Last week I shared some of the similarities and differences between radio and podcasts that can make a difference if you are going to be a guest on any shows. If you didn’t see it, you can check it out here.
If you decide to move forward and do your own podcast or radio tour covering the key messages from your book, I’ve got some tips that will help make that process easier. And let’s face it. Lots of things are difficult and challenging, so when something can be easier, I am all for it. This can be relatively simple if you know what to do and mistakes to avoid. Plus, podcasts are popular and a great way to connect with your target audience.
Overall, if you’re going to create a podcast or radio tour, you have some initial decisions to make. None of these are written in stone, of course. They can be altered as you see fit. Much like writing down a list of goals, you aren’t tied to that list. You can be flexible and change them when it makes sense to do so.
Asking yourself a series of questions beforehand can help you create a foundation as you put your plan together – one that will help you enormously. If nothing else, it gives you the framework of what to say yes to, what to say no to, or what to delay for another time.
Here are several important questions to ask when putting a podcast or radio tour together:
What is the start date for the campaign?
This is important because it gives you a line in the sand as to when it should all begin. Usually the book launch is the day when interviews really hit. But the thing to keep in mind is that while they may begin at launch day, it can take several months to pitch, land, and get actual dates on the calendar.
What is the length of the campaign?
It’s good to know how long you will devote to this process. Will it be three months, six, or an entire year? Remember, because many podcasts are not tied to the calendar or season, content is evergreen. It is not uncommon to land a podcast that is looking at a date for you that’s a year out.
Who is your target audience(s)?
This seems obvious, but it’s important to give it some thought. You may have an overall target, which may people who want to learn about money, for example, but that covers a lot of ground. You can have sub targets that are just getting started such as Gen Z. Or Baby Boomers nearing retirement. Or maybe parents with kids who want to plan for college. Or Entrepreneurs starting a business.
What outcome do you want?
What do you want to get from each interview? Do you want to sell books? Do you want to grow your email list? Are you simply looking for experience doing interviews? Maybe you want the visibility that comes from doing interviews. Whatever it is that’s fine. Just know what that outcome is and set things up accordingly.
Where will you send audience members?
Tied to the last question, once you know your desired outcome you need to be sure you are sending them to the right place, whether it’s a landing page to grow your list, or to Amazon to buy the book, or add to the pre-sales numbers. Where should you send them?
How will you know when you’ve reached your outcome?
Do you want sales, to grow your list, more visibility? Whatever you decide you want, be sure you are able to determine how effective your strategy is by tracking it with some actual data.
Media training?
This is a good question to ask yourself and it’s always a good idea. If you’ve never had any media training, or even if you have, each book has new key messages and you want to be sure you’re delivering them in the most effective way possible. There is an art and a science to doing this well, and I can tell you that when you hear someone who makes it sound so easy, it’s because they have had some training and experience. This is not something that just happens.
Inner and outer games of media
We all know the outer game. It’s all about the podcasts, booking the shows, and delivering great interviews. The inner game is what allows you to do that, or not do that. If you find yourself procrastinating and not setting up a tour when you say that is what you want, then you must take a look at the inner game. I’ll share more about that next week. For now…
To your success!
Joanne
P.S. My husband was a naval pilot. You haven’t lived until you watch Top Gun with him. You will learn more than you ever want to know about naval air. Lady Gaga sure knows how to bring it.
#podcasttour
#question
#bookpublicity
#bookmarketing
If you’d like to receive juicy publicity secrets directly on a regular basis, join the Savvy Sunday Community at the bottom of this page.