The One Thing Journalists Actually Want in a Podcast Pitch

Podcast visibility isn’t just about viral clips and LinkedIn posts. A feature in a traditional publication can earn you the kind of attention that sticks.

But how do you convince a journalist to write about your show?

“Hey, I run a podcast on the same subject you cover.” probably isn’t going to cut it. “Local man runs podcast” might have been newsworthy back in 2007, when readers would ask, “Wait, he runs a what!?” But not now.

Pitching your podcast to journalists? Here’s how to avoid wasting their time and your own, while giving yourself a real shot at coverage.

Let’s start with where you’re thinking of pitching.

What Does The Publication Publish?

Feed the tiger what it wants. If your podcast is about fly fishing, you’d pitch your podcast to American Angler, not Vanity Fair. Start with a publication that’s about your podcast’s topic. That’s where your audience is more likely to be looking for information like yours. When you pitch your podcast to a journalist, you’re both working in service of the audience. Make sure their publication’s ideal audience aligns with yours.

How to Package Your Pitch 

In the past, podcasters have sent a link to their podcast in their favorite directory with a message saying, “My show is good, you should write about it,” and nothing else. Why I should launch an investigation into the relevance of their request is beyond me. It certainly doesn’t show me they have something worth promoting.

Your pitch email must include: 

• Why your story is time-sensitive
• Who benefits from it (hopefully, their readers) and how
• The value in your proposal
• What sets your pitch apart from other pitches?

Be brief, specific, and respectful. We’ll examine specifics of how to write a pitch email later in this article. 

Along with the email, a podcast media kit is essential here. Episode transcriptions will help anyone covering your show to find the information they need with minimal effort. Don’t send attachments: email security systems may block them. Instead, link to your files in Google Drive or Dropbox.

Now, let’s proceed to the time-sensitive part.

Pitch Your Podcast to Journalists When They Can Write About It.

Magazines, newspapers, and radio stations plan their content months, sometimes more, ahead of schedule. Then, they release it in a manner suitable for the season.

For example, arts and culture magazines and newspaper sections publish entertainment guides in September, when new theatre and television seasons begin. Planning and writing that guide starts in mid-summer, if not earlier. You need to pitch your podcast to journalists when the timing is right, and that means early.

Do you have an episode about crafting the perfect Halloween costume? If you plan to release that episode in October, then pitch it in June. You can see where this is going. The tiger isn’t always hungry. Feed it when it is.

How Appropriate Is Your Pitch?

If you’ve been podcasting for more than six months, chances are you’ve already gotten at least one inappropriate request. Sometimes, these pitches reveal that the sender has no idea what your podcast is about or how it’s presented. Other inappropriate pitches come via direct messages on social media. 

Remember how awkward and annoying those inappropriate requests feel? 

Journalists get dozens of these random requests every day. But, avoiding an icky faux pas is simple, with advance work. 

When pitching your podcast to a journalist, read some of their articles. What do they write about? Get a sense of their taste and tone. You can tell if your podcast is a good fit for them after reading at least three of their articles. 

Are they a staff writer, or a contributing writer? You may need to recontextualize your pitch for a journalist who has less flexibility, or who writes for multiple magazines.  

Most importantly, what is their preferred method of contact? Typically, their social media profiles will link to a website or a Linktree page, where they provide contact information.

If you pitch your podcast via a social media direct message, you throw a work request into a social platform. It’s like interrupting a stranger at a picnic, telling them to get to work. Instead, pitch your podcast to a journalist through their preferred contact method. They’ll be in a more receptive frame of mind and more likely to accept. 

Feed the tiger, but don’t mess with their habitat.

So, How Do You Write That Pitch?

Ask yourself, what’s newsworthy about your podcast, and why? This fits in with knowing your podcast niche, and who your ideal audience is. What’s unique, and why now? How does it relate to the publication you’re pitching?

Journalists seek out stories about people who take action and change. When someone in your audience tells you that their show helped them to do something, that’s the kind of story seed that journalists want.

Don’t call. Use email. Writers like to read and write. Craft a short email, and read it out loud before you hit “send.”

Introduce yourself in terms of their work.

Open with what you’ve read by the writer you’re pitching, what it meant to you, and why. Not only does this make them feel good, but it also shows you’ve considered why your podcast and this writer are a good fit for each other. For example;

“ Dear [Name], 

I enjoyed your article about [topic] from the [date or month] issue of [publication] magazine. “

Next, describe what’s most memorable from the article, and what the writer’s style and approach meant for you. How does the way they write solve a problem for you?

Now they know why you’re cold-emailing them. Don’t invent this. That’s a sure-fire way to end up in the spam folder.

What, Who, Why, How?

Be specific, and pitch the story. What is it, who is it for, what’s the challenge, and how does it solve a problem? Why is it time-sensitive? 

For example, you can tell them how your podcast has:

• Helped a listener start and sustain their first small business
• Gave a listener the confidence to start weightlifting and win competitions
• Provided educational materials to 500 public school students to create an oral history project

If you can show how your podcast affects your audience, that’s even better. In the examples above, you can link to the social media or website for the business, weightlifter, or school.

What if you haven’t experienced that kind of audience interaction?

Create a newsworthy event. You could:

• Challenge your podcast audience to donate to a particular charity by a certain date
• Host a live podcast recording event at a local pub or community theatre
• Launch a scavenger hunt for your audience, with a new clue in each episode for a set number of weeks and a prize at the end.

Highlight the dates and benefits for their readers, so they know this is time-sensitive and worth their audience’s time.

What if you can’t include audience stories or upcoming events when pitching your podcast to journalists? Show them how podcasting has changed you for the better. For example, explain how:

• Producing a hiking podcast helped you manage your social anxiety disorder
• Interviewing pro pastry chefs helped you save a thousand dollars on your daughter’s wedding
• Researching local history saved a unique building

The more specific, immediate, and transformational your pitch, the more likely journalists will want to write that story.

Show Them How To Learn More at Their Own Pace.

Now, zoom out a bit. Provide them with a brief paragraph on how to learn more about your podcast. Include a link to the website, to the media kit, and tell them how they can listen. For example: 

“[Title of podcast] helps people [solve a problem, and how]. I’d love to share more with you. Here’s a link to our media kit. You can listen to the show through our website, or wherever you listen to podcasts.” 

Pick out an episode for them that serves as a simple point of entry. 

“By way of introduction, you might enjoy our episode, [title], about [topic].”

Treat it like a collaboration. We’re all content creators here, right?

Provide your contact information, and let them know that you’d be happy to discuss your pitch further.

Above all, thank them for their time. 

Don’t Let Grass Grow Under Your Pitch.

Follow up a few days or so later to remind them about your pitch. If they say, “not interested, thanks,” don’t push it. Wait until you have another episode that’s closer to their interests. In the meantime, try pitching your podcast to a different journalist. 

It’s Not About You.

Don’t take any rejection personally. The publication’s editor may manage what pitches to accept or reject. Or, maybe a full schedule keeps them from saying yes. It’s possible that your podcast might not be in their area of interest. Try again with a different publication. 

Make It Simple for Journalists To Write About Your Podcast.

Journalists, like podcasters, aim to deliver relevant, useful, timely, and engaging ideas to their audiences. When you pitch your podcast to journalists, make sure the information they need is available. This way, it’s simple to use their creativity to share your podcast with their readers. Both your audience and theirs benefit from a new examination of your podcast’s topic because you’ve laid the groundwork.

Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket.

There are numerous ways to grow your podcast. Reviews and press aren’t the only way to let people know about your show. Our Podcast Growth Book has lots of strategies and actionable tasks to help you engage your audience and build a community. Plus, the Podcraft Academy has courses and tools to help you with all aspects of making a good podcast or making a good podcast great. Join us!