Lead Generation Strategy: How To Be a Podcast Guest & Land New Agency Business with Tom Schwab | Ep #156

Oct. 19, 2016

When looking to improve the lead generation strategy of your digital agency, you might find it difficult in identifying the ways you can do this. One of the ways you can improve your lead generation strategy is by contributing to podcast content by being a guest.

In this episode, we’ll cover:

• 3 Benefits of being a podcast guest.
• How to get find shows and rock an interview like a pro.
• How to turn other podcast listeners into your clients.

My guest today is Tom Schwab founder of Interview Valet, an inbound marketing agency. Tom’s background is in engineering - he even ran a nuclear power plant in the Navy - which means he’s brilliant at building process and systems that generate maximum output for minimum input. Tom shares the genius of being a podcast guest as a lead generation strategy, as well as the secret to getting more bang for ($0) bucks.

Why Being a Podcast Guest Is Important for Lead Generation Strategy?

Fresh content is still a thing, but blogging just isn’t. People want to consume information in different ways, on their terms and in their own time. That’s why podcasting is so awesome. I chatted with podcast master Pat Flynn about starting your own podcast. In addition to hosting, it’s also a great idea to get yourself out there to be interviewed as a guest.

Think of being a podcast guest as a way of having more content out there. Podcasts are evergreen. Make sure your interview content is something that is going to earn awareness, respect and trust.

Podcasts are also more convenient to consume. Reading blogs or watching videos isn’t always convenient, however people are downloading podcasts to listen to on the go. They can even be listened to on 1.5X or 2X speed for quicker consumption.

People also really love podcasts because they are more conversational in nature. Videos tend to feel scripted and “perfect” but podcasts are natural with more of a human touch.

3 BIG benefits of being a podcast guest.

1. A captive audience. The host show has an established audience that is already tuned in to hear the valuable content the being serves up. They are voluntarily listening to what you have to say!
2. Pre-qualified leads. You’re getting targeted reach to your specific market, which means your ideal customers are the ones listening and leads are pre-qualified. Be selective with the podcasts you choose.
3. Shorter sales cycle. Prospects earned from a podcast already know your story and enter into the sales cycle educated. They aren’t the tire kickers - they’re already interested. Your sales cycle is shorter because you don’t have to spend as much time convincing.

Getting started as a podcast guest.

It’s the same marketing principles that we’ve always known: Marketing is just a conversation with your ideal clients. So you need to find them, connect with them, and make it easy for them to become a paying customer.

1st - Identify podcasts to target.

Find the right podcast audience. Identify shows that have listeners with the right buyer persona. Start by searching shows by keywords in iTunes or SoundCloud. Do your homework to find out the size of the podcast and density of listeners that fit your target audience.

Some other things to look for:

• Age of the podcast - many die by episode 10.
• Show notes - important for SEO and backlinks.
• Explicit rating - decide if your brand/audience will be OK with offensive language.

Start by making a list of podcasts to target. Then check out Tom’s infographic on getting booked as a podcast guest.

 2nd - Be a superstar guest.

Your job is to make the show’s host look like a genius for having you on the podcast. Do that by being your charming self and providing super valuable content.

Be genuine in your interview to attract the right clients. Draw in the people who are entertained and excited by the thought of working with you. Be yourself and let your personality shine through in the interview.

Make sure you’re providing valuable information that will stay relevant in an evergreen platform like a podcast. This will all contribute to improving your lead generation strategy.

3rd - Turn listeners into leads.

Use your interview like a lead magnet. Remember, podcasts are just more content so you need to provide a call-to-action. The tricky part is that your leads are listening on the go, so you have to make it very easy. Send them to a dedicated page on your site, invite them to listen to your podcast, or give simple instructions to sign up for a webinar. Simplicity is key.

Also, make sure you help promote your episode once it goes live. Tweet it, share it - do your part to get it out there. You can also transcribe the interview and tweet out key phrases, or take a piece of it and expand on it in a blog post. Be creative about repurposing interview and all your content. Not everyone sees everything you put out there, but the more you have out there the better odds that everyone will see something.

4th - Avoid these mistakes.

Don’t just go for the shows with the biggest numbers. Spend some time interviewing on smaller shows first so you can fine tune your interview style and topics.

Make sure you’re prepared. You don’t want to be caught off guard with surprise questions/topics. Prepare for the interview like you’re giving a keynote on stage.

Be sure you’ve got the right equipment and that it’s in working order. Test your connections and mic before every interview.

Would you like to be a guest on my podcast?

I'm looking for people willing to share their amazing stories to help our agency community. Agency owners only, and you must be over $1 million in annual revenue.  Click here for details.