By Stacey Chillemi | Founder, Advisor Global Media | NYC Podcast Award Winner
If you are a coach author or expert trying to grow your visibility you have probably already heard that podcast guesting is one of the most powerful ways to reach new audiences. And you are right. But here is what most people do not tell you — getting booked on the right podcasts is not as simple as sending a few emails and waiting for the calendar invites to roll in.
I know this from both sides of the microphone.
I have been hosting a podcast that now reaches 1.3 million listeners worldwide for nearly four years. I have also spent years helping coaches authors physicians and entrepreneurs get booked on shows that actually move the needle for their business. And the difference between the people who get booked consistently and the ones who never seem to land the right opportunities almost always comes down to the same handful of things.
Here is exactly what works.
Start With the Right Shows
Most people make the mistake of pitching the biggest shows they can find. That seems logical — bigger audience means more exposure. But the hosts of the largest podcasts receive hundreds of pitches every week and unless you already have significant name recognition your pitch is going to get lost.
The smarter strategy is to start with shows in the mid tier — podcasts with engaged audiences of 5,000 to 50,000 listeners — where the host is more accessible and the audience is highly targeted to your expertise.
A focused audience of 10,000 people who are exactly your ideal client is worth more than a passing mention to 500,000 people who have no interest in what you offer.
Start where you can actually get booked. Build your guest resume. Use those appearances to open the doors to the bigger shows.
Your Pitch Has to Be About Them Not You
This is the single biggest mistake I see in podcast pitches.
Most pitches sound like this:
“Hi I am [Name] and I am an expert in [topic]. I have written three books and been featured in [publication]. I would love to come on your show and share my expertise with your audience.”
That pitch tells the host everything about you and nothing about why their audience would care.
A great pitch sounds like this:
“Hi [Host Name] — I have been listening to your show and I noticed you cover [specific topic]. I work with [specific audience] on [specific problem] and I think a conversation about [specific angle] could be really valuable for your listeners because [specific reason].”
The difference is everything.
Podcast hosts are protective of their audiences. They want to know that you understand who their listeners are and that you have something genuinely useful to offer them. Lead with that and your booking rate will improve immediately.
Your Credentials Matter — But Not the Way You Think
You do not need to be famous to get booked on great podcasts. But you do need to be credible.
Credibility for podcast pitching looks like:
→ A clear area of expertise that is easy to explain in one sentence
→ A compelling personal story that connects to your expertise
→ Some form of proof — a book a published article a previous podcast appearance or a client result
→ A professional online presence — a real website a LinkedIn profile and ideally some content that shows you know how to communicate your ideas
If you are just starting out and have none of these yet — start by building them. Guest on smaller local podcasts. Publish articles on Medium or LinkedIn. Get one strong testimonial from a client. Each piece of credibility makes the next pitch easier.
Your Topic Has to Be Specific
Vague topics do not get booked. Specific topics do.
“I talk about mindset and success” — vague. Hard to book.
“I help burned out executives recover their energy and rebuild their performance without quitting their job” — specific. Easy to book.
The more clearly you can articulate exactly who you help and exactly what changes for them the easier it is for a host to picture your conversation and say yes.
Before you pitch anyone spend time getting your topic down to one or two sentences that are so clear a ten year old could understand them.
Follow Up Without Being Annoying
Most bookings happen not from the first pitch but from the follow up.
Podcast hosts are busy. Emails get buried. The ones who follow up professionally and persistently — without becoming a nuisance — get booked at a significantly higher rate than those who pitch once and give up.
A good follow up sequence looks like this:
First pitch — day one
First follow up — five to seven days later
Second follow up — two weeks after that
Final follow up — one month after the first pitch
After that let it go and move on. You have done your job. If the timing is not right now it may be right later.
Treat Every Appearance as a Long Term Asset
Once you land a booking the work is not done — it is just beginning.
Every podcast appearance should be treated as a permanent media asset. That means:
→ Repurpose the audio and video into clips for social media
→ Write a LinkedIn article expanding on what you discussed
→ Add the show to your media page and bio
→ Share it with your email list and social followers
→ Ask the host if they would be open to you returning for a follow up episode
One appearance done well leads to another. And another. That momentum compounds over time until you are not chasing bookings anymore — they are coming to you.
When to Work With a Media Agency
If you are serious about podcast guesting as a visibility strategy — and you should be — there comes a point where doing it yourself is no longer the best use of your time.
Our team at Advisor Global Media sends up to 100 targeted media pitches per month on behalf of our clients. We handle the research the outreach the follow up and the scheduling — so our clients can focus on showing up and delivering great conversations.
The result is a consistent pipeline of booked appearances on shows that actually serve their audience and support their business goals.
If you are ready to stop guessing and start getting booked on the right shows consistently a free discovery call is the best place to start.
It is not the cards you were dealt. It is how you played the hand. 
Stacey Chillemi is the founder of Advisor Global Media — an award-winning full service PR and media agency helping coaches authors physicians and entrepreneurs get seen heard and recognized nationally. She is a 20-time bestselling author NYC Podcast Award winning host and epilepsy advocate whose podcast reaches 1.3 million listeners worldwide.
Ready to get booked on the right podcasts? Book a free discovery call at staceychillemi.com
