I have several years of experience pitching people into podcasts. Part of my process is crafting pitches, researching podcasts, customizing those pitches, and figuring out who the right person is to pitch. Even when someone is a great guest and I’ve prepared a spot-on pitch, I always consider another factor: the right timing.
When pitching a podcaster, you can’t simply add them to a mass media list and hope for the best. It must be customized, targeted, and relationship-first focused.
But what happens after you send out that personalized podcast pitch?
Although you always hope to receive a reply right away, a podcaster’s inbox is often bursting with pitches, so a follow-up is often necessary.
So, the real question is: when do you follow up?
I decided to reach out to my network and ask podcasters that very question. I found the insights varying but informative bits of wisdom.
Stephanie Martinez Rivera, host of the podcast Joy Found Here (whom I featured recently!) said, “I try to answer within two days, and if I’m thinking about the pitch or person, I’ll let them know I need more time.” And when it comes to the follow-up timing of someone who has pitched her, she says no kind of follow-up is bad. “I appreciate it especially if I lost the email along the way.”
However, each podcaster has their own preference. Vince Chan, host of Chief Change Officer, recommends following up in one week. He also warns against sending too many pitches. “Anyone [who] keeps sending messages for the same guest or for more than one guest almost every day looks like an automation setup for me.”
In one case, Chan says, he had to “[block] the sender and classified it as spam, although this person keeps using different addresses to recommend guests to me every day. This clearly shows it’s an automation setup.”
Another podcast host, Denise Griffitts of Your Partner in Success Radio, recommends a solid five business days before you follow up. On her blog post (that sparked this very article), she advises against “hitting send on a follow-up email 48 hours after your first one.”
Since reading Denise’s blog post, and reflecting on some of the feedback I’ve received through this article’s research, I’ve implemented the personal rule not to follow up for at least five business days.
However, beyond the follow-up timing, other podcasters and producers, gave me additional insights I wanted to share:
- Start by pitching to an alternative method of communication besides email.
Jamie Kennedy, podcast producer of Brave Moon Podcasts, shares that well-established podcasters are receiving up to five email pitches a day, at a minimum. “Most are poorly written by AI and don’t come close to standing out…[and] even the emails that try to stand out… don’t! This is simply due to the fact that podcast hosts can see right through the BS.”
That’s why she recommends reaching out to the podcaster with other methods besides email. “LinkedIn has been a great resource and has helped me create connections with podcast hosts.” Or she also recommends “using the podcast host’s website contact form (if they have one).”
In terms of the follow up, she advises “to wait at least one week before following up, and limit follow-ups to once a week. “Hosts are busy, yes, and a gentle reminder can help, but more than likely they just might not be interested.”
- Make sure to personalize your pitch before you hit send.
Matt, co-host of the podcast Geeks from the Multi-Verse, shares, “What really makes a difference is when the pitch feels personal — like they actually listened to an episode, visited our site, or at least know what our show is about. When someone calls out something specific we’ve said or done, it feels real and gets our attention way more than the usual copy-paste templates.”
And when it comes to actually following up he recommends “somewhere between 7 to 10 days after the first initial email.” As a result, this will allow them “enough breathing room to actually check it out without being in the middle of recording, editing or launching a new episode.”
- Make sure you do you research and demonstrate your expertise.
More important than your timing for pitches and follow ups is doing your research, says Sam, co-host of the podcast, Something More Human. When considering guests, Sam and his co-host, Elliot, more about whether a guest is “demonstrating that you’ve done your research (what do we talk about? what resonates with you? did we ask a question recently and you’re sharing your answer?).”
They also want to see “how your expertise fits distinctly within the niche of our show – a generalized CV on it’s own is hard to stand out.”
In review, when it comes to pitching podcasters and following up, here are a few good rules of thumb:
- Give it at least five business days or a week before you follow-up with a podcaster
- Seek out alternative methods to pitch, whether it’s an online form or making a genuine connection on social media platforms, like LinkedIn
- Personalize the pitch before hitting send, making sure the podcaster sees the alignment between their show and you (or your client) as their guest
- Research the show in advance and demonstrate how you (or your client) is an expert in this field or a specific niche
Do you pitch podcasters? What lessons have you learned along the way? Let me know in the comments!
