Podcast Guest Outreach
Personalized outreach sent per show. Tracker updated with status. Confirmed bookings prepped. Released episodes cross-promoted on our channels.
Before you start
- Approved spokesperson and topic areas
- Target podcast list with relevance scoring
- Press kit with bio, headshot, talking points
- Target podcast list (show name, host, audience size, recent episodes)
- Spokesperson availability windows
- Pitch angle aligned with current narrative
The steps
- Build a relevance-scored target list — Score podcasts on: audience overlap with our ICP, recent episode quality, host engagement, episode cadence, and whether they've covered adjacent topics. Top 20 are worth pitching; below that, audience is too distant.
- Listen to 1-2 recent episodes per target — You can't pitch a show you haven't listened to. Note: host's interview style, recurring themes, episode length, and any specific things the host complained or excited about. The pitch lives or dies on this research.
- Craft a personalized pitch per show — Pitch structure: 1-line on a specific recent episode (proof you listened), 1-line on the angle you'd bring, 1-line on what makes our spokesperson credible, 1-line CTA (suggest a 15-min pre-interview chat). Under 150 words.
- Send outreach in batches — Send 10-15 personalized pitches per week. Tracking: sent, opened, replied, booked. Don't blast 100 — quality of pitch matters more than volume. Mass-send pitches get filed as spam.
- Follow up once after 7 days — If no reply after 7 days, send a single follow-up referencing the original pitch with a fresh angle ('saw your latest episode on X — adds another angle to the topic'). One follow-up; not three.
- Coordinate booking and prep spokesperson — When a host says yes, immediately confirm date and format. Send the host a one-pager: bio, talking points, 3-5 great questions they could ask, links to relevant work. Prep the spokesperson with the host's style and likely questions.
- Post-recording: track release and amplify — Track when the episode releases. On release: cross-promote on our channels, thank the host publicly, and capture any clips for repurposing. Update CRM with podcast appearance and audience size.
If it goes wrong
Low pitch acceptance rate
Pitch isn't differentiated. Tighten step 3 — the angle must be specific to that show's audience, not generic about us.
Spokesperson overcommits and shows up underprepared
Cap podcast appearances at 2-3 per month. Each needs 2 hours of prep including listening to a recent episode.
Episode releases and we don't notice — missed amplification
Set a calendar reminder per booking with expected release date. Cross-check with the show's RSS feed for actual release.
All OpenLabor playbooks