You know you’re an expert in your field. You have spent years building up your knowledge and expertise. You’ve got plenty of value bombs to offer. How do you spread your message?
Being a guest blogger or guest on a podcast, Twitter chat or regular Facebook live are great ways to get in front of new audiences and stamp your authority as an expert. Here’s how to get the gigs which will enable you to talk to more people about what you do best.
Serve first
First things first, I would never advocate being a guest anywhere just for the sake of it. People have put a lot of time and energy into building their community and it's not there for you to use for your own ends and then disappear without a backward glance.
You should be an active member of any community where you are hoping to be a guest. Take part, be helpful. Your guest appearance shouldn't be the first time the host has spoken to you. And don't let it be the last!
If that hasn't given you a massive hint about where to look for guest appearances, then think about the shows and conversations in your niche that you never miss. It might be a must-listen industry podcast or it could be a show you know your ideal customer adores.
There are any number of opportunities for you to get in front of audiences who want to hear your experience and expertise. If you're a keen member of a community, don't think you could never sit in that hot seat, step up and ask to be interviewed.
You should be an active member of any community where you are hoping to be a guest. It's not there for you to use for your own ends and then disappear without a backward glance. Take part, be helpful. #Youpreneur Click To TweetHow to become a podcast guest
Podcasting is huge these days. Listeners of these shows are committed. They are willing to listen for up to an hour to someone talking about a topic they care about. It's also a very accessible format. People can listen on their phone on the way to work or while they're walking – an efficient way to learn in a busy world.
Keep your pitch short and to the point. As I said at the top, it helps if you have made an effort to get to know the host and the podcast. Show them the value you will bring to their audience. What will their listeners be talking about after the show and sharing with their circle?
Write a guest article
If you enjoy writing articles, look for guest blogging opportunities. These are not only a useful way to be seen by other people’s audiences, but you can also get a backlink to your website, giving you an SEO boost.
You will need a clear idea of who you are pitching your article to. What will readers of the site you are writing for want to know about? How can you help them? If you have read something on the site and can give an alternative viewpoint or move the discussion on, that’s a good hook to pitch to the editor.
Make sure you know the word count and don’t go over it. Also pay attention to any style points. You’re making work for the editor if they have to heavily edit what you’ve written.
Don’t just think about blogs. Look for opportunities to write for print publications too. People often overlook print these days but there is still a committed audience there.
Take part in a Twitter chat
Are you on Twitter? One of its best, but sometimes missed, features is Twitter Chats. These are regular conversations hosted by a person or organization where people talk about a different topic each week. You follow the conversation by using the hashtag, which everyone taking part needs to remember to include in their responses.
Many of these chats invite guests to share their expertise with the people taking part. It’s an opportunity for you to tweet with people in real time. It can be fast and furious – that 30 or 60 minutes will flash by! Not everyone watching the thread will take part and some people will look at the thread later.
Your notifications will keep pinging as new people see something you’ve said and respond. Twitter chat communities are good places to meet and tweet with like-minded people.
Join in on a Facebook Live show
Again, the same rules apply. Is there a show you enjoy on Facebook Live? You watch it every week, you comment, you’ve got to know the hosts and you know you can bring value to their audience. Send them a message and ask if they would be interested in you being a guest.
Facebook Live enables you to combine audiences. You can both be promoting the show in the run up to it within your communities so both sides benefit. The video will be available afterwards for you to point people to as well. Great if you are looking to show people what you can do in front of a camera.
Get people on your list
One thing to remember about all these opportunities is that you want people to stay in touch. You don’t want them to listen to you, read what you have to say, or tweet with you and then move on. Make it easy for people to find you afterward.
They will want to know more about you after all that great value you have provided. Give them your favored social media handle and direct them to your website. Having a landing page you can send people to keeps things really simple. All they have to do is click that one link.
Chris founded Youpreneur® in 2015. He is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker and author of the bestselling books “Virtual Freedom” and “Rise of the Youpreneur”. He hosts our weekly podcast, Youpreneur.FM, as well as our annual conference, the Youpreneur Summit. Chris is based in Cambridge, UK.
