Episode 35: Using Podcasts to Market Your Book: Guest Expert Angie Trueblood
Today on the show Jodi interviews Angie Trueblood about using podcasts as part of a book marketing strategy. Here are some highlights:
Jodi and Angie talked about podcast guesting being a great tool in an author-entrepreneur’s toolkit always, but especially during the COVID-19 crisis when travel is not an option for speaking events and the like. Angie noted that podcast guesting and even starting a podcast have become options people are utilizing more frequently.
Angie explained that podcasting and podcast guesting offers author-entrepreneurs a “one-two punch” to showcase their own story as well as their expertise as a business owner. This allows author-entrepreneurs to warm up an audience to their book while also allowing them to get to know the author-entrepreneur better than they could by, say, reading something because of the way personalities can come out on podcasts. This enables an audience to go from meeting you to hiring you more quickly than they might otherwise.
To find podcasts to pitch to help market a book, Angie recommended the strategy of figuring out what their audience is listening to as a starting point.
Angie noted that the power of story is so important to connect with audiences, and story and expertise are intertwined. This makes it especially easy for author-entrepreneurs of hybrid memoir/self-development books to showcase themselves.
One of the biggest “do’s” in podcast guest pitching, Angie noted, is to identify hosts/podcasts with an audience similar to yours. Pitching is not a one-way street, but rather becomes a way to serve one another’s audiences
Jodi and Angie explored the makings of good pitches, and Angie explained that a great podcast pitch shows you’ve done your homework as a potential guest. She also emphasized that there is no such thing as a perfect pitch template (and explained the difference between a template used for efficiency and a canned email pitch).
Angie recommended being specific in the topic being pitched. Specific is better than general here. She noted that pitching one topic but also sending a one sheet with other topics can be a great way to open a dialogue with podcast hosts.
Angie has paused from reading business books but recently started Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty.
Angie generously shared her roadmap for podcast pitching success. Grab it here: www.angietrueblood.com/WPM !
Listen here or on your favorite podcast player, and let me know what you think! Screenshot this episode and tag me in Instagram (@jodibrandoneditorial).
About Angie
As a podcast visibility expert and host of the Go Pitch Yourself podcast, Angie Trueblood knows that the only 'perfect pitch' is the one that leads with value and focuses on building a genuine connection. Whether she is teaching entrepreneurs how to pitch themselves or working behind the scenes to secure opportunities for others, Angie leverages her super-connector powers to grow businesses and build long-lasting relationships. When she's not working with her clients or being active in her local community, she loves exploring Richmond, Virginia's parks and playgrounds with her two kiddos, checking out new restaurants with her hubs, and laughing about motherhood over cocktails with friends.
Find Angie here: