Podcast Press Releases: A Proven Strategy for Getting Your Show the Attention It Deserves

Press releases are an underutilized marketing tactic in the podcast industry. They can help launch your podcast into the media spotlight without spending a dime! In this blog post, Tori Shirah shares how to write a press release, but more importantly, WHO to send a press release to, and how to get your podcast featured on media channels!

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Read the Blog Post: Podcast Press Releases: A Proven Strategy for Getting Your Show the Attention It Deserves

What is black and white and read everywhere? No, not a newspaper. The answer is, in fact, a press release.

Maybe you are familiar with it, maybe you are not. In this article, I’ll explain why you need to write a podcast press release, what it entails, and who to send it to so you can share your podcast with multiple media outlets.

The Very First Press Release

Ivy Lee wrote the very first press release in 1906 when he shared information about a railroad accident on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Why are we still using press releases today, more than a hundred years later? Because this is still a great way to share information in a concise format and distribute it to many places at once.

What Exactly is a Press Release?

A press release is simply an official statement that disseminates information to media outlets such as newspapers, magazines, online publications, TV and radio stations.

The benefits of a press release include:

• It gets the word out about your podcast
• Helps your target audience find you
• Builds your authority in your niche and in the podcast industry as a whole.

The best part is that while a press release is an official statement, you do not have to be a professional to write or share one.

I know for a fact that I wrote my press release for my podcast in my sweatpants, and so can you.

What Info to Include in the Press Release

I’ll tell you my secret formula: Google it. I am not kidding. I had no experience writing press releases. So I Googled “press release template” and found hundreds of various templates, all with different formats and outlines. Don’t be afraid to go through them to figure out which template you want to use or which one you like best.

That being said, I am going to go over some of the information to include in your press release template.

First, your contact information will be in the upper left corner of your press release. Include your name, the name of your podcast, your website, your email address, and even your phone number. Someone may want to call you after they receive your press release to ask you a few more questions.

Next is an attention-grabbing headline. Think of it as your hook.
What will make them want to read the next few paragraphs about your podcast press release? What should your listeners or subscribers know about your podcast? Unlike an article or essay, your introductory paragraph should be the most important. This is where you tackle the who, what, when, where, why, and how. You should be brief and precise. In case this is the only paragraph they read, then all the pertinent information is there.

Body paragraphs should be no longer than one page. In these paragraphs, give background information on why you started the podcast and why you are in the industry you are in.
Why it matters to their readers or listeners to learn about you. Another thing to include here is a few thought-provoking quotes. These should be derived from things you’ve said in your previous podcast episodes. You have control over the information and the narrative here. Make use of that.

The last point is a call to action. Similar to how we use powerful CTAs in our podcasts or posts on social media. Let them know how to contact you, and where they can listen to your podcast. Don’t forget to ask them to share it with their listeners or readers.

Keep in mind a press release is usually written in the third person.

Who Do You Send Your Press Release To?

You’re going to send your press release to everyone in your niche market. So what is your podcast about? Who is your ideal listener?

Is there a magazine that your ideal listener subscribes to? Then send it to that magazine. You’ll also send it to your local newspaper. They want good stories and to stay up to date with what’s happening in their community.

Plus, they have a lot of pages to fill and are probably more than willing to do a story on a local podcaster.
Send the press release to local TV stations, even if it’s a little scary. Here, the internet will be your best friend here. First, find the websites of your local TV stations and go through the “Contact Us” page. Make a note of each news anchor and their email addresses. Copy this information into a spreadsheet and beneath the specific TV station.

Move on to the next station and repeat the process. Then do the same with the radio stations. Don’t forget the DJs who have morning shows. They too are looking for people and guests for their radio stations.

Now that you have this spreadsheet, send a copy of your press release to each of the contacts listed there. It does not matter that six of them all work for the same news station or radio station.
What if you send it to one and they are not the person who can make the decision?

Instead of forwarding the email to the decision maker, they will probably ignore it altogether.

Or maybe their inbox is so cluttered that they can not even find your email or it ends up in spam. That’s why you’ll send the email to each individual recipient.

In the email, introduce yourself and tell them a little about your personality. While press releases tend to come from a third party (publicist or PR team), the email comes from you. So make it appealing, because if you do not, no one will want to open the attachment.

Every time you send out an email, note the date you sent it.

When To Send Your Podcast Press Release

So when do you send out your press release? Well, every chance you get! Are you launching a new podcast? Do you have a special episode, a new season, or a big celebrity podcast guest? Have you hit a big milestone for your podcast? There are many reasons to send out a press release.
It’s really up to you and what side you want to market.

As I mentioned earlier, each time you sent an email, note the date in your spreadsheet. When you get a response – whether it’s a rejection or it says, “Hey, let us set up an interview” – write all that information down.

If you do not hear from them, send them a follow-up email a week later. If you do not hear from them after that email, send another email a month later.
During this time, you should make tweaks to your press releases as well as the body of the email you sent the first time. If you do not hear from them that month, do it three months later and then for six months.

Continue to send them emails. Maybe they did not see your email because it ended up in the spam folder or because they were on vacation. Who knows. Keep sending it until they finally tell you, “No thanks,” or refer you to the person who can take care of your email.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease Therefore, you need to be the squeaky wheel in this case. I hope this helps you better understand a press release and how it is great and free marketing for you. It’s the perfect opportunity to step up as a professional and be your own PR team and promote your podcast to your ideal listeners.

 

About Tori Shirah

Tori is the host of the Girl Boss Rehab podcast and co-host of the Unlikely Housewives Podcast. Her background in marketing has helped her uniquely bring attention to her podcasts, and she loves sharing what’s worked for her with other podcasters to bring more attention to the podcasting industry.

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