Podcasting and PR

6 things PR professionals must keep in mind while pitching to podcasts

Podcast. The new buzz word in town. A medium that is being adopted by every influencer and leader today. Business owners, entrepreneurs, chefs, singers, teachers, youtubers, bloggers, actors and people from various other fields including you and me are the reason why this medium is growing at a rapid pace of 58% every year.

Though not as popular as mainstream mediums like video or newspapers in India today, it is fast catching up and ranks as number 3 in the world as the preferred medium of media consumption. I strongly believe it is here to stay and will only become bigger and more influential as a medium. India today has around 40 million podcast listeners out of the 500 million internet users and that is a great start!  

So how can you as a PR Professional understand this new big wave and learn to surf it seamlessly before it drowns you. How can you help your clients understand the value of the medium? How do you crack a podcast interview? Sharing my top 5 tips for PR pros.

6 things PR professionals should keep in mind while pitching to podcasts.

1. Is THAT podcast a right fit for you: Today, there are thousands of podcast channels in India, and selecting the right podcast channel that matches your clients market is crucial. Study the kind of podcast, bent of conversation, and tonality of the podcasts. Understand who the target audience is and ascertain if your client will add value to that particular audience. Hear a couple of sessions and then decide how and why your client will be a good fit. Highlight this to the podcaster.
2. Build a relationship: The age-old rule of media relations will apply here. Just like you invest in building a relationship with a journalist, you need to do the same for podcasters as well. That training will hold you in good stead. Create a partnership with them now, when they need your PR skills and advice to build a brand.
3. Customize your pitch: What works for a print journalist will not work for an online journalist and will definitely not work for a TV journalist. So why should a pitch that you made for either one of them work for a podcaster? When you make your pitch, customize it to the medium and the podcast. Give the podcaster what his/her podcast audience wants. Let the story idea that you have personalized to the podcast and the medium … shine! 
4. Leverage your strength: The biggest advantage a PR pro brings to the podcasting world is its vast network of influencers and renowned names from different walks of life that have authority over a subject or are thought leaders. You now have the luxury of finding a niche podcast and presenting a distinctive pitch to make it work for both. You have a unique opportunity here to grow together with the industry.
5. Don’t force-fit: Every podcast has a unique approach and has an even closer tight-knit audience or community they cater to. A good podcaster will not force fit a guest because it will have severe repercussions for them and even worse for your clients. It is always better to speak to a niche relevant audience than a wider general audience when it comes to podcasts.
6. Dynamics: Take a little time and effort to understand how the industry works. Learn about the revenue sources of a podcast. When you get a chance to collaborate with monetary benefits, you will have a better chance of making it work for your client and get the best deal, if you know how the industry works.

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– Silawath Irshad

Guest Speaker for PRPOI Live Session