98. Insider Tips to Get on Podcasts and Boost Your Food Brand’s Visibility

Podcasts have exploded in popularity, and being a guest on one can be a big boost for both your brand and your credibility. But what kind of show are you looking for? How do you reach out? And how do you make it a success once you get a YES?

Today on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares how to make the right pitch, and what to do once you’re booked for an appearance.

Make Sure You’re Ready

Before you make an appearance, you need to be sure you’re ready for the increased visibility that being a podcast guest could bring to your food business. Are you really clear on what your brand stands for so that you can invite people into your brand story in a compelling way? Are you ready to scale? Make sure that you’re clear on your strategic priorities before you start really investing in new marketing and visibility tactics.

Who to Pitch To

There are a lot of podcasts out there, so how do you decide what will be the right fit for your business? Start with your goals. Are you trying to increase visibility with investors? Retail Buyers? Food industry peers? Consumers? Make a list of priorities—think of your outreach plans using a similar model to how Katie explains ideal consumers in her Brand Strategy Streamlined™ program, using a concentric circle approach. Start at the core by identifying and prioritizing the shows where you have a relationship with the host in some way and have shared brand goals. Then move out to the shows you’re already a fan of that are a strategic fit in the next rung out. Finally, on the final circle add the shows that come up after some searching via podcast apps, Google, or asking industry friends. Cast a broad net, but prioritize to make sure you have clear goals. Starting with a list of approximately 8-10 will help you be focused yet have a good mix. Remember that they do not all need to be exclusive to the food industry per se. Katie explains more on that when talking about podcast pitch ideas in the episode.

Tips for a Good Pitch

Katie walks you through an example pitch and explains the components in the episode, but the first step is to make sure you’ve researched the show and at last a few individual episodes. Show that you know about the specific podcast you’re pitching, and be clear about how your brand fits into the bigger picture to help the show achieve its goals, which can typically be found, or inferred, from the podcast website, podcast player, or social media.

Then share who you are, why your content ideas is a good fit for that specific show, and the value their listeners will get by hearing what you want to share. This will help your pitch stand out because SO many people just share what they want to talk about to progress their own goals without regard for how it will support the podcaster’s goals for their show and audience.

Katie offers an insider tip in the episode that it’s helpful for the podcaster or their “gatekeeper” review team if you include an example of you talking—whether that’s another podcast appearance or a Facebook or Instagram Live post. This way they can quickly see you are able to clearly communicate your ideas, and if your styles are a match.

Making the Most of a Podcast Appearance

Be a great guest! It’s the best way to highlight your expertise, add value, and get invited to be a guest on other podcasts. Whether the host gives you specific questions to prepare for or not, jot down the bullet points of what you want to talk about, and have some specific points, tips, or stories in mind you can share. That doesn’t mean you have to be buried in your notes—they are a boat you take to get across the river (especially if you tend to get nervous!), but that doesn’t mean you have to bring it with you when you go exploring. Beyond being prepared, don’t forget to share the episode to reinforce your expertise as well as spread the reach of the show to new people.

Get In Touch

Katie is trying a new app called VideoAsk to connect – don’t worry, if you don’t want to answer via video you can do audio or text. Just give it a try! This could be a fun way to connect and if it works well she’ll start using it more often. You can check it out right here or in her IG bio.

Now, let’s go shake up shopping carts!

Quotes:

“In the natural products world there is a lot of overlap between B2B and B2C since most of us like to buy products that have similar features and values.” – Katie Mleziva

“Podcasters are not just waiting around for pitches—nobody wants to be just another stop on your media circuit to sell your new product.” – Katie Mleziva

“You may be thinking you don’t have anything to talk about. I am 100% confident we could come up with an angle for every one of you listening if you are interested in pursuing this. You just need to own your authority on the topic.” – Katie Mleziva

In This Episode:

Why being a podcast guest can be great for your brand if you approach it right.
What Katie has seen from pitches in her 3.5 years of podcasting.
How getting clear about your brand strategy and brand story is important before you pitch.
How to decide who to pitch to.
The types of podcasts to look for.
How to craft a great pitch with the podcast’s goals in mind.
Why research and authentic connections are so important.
How to show what kind of guest you’ll be.
How to prep for a podcast appearance.
What to do after a show publishes.

Resources: