Podcasts have emerged as one of the most powerful tools in a brand’s communication arsenal. With over 464 million podcast listeners globally, individuals and companies are increasingly harnessing this medium to engage with their audiences in a deeper, more personalised way.
My own podcast show, Beyond the Bio, has just celebrated its first anniversary. I can honestly say it’s been one of the best things I’ve done to showcase my business as well as being super enjoyable. I tell everyone they should do a podcast to experience these results for themselves. However, not everyone has the time or budget to commit to hosting their own show.
So, how can you get in on some podcast action in a more strategic way?
Enter ‘The Podcast Pyramid,’ a concept that was coined by my business buddy, Daniel Priestley, when he recently guested on my show. Dan’s view is that guesting on podcasts is an underrated strategy. By guesting on other podcasts, you’ll get in front of the readymade audiences of the show hosts. What’s not to like about that?
Understanding the podcast pyramid
Imagine a Podcast Pyramid which is structured in tiers of 1-5. Tier One podcasts are the really big ones, where every single episode gets 100,000+ (or maybe millions) of downloads. Then there’s Tier Two which can be tens of thousands up to 100,000+. Tier Three tends to be thousands, sometimes tens of thousands. Tier Four is hundreds, sometimes thousands and Tier Five is tens to hundreds. You might need to start in a lower tier and build up, but there’s value to be had at every level.
How do you climb to Tier One?
Tier One podcasts don’t just go advertising for guests. They curate all of the people who appear on the show, so you need to be on the radar of the researchers by having a strong personal brand, or have a contact who has been on the show who could make an introduction.
According to Dan, the majority of people who get into big shows like ‘The Diary of a CEO’, are either a celebrity or they’ve written a book which positions them as an authority. Writing a book as a founder is easier than you think, and is something my business Moja can help you with. A book is exactly the type of content researchers want to find when looking up potential guests.
When you’re starting out with podcast guesting, it’s going to be easier to get onto the Tier Five podcasts. A great way to move up the tiers is to make sure your appearances get as many downloads as possible – promoting any shows you go on is key. When researchers are comparing guests, they want to see you as a higher performing guest in relation to others.
Building your podcast guesting strategy
I drew out a pyramid and plotted shows at every level that I wanted to guest on. Since then, I’ve written tailored pitches for hosts of these shows. I spread them out because it takes time to do each one effectively, but it’s worth the effort. Even hosts of the smaller shows get pitched to constantly!
As someone who gets pitched to a lot for my own show, things that I like to see in a pitch include: reference to previous episodes, and a solid understanding of the expertise the guest would be adding to my show. More often than not, neither of these points are addressed, and I turn down more potential guests than I invite on – but this could easily be the other way round!
Measuring success
Success in podcasting, as with any marketing effort, requires ongoing measurement and adjustment. Track your podcast appearances performance through metrics like enquiries received, download numbers, and social media engagement. Pay attention to feedback from the audience and be willing to tweak your content strategy as needed to better meet their needs and expectations.
Let this be your sign to make your own Podcast Pyramid – it could just be the personal branding boost you’ve been looking for!
If you want to hear more about Dan’s Podcast Pyramid theory, you should check out his episode on my Beyond the Bio podcast on Apple or Spotify.
