Being a guest on a popular podcast is one of the most effective ways to establish yourself as an authority in your field and expand your audience.

Podcast popularity is still growing; according to some estimations, podcasts will reach over 100 million listeners in the US by 2024.

That’s not all, as 87% of Millenials said that podcasters have often influenced them to change their mind about a particular subject, making podcasts one of the top PR tools today.

But not all podcasts are the same. The competition for guest appearances on top-rated podcasts is fierce.

So how do you stand out and convince the host that you’re the right choice for their podcast?

It’s not about luck.

It’s about doing your research, being creative and having the right podcast pitch template. This article covers everything you need to know for a successful pitch.

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How To Write A Podcast Pitch Email

Podcast Pitch Templates

Podcast Pitch That Got A 50% Interview Rate

How To Make Your Podcast Pitch Stand Out In The Inbox

How To Contact Podcast Hosts

How to write a podcast pitch email (template included)

The podcast pitch should be short and straightforward. Aim for 200 words or less and make the reason you’re writing crystal clear from the first sentence.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to count words if you’re using a professional podcast outreach tool like JustReachOut – we’ll make sure that you stick to the recommended length of a podcast pitch.

Here’s how to pitch podcasts in only four steps:

• Open the email by saying how much you like their podcast and mention some previous podcast episodes that made a particular impression on you.
• Explain how your experience and expertise relate to the podcast and the value you could provide to the podcast’s audience. You could also add a brief bio, but keep it concise.
• Mention a relevant topic you could cover in the conversation or give some ideas to evoke the curiosity of a podcast producer.
• Finally, remember to provide some kind of social proof, whether it’s previous media coverage, career highlights or results you’re proud of or a link to your website or LinkedIn profile where they can check your experience.

You don’t have to come up with everything on your own, you can browse existing podcast pitches and customize them according to your situation.

JustReachOut offers you a library of podcast pitch templates to choose from. Of course, you can customize and adapt them to reflect your unique experiences and personalize them to the target podcasts you’re pitching to.

We’re also using AI for PR integration to help you save time and improve your success rate.

I’ll now share a few podcast pitch examples you can use for any industry.

This first one is my personal favorite:

Podcast Outreach Template #1:

Hey [Podcast Host Name],

I’m currently booking interviews on various media outlets and I 
thought your podcast would be a great fit!

[Give a quick 1-2 sentence bio on why you're qualified to be a 
guest on the show. Make sure you only include relevant info.]

I recently listened to the episode of your podcast where you 
talked about [mention something specific you liked from an episode]

I think I could potentially chat to your audience about:

- [Idea of value that you could provide their audience]
- [Idea #2]
- [Idea #3]
- [Idea #4]

Or, of course I’d be open to your topic ideas too. :)

Here are some links to podcasts I’ve appeared on previously to give 
you a feel for my style:

[link to podcast interviews]

Let me know what you think!

Thanks,

[Your Name] 

[Your Contact Information]

Podcast Outreach Template #2:

Hey [Podcast Host Name],

I've been following your podcast for a while and I admire the way you
[mention something they did that impressed you, bonus points if you 
can point to a specific episode].

I felt called to reach out because my experience aligns well with 
the main idea of your podcast and that I could contribute to your 
target audience because [explain your expertise and why you might 
be a great guest in their podcast].

My expertise could give a fresh perspective on [mention a couple of 
relevant talking points] and that it could help your audience to 
[explain the outcome].

If you're interested, I'd be pleased to be your podcast guest and 
contribute to your audience by sharing my unique point of view.

Let me know if my story resonates with your listeners.

Looking forward to our collaboration!

Best regards,

Big fan 

[Your Name] 
[Your Contact Information]

Podcast Outreach Template #3:

Hey [Podcast Host Name],

Have you ever wondered how [mention an intriguing topic]? I'm [Your 
Name] and I [explain your expertise]. My work has been featured on 
[mention media or other podcasters who have hosted you] where I shared 
insights that kept listeners engaged and asking for more.

Your commitment to [mention the podcast's topic or some causes they 
support] perfectly aligns with my passion and expertise and I believe 
we could be a good match.

Are you interested to learn more about [your unique expertise]? I'd 
gladly be your podcast guest and share all my secrets with your 
audience.

If you're up to it, let's schedule a quick call so we can discuss 
the details.

Looking forward to chatting with you,

[Your Name] 
[Your Contact Information]

The podcast email pitch that got 100% open rate and 50% success rate

Many people don’t know this about me but apart from running JustReachOut, I also sometimes write and direct feature films.

When my last film, Funny Thing About Love, came out I wanted to help promote the film so I pitched myself to be interviewed on podcasts.

The pitch I sent out got a 100% open rate and literally 50% of the people I emailed replied back to schedule an interview.

Here is the exact pitch I used (although it was personalized for each podcast host):

Hey Alex,
I’ve listened to your show for a couple of years now. I'd say my 
favorite episode so far was when you interviewed Grant Pichla 
about filming Making Time in just 2 days. I even reached out to 
him after hearing the interview for more BTS. 

I wanted to reach out and ask if you’re taking on new guests?

I'm a writer/director and have my latest indie feature (Funny 
Thing About Love) releasing in theaters and on demand Dec 3rd.

We shot the film for 12 days during covid and were able to secure an 
amazing cast including Jon Heder, Barry Corbin and others.

I’d love to be a guest on your show and discuss anything about the 
making of Funny Thing About Love including financing, casting, how 
I got Jon Heder to say yes to a supporting role in a romcom, 
shooting an ensemble cast during the pandemic, how we were filming 
the movie without having all of the funding in hand, securing 
distribution etc. It was all pretty nuts.

I am also a serial entrepreneur having built and sold many businesses 
which is how I financed my first feature (Inspired Guns) and when 
that was a box office flop I lost everything including my house. It 
took 7 years to bounce back and make another feature.

I'd love to time this so the interview can release as close as possible 
to the release of the film but I'm not picky so whatever works for you.

Curious to hear your thoughts.

Keep up the awesome work on the show!

Adam White

As you can see from this podcast pitch email, I start by personalizing the intro. The host knows without a doubt that I have listened to his podcast before.

Then to pitch myself I use very personal stories to catch hook him, including failures I had because most people are afraid to talk about their failures.

In fact this particular host interviewed me only to talk about my failures and what I had learned from them. But it was great promotion for the film so I didn’t mind.

How to make your podcast pitch stand out in the inbox

Well-known podcasters are getting tons of podcast pitches and requests daily. Many of them always need their attention, and the answer. Here are the best tips to ensure the host reads your podcast pitch email.

1. Do research on the host

Podcast hosts can smell a generic pitch miles away and that’s why it’s important to do your research first. Take time to learn about them, their values, things they stand for. If you have time, research their previous podcast guests and try to see what they have in common.

It’s not enough to compliment their work or say that you’ve been listening to their podcast for a long time. You have to be specific and mention a couple of previous episodes that have made the biggest impression on you (make sure to actually listen to them before, to avoid saying something wrong).

Bonus tip: If you want to increase your response rate, you can do so by warming up the host. Connect with them on social media and make sure to comment on a couple of their posts in a meaningful way, so that you’re increasing the chance of them remembering your name when it pops up in their email inbox.

2. Write a catchy subject line

A subject line is what determines whether your email will end up in the bin or they’ll actually take the time to read it. Almost 40% of marketers believe that crafting an effective subject line could be the key to increasing the number of clicks, and therefore responses.

Here are a few quick tips for an effective email subject line:

• Be results-oriented: highlight the benefits and value you can bring to their podcast
• Use action verbs that evoke curiosity and excitement
• Include numbers or stats to make it more compelling

3. Write a personalized first sentence

Think of your first sentence as a hook whose main role is to convince them to read the rest of the email.

The easiest way to do this is to find common ground, ideally something that’s important to the podcast host, and then mention it right away.

For example:

• As a fellow advocate for sustainable living…
• With a shared passion for educational equity…
• Given your active role in promoting women rights…

4. Highlight what the outcome of your guest appearance would be

The golden rule for podcast pitching is to show a host what’s in it for them and their audience. How they can benefit from having you on the podcast. 

For example:

• Helping their audience solve a particular problem
• Raising awareness of the issue that’s important to the host
• Advertising their podcast to your audience for some specific niche and helping them reach new listeners

Just like when you’re writing a press release for a product: you never make it about a product and its features, but about the audience, their pain points, their desires and so on.

5. Send in the right time of day

The exact timing might depend on their industry and schedule, but the general guidelines are to send your email during business hours. Pick any business day except Monday (they may be busy catching up with emails they received during the weekend) or Friday (they may be out of the office and your email might be buried in the pile of other messages when they get back).

When it comes to time, there are two approaches:

• Some experts advise scheduling your emails early in the morning so they’re the first thing a host sees when they pick up their phone.
• Others suggest avoiding the morning rush and sending your email between 10 AM and 2 PM when it’s more likely to stand out.

Of course, make sure to double-check recipients local time if you’re in a different time zone.

How to contact podcast hosts

Pitching guest interviews is a numbers game. Yes, you could manually reach out to every podcast host, but that would be time-consuming. What if we told you that there’s a tool that can help you:

1. Find relevant podcasts
2. Find hosts’ contact details
3. Provide you with a library where you can find the ideal podcast pitch template for your unique situation

You can do all of the above and many more using JustReachOut. Here’s how to find and contact the right podcast host in only a few minutes.

1. Discover the top podcasts in your industry/niche by browsing relevant keywords. You can search by episodes or podcast name.
   
2. You’ll then get a list of all relevant podcasts and episodes, with additional information such as podcast host name, region and rating.
   
3. When you find a podcast that interests you, click on Send Email Pitch. Alternatively, you can add them to your list if you want to reach out to several podcasts later.
   
4. You can choose one of our podcast pitch templates and customize it with your information. Don’t forget to add relevant links and contact details so that the host can reach back to you.
   
5. When you’re done editing, scroll down and click on Send. You can also schedule a follow-up email, which could increase your response rate.
   

That’s all! You can now repeat the process for other podcasts that you might be interested in.

Conclusion

In the podcasting world, nailing your pitch opens doors to exciting opportunities. Keep it short and sweet and remember that it should be more about them and their audience than about you. Be specific; explain exactly the outcomes and benefits that a host can expect from your appearance on their podcast.

Unfortunately, one pitch is rarely enough. You should knock on more doors to boost your visibility and share your story. Thankfully, there’s a tool that can help you automate the whole process – from finding the right podcasts to crafting a compelling story using one of our templates.

Book a demo and see how we can help you get featured on more podcasts!

FAQs

How do you write a good pitch for a podcast?

First, research the podcast to make sure your pitch is personalized. Show your expertise, relevance and unique insights you can bring to their audience. Don’t forget to emphasize how the podcast and its audience will benefit from your guest appearance and mention a couple of specific topics you’d like to cover.

How long should a podcast pitch be?

A podcast pitch should have 200 words or less, just enough to evoke their interest. By keeping it short and simple you’re increasing the chances that the host reads your pitch.

How do you pitch a podcast interview?

You can pitch a podcast interview by proposing engaging topic ideas aligned with the podcast’s main theme. Explain why you’re the right person to talk about those topics, by showing your expertise and relevance. 

Need more tips?

JustReachOut offers a selection of the best podcast pitch tips that you can find below the text editor.

That’s not all. We can also show you how to write a press release to get media coverage or guest post pitch that will help you boost visibility and generate backlinks.