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How to Successfully Land Celebrity and Influencer Guests On Your Podcast
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How are you doing in podcasting as a guest, host, or both?
Influence and social authority are most visible with connective placement. Sharing the mic or stage (aka podcast platform) with people of name recognition can enhance your listenership, viewership, and personal branding recognition. But do you ever consider the connection between you and the guest themselves rather than just numbers, listens, and podcast growth? What if your show was one to be remembered? What if your show became an asset to them? In this post, you’ll learn how Tamra Andress and her team make an impact with the top .3%, 4-year running show, The F.I.T. in Faith Podcast, by bringing on celebrity and influencer guests.
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Are you ready to have a celebrity influencer on your podcast? What’s holding you back? Most often, the answer is that you are discrediting yourself or that you are not even trying.
Yet inviting celebrity guests or influencers is a great way to build strong connections and partnerships
In this post, I’ll teach you how to land celebrity guests on your show and what to do once you have them there.
First of all, celebrity guests want to know that their appearance on your show is of value to them
Let us talk about value.
As a business coach, people often come to me with good ideas.
However, the idea is not necessarily based on anything that really sparks passion and purpose.
It’s just a good idea.
Unfortunately, many of them are likely to burn out.
They probably come up with something like: I want a celebrity guest. But are you willing to put in the hard work to get your podcast to that point?
To reap the harvest, meaning those guests, the numbers, the ratings, the traction, the relatability, and the partnership you want, you have to start with one thing.
That is the being, then the brand, and then the business.
* This post is an excerpt from our Quarterly PodPros Virtual Event
Being
This is the mindset work we have to do as podcasters in order to pitch someone.
- One: Your show matters
- Second: Your voice matters
- Third: Your message matters
- Fourth, the foundation of it all: you matter
This is how we have gained tremendous influence in our business and consistently feature in the top 1% of podcasts.
Actually, we are in the top 0.3%, but that sounds weird. So I just like to say top 1%.
Your being is related to how you show up to your message and your mission.
But do you know your message and mission? Or are you just doing it because it’s a good podcast idea?
What will continue to burn inside you if you do not say these things or connect with this particular topic?
Once you have the right mindset and value yourself right, the hierarchy of celebrityism or influencers starts to diminish.
It is then no longer a far-fetched idea to approach them.
Brand
Branding is the relational capital. It is communication and messaging. It is associated with how you show up in the world.
Does your podcast cover exude your brand and message? Are your Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and other social media handles effectively and efficiently branded to look professional?
If a celebrity or influencer is intentional with their time and only has a certain allotment of time for podcast guest appearances, they need to know that there is value in coming on your show.
Have your podcast episodes been released on the same day for the last six months?
This means that your brand appeal and message will appear consistent, whether they are reviewing the podcast themselves or their agent is vetting the podcast.
Is there seamlessness? Is there consistency? Can they trust you, like you, and know you well enough from the outside looking in?
All of this is very important from a branding perspective.
Business
This is the pitching element. The primary way is to have a formalized email with a media kit that ties into your podcast and links. Do not go overboard with the “links” A link to the show and a link to book the show should be sufficient.
You do not want to give too much information, just a few bullet points:
- Why do you love this person?
- Why do you think they would be a good fit for your show?
You can even include a short video showing that you went the extra mile for this person.
This should not be just another generic pitch email.
What makes them so special? Maybe you have listened to their show or followed them for years. You have read their book. Let them know you are an invested member of their community.
That means you are probably their ideal avatar. You are the person they want to reach.
If your audience and the people you are talking to are connected to you, they will want access to them, too.
They want to share with you as much as you want to share with them.
This is where the gap begins to close when they recognize your value and realize that the people you connect with are actually an element of access to them. Basically, you are doing them a favor by letting them come into your show!
Yes, you are doing the celebrity guest a favor
They want more reach. They want more influence, not unlike you.
If you are sending out a formal email, these are my key takeaways for you.
The second way and this is the main way how we’ve gotten celebrities on our show.
One example is Dave Hollis. When I first tried to get Dave Hollis on my show, I did that on Instagram.
I had literally just been engaging with him. I was part of his book launch team and had been sending him comments and tagging him in IG Stories. When I approached him with my pitch, my name was not new to him.
You can imagine how intriguing that might be to someone who has seen your name many times before and who you are now asking for a favor.
As opposed to what a lot of people do. They just reach out of the blue, and then the person wonders, “Who is this person? I feel uncomfortable. I do not feel like there’s an exchange of value here.”
When you engage on their social channels, provide real value to them, and tag friends, it shows them that you actually trying to help them grow their influence and share their message.
And yes, you’d like them to be on your show, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I scratch yours, you scratch my back. That’s how it works.
Start a Video Trailer
Do not underestimate the power of your show when it comes to influencing and gifting your celebrity/influencer on your podcast.
You want to gift them something. Yes, it’s an additional time investment on your part.
But it’s also an element of affirmation for them, and at the same time, it makes your show look so good.
Most celebrities and influencers do not do that. They just think, “Well, they do not need anything from me. I do not need to do this. They can find it all out online.”
They probably have a team that can take care of it, but for some reason they do not, at least in my experience with all the celebrities, we have had on our show.
You got to do a little bit of recon work.
Put in some extra effort in order to get them on the show. One of the ways we do that is to create a video trailer for them to show them that we took the time designated to set aside for them and this episode and that we are grateful to have them on.
It’s a gratitude note, and it makes them feel good.
So we do the surprise video trailer after we have had our green screen time. They do not know that this is going to happen.
So they see themselves because everybody likes to see themselves, right? Then we stream the video trailer of the show.
At this point, they are already engrossed in what’s going on and wondering, “What’s going to happen next?”
“Am I going to be on it again?” Now they can see all the other celebrities and the great conversations we have had on your show.
Now they are so energized to start a conversation!
They show up differently, more boldly, and in all their glory.
Typically, almost 90% of the conversations on my podcast start with, “That video was awesome.”
The podcast community listening later does not actually see that particular segment.
I encourage you to create a video trailer. This will bless you in many ways because it will also bless the celebrity guest or influencer.
So go to DM or write a formal email request. Make sure your branding is consistent and good.
And remember, at the end of the day, it’s about you and the value you bring, the message you have. That’s what matters.
About Tamra Andress
Tamra Andress is a human sparkler and top thought leader in spiritual entrepreneurship, an international speaker, and 2x bestselling author. She’s the founder and chief evangelist of F.I.T. in Faith Media Company. As an ordained minister she is co-missioned to activate purpose-driven leaders personally and professionally with their broadcasted messages and businesses through publishing, podcasting, and play. She’s an event host to annual conferences and retreats that unleash identity and freedom around the world. Her F.I.T. in Faith Podcast is globally ranked in the top 1% of the spirituality and business charts with over 250 interviews of founders, innovators, and trailblazers. And her most treasured role is wife and mama – and you will surely never leave her presence without an added measure of joy!
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