Julia being interviewed for the Fit is Freedom podcast
Did video kill the radio star ?
Julia Goodfellow-Smith turns the podcast dial up to 11
The popularity of videos ( AKA stories and reels ) on social media is skyrocketing , but so is the popularity of podcasts . Podcasts are effectively radio shows targeted at an audience with speci�ic interests , so video and radio stars are still slugging it out ! In theory , if you feature on the right podcasts , your business will bene�it .
How easy is it to get a slot on a show , and how effective are podcasts as a promotional medium ?
First , unless you are invited onto a show , you need to decide which to target . That is easier said than done - there are over 2 million to choose from . I search using the podcast app on my phone . For any potential podcast , I check the date of the last episode to make sure it is still live . I split the podcasts into A , B and C categories , where A denotes the most popular . Although it would be nice to feature on category A podcasts with millions of listeners , you may have more success starting small and working your way up .
I also consider how frequently the podcasts are aired . The more frequent the podcast , the more content they need and the more likely they are to consider an approach . I listen to at least part of every potential podcast , to check that it is appropriate for my target audience . Then , I e-mail the show ’ s host with the subject line ‘ Potential podcast guest ’. In the body of the e-mail , I say that I have a story that I think would be a good �it for their
Publicity for Head Right Out audience . I outline the story and offer two different angles that might be of interest and include a link to other podcast interviews so they can check me out . To conclude , I ask them to reply if they agree that my story sounds like a good �it for them .
This approach has been successful with category B and C podcasts .
The interviews themselves usually take about 45 minutes to an hour . Some are only audio , some are videoed too . Podcast hosts like it if you have a special offer for their listeners , so I offer a few chapters of one of my audiobooks free of charge . These are accessed by becoming a member of my website , thus building my mailing list .
Podcasts potentially allow you to speak to a large , targeted audience that is interested in your subject matter . However , you have no control over when the podcast is broadcast ( it can take months for an episode to air ) and it takes a lot of time to research relevant shows .
I have yet to be convinced that the bene�its outweigh the effort . However , this might re�lect my lack of sales skills rather than the effectiveness of the medium . I would love to hear whether you have had a better experience . Please email me at julia @ juliags . com and , if there is enough interest , I will provide an update in a future issue of Outdoor Focus . www . juliags . com
6 outdoor focus / autumn 2022