How to Get Podcast Press Without Hiring or Becoming a Full-Time Publicist
A smarter, more sustainable approach to podcast publicity
Hi Besties!
Most podcasters think getting press is about sending pitches, but I’d argue that’s pretty far down the list.
I’ve noticed that the podcasters who consistently get coverage tend to do two things well:
They cultivate relationships (versus one-off hits).
They make it easy for people to cover them.
I recently joined AIR’s AMPLIFY panel about podcast publicity moderated by podcast journalist and marketing consultant Elena Fernández Collins, alongside fellow panelist and Bitter/Sweet podcaster Natasha Miller, and a lot of what we discussed challenged the godforsaken spray-and-pray approach to PR.
Here’s what I’d focus on if I were trying to get more attention for a podcast today.
Start thinking about your ecosystem
This is less a PR strategy and more an organizing principle that I think podcasters should embrace, but I promise it will help support your long-term goals.
I host three podcasts, wrote a book, teach workshops, and run multiple newsletters. If I treated everything I do like its own isolated marketing campaign, I’d burn out immediately. Instead, I think in terms of my ecosystem. One piece of content should serve multiple goals.
For example:
A podcast interview can become a newsletter post and also promote my classes.
A reported article can become a podcast episode or vice versa—and yes, I’ll promote my book during the episode and in my writer bio.
A Substack Live can be repurposed as a podcast episode, a newsletter post, AND social media clips.
A piece of press can become newsletter fodder.
I’m not trying to create more content for promotional purposes; I’m trying to get more mileage out of the content I’ve already made.
Substack is my secret weapon
Over the past five years, Substack has become one of the most useful tools in my podcasting business. It goes far beyond being just a newsletter platform. With podcasting, video, Substack Notes, and more, I think of it as the Swiss Army knife of my ecosystem. Most importantly, it gives me direct access to my audience.
Podcasting is intimate, but it’s also dependent on listeners returning to your RSS feed again and again. An email list changes that.
My best press strategy is DIY journalism
One of the biggest advantages I’ve had with Private Parts Unknown is that I’m also a journalist.
When we traveled to Tokyo for a series, I wrote about one of the experiences in a viral essay for Cosmopolitan. Later, after the publication’s exclusivity period ended, I adapted it into a podcast episode, which quickly became one of our most-downloaded episodes (and I’ve since rerun it multiple times).
I’ve also covered a sex toy artist and the Southern California stripper unionization efforts for both the podcast and online publications.
For The Bleeders, I turn each episode into a listicle on Substack where I have a growing email list. Here’s an example of a podcast episode, YouTube video, and newsletter post all based on the same interview.
My advice would be to look for ways your work can live in multiple formats.
Ask yourself:
Could this episode become an article?
Could this reporting become a podcast?
Could this interview become a newsletter post?
How can this story exist beyond just the audio?
The more formats your work can live in, the more opportunities you’ll have for discovery that aren’t dependent on social media.
Relationships beat cold pitches
This was one of the strongest themes of the conversation. In fact, the whole reason I was doing the panel was that Arielle Nissenblatt🎧 recommended me (thank you, Arielle!).
Yes, it’s helpful to keep a list of podcast, newsletter, and mainstream media writers and editors. I keep a loose one. Natasha does too.
But most of the best opportunities don’t come from pitching; they come from pre-existing relationships. I’ve been featured in roundups and recommendation lists simply because someone already knew my work from Podcast Bestie or a previous conference, collaboration, or connection.
People are more likely to think of you when you’ve supported their work, stayed in touch, contributed to the community, and you’re not just reaching out when you need something.
Podcasting is a surprisingly small industry. Being a good citizen feels good—and it can help your show and career.
Don’t promote every episode
This is where I see a lot of podcasters waste energy. You do not need a full publicity push every week. I certainly don’t.
Instead, I look for moments that are actually newsworthy:
Milestone episodes
Major guests
Special series
Launches
Anniversaries
That’s when I focus my outreach. Otherwise, you’re asking journalists and newsletter writers to pay attention to everything. And if everything is important, nothing is.
Psst, when you DO have a press-worthy podcasting event to promote, here’s a great list of podcast publications, compiled by Arielle Nissenblatt and Lauren Passell for their newsletter Podcasts We Text About. I recommend subscribing now and pitching later. Nothing drives me nuts like seeing someone subscribe and then immediately send a pitch that starts, “I’m a long-time subscriber...” No, you’re a liar, lol.
To avoid other stupid mistakes, check out this excellent article from Elena Fernández Collins on how to do press releases right.
The most common pitching mistake
I receive a lot of pitches. Most of them start with a long explanation of who the sender is. This is backward!
Lead with the story.
Tell me:
What’s interesting
Why I should care
Why my audience should care
Once you’ve convinced me the idea matters, then (briefly) tell me about yourself.
A great pitch is a gift. You want to offer a compelling story they’re eager to share with their audience—that’s how you get an easy yes. Don’t put the cart before the horse. Or rather, don’t put yourself in front of the wonderful present you’re trying to give.
Press isn’t the final destination
Many creators work incredibly hard to get coverage and then stop. That’s a big mistake.
When you get press:
Share it on social media
Add it to your website
Include it in your newsletter
Add it to your media kit
Use it when pitching guests and collaborators
Instead of thinking of press as some sort of finish line, think of it as an asset and keep putting it to work.
The real goal
The biggest takeaway from this AIR panel was deeper than press releases or media lists. It was about building a body of work that people want to talk about. Create something worth sharing, develop real relationships, and make it easy for people to help you. And when the opportunities come, as they surely will, make sure your ecosystem is ready to capture that attention and turn it into something lasting. That’s how publicity becomes sustainable instead of exhausting.
I’m teaching some upcoming classes you might be interested in:
12 Months to a Full Memoir in Essays Incubator: Write Your Memoir in a Year
How to Build a “Platform” for Writers Who Shudder at the Thought
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣
What’s the best piece of podcast press you’ve ever received—and what happened afterward? Did it move downloads, subscribers, guests, sponsors, or something else?
This is really helpful insight! Thank you!
This was great information, especially about writing a good pitch! Thanks for sharing.