In podcast guesting, there’s no one-size-fits-all strategy.
Some people prefer the whirlwind approach—appearing on as many podcasts as possible in a quick burst. Others take things slower, spreading their appearances over the year. Then there’s the hybrid strategy: mixing both for maximum impact.
Let’s look at each approach more closely to see which one’s right for you.
Table of Contents
1. Multiple appearances in a short-time
Should you take the “sprint” approach, squeezing as many podcast guest appearances as you can manage into a finite timeframe? Sprints—aka podcast tours—can be a powerful tactic if you’re launching a new course of product or have just published your latest book.
Be organized and start pitching podcast hosts well in advance. Many podcasters plan their content and schedule guests six months or more ahead, and there’s usually quite a time lapse (again, up to six months) between recording and when the episode goes live.
Example: Evy Poumpouras
Evy Poumpouras is a former US Secret Service Special Agent, a TV host and multimedia journalist and author of the bestselling self help 2020 book "Becoming Bulletproof" and the 2023-24 training course "Beyond Bulletproof."
Rephonic episode data reveals that Evy appeared on a flurry of podcast interviews across July 2020, and again in November that year. Interestingly, she seems to repeat that pattern in 2024, with a steady flow of monthly interviews followed by five episodes going live in July and four in November this year.
This pattern suggests that Evy is making a deliberate effort to maximize her visibility during these periods to promote her book and courses.
Podcast sprint advantages
Skyrocket your visibility
You'll get a flurry of exposure when you do multiple podcast interviews in a short timespan.
Increase chances to convert
Marketers talk about the "Rule of Seven," i.e. on average, people need seven touchpoints before they consider buying. So, if you choose podcasts in the same niche, listeners might well hear you more than once talking to hosts they already know, like and trust.
That puts you ahead of the game, because the first time you'll be talking to them cold, but the next time they've already warmed up to you, especially if you're tailoring your answers to each podcast, so they don't hear the same stories each time.
Perfect for tight timelines
Podcast interviews add to the buzz around a time-sensitive launch and reach a different set of potential customers to paid ads or social media posts.
Get into the flow
You can streamline your processes when you batch podcast interviews into a sprint.
Some people find it much more efficient to concentrate on one thing at a time. So, you might do all your podcast research in one batch, write and send your pitch emails in the next batch and follow up by prepping all your interviews.
And challenges
Your target audience might 'meet' you too often
If you appear on a lot of podcasts with similar audiences, there’s a real risk the same audience might hear too many of your interviews and tune out. It’s a fine balance between appearing enough to generate trust and too often (which gets boring.)
Sprinting takes a lot of time and energy
Some people are energized by the sprint, but others end up exhausted, especially if the podcast tour comes on top of everything else in their lives.
You can avoid burnout by taking some things off your plate. For example:
- Delegating some of your normal tasks
- Rescheduling non-essential tasks
- Preparing content (e.g., blog post, social media, etc.) to cover your sprint time
- Scheduling some rest time between podcast interviews
Some episodes may go live after your event is over
You can’t control when hosts publish your episodes, so even if you’ve arranged them well in advance, they might not coincide with your ideal launch window. There’s not much you can do about that except handle it gracefully.
2. Spacing appearances throughout the year
Now, if your podcast guest strategy revolves around building authority and trust for you and your brand, then slow and steady could be a better approach. You might aim to be a thought leader, or build awareness of what you offer and how you can help people in your target audience.
Again, aim to pitch podcast hosts well in advance, but as you gain traction, you might find podcast hosts start approaching you, too.
Try not to overload yourself with too many interviews, at first.
Rayna Rokicki of Ladies First Digital Media is a podcast growth coach who regularly appears as a podcast guest. A quick Rephonic episode search reveals she’s appeared on at least 12 podcasts in two years. Her advice for new podcast guests:
"Aim for 1 guest spot a month to start the guesting habit, then work your way up. 2-3 a month is a manageable sweet spot that can drive audience growth without draining your energy."
Example: Simon Sinek
Simon Sinek is an ethnographer, author, podcaster, teacher, keynote speaker and founder of The Optimism Company, a leadership learning and development company. As well as working with leaders in all walks of life, he's also active in the arts and non-profit sectors and is possibly best known for his TED talk on the Concept of Why and his video about millennials in the workplace.
Simon is an acknowledged thought leader, and has appeared on many podcasts over the years. According to my Rephonic search, he started with podcasts with audiences of less than 1000. However, now his guest appearances tend to be on podcasts like Diary of a CEO (104K listeners) and The School of Greatness (314K).
Advantages
Stay front of mind
Making regular guest appearances keeps you in front of various audiences in and around your niche, so that they come to know, like, and trust you, even though you don’t have your own podcast. You’ve got more time available to work with the podcast host, too, and strengthen the relationship. They might also recommend you to be a guest on other relevant podcasts, or even invite you back on theirs.
Takes less time and energy
With a less intense schedule, you have time to hone your message for each podcast’s audience. Appearing on one podcast per month, for example, is less stressful and draining than giving five interviews in a fortnight.
You’ve got time to refine your strategy
Working at a steady pace gives you time to assess what worked or didn’t work from each appearance. Then you can adapt and improve with each interview.
Challenges
Momentum builds more slowly
The slow and steady method takes longer to build traction, so it’s less suited to time sensitive events.
It takes consistent effort
A sprint needs focused effort over a relatively short time. But the slow and steady approach means you have to keep your momentum going over a much longer period. You might get caught up in day-to-day business or new projects, and end up lacking the enthusiasm for more podcast interviews.
3. Hybrid approach
Joanna Penn, thriller author and creative entrepreneur, favors the hybrid approach with a mixture of podcast sprints and regular appearances throughout the year. I asked her why she believes the hybrid podcast guesting strategy is so valuable.
"Podcast tours are especially effective when I’m launching a new book or project, like a Kickstarter. I’ll reach out to a curated list of podcasters whose audiences align with my target readers or customers. This concentrated burst of appearances helps to create momentum and build excitement around the launch.
"Beyond launches, I aim to guest on podcasts regularly as part of my overall marketing strategy. This keeps me visible in the podcasting space, reaching new audiences and building long-term brand awareness.
"Why do I find podcast guesting so valuable? Podcasting allows for deep, meaningful conversations that foster a real connection with the audience. It’s an opportunity to share my expertise, promote my books, and strengthen my brand while engaging with listeners in a way that feels authentic. Plus, since podcasts are evergreen, the content lives on and continues to drive discoverability long after the interview airs."
Joanna's strategy focuses on quality over quantity.
"One of my key rules is that the podcast must have at least 50 episodes. This shows the host is committed and serious about their show, which often translates to a more engaged and established audience. I also consider whether the podcast aligns with my topics of expertise and if the audience is likely to benefit from my message."
Example: Justin Bookey
Justin Bookey is another example of an author using the hybrid podcast guesting model. He says,
"I suppose I'm a fan of both regular podcast appearances as well as the sprint approach, depending on the timing of any new material I'm trying to share.
"My publisher and publicist have been helping me with podcast appearances to accompany my book launch, so it might appear as a sprint over the last few months, but I'm also fine with a more spread-out schedule on higher-profile podcasts as I try to increase my audience reach.
"As far as the general approach to guest appearances, before you build up your own audience (via your own podcast or any other media), it's a nice way to test the waters with your message, your delivery, your precision, etc., with different hosts and approaches. You'll also benefit from their built-in audience exposure."
Tips for a sprint approach:
#1. Plan your content strategy
You need to send out consistent, cohesive messaging without sounding repetitive. No-one wants to hear the same information repeated in interview after interview. So prepare multiple talking points, then select the ones that match each different audience’s needs.
For example, let’s look at Joanna Penn’s October 2023 podcast sprint as part of her Kickstarter campaign to launch her book “Writing the Shadow.”
That month, Jo gave several podcast interviews, which were all released within the same two weeks. Notice how each interview centered on the Shadow but adapted its angle to resonate with the different audiences.
#2. Think of your podcast tour as part of a multi-channel marketing campaign
The aim is to create a big buzz. We’re talking media pitches and press releases, traditional media coverage, social media, Influencer partnerships, paid ads, blog post interviews... whatever works to get your launch noticed within your target audience.
#3. Prepare a consistent CTA
You only need to answer one question to decide on your podcast sprint's call-to-action. "What's my aim with this sprint?
Are you publicizing your book? Sending people to your course landing page? Gathering attention for your latest product?
Then decide on two calls to action. One should be a low investment CTA—something free, that doesn't require too much effort. E.g.:
- Connect with me on LinkedIn
- Check out my website
- Join my Facebook group
Your other call to action will be high investment—something that calls for more investment in time, money or effort.
- You can find my book at...
- You'll find my course at...
- I'm offering a 20% discount to listeners until...
Both your calls to action aim to get people into your ecosystem and ultimately become customers or clients.
The high investment CTA appeals to people who are ready to buy now. Perhaps they've heard you interviewed before or are already fans of your work.
The low investment CTA is for listeners hearing you for the first time. Taking that next step helps to keep you in their minds. So the next time they hear you interviewed, or have the particular problem you solve, they'll be more likely to turn to you and your products for help.
#4. Book all podcast interviews well in advance
Launches don’t happen overnight. They take plenty of planning and organization. Podcasts take a lot of work, too. So, start pitching as soon as you can.
Some podcast hosts recommend sending a first pitch up to a year in advance because they have to:
- Notice your pitch (or follow up emails) and decide if your topic and expertize fits their needs
- Arrange the details to suit both your schedules
- Research and plan the episode
- Record your interview
- Edit it
- Release and promote the finished interview.
#5. Coordinate episode release dates - short time period for maximum buzz
Ideally, all your episodes should appear just before and within your launch window, so perhaps try to make that part of the advance work you do with the podcast hosts.
Tips for a slow and steady approach:
#1. Aim to pitch shows consistently so the yes responses keep rolling in
You’re highly unlikely to get a “yes” (or even a response) to every pitch you send. So, get yourself into a pitching routine.
It could be batch working by scheduling a weekly time slot to research possible podcasts and another one where you write and send pitch emails. Or, it might work better to dedicate an entire morning every week (or fortnight) and get everything done at once. Or you might research a heap of podcasts in one large time slot, then schedule smaller gaps over a fortnight to send your emails.
#2. Start small and work your way up
Tempting as it is to aim high, it’s more practical to start with small podcasts and work up to larger shows as you gain experience and a reputation for being a great podcast guest.
Listener numbers can be deceiving, too. Small can be valuable. For example, 100 listeners per episode doesn’t sound like much compared to thousands, but the podcast might have a super high audience engagement, meaning that every one of those listeners notices you because you appeared on their favorite podcast.
#3. Use the Add Value First strategy
Rayna Rokicki suggests adding value to your pitch as a way to stand out from the crowd.
Podcast hosts are extremely busy and get inundated with guest requests each day. One way to stand out would be to invite the host to be on your podcast. If you don't have a podcast, ask if you can share them with your audience through a blog, newsletter, live interview, etc. This invitation opens the door to networking and also collaboration.
#4. Adapt your messaging and CTAs
Your business goals probably cycle or grow throughout the year, so change your podcast messaging and calls to action accordingly.
Consider the podcast audience and their needs, too. For example, when you’re speaking to listeners in your target audience, you might send them to a landing page or valuable lead magnet. However, if you’re talking to a broader audience, perhaps in an adjacent niche, your CTA might be “connect with me on LinkedIn.”
#5. Create a process for repurposing your interview for maximum exposure
Make the most of each interview by repurposing snippets or lessons on social media and in your newsletter. You can also create a custom playlist of all your podcast guest appearances on Spotify and share the link.
All this is time-consuming if you have to think about how or what to do after each interview, but it’s much less work if you follow a process.
For example:
- 3 soundbites using Headliner
- 4 quote graphics using saved Canva templates
- Newsletter paragraph (use saved template)
- Schedule
Setting up templates and getting used to the step by step process, makes repurposing a lot less daunting and time-consuming.
#6. Track and refine your performance and impact
You mightn’t notice the effect podcast guesting is having on your business to start with. It’s a cumulative thing, and tricky to measure.
For example: Amelia hears you in a podcast episode. Later, she notices your snippet on social media and clicks a link. The following month, she hears you interviewed by her favorite host and checks out your website, but that’s as far as it goes. However, six months later, she encounters the exact problem you discussed in your first interview, and reaches out to book a call. You’re unlikely to link that call with a six-month-old podcast episode in your metrics, yet that’s really where it started.
Are you being a good podcast guest? Is each interview the best it can be? Listen to each one as objectively as you can and note where you could improve.
Things to think about:
- Do you need better stories to illustrate your points?
- Are you telling your stories effectively?
- Do you vary your voice, or are you speaking in a monotone?
- Are your answers too short? Do you have a good rapport with your host?
- Does your origin story need work?
#7. Schedule time to promote the episodes when they come out
There's lots you can do to maximize the effect of each podcast interview. However, there’s often a sizeable gap between recording the interview and it going live, so it’s easy to leave promoting to the last minute, or even forget about it all together.
So, liaise with the host to find out when your episode’s release date and schedule promoting time in your calendar. If they’re super organized, you might even know the dates before you record the interview. Or, you could ask them to let you know asap, and block out time in your calendar as soon as they do.
Final thoughts
There are merits to all three podcast guest strategies, and there are no hard and fast rules. It all depends on your business, and your reasons for choosing podcasts as a marketing and PR strategy.
If you’re launching something and want to reach as many podcast listeners as possible within a tight timeframe, choose a podcast sprint strategy and be prepared to work hard and fast. If your marketing strategy involves thought leadership or brand awareness, choose the slow and steady approach and build relationships over time.
Do you want your message heard by more podcast listeners? Use Rephonic to find and book more podcast appearances.
