How to vet podcasts as media relations targets

Podcasts are no longer some unique, niche corner of the media landscape. The first known podcast was released in 2003, meaning this media form is old enough to drink. There are currently 4.2 million active podcasts, according to Podcast Industry Insights, courtesy of Daniel J. Lewis. Their topics encompass almost anything you can imagine, though true crime, news and comedy are popular topics.

Podcasting has truly come of age, and as traditional media shrinks, it continues to grow.

But this plethora of podcasts can present a problem: how to determine which will support your PR goals and be worth the time and energy to get in front of their audience.

Andrew Petro is an account director on the B2B tech team at Matter Communications, where he often includes podcasts as part of his media strategy.

“(Podcasts are) just more free flowing in nature and not as competitive as some of the traditional media,” he said.

Here are some of Petro’s tips for finding the right podcast, making a successful pitch and ensuring your client is pod ready.

Vet the podcast

Determining overall reach for podcasts can be tricky. Distribution is often spread across multiple platforms, like Spotify, Apple and a number of smaller players. Most of these don’t share listener stats.

Of course, you can ask the podcast directly how many subscribers or average listeners they have, but not all will want to reveal that information. Some paid tools offer insights, but they’re all just best guesstimates.

Petro suggests:

• Look at social followings and other places the host appears. In the B2B space Petro plays in, many hosts also have large LinkedIn followings or columns on prestigious websites. This raised profile can give an inclination of the value of an appearance on that podcast. Not only does a higher followership indicate a higher listenership, your client’s appearance might get a shoutout on their social media platforms, , providing a great value-add.
• Look at previous guest lists. Make sure the show is attracting people like your client, or even at higher tiers: if they’re routinely landing big-name interviews from major players in the space, you want in. If it’s a newer podcast, Petro recommends a more wait-and-see approach, ensuring the content is a fit before diving in.
• Ask other pros. Matter Communications hosts an internal Teams channel called “Media Mavens” where team members swap information on promising leads, share what they know about journalists and help discover new media outlets. “I’m on five teams right now, focus on B2B and tech, but might benefit from somebody that is working on the consumer side of the business, from their relationships and knowledge. So, it’s a good resource,” Petro said.

Make the pitch

Getting booked on a podcast isn’t significantly different from any other media outlet. The key, Petro said, is making sure you do your research and understand the format of the show – and let that knowledge shine through in your pitch.

“If you want to get on the podcast, listen to a few episodes and get a feel for the vibe,” Petro said. “Every podcast is just a little bit different in the tone and what they talk about. Do your research, personalize, truly personalize, and put yourself in the reporter’s or the podcaster’s shoes.”

Prep the client

In most ways, client prep is, again, fairly similar to getting them ready for any other media appearance. Create a briefing document, go over key messaging, but also encourage them to be more conversational and not stay wedded to precise talking points if there’s a chance to be personable.

In particular, many podcasts like to save a personal question for the end of the episode.

“Prepping them for, what’s their favorite book? What’s happening outside of work? Just making sure they’re ready for those,” Petro said. “Because we listened to the podcast ahead of time, we can kind of guess what they’re going to ask on every episode.”

Podcasting has truly come of age, and as traditional media shrinks, it continues to grow.

Leave your favorite podcast tips and tricks below.

Allison Carter is editor-in-chief of PR Daily. Follow her on X or LinkedIn.

One Response to “How to vet podcasts as media relations targets”

Steve Turner says: July 22, 2024 at 9:53 am

One trick to vet the podcast is to check their YouTube channel. Most high-ranking podcasts, or those of value, also use YouTube as an outlet. You can check to see how many subscribers they have. You can see how many comments they get and how many views each podcast receives. Meager numbers may indicate a tiny audience for the podcast. A large number will indicate it is a legitimate target for the client.