It’s crazy how many Podcasters don’t think about this, but one of the best ways to promote your podcast is to do an interview on another podcast. Another podcast? Why would you ever go on another podcast? For the same reason your guests come onto your podcast, to promote something. Your guests are willing to come onto your podcast, so they can promote themselves, or an idea or a book or something. You could be interviewed on another podcast to promote any one of those things, or even to promote your podcast.

Why would another podcast interview you, so you could promote your own podcast? Why not? Listeners don’t just listen to one podcast. They like to listen to a variety podcasts which talk about the things they’re interested in. Another reason is ego. They aren’t worried about losing listeners, because they think their podcast is better than yours. That’s ok. You think your podcast is better than theirs.

In the end it is fun to network and interact with other podcasters and influencers in your market. Who wins? The listeners do. Listeners for your market want more. More of other podcasts and more of you. Follow these five steps to getting interviewed on other podcasts and give them what they want.

  1. Make a List

Much like Santa Claus, you are going to start with a list. Only you don’t care who has been naughty and who has been nice. You care about podcasts who are reaching your target market. Start your search with iTunes. Search other Podcast indexes as well, such as PlayerFM. People have been known to find things on google too.

  1. Research

Once you have a nice list of 12-20 podcasts. Spend five to ten minutes researching each podcast and host on your list. You want to clearly identify what the podcast is about and whether the listeners of it will find value in your podcast. Research the hosts as well. Visit their social media. Read their blog, or at least read the blog post titles. Most importantly, find their email address.

If you spend more than 10 minutes researching one podcast, you should probably scratch it from your list. Being inaccessible is a bad sign. It could mean the podcast host doesn’t like or know how to deal with people.

  1. Pitch the Host

Podcasts in general, are made for people who live in the electronic world, by people who live in the electronic world. Therefore, it is safe to assume all of these podcasts will schedule their interviews via email. Before you cold contact them by email, try reaching out to them through their social media. Little things like that can increase your chances of getting on their show. Remember all that research? Try to be knowledgeable of the host and their podcast when you reach out to them.

Let them know the value you bring to their podcast. Whether it is expertise, research or simply opinion. Demonstrate one or two ways their listeners will enjoy listening to you. Include links to your social media, writings, and other interviews you’ve done, so they can easily verify your legitimacy.

  1. Schedule

Now the fun begins. You get to see how other podcasts run their operation. Do they use a schedule maker or just send you an email confirmation? Are they clear about the time and time zones? Will your interview be through Skype or other format? They shouldn’t have to send you anything as you should be well enough equipped from your podcast.

  1. Plan

Have a plan for what you are going to talk about. A lot of listeners will be hearing you for the first time. It is important to make the right impression. Being organized about your thoughts will help. Also be sure to have a call to action in your plan. What do you want the listeners to do? Most interviews wrap up with an opportunity to plug yourself. Be sure to take advantage of this. It can be fun and educational being on the other side of an interview. Try it and promote your podcast while learning how other podcasts handle interviews.