Let me walk you through your first Profitable Podcast Tour: what to expect

I'm so excited you're thinking about launching your first podcast tour. I'm going to go ahead and make the assumption that you're going to work with us, or at LEAST watch our Masterclass so you can give it a go on your own.

Either way, here's what to expect once you decide you're all in and ready for the mic.

STEP 1: Plan strategically

You'll waste a ton of time, energy, and effort if you just start sending off a pitch you downloaded from the internet. You'll end up on the wrong shows, talking about the wrong content, and leaving your audiences thinking "meh, that was kind of weird."

You want to make sure that every interview you do is going to grow your business, get you known for the RIGHT reasons, and build your brand the right way. This doesn't happen by accident! You'll need to build out a roadmap for your podcast tour that includes your content strategy, your show selection strategy, and your call to action that's optimized for podcast listeners. I teach you how to do this in my free Masterclass, which you don't want to miss!

STEP 2: Start pitching

You'll determine which shows you're ready to pitch right now, and which ones you'll want to build a relationship with first. You'll create a list of about 16-32 podcasts and start the outreach process in a way that makes shows EXCITED to book you by leveraging what I call the Joint Venture Pitching method. When most people are pitching podcasts, they're coming from the energy of "you have something I want, and here's why you should give it to me." The Joint Venture Pitching method gets rid of that and replaces it with the energy of "Here's how I can help you, here's how I can help your audience. What do you think?" Pssst... I break this down in detail in the Masterclass as well.

STEP 3: Nail your tech setup

I'm the LEAST tech-y person on earth, but there's one piece of equipment you absolutely should not give an interview without, and that's a microphone. Amazon has tons of budget-friendly options, and you definitely don't need a state-of-the-art mic, but you'll need something more than just your laptop or AirPods. Trust me: the difference it'll make is incredible! If your audio quality stinks, you won't get asked back. Check out the brands: Yeti, Shure, and ZealSound. They all make good microphones that won't break the bank. Since most interviews record video too, it's helpful to test your lighting in advance and use a ring light or natural light.

STEP 4: Get interviewed!

Once you're booked, you and the host will set up a date and time to meet virtually. Some hosts like to do a pre-screening call to make sure you're a good fit. With the right strategy, you'll be able to book 50-75% of the shows you reach out to. That means if you've pitched 16 shows, you should have at least 8 interviews booked! I recommend practicing your interviews with a friend you trust to give you good feedback before your first interview to get some of the jitters out so you're ready to go for the real deal!

STEP 5: Promotion

When your interview gets released, you'll want to budget space in your content calendar to promote the heck out of it. Share it with your friends, family, professional networks, social media communities, email lists... everywhere! This effort is so important because it signals that you're a true collaborator, which boosts your chances of getting asked back (and unlocking future opportunities).

STEP 6: Relationship maintenance

Most people think the interview stops when the recording stops, but this couldn't be farther from the truth. Now that you've landed a spot on a podcast, you've got an amazing new host in your network that you should continue building a relationship with! Check in with them once a quarter, not to pitch yourself again, but to see what they're up to and see how you can support them.

There you have it! You're ready to nail your first Profitable Podcast Tour, and I can't wait to help. Our next cohort of Hell Yes Guest kicks off soon - have you submitted your application yet?! Learn more about the program details and apply here!