Joanne Bolt (Intro)

The power of a podcast extends well beyond plugging in the mind. So if you're ready to learn how it can help you build a big business, then I’m your best friend, Hi, I'm Joanne Bolt and I am obsessed with all things podcasting, and creating an unapologetically big revenue business with it from podcast guesting to podcast hosting and everything in between. We're gonna dive into it all and show you step by awesome step how using a podcast can and will grow your business. So grab a glass of wine and pop your headphones on. Cuz, Girlfriend, happy hour has begun here on the B-Word.

Joanne Bolt 

I don't know about you. But if I hear the term podcast pitch one more time, I may throw up a little bit in my mouth. And here's why it is so overused. I feel like it is everywhere that I'm looking maybe it's just because of what I do. But it is showing up in almost every coach that I see almost every influencer, I follow. And it's all about get yourself on podcast to promote your business. Well, guys, I'm gonna dispel a myth for you today, just getting on podcast is not going to grow your business. Getting on a podcast the right way, though, will, you have got to be a little bit strategic and have some intentionality behind that. But before you ever do that, let me just back the boat up for a second with you. And kind of go through an analogy because I think that we get stuck a lot with the fear of I don't know what I'm doing. And therefore we don't end up on the right podcast to promote our business. Or we don't even bother trying to get on the podcast because we don't know what to say. If that is you. It's okay. You are in what I call the freshman year. Work with me here because I love my analogies, you know that by now if you've been listening to the B word for a hot minute, I like to think of putting yourself on a podcast as your general marketing tour or your business or your podcast. Hopefully they're kind of one in the same. But if you're going to go on a marketing tour, you have to do it in stages. So if you think about it, like being in high school, if you wanted to try out for the cheerleading squad, and you had never cheered a day in your life, girlfriend, there's really not a big chance you're making the senior squad. I mean, let's just be honest, you've never cheered. You don't know what the moves are, you probably don't have any gymnastics background. You have never done a stunt in your life. You are not making it with the big girls, the girls who have done this, since they were like four, those girls are on the senior squad, the varsity squad, you're going to make the freshman team at best. So think of that as the same way in your podcasting journey. If you've never pitched yourself to be on a podcast, or your business is so brand new, that you're not even sure how to pitch yourself to be on a podcast because you don't. You don't know that one thing that you talk about the best you don't know what offer you want to talk about. You don't know how to slide it into the conversation correctly. Well, that's like getting on the freshman team. And here's where I will encourage you. Just go do it. Hit yourself imperfectly. Go find podcasts that are huge. You know, those beginner podcasts, the ones that have been out for a year or less, they have maybe 20 or less episodes, they are desperately looking maybe desperately is the wrong word, but go with me here. They need people to interview because they're learning how to be a great storyteller and a great interviewee. At the same time that you're learning how to be a great storyteller integrate interviewee and so you guys can learn together, and it makes pitching to those podcasts a heck of a lot easier. Because you just learn your style of email. You learn your style of getting on Instagram DMS to talk to someone about being on the podcast, you learn rejection, which you've all got to learn because there are some podcasts you're never gonna get on or it might take you five years to get on and you need to be okay with that you will get better and better at the process. So when you're pitching at the freshman level, don't try to go out for the Marie Forleo of the world. Go for those freshman level podcasts that are going to be a little more forgiving of you when your pitch isn't perfect. And don't worry if you have a typo or don't worry that you don't have 10,000 followers on Instagram. If you're not there yet, pitch to your level. When you're ready for that next level that sophomore level is kind of what I call it think of now you've entered into 10th grade you try out for the cheerleading squad again. You've gotten a little bit of experience from being on the freshman squad so maybe now you make the JV team and that is fantastic and it's where Are you want to be, now, you've gotten a feel for being on podcast, you've maybe nailed down what offer that you provide that you want to always be talking about on podcast, or you've nailed down your topic of expertise that you want to start really getting out into the world that you're the thought leader on. And so it's getting easier and easier to actually be interviewed on the podcast and to provide value to that host audience. Now, you probably picked up some Instagram followers, you began building your email list. So now you can actually offer out to other hosts, hey, I would like to be on your podcast for XYZ reason. Here's my social media following I would love to promote our interview on my social media, here's the size of my email list. I email them every week, day, month, whatever it is, you email, I would love to promote you and your service or product, through my email list as a valued partner, that will start to get you on some of those middle tier podcast, the ones who are beginning to be a little bit more conspicuous, I guess about who they're bringing in. They're being more intentional about who they're interviewing. And you want to make sure at this level, that sophomore ish level, that you are actually not just hunting podcasts that have maybe 50 to 100 episodes, they're in their second or third year of existence. No, at this point, you're hunting those podcasts that are really leaning into the ideal audience you serve. And who you feel you could actually offer value to that audience. Don't worry, if they're in the same industry as you, by the way, I get this question a lot. Oh, my gosh, I coach, fitness professionals, I shouldn't be on podcast that also coached fitness professionals. Heck, yeah, you should. And here's why. You have a different perspective than the host of that show. You have a different offering, you have a different person that really falls in love with you and what you're doing. And when you also get on podcasts of similar industries, you can connect with the host in different ways. And you guys maybe could collaborate off screen and do other things together. So don't be afraid to pitch yourself to the same industry as what you're providing, as well as go outside that bubble a little bit. Think through that ideal audience? Who are they listening to, you know, if you can identify someone who isn't getting a million downloads an episode, but maybe is getting a little bit higher level of a podcast, following if you can identify that person is someone your ideal audience would listen to, you need to be on their podcast, but you have to provide value to their audience, you cannot just say, Hey, girl, I want to be on your podcast. This is not where you're just meeting on a networking, Zoom call and raising hands to do Swapsies you're starting to be more intentional and strategic, what you're doing. And you have to expect that the hosts are doing the same. Now as we progress up a little, maybe you're hitting that junior year. So you're hitting now being able to get on podcast to talk very intentionally about a specific product or offering that you have, you might be promoting a conference that you've got going out, maybe it's a higher dollar offering. And so you need it to strategically, you know, that episode be released at certain times, again, now is when you start reaching out to a little bit bigger of a podcast host, you are still looking at who their ideal audience is, who is listening to this podcast, do not at this level, just be on anyone's podcast. I firmly believe that throwing spaghetti on the wall is not a value way to spend your time. For lack of a better way to put it, it's just not, you're gonna watch those spaghetti noodles slide down the wall and then you've got a slimy mess on your wall to clean up. Just because someone says hey, you can be on my podcast doesn't mean you should be. You should continue to refine your strategy. At this point. You want to be on a combination of medium to larger podcast. When you're at this level, you need to have a pretty good following on Instagram or Facebook or Tik Tok or LinkedIn. You need to be willing to promote that person as well as your as they're promoting your episode. It is a collaboration. But don't expect a swap. This is not the point where that person if you go on their podcast, they may be willing to come on yours. Because they this level are being extremely strategic with what they're doing. They're not just interviewing anybody, and you're quite frankly lucky to get on their podcast. I will also caution you when you're pitching to that, you know mid to up or to your podcast. You got to have a better pitch. This is when the imperfect pitching needs to be refined by simply saying hey, I've got this many followers on social and this big of an E medalists and I will promote you out may not be big enough. Why? Because they may not need that the person you're pitching to, honestly may just need a really good interview. And so you might want to think about different ways to pitch. One of the things that I love doing is, when I'm pitching to this level, I will actually say, I am not going to promote you on Instagram. Why? Because your audience is different. And the conversation that you and I are going to have is different. And quite frankly, my audience has already heard it a million times, I need my audience to hear your story as much as you need your audience to hear my story. So I'm not going to just pitch you to my audience on Instagram, what I'm going to do is be very intentional, and partner with you on something in my email list. What can we partner on? And then when I'm pitching to them, you know, so when I'm pitching to be on their podcast, what I'm essentially saying is, I want to be on your podcast to pitch my product. But how can I help you in return? Do you have a book? Do you have a conference? Do you have a course you're about to drop? What are you fixing? You know, what are you about to launch? Like? How can I promote you throughout my world? That has nothing to do with the episode you and I are on? Because my audience has heard my story a million times. That has gotten me on so many upper tier podcasts because it's different. It's not the same pitch that everyone gets. Does everyone understand it at first? No. Do I have to pitch it a bunch of times sometimes to get on the podcast? I want to? Yes, but it does work. Now, as we progress up with our pitching, we get to that senior level. And guys, let me just tell you, yes, there are podcast. Everyone would like to be on. You want to be on Jay Shetty. So do I, you want to be on Oprah's podcast? So do I. The reality is that senior level, the goats probably are never going to look twice at you. Unless you have something so unique, so inspiring, so different, that they almost can't not see you, you have to be prepared. At this level though. You're going through someone to get to them. You're either filling out a form online and never hearing back from them. Or you've got to, you know, strategically put it in your calendar that you're going to reach out every month until it you know you get on that person's podcast. And then also recognize that when you get on their podcast, it may have nothing to do with what you need to pitch or what you need to talk about. And it has everything to do with their business. And that's okay. I was listening the other day to Laurie harder. And Laurie had Marie Forleo on her podcast and Laurie will openly say she has been trying and pitching timrie for seven years. Like Marie Forleo loves rap music. And so Laurie was sending rap songs like her wrapping her pitch on a video to Marie's people first seven years try to get in front of Marie. Well, finally, she got in front of Marie, and it was a combination of things. One, they got to the same level of business where they almost started circling in the same circles of networking and masterminds. So they were more peer to peer at this point. The other piece, and this is really critical for you to lean into is at that point, Marie was launching her B School in her vehicle was something she only launches once or twice a year. It is a online digital course. It's one of her staples in the business. She's had it for 14 years, she served over 80,000 people with it. But the thing is Marie knew in her business, she now needed new visibility, she needed to reach a new audience. And so when Marie was looking through her, I need to go on podcast tour concept. She looked over at Laurie harder who has the Earn your happy podcast, and it is one of the upper upper tier podcasts. I mean, it's one of the top in the nation. So at that point, Marie finally answered the call to be on Lori's podcast. Now that's an example you are I may never get to. And that's okay. Whoever is your senior level host that you want to be on, put them on a list, put them on the I want to be I dream to be on their podcast list, and keep working toward being on them. And just know you may have to be really consistent dogeared almost in your efforts. If your pitches aren't working after the first year, swap them up, try something different. Do something different to get in front of the podcast that you really want to be on. But remember, at the end of the day, guys, if the podcast you want to be on isn't going to serve your audience, it still doesn't make a darn bit of difference. If you're on that person's podcast. You could go get on Lori's podcast or on your happy you could talk for an hour on her podcast and you will gain a lot of visibility because she has a ton of visibility. However, you may gain some Instagram followers who were like, Oh, this girl sounded like she knew what she was talking about. But if they aren't followers, who are they gonna listen to your podcast? If they are have followers who are going to purchase your service or product, were not going to use your offering, then you've really just spread your wings wide, and you haven't narrowed your funnel very much. So whoever you're going to list out to learn to pitch in order to get on their podcast, that senior level podcast, make sure that you never set out with just a lofty goal of, oh my gosh, that person's got a lot of followers. I want to be on their podcast set out with intentionality of who was podcast, would I be able to serve their audience, and in turn, have them serve my audience, which one works the best, and then start back at your freshman year. Go start pitching, do it imperfectly, do it messy, you'll get better over time. That's the way this game works. And pay attention to whose podcasts you were on. Because if you are on a podcast, and that podcast is a you know, ends up in that middle to higher tier, you'll want to link back to being on that person's podcast so that those seniors can look and hear your interviews. Hear how you've done. So don't think of your freshman and sophomore years as a waste of your time. It is really just building your resume so that when you're ready to be on the big podcast, well, you're ready. Alright guys, go pitch yourself imperfectly. Build your empire put a microphone behind it and I will see you same time same place next week.

Joanne Bolt 

You just finished another episode of the B word podcast cheers to you. If I were with you, I would literally pop a big ol bottle of Prosecco and pour you glass. Since I'm not, why don't you do the next best thing and share this episode with one of your besties because we all know you've got that one girlfriend that needs to hear it. Thanks friends.