How to be a podcast guest

Start with a search for your topic plus 'podcast'. For example, if your business sells project management software, search 'project management podcast'. Look at the results. A show's website will usually have a 'guest' page, a 'be on the show' link, or an email address for pitches in the show notes.

Your goal is to build a list of targets. A useful target is a show that published an episode in the last 90 days, has a clear audience you want to reach, and provides a way to contact the host or producer. Disqualify any show that has not published in over 120 days, as it may be abandoned. Also disqualify shows where every guest is a celebrity or industry titan, unless you are one. You are looking for attainable opportunities.

You can search Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Google. Listen to a recent episode of any show you consider pitching. This is non-negotiable. You need to understand the host's style, the common questions, and the audience's level of knowledge. Note the host's name and any specific topics they covered that relate to your expertise.

For each podcast on your list, answer three questions. First, is the audience relevant? A podcast about marketing for SaaS founders is a good fit if you sell to SaaS founders. It is a poor fit if you sell to retail store owners. Second, does the host interview guests? Some podcasts are solo shows. Check the last ten episode titles and descriptions. Third, is there a public way to submit a pitch? Look for an email in the show notes, a link in the host's social media bio, or a 'contact' page on the podcast website.

If you cannot find contact information after five minutes of looking, set that show aside. Do not spend an hour hunting. The host who makes it difficult to pitch is likely inundated or not serious about booking guests. Your time is better spent on shows that have a clear process.

A realistic target list for a niche business might have 30 to 50 shows after this filtering. Do not aim for hundreds. Volume is not the goal. A focused list of 30 well-researched shows is far more effective than 300 generic entries.

Your pitch is an email. It should be short, specific, and show you have done the work. Use this structure. First, a subject line: 'Pitch for [Podcast Name]: [Your Specific Topic]'. For example, 'Pitch for The PM Podcast: How remote teams misuse Asana'. Second, a greeting using the host's name. Third, one sentence saying you are a regular listener and enjoyed a specific episode. Name the episode. Fourth, one sentence stating your proposed topic and why it matters to their audience. Fifth, one sentence about your credibility. Sixth, a call to action, like 'I've attached a one-page bio. Would you be open to a brief chat to see if this is a fit?'

Here is a complete example for a fictional company, 'FlowChart', that makes diagramming software. 'Subject: Pitch for The Design Tools Podcast: Why engineers hate your wireframes. Hi Alex, I really enjoyed your recent episode with Sarah Chen on design system debt. I'd like to propose an episode on why engineers reject wireframes made in tools like Figma, and how a diagram-first approach can prevent rework. I'm the founder of FlowChart, and we see this conflict daily in our user interviews. I've attached a short bio. Would you be interested in discussing this?'

Do not attach a press kit or a long resume unless asked. Attach a one-page bio or a link to your LinkedIn profile. The goal of the pitch is to start a conversation, not to provide your entire life story. The host is busy. Make it easy for them to say yes.

Send your pitches one by one, personalizing each one. Do not use a mail merge that inserts the host's name into a generic template. If you have 30 targets, you will write 30 slightly different emails. This takes time, but it works. Send them during business hours, Tuesday through Thursday. Avoid Mondays and Fridays.

Track your sends in a spreadsheet. Columns for podcast name, host, date sent, and status. Set a reminder to follow up once, after seven to ten days, if you hear nothing. The follow-up can be a single line: 'Hi Alex, just circling back on my pitch about wireframes for engineers. No problem if now's not a good time.' If you get no reply to the follow-up, mark that lead as closed. Do not follow up again.

A realistic response rate for a good pitch to a well-matched show is between 5% and 15%. That means for 30 pitches, you might get two to four expressions of interest. One or two of those may turn into a booked interview. This is normal. This is not a numbers game where you send a thousand emails to get ten bookings. It is a targeting game where you send thirty good emails to get one or two good bookings.

Once a host says yes, your job changes. Now you must prepare. Ask for the interview questions in advance if they have them. If not, propose three to five talking points you plan to cover. Send these to the host a few days before the recording. This shows professionalism and helps the host guide the conversation.

Test your recording setup. Use a decent microphone, not your laptop's built-in mic. Find a quiet room with minimal echo. Close the windows. Turn off notifications on your computer and phone. Use headphones to prevent audio feedback. Do a test recording to check your levels. Show up five minutes early to the call.

During the interview, be a good guest. Let the host lead. Answer questions concisely, but expand where you have a good story. Avoid overt sales pitches for your product. Provide value first. Your expertise is the product. After the interview, send a thank-you email. When the episode goes live, promote it to your own audience. Share it on social media, link to it from your website, and mention it in your newsletter. This helps the host and increases the chance you will be invited back.

If you send thirty pitches and get zero replies, diagnose the problem. The problem is likely one of three things. First, your targets are wrong. The podcasts are too big, not active, or do not book guests like you. Go back and research more carefully. Second, your pitch is generic. It does not reference a specific episode or show why you fit that specific audience. Rewrite it using the structure above. Third, your credibility statement is weak. 'I'm a business owner' is not as strong as 'I've helped companies like X and Y solve Z, which I wrote about in Trade Magazine.'

Do not blame the market. The market is full of podcasts hungry for good guests. The gap is between a generic pitch and a specific, researched proposal. Fix your process, not your volume. This work is manual. It requires listening, researching, and writing. There is no tool that will magically get you booked without this work.

A tool can help with the first step, finding the podcasts. Mentionry runs an engine that finds podcasts by searching Apple's index and reading show RSS feeds. It checks for activity and extracts the contact email the show publishes. It sends the pitches for you. It provides a list of targets, each with a drafted email you can personalize and send from your own Gmail. The drafting is the start. The listening and the personalization are still your job.