INTRODUCTION
Earned media is just that, it’s earned. It is what third parties say about your brand not because they are paid to but because they find interest in it and want to. This can include traditional media outlets, influencers or others.
Here are a few tips on how to generate earned media for your podcast.
WHAT TO DO BEFORE YOU PITCH
Before you send your first pitch, there are a few things to do that will help increase your chances of earning free media. The first is to create a podcast press kit. This is a way to package all of your podcast’s information for journalists in one place.
You should include a brief description of the show (e.g., style, genre, what listeners can expect), who is involved, why you started the podcast and how and when people can listen. Other elements like high-res images of the host and testimonials are also good things to include in the press kit.
Next, create a “For the media page” on your website and/or an online folder with a public link (e.g., Google Drive). Then add your entire press kit to the webpage and/or folder.
Since many podcasters launch their podcast with several episodes at once, pick some highlights of the first few episodes that you can tease to the media. Your highlights could include the breadth or depth of your podcast, the caliber of the guests and/or the themes you will follow.
WHAT MEDIA TO PITCH
Pitching takes planning. Take some time to research potential placements. You’re likely going to target trade publications or blogs that cover the same industry or topic as well as people who write about podcasts and other media. For example, if you start a podcast about cooking, you would consider pitching food blogs and foodies on social media.
One tool that can help find, connect and keep track of potential media is Cision. Within Cision, users can look up reporters who cover specific topics (related to your podcast). The tool gives you the name, email, phone number, subjects they cover and a brief profile. Consider adding the media that you find relevant to a list, which can help save time when looking for media in the future. To do that, under the reporter’s name, click on the blue “Add to Lists” button. Then either create or find a list in the drop-down menu.
HOW TO PITCH
Keep in mind that many outlets plan their editorial content months, if not years in advance. For example, if you think your cooking podcast could be beneficial for Christmas ideas and you want to pitch Better Homes & Gardens, you should plan a year ahead. The key is to pitch your podcast when the journalists CAN write about it or has TIME to write about it.
As you would in any other pitch, make it clear to the reporter/editor/blogger/etc. how covering your podcast would be relevant to their readers, viewers or listeners. Avoid being sales-y, using jargon and making outlandish claims.
Another idea could be pitching the host of the podcast as a subject matter expert who can weigh in on certain news. For example, if your host is an expert in real estate, you could pitch them to the media to discuss the housing market. This is a good way to get indirect media coverage of your podcast.