Well, maybe these stats will paint a better picture:<\/span>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/span>\"\"<\/span>
\n<\/span>Ahhhhh, I seeeeeee.<\/span><\/em>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Before you think that there are <\/span>fewer <\/span><\/i>opportunities… there are actually <\/span>more <\/span><\/i>because podcasting is still in its infancy stage, so there\u2019s actually less competition. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But… there\u2019s more to it when we compare the different ways to <\/b>consume content<\/i><\/b>.<\/b>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>I mean, right <\/span>now<\/span><\/i> with this blog post\u2014you\u2019ve stopped what you\u2019re doing, right? You\u2019ve carved out time to <\/span>consume <\/span><\/i>this piece of content in written form.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Same with videos. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>You have to set aside time to watch them to properly consume them, right?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>But what about the last time you tuned into an episode of <\/b>The Copywriter Club<\/i><\/b> podcast<\/b><\/a>? <\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/b>Really <\/span><\/i>think\u2026what were you doing?<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Were you…<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0Walking the dog (or yourself?)
\n<\/span>\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0Washing the dishes? Or the laundry?
\n<\/span>\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0Making lunch?
\n<\/span>\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0Driving? Sitting in traffic? Shopping?
\n<\/span>\u2022\u00a0 \u00a0Going on a jog?<\/span><\/p>\n

… you get the picture.<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/span>It\u2019s the <\/b>only <\/i><\/b>medium that fits into those little pockets of time throughout your day, instead of you having to actively set aside time to consume. <\/b>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Not to mention, it\u2019s the most<\/span> intimate <\/span><\/i>medium too <\/span>(it\u2019s literally someone\u2019s voice in your head)<\/span><\/i>.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>It\u2019s the equivalent of someone whispering in your ear.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>You don\u2019t just let <\/span>anyone <\/span><\/i>do that, right?
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Nope.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just people you <\/span>trust.<\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/span>And what are we always told to work on in our businesses?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

KLT\u2014The Know, Like, TRUST factor. <\/b>
\n<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/i><\/b>So, imagine that it\u2019s <\/span>your <\/span><\/i>voice your ideal client listens to, <\/span>your <\/span><\/i>story, <\/span>your <\/span><\/i>experience that they hear in their ears. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>This can be what takes you from being a commodity, to positioning you as a sought-after expert in your industry.<\/b>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Not to mention, your interview LIVES ON.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>It doesn\u2019t only matter on the day it goes live, my friend. It can <\/span>always<\/span><\/i> be found.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

(In fact, I <\/span>still <\/span><\/i>get leads from interviews I did over a year ago!)<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>So when I learned that this was something that could work for me over and over again… I was sold.<\/span><\/p>\n

And I was going ALL. IN.
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span>That\u2019s when I set myself a challenge to pitch to 101 podcasts in 30 days.<\/span> <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>How I Got Started with Finding Aligned Shows<\/b><\/h3>\n

I thought of every podcast I ever listened to that had the same or adjacent target audience I was serving, and then I went deeeeep into the rabbit hole of Apple podcasts to find similar shows to fill up my spreadsheet. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>To <\/b>not <\/i><\/b>get lost down the rabbit hole, here\u2019s how you stay on track with the right shows:<\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/span>1. Google your ideal podcast.
\n<\/span>
\n2. Click on the APPLE Podcasts link (not the host’s website).<\/p>\n

3. Scroll to the bottom where you\u2019ll find a section that says: \u201cListeners Also Subscribed to\u201d.<\/p>\n

4. Check out the adjacent shows, and read their show descriptions as well as their episode titles (so you have an idea of the kinds of conversations they have).<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Vet them by asking yourself:<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>\u201cIs this show still running?\u201d<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i>\u201cDo they take guests?\u201d
\n<\/span><\/i>\u201cDo our personalities match?\u201d
\n<\/i>\u201cAre our values aligned?\u201d
\n<\/i>\u201cHas this host covered my topic before? If so, what can I contribute to the conversation?\u201d<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

(These were some of the filter questions I had to ask myself before I dove in to find their contact info).<\/p>\n

6. And of course, LISTEN TO THE SHOWS<\/strong>. Believe me, the host can tell if you’re familiar with the show or if you just read the show description. Do the work and actually listen to the show you want to pitch<\/em>.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>I know it looks like a lot of work up front, but it\u2019s <\/span>this <\/span><\/i>degree of vetting that will significantly increase your chances of getting a yes. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Of course, I didn\u2019t know this at the beginning… I only discovered this as I went along.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And note to past self, and <\/span>you, <\/span><\/i>my dear reader\u2026<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>DO NOT TELL THE HOST YOU\u2019RE DOING A PITCHING CHALLENGE!<\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/b>(You see where this is going, right?)<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/b>Mhmm, here\u2019s how it went down for the FIRST pitch I ever sent:<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Aaaaand the host\u2019s response was:<\/span>\"\"Yep. I pretty much wanted to quit on the spot and hide under a rock.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

But when I <\/span>really <\/span><\/i>looked at the response from the host, the message was loud, clear, and simple:<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/b>\u201cMake the host feel special.\u201d<\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/b>So from there on out, that\u2019s exactly what I did.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>For the remaining 100 podcasts for my challenge, I hyper-personalised <\/span>every <\/span><\/i>pitch <\/span>(you\u2019ll see what this looks like in just a bit)<\/span><\/i>.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>And for every 1 of 3 (33%) pitches I sent, I was accepted as a guest. <\/b>
\n<\/b>
\n<\/span>*Cue the Confetti*
\n<\/span><\/i>
\n<\/span><\/i>\"\"While I was thrilled, I really wanted to understand why <\/i>these hosts said yes.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I asked them right after our interviews:<\/b> \u201cI\u2019m curious, what was it about my pitch that made you say yes?\u201d<\/i><\/b>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>And their collective answers were distilled into something I now like to call<\/span> \u201cThe PR Method.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n