Writing a book is hard work, but for some authors, launching and promoting the book is even harder. Now, you have to actually sell it. For those of you who have a publisher, part of that work is putting it into the hands of your publisher and letting them do their job but you also have to market your product as well. One of the most effective ways you can sell not only your book, but more importantly, yourself, is to run the publicity circuit on podcasts.
Podcasts are a wildly popular, yet undervalued, resource for publicity to a highly captive and engaged audience. If you find the right podcasts, and build a rapport with their respective hosts, you can reach a far greater audience than you would otherwise not encounter.
If you want to sell your book, have a greater audience, and make a connection with that audience in a much more personal manner, then here are a few ideas you should consider…
Make An Appearance On A Podcast To Sell
Yourself And NOT Your Book
We know you’re trying to promote your book to achieve more sales. We get it. Do NOT, however, try to sell your book when you’re a guest on a podcast. It may sound a little antithetical but it’s true.
The mental space you’re in dictates your behavior and your behavior creates the result. So if you sound super salesy, that is going to result in less of a connection with the host and their listeners.
If you captivate the listener’s hearts, bond with them, and create “aha” moments, they will buy your book. Focusing on your agenda – such as “buy my book”, makes it hard to create a real connection.
Be human, tell stories, andfocus on allowing the host and their listeners to connect with you as a person. If they can connect, and find interest in your story – whatever it might be – that person will naturally want to learn more about you. Thus, they will purchase your book.
Just because you have a book to promote does NOT mean you bypass small podcasts
Many people believe that appearing on the biggest podcasts in the world (or podcasts that are in the top 1%) equals success. While it’s a great ego boost to be on these massive shows, it doesn’t always lead to consistent book sales.
The truth of the matter is this: your ideal reader might not be listening to the biggest podcasts.
Just because you have a book, and your goal is to promote your book, this doesn’t mean you bypass the strategy of going on small to medium sized shows.
Hosts for smaller podcasts tend to be more invested in your story in addition to your goals as long as it aligns with giving value to their audience. Another plus is that you can build incredible relationships with the podcast host of smaller to medium podcasts and they can help you promote your book with the right people.
Appearing on dozens of podcasts in the smaller arena will help you refine your story and work out any kinks to your delivery. If you haven’t done 30 to 50, or even 100 podcasts at the small to medium size you may not be ready to appear on the massive shows anyway and that’s ok.
Allow yourself to go through the highs and lows of podcast guesting on small to medium sized podcasts before you get to the big ones, because I will tell you that the more you’re out there, the more criticism you will receive. When you start getting visibility on shows with tens of thousands of listeners, you cannot bypass haters and criticism. It is going to happen – whether it is about your book, or about what you said on the interview.
It may feel odd to you that we suggest you stay away from bigger podcasts at first, but there is a real method to this approach. By focusing on the small to medium sized podcasts in the beginning, you give yourself the best chance to figure out who you are in the process.
Once you’ve gone through that process, you can then figure out what you are trying to accomplish by appearing on larger podcasts, and reconcile your performance against your vulnerability to the audience.
You need to create a landing page where your customer can buy the book but also get a chance to know you at the same time
So you went on the podcast, told the hosts your story, and you’ve started to build the relationship with the audience. Here’s another tidbit to consider:
Have a bold claim which will tell a story about you on the podcast – so that it will set you apart from the rest of the guests. Don’t be bold for the sake of being bold. You don’t want to spout off hot-takes just for the sake of doing so, but you do want to distance yourself from everyone else with a fresh idea, or new perspective. If you can achieve this, that will help ingratiate yourself to the audience
At the end of your interview, reiterate your bold claim and then send people to a website that not only has the link where they can buy your book, but it should also have a link to a free 30 minute training on the same exact subject as your book.
Again, it may feel odd that you are providing this free resource when you want someone to actually purchase your book but there is a purpose for this inclusion. Remember, the idea is to foster a CONNECTION with your reader. They’ve already come to the site because of your call-to-action and that’s great!
Keep this process as straight of a line as possible. In other words, the more you make the customer zig and zag, the harder it is for them to follow your CTA. Make it one site, with a video already on it, and make it VERY user friendly.
You need to keep nurturing that person and giving them a free resource will create that connection because they can read the book, watch you, see your face, and hear your voice all at the same time.
Create that bridge so that it feels like they already know you. In a sense, they don’t need to speak with you because you’ve been in their head for 10 hours. The best part is, you didn’t do ANYTHING out of the ordinary to nurture that relationship. It all happened while you were drinking a coffee, having a nice steak dinner with your spouse, or sleeping!
How You Can Find and Book Podcasts To Help Promote The Book You Are Trying To Sell
Finding and booking podcasts is a unique skill set, and it requires a lot of time and effort.
Find Podcasts Which Match The Quality You Expect
Take your time to listen to the potential podcast you want to appear on.
Does it have good audio quality? What kind of engagement are they getting from their listeners? Does the host appear to have done extensive research for their interviews in the past? Would you honestly be proud to share your potential interview with your friends and family?
These are some of the many questions you must consider when you are reaching out to podcasts on which you’d like to guest.
Create A Tracking List For Potential Podcasts
Tracking sheets are really important because if you search in the right places, you will find yourself on the precipice of an unending well of information.
No one is capable of keeping all that information (audience size, engagement, host names, websites, past guests, contact info and more) without a little help and organization from the interwebs.
This sheet should help you track the podcasts you think would be beneficial to your brand. While it’s up to you to consider any information that you deem necessary for your records, the tracking sheet should, at the very least, include:
- The name of the podcast
- The focus of the podcast
- The podcaster’s contact information
- Their social media following
- Number of reviews on Apple Podcasts
Search Apple Podcasts for Trending Podcasts
If you’re familiar with podcasts, then you know that there is usually a “Trending” or “Top Shows” area which highlights the top podcasts for that day, week, or month.
Leverage these platforms to find other podcast interview opportunities and keep up to date on the newest shows which seem to be the most popular in your trade.
Once again, get all the relevant information, and see if they meet your standards. If so, you can now add them to your list.
Try to Get On The Same Podcasts That Your Competition Has Been On
Do you speak about subjects which have a lot of people vying for authority? That’s ok! In fact, that might even work a little bit to your advantage.
Stay up to date on what they are doing!
Yes, that means subscribe and listen to them if they have their own podcast. Follow them on social media, and maybe even sign up for their newsletter.
Keeping track of your competitors’ moves gives you an insight into how they structure their show, but also what they are doing and with whom they are interacting. If they appear on a podcast to spout their relevant information, you can probably rest assured knowing that particular podcast would want to have you on as well.
Embrace The Power Of Facebook Groups
If you want to meet a group of people who love the same thing as you, then you need to seek them out in Facebook groups.
Consider what it takes for someone to join a Facebook group – they have to like something so much that they click on the app, find the search button, type in a topic, pick the group that best suits their likes, and (most of the time) request to join. They (most of the time) have to answer authentication questions, and then they have to wait for approval.
It doesn’t stop there though – if they are an active member of the group, that means they go back each day, comment on someone else’s post, and discuss various topics related to things in which you have an expertise.
TL;DR – if someone is an active member in a Facebook group, they have to go through a lot of hoops to do that and that means they are immediately a captive audience. Seek out those people in those groups and look for podcasts who are engaging with those people.
If you have established yourself as an authentic member of the group – who engages with the group and brings value to the other members – the podcast host will see how much value you add and you can create a relationship with them through your mutual love of whatever you love.
Stay Active on Social
Keep your social channels alive with thought and engagement. Post daily – if not multiple times per day with relevant information to your expertise. If followers are commenting on your posts, comment back and encourage conversation.
The goal is to show potential podcast hosts that you have a captive audience that could help them grow and that you truly care about your expertise. You never know who is watching you on your online space, so treat it like the main window of your business.
Podcast hosts are CONSTANTLY window shopping for the person who is going to help their audience in one way or another. So keep your window alive with personality, and all the proper dressing which best describes your brand.
Use A Professional Podcast Booking Agent Like Interview Connections
The other option you have is to hook up with a podcast booking service! We are professionals who know exactly what to do and how to do it. Our service will provide you with:
- Your Booking Agent who will connect you with targeted podcasts who are ready to interview you
- Your own professional podcast one sheet
- Gain referrals from our client community on weekly networking calls
- Exclusive membership in our client only Facebook group and access to our networking calls
- A clear strategy
- A network of high achieving entrepreneurs
- High-quality show bookings
- Concierge experience
You need a clear and attainable strategy that will bring your brand’s awareness to a level that matches your business goals. We give you the resources to take your marketing to the next level.
CLICK HERE to book our services and take all the pressure off of you!
Work with us!
We are a done-for-you agency with the experience and vision to take your business to the next level. We’ll help you create a 7-figure brand around your new, consistent visibility.
LEARN MOREThe Best Practices For Podcasts Appearances And Your Book Launch
Your launch is fun, and it’s exciting. You need a victory lap to be able to plant your flag at the top of the success mountain. Embrace that success, shout it from that mountaintop and have fun on your launch. You earned it. Though, that’s just the beginning.
Most people don’t even consider what comes next and that can be quite troubling for a marketing campaign. You need a systematic plan going forward.
So have the launch, give yourself a little rest, but then make sure there’s a plan in place.
Have A Real Strategy In Place Which Will Garner Immediate Results
What are you doing that pushes people from action to the next? Yes, book sales are a great barometer for success, but that’s not always the most effective barometer. Since you’re trying to build relationships, the idea is to measure success through incremental wins.
For example, you can try to get as many five star reviews as you can and drip those out over the course of your launch. Perhaps you can then do a masterclass on a particular subject you taught in your book? That way, you can go back and forth and weave them together.
As such, you have to understand your goal and have a distinct picture of what you want to accomplish with your launch.
Are you best on video? Do you like to get on Zoom and interact with other people? Do you like posting on social media? Do you want to go get interviewed? Find what you’re really good at and double down on your strengths to bolster your presence.
An example of this would be to do side interviews with friends and clients when you launch the book. Once you complete the interviews, you can then schedule them out to drip out over the launch.
Create opportunities in the beginning of your launch which you can use to help measure movement from your buyers, and then sprinkle those opportunities throughout your launch to keep your customers engaged with you.
Have A Specific Call-To-Action For Your Listeners
What specifically is your call to action? Is your call to action the book? Or is it a webinar? Think about where the book comes into the funnel for you. As we stated earlier, when you give a call to action at the end of a podcast, send them to a page that has both.
They can click here to buy the book or to watch the webinar. This is important because some people love video and some people want to read the book. At the same time, you need to have a place for them to leave their information on the page if they want to be notified about your next trading.
The most important factor here is that you can play and experiment with it. Don’t do ONE thing, expect results, and stick with it regardless of the results.
If a CTA is not giving you what you want, switch it up. Keep trying to see what works best for YOU.
When Authors Should Get Booked On Podcasts To Support Their Launch
If you’ve never been on five to ten podcasts a week, for four consecutive weeks, you probably don’t want to do it before your launch. Especially if you’ve never had the experience of launching a book before. Plus, if you’re doing it all by yourself, that’s a recipe for disaster. Between all the interviews and the work related to the launch, you’re going to crash and burn.
The best option is to start slow and start small.
If you make a good connection with the host of a smaller podcast, then you have a better chance of getting whatever it is that you want. When you’re dealing with one of the hosts, be human! Tell them that you really appreciate their podcast and what you plan to offer their listeners. They care about their listeners first and foremost.
The big question we always get is, “when do I start getting booked on podcasts?” We are firm believers that you should start getting booked 6-12 months before the book comes out!
If you’re in pre sales mode, then you can get pre sales for your book. If you’re not in pre sales mode, then you have this amazing opportunity to provide something of value for free to people and get them on your list.
For example, some sort of lead magnet, or a draft of your first chapter. It doesn’t even have to be the finalized version from your book! The idea is that you can give something away for free so people have a little taste of what they could get when the book comes out. These strategies allow you to build an audience of people who are really excited and ready for your book when it comes out.
Is your book coming out in three months? Start now. If it’s coming out in six months? Start now. For every interview, there is always going to be lead time.
It can take anywhere from two to four months for you to get booked on a show. What’s different about speaking on stages, as opposed to being on a podcast, is that the booking day (the day you record your episode) is going to be different than the day it airs. There are some podcast hosts which release interviews anywhere from two or three weeks after you record to two or three MONTHS after you record it.
Every podcast host is going to manage their schedule, recordings, and release a little bit differently. Start booking now because that is the only part of the equation you can truly control.
Don’t rely on your publisher to do all the marketing for you
Sometimes a publishing company will have a marketing team, and they’ll help you as much as they can. You have to consider though, that they’re not a podcast booking agency. They don’t have the database and the resources to be booking you on 10 podcasts, or 30, or even 100 – depending on the goal you set for yourself.
As an author, you do need to be responsible for your own marketing. The long term sales of your book and the bulk of the promotion happens with you. Your publisher’s job is to get the book distributed. They’re going to showcase it to their audience, but it’s your job to do the same.
Take personal responsibility for the success of your book. Nobody is going to be able to talk about your book and talk about what you write about better than you.
If you’ve got a book coming out, you can appear on a podcast now, talk about your idea yourself, and get people interested.
If you have built your relationship with the podcast host, you can get invited back when your book comes out, and that’s an extra promotion for you. What’s great is that’s an extra appearance and extra backlink for your authority!
In the end, podcast guesting to promote your book is an effective way to create a real relationship with an audience who is already interested in your field of expertise. You can sell yourself, your knowledge, and that will naturally increase your books sales because the audience will care about YOU. By appearing on many smaller to mid size podcasts, you can reach the right people and grow an audience that you wouldn’t normally encounter in traditional publicity circuits.
We can help you reach that audience by booking you on those podcasts, and the best part is that you don’t have to do any of the work. We arrange it all for you.
CLICK HERE to book a consultation call with one of our experts so you can have the best book launch podcast tour ever!
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Table of contents
Make An Appearance On A Podcast To Sell Yourself And NOT Your Book
Just because you have a book to promote – that does NOT mean you bypass small podcasts
How You Can Find and Book Podcasts To Help Promote The Book You Are Trying To Sell
Create A Tracking List For Potential Podcasts
Search Apple Podcasts for Trending Podcasts
Try to Get On The Same Podcasts That Your Competition Has Been On
Embrace The Power Of Facebook Groups
Stay Active on Social
Use A Professional Podcast Booking Agent Like Interview Connections
The Best Practices For Podcasts Appearances And Your Book Launch
