Where do you even start to look for podcasts to share your message?

Today, I'm going to give you some super simple places to find shows because finding them isn't the hard part. I'm hoping that once you see how readily available and accessible other podcasters are, you'll be ready to give it a shot...even if it's a baby step.

There's two ways to look at this: the search way and the relationship way.

I believe in the power of mutually beneficial relationships, so let's start there.

• Leverage your network. Okay, leverage can sound transactional but think of it as using the power of your network. If you've made any friends in podcasting, make a couple of asks. Maybe you're a fit for their show or they for yours. Or, ask if they know other podcasters. Practice asking for introductions when you talk about podcasting. Better yet, become a person making those introductions which is a great way to serve. (I will share more about this in a future email.)
• Christian Podcasters Association Facebook Group - Every month we have a post called "Guest Connections" where you can pitch what you bring to podcasts. If you're looking for guests, you can ask for them, too. Talk about easy! With a simple Facebook comment, you can get in front of hundreds of podcasters.
• Christian Podcast Guest Facebook Group - This is our group specifically for guesting where it is always okay to pitch yourself. One author told me he got over 20 interviews just from making connections here.

But sometimes you're looking to expand beyond the people already know. What do you do then?

Fortunately for us, we live in the age of search engines. Here's where I go:

• Google (hello Captain Obvious...) - Search for categories of podcasts or keywords.
• Apple Podcasts - Everyone is in here and you'll get a good number of related shows.
• Spotify - Growing presence in podcasting and a great place to find shows you want to be on.
• Literally every form of social media - just search for your topics and see what comes up. Chances are good that you'll find the podcasts you're looking for.
• Chartable - While these are typically bigger shows that have no trouble finding guests, it's worth looking and making your ask.

When searching in any one of these services, try first by your category (which for us is most likely Religion & Spirituality niched down to Christianity...yours may be different depending on what your show is about). Then look for your key topics. If your message is well-defined, then it should be relatively easy to search using your two to three ideas in your topic.

You'll be surprised just how many shows relate to what you're doing. Once you've found them, check to be sure that (1) they take guests, and (2) the show is active. While there are over 2.4 million podcasts, only about 500k are active. You don't want to waste your time pitching a long defunct podcast.

Ah, the pitch?

Next week, I'll share a simple pitch process that will demystify what to say when pitching your appearance.

Did I miss your favorite place to look for podcasts? Or do you have another question about guesting? If so, let me know where you go.

Keep the faith,

Eric