How to Pitch a Podcast

Dave Jackson
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How to Pitch a Podcast is the show for PR pros and podcasters who are sick of bad pitches. Hear real examples, blunt feedback from hosts, and practical strategies to craft pitches that actually get read, get booked, and respect everyone’s time.

Episodes

  1. Episode 1

    How To Pitch a Podcast: It's not the podcaster - it's the audience

    Welcome to the inaugural episode of "Pitch a Podcast," where I, Dave Jackson, expose the world’s worst podcast pitches (because apparently, reading a show’s description is just too much to ask). Ever wanted to land that coveted podcast guest spot? Well, you’d better know something about the show you’re harassing—maybe even listen to an episode (revolutionary, I know). Tune in as I explain how to stand out from the sea of generic spam and actually deliver value to a host (hint: it’s not about copying and pasting your life story). What Podcasters Are Looking For in a PitchEvery single podcaster wants to deliver value to their audience. So think of it like a secret Santa. When you find out you have Harold from accounting, you need to figure out what Harold likes. There is nothing different in podcasting If you want to deliver value to the podcast audience it starts with knowing: Who is the audienceWhat do they want?What do they need?What are their biggest pain points The More Your Know the More Value You Can DeliverThe better you know the audience of the show, the larger the value you can deliver. It's not hard, you just have to know the audience. When you pull upside to the host of the show and explain how you have an idea for an episode with a guest who can WOW the audience, and then share anything that proves you listened to the show - you are miles ahead of all the other guests and agencies doing "Spray and Pray" What is Spray and Pray?Spray and Pray is where someone writes a form letter. They later pop in the name of the show and, if you're lucky, your name. There is no amount of detail about your show, but they will let you know they love it, and then they make it all about themselves or their guest and how they invented sliced bread, cured cancer, and you would be insane to not have them on your show. The problem is they never connected themselves or their guests to your audience, and they've proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that they've done zero work on learning about your show and what your audience wants. They send these letters out in bulk and fill everyone's inbox with spam. Somewhere there's some fool that will put this person on the show because all they need to get on their show is a pulse. They're not interested in delivering value to the audience. They're probably hanging their hats on programmatic ads that pay $0.002 per download This Show Will Expose Bad Pitch and Praise Great PitchesWhile there are giant mountains of bad pitches we will be spotlighting, we would love to hear when someone sends in a good pitch as well (we're hear to learn - I'm from the School of Podcasting after all - education is my jam). Leave Your StoryYou can leave your story by going to pitchspodcast.com/story and in addition to your pitch story (good or bad) if you are looking for guests, who (or what type) of guest would be the "perfect guest" for your show?

    How To Pitch a Podcast: It's not the podcaster - it's the audience

  2. Episode 2

    Three Great Examples of Podcast Pitches From Dan LeFebvre

    Dan LeFebvre is the host of the "Based on a True Story" show. We've all seen movies that claim to be 'based on a true story', but have you ever wondered how accurate they are? That's what you'll find out as Dan compares Hollywood with history. Check It Out. Three Strikes You're OutGetting a bad pitch from a company is sad. You see where they've done no research into your show. Oh well... Then they send another bad pitch, proving even more than they did zero research. Just when it can't get worse, you get a THIRD pitch with each one having nothing to do with Dan's show. So What Does a Good Pitch Look Like?Dan's show is a combination between Hollywood and history, and he got a pitch that: Used his nameWas NOT generated by AIWas 100% personalized. This was NOT a form letterReminded Dan that this guest had been on the show before Then the PR agent hooked Dan up with an early screening of the movie so he could do a better interview. Who benefits from that?By enabling Dan to see the movie before the interview, you are guaranteed a better interview. This can benefit Dan. After all if he does a great interview, who is the PR person going to point to if someone asks about the guest? DAN! As Dan creates a great episode, the audience wins, the guest (Jack El-Hai) wins, and the PR agency wins. Why? Because the PR agency did their homework, and now not only once but TWICE have delivered content for the audience. Dan Lafebvre of Based on a True Story Thanks to Dan for sharing his story you can check out his show at basedonatrustory.com Hear that interview by going to basedonatruestorypodcast.com/378 Mentioned in this episode: We Need Your Stories - Help Guests Find You We'd love to hear your bad (or good) pitch you've received (as we can learn from both). While you're sharing your pitch story, tell us a little bit about your show, and who your perfect guest would be (if you do interviews). Go to pitchapodcast.com/story Pitch Your Story

    Three Great Examples of Podcast Pitches From Dan LeFebvre

  3. Episode 3

    There is Only One Issue - I Do a Solo Show - Ralph Estep Jr.

    The Content Creator's AccountantRalph Estep Jr. joins me to talk about one of the biggest challenges in podcasting: getting booked as a guest. We break down why so many podcast pitches fail and share real examples of outreach that completely misses the mark. Find All of Ralph's ShowsYou can find all of Ralph's shows at www.askralph.com So Many Bad PitchesAs the host of Financially Confident Christian and Content Creators Accountant, Ralph has seen just about every type of pitch imaginable. He explains what podcast hosts are really looking for and why taking the time to personalize your message can make all the difference. Ralph also shares the importance of researching a podcast before reaching out. A pitch that shows you understand the show's audience and explains why you're a good fit stands out far more than a generic email sent to hundreds of hosts. Step One: Does the Show Do Interviews?Ralph shares how the same people keep pitching a show that doesn't do interviews. This just proves (along with "I hope this finds you well") that the agencies pitching these guests have done zero investigation. Want to Keep Your Money?Beyond pitching, Ralph shares advice for content creators about managing their finances. He explains why it's important to have a plan for your money and how working with an accountant can help creators keep more of what they earn as their businesses grow. If you want to become a better podcast guest, write pitches that get responses, and build your podcasting business more strategically, this episode is packed with practical, actionable advice. Dave's Favorite CRMIf you're looking for CRM not so much to have funnels and track sales, but save information about your contact, and create a task list of follow ups, then check out (and this is the real name) Less Annoying CRM. It's $15/month per person. I love it. Takeaways:In this episode, Ralph Estep Jr. elucidates the intricacies of effectively pitching a podcast.We engage in a critical examination of various podcast pitches, identifying deficiencies and areas for enhancement.Listeners are provided with tangible examples and constructive feedback to refine their podcasting outreach strategies.Ralph emphasizes the importance of delivering genuine value to podcast audiences through thoughtful guest selections.We discuss the phenomenon of automated pitches and the lack of authentic engagement from some outreach attempts.The episode highlights the necessity for podcast hosts to critically evaluate the relevance of potential guests to their specific audience. Mentioned in this episode: We Need Your Stories - Help Guests Find You We'd love to hear your bad (or good) pitch you've received (as we can learn from both). While you're sharing your pitch story, tell us a little bit about your show, and who your perfect guest would be (if you do interviews). Go to pitchapodcast.com/story Pitch Your Story

    There is Only One Issue - I Do a Solo Show - Ralph Estep Jr.

  4. Episode 4

    Not Just Bad Guest - But WRONG SHOW

    Timothy Kimo Brien did a review of Writers drinking coffee on his Find a Podcast About show. Later he had a show pitch to come on the Writers Drinking Coffee. So two points: Tim is not the host of Writers Drinking Coffee - He creates the Fine a Podcast About showWhat would a finance person want on a show about writing Takeaways:The episode exemplifies the importance of understanding the podcast's content before pitching.Listeners are encouraged to thoroughly research a podcast prior to submitting a guest proposal.Effective pitches are predicated on familiarity with the podcast's themes and audience expectations.The discussion highlights how misdirected pitches can lead to frustration for podcasters and potential guests.Tim's experiences underscore the necessity of aligning guest expertise with the podcast's subject matter.The hosts advocate for a systematic approach to pitching, emphasizing clarity and relevance. Links referenced in this episode:findapodcastabout.xyzpitchapodcast.comSchool of PodcastingFix My Podcast Mentioned in this episode: We Need Your Stories - Help Guests Find You We'd love to hear your bad (or good) pitch you've received (as we can learn from both). While you're sharing your pitch story, tell us a little bit about your show, and who your perfect guest would be (if you do interviews). Go to pitchapodcast.com/story Pitch Your Story

    Not Just Bad Guest - But WRONG SHOW

  5. Episode 5

    All They Had to Do Was READ with Scott Johnson

    Scott Johnson does an amazing show called "What Was That Like," where real people are in really insane situations and they live to tell about it. Like when you get mauled by a bear or your parachute doesn't open and you live to tell about it. It's an amazing show, and Scott's a great host, which is why today's story of a bad pitch really makes you scratch your head. All they Had to Do Was ReadScott has very obvious episode titles that REALLY make you want to click (check em out), and so if someone had just READ the episode titles they would've known that what they were pitching was not even close. Scott Johnson Is Looking For These Types of GuestsHere a few stories that Scott is looking for: Someone who survived falling off a cruise ship while it was underway.Someone who's been rescued from the rubble after an earthquake. A non pilot who had to land a plane during a flight issue. Someone who inherited an island or a castle from an unknown relative.Someone who rescued a person from a burning building. Someone who won a million dollars or more from a lottery more than a year ago. So if you or someone you know has one of those stories or something just as crazy, the best way to send it in is through the website. Just go to whatwosthatlike.com and click on your story. What Was It Like to Get Pranked By Scott?Scott setup a great prank when I worked at Libsyn (I now work for Podpage). He had listened to an episode of my show Building a Better Dave where I had played some music (which is a no-no), and he had my boss deliver a very official looking document that looked like I was up to my neck in legal problems. Luckily he didn't let me flounder in fear too long before letting me know it wasn't true, but he had me good! Takeaways:This podcast episode emphasizes the significance of effective pitching for podcast appearances, illustrating the need for clarity and relevance.Scott Johnson's podcast, 'What Was That Like?', showcases extraordinary survivor stories, drawing listeners from numerous countries around the globe.The episode critiques poor pitching attempts, highlighting a recent example of an irrelevant U-Haul pitch that failed to engage the audience.Listeners are encouraged to submit compelling stories to Scott's podcast, particularly those involving remarkable survival or extraordinary experiences.A central theme revolves around the importance of storytelling, as Scott enhances the listener experience by allowing guests to narrate their unique experiences. Links referenced in this episode:pitchapodcast.comwhatwosthatlike.comschoolofpodcasting.com Mentioned in this episode: Share Your Story and Get FREE Promotion For Your Show We all get bad (and occasionally GOOD) pitches. The next time you get one, share it us by going to www.pitchapodcast.com/story and upload your story, and provide some links to your show. Pitch Your Story

    All They Had to Do Was READ with Scott Johnson

  6. Jun 26

    How to Pitch a Podcast: The Trailer

    Tired of waking up to pitches in your inbox from people who can't even spell podcast? This show hopes to become the beacon for lazy agencies pitching nonsense guests to shows who don't even do interviews. Want to get booked on podcasts? This is where you can learn what to do, and more importantly what not to do. Quit wasting your time using pitches that don't work. Hosted by 2018 Podcast Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Jackson

Trailer

About

How to Pitch a Podcast is the show for PR pros and podcasters who are sick of bad pitches. Hear real examples, blunt feedback from hosts, and practical strategies to craft pitches that actually get read, get booked, and respect everyone’s time.

Information

  • Creator
    Dave Jackson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Dave Jackson
  • Show Website
    How to Pitch a Podcast