“It’s like no stress compared to a lot of the other ways we have to market.”
That’s how Dustin Riechmann described the repeatable strategy he’s used to sell over $30,000 in meat snacks online since December.
(Yes, meat snacks—more on that in a second.)
Every time he implements this specific strategy, he expects to get:
- ~4k in immediate sales
- ~10k in lifetime sales
- All without spending a dime of his marketing budget
And no, this is NOT some random niche tactic that only works for ecommerce businesses. 🙂
I’m talking about getting interviewed on podcasts—one of my absolute favorite ways to generate big chunks of leads who are pre-conditioned to buy from you.
So whether you sell coaching, consulting, courses, or even meat snacks, listen up!
I sat down with Dustin and had him walk me step-by-step through the approach he’s following to get in front of warm audiences full of his ideal customers.
Sidenote: After you watch the interview, be sure to check out FireCreek Snacks and use promo code GROWTH15 to get 15% off your order!
In this interview with Dustin, you’ll see:
- How he’s turned 3 podcast interviews into $30,000 in sales
- The 3 CTAs he’s tested (and how they’ve performed)
- The “halo effect” that got Dustin a Zoom call with Walmart’s head buyer for meat snacks
- The secret to getting a “yes” from 100% of the podcasts he’s pitched on interviewing him
- Why he prefers partnerships as a growth strategy over more common tactics like Facebook ads
- And more!
Links:
- Check out FireCreek Snacks and use promo code GROWTH15 to get 15% off your order
- Here’s Dustin’s interview on the BiggerPockets Business podcast
Want to Use Podcast Interviews to Get More Customers? Here’s a Closer Look at How Dustin Does It… 🔍
Podcast interviews can be one of the simplest ways to drive warm prospects who immediately trust you to your business.
If you want to do that, it helps to understand how and why they work at a high level first. So let’s quickly review the details of Dustin’s business, his customers, and how he uses this strategy.
His Business: FireCreek Snacks — a better-for-you protein snack company (think of their products like high-end, craft versions of Slim Jims).
FireCreek Snacks’ Best Fit Customer:
This was seemingly the trickiest part for Dustin when we started helping him think of potential podcasts to pitch on interviewing him…
FireCreek Snacks’ products kind of appeal to everyone.
Sure, they fit nicely with a keto or gluten-free diet, but their customers aren’t exclusive people with those lifestyles.
“Any opportunity I get to be in front of warm-blooded American people, I know there’s a subset in there that’s concerned about what they’re eating,” Dustin said. “They want a high protein, low sugar type of snack. Especially in the times we’re in now, people are really into having food shipped to their house and not having to go out to the grocery store.”
This is why Dustin decided to start out by optimizing for his own comfort level with podcast targets rather than optimizing for podcasts with food-focused audiences.
Dustin’s Podcast Targets:
To come up with his initial list of podcasts to pitch, Dustin literally pulled out his phone, opened the podcasts app, and scrolled through the shows he already listens to frequently.
Almost all of them were business- or ecommerce-related podcasts.
That’s when the idea hit him—why not just get on those shows, tell the authentic story of building FireCreek Snacks with his partner Ryan, and see what happens?
The Results:
Dustin started out by using the outreach method we teach in Growth University to write and send pitch emails to 7 podcasts (more on our pitch method later).
Here’s what’s happened so far:
- 7 out of the 7 podcasts he pitched said YES (even though he had zero connections to them)
- From the 3 episodes that have aired, FireCreek Snacks has already generated $12,000 in direct sales
- Dustin expects that total to increase to $30,000 (factoring in customer lifetime value)
“I figure every podcast that’s a similar size is basically worth $4,000 up front and $10,000 long term,” he said.
By the way, how big were these podcasts?
Dustin described them as “mid-size” podcasts. While he doesn’t know exact download/listener numbers, most of the shows he pitched have around 300 reviews on Apple Podcasts.
Example:
The BiggerPockets Business Podcast – This show interviewed Dustin about the journey he and his business partner have been on with FireCreek Snacks.
Again, do people who listen to this podcast come to it for snack recommendations? No.
But Dustin hypothesized that the mass appeal nature of his product could allow him to create an “impulse buy” setting by simply telling the company’s story.
What’s Next:
Now that Dustin has seen the power this approach can have with non-related audiences (business and ecommerce), he plans to target food- and diet-related podcasts that will likely have even higher interest in FireCreek Snacks.
Specifically, he wants to focus on podcasts that touch on gluten-free living or keto dieting since FireCreek Snacks’ products are a perfect fit for both.
The 3 CTAs Dustin Has Experimented with on Podcasts (and Why Yours Should Probably Be Different)
So far, Dustin has tried three different calls-to-action to get podcast listeners to buy:
- A “free + shipping” offer (all listeners have to do is pay shipping to get some samples of the product)
- A specific promotion FireCreek Snacks was running called the “Golden Ticket Giveaway” (15% off and free shipping on all of their snack bundles + the chance to win a $1,000 “Golden Ticket”)
- A unique coupon code that references the name of the podcast host so Dustin could track its performance
The verdict?
According to Dustin, they’ve all been pretty much equally effective!
One caveat though…
If you don’t run an ecommerce business that sells relatively inexpensive products, promo-heavy CTAs probably won’t be as effective.
For example, let’s say you sell a higher priced product like an online course or coaching services (like many of our other clients).
Typically, we’ve found that it’s much more effective to promote a free resource like a lead magnet, free course, or even strategy call rather than giving listeners a direct CTA to buy.
Even though some listeners may be ready to buy your product, it can still take a few additional touch points to complete sales that are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Plus, there will also be a chunk of listeners who grow to like and trust you during the interview, but aren’t sure it’s the right time for them to buy quite yet. By capturing their email address, you’ll be able to keep in touch and stay top of mind until the timing is right for them to buy.
This is the technique another client of ours, Diana Wu David, has used to generate thousands of dollars in online course sales directly from podcast interviews (see her approach here).
The Bulletproof Pitch Email That One Podcast Host Called the Best He’s Received
How has Dustin managed to get a “yes” from every podcast host he’s pitched so far?
It’s NOT because he had existing connections to them.
It’s because we showed him exactly how to write a killer pitch email.
In fact, check out the response he got when he pitched a popular show called The Unofficial Shopify Podcast:
“This is the best guest pitch email I’ve received in recent memory.”
Not bad, right?
Fortunately, Dustin was kind enough to share the pitch email that got that reaction. It features the formula he’s used to get a 100% success rate on the podcast pitch emails he’s sent so far.
I put the email in a PDF and added a walkthrough that shows you exactly why it’s so effective, and how you can apply the same techniques in your own pitch emails going forward.
Just click below to get a free copy.
Get it Free FREE Download: The Proven Pitch Email That Will Get You Booked on Podcasts
The Podcast Interview “Halo Effect” That Produces More Than Just Sales for Your Business
Dustin hit on something during the interview that I’d struggled to describe in the past—all the additional, unpredictable opportunities that can spring up from doing podcast interviews (and other types of partnerships).
Sure, the influx of leads and sales is great, but connecting with an influential person or company can often lead to even more valuable connections.
Dustin called this the “halo effect” and offered a perfect example of it in action:
- Someone who works with Wal-Mart listened to the BiggerPockets Business episode that featured Dustin
- He introduced Dustin to Walmart’s head buyer for meat snacks over email
- That led to a 30-minute Zoom call with the buyer, who asked Dustin to send samples
“I never would have had that opportunity had I not been on that podcast,” Dustin said.
While these kinds of opportunities are always somewhat serendipitous, we see them happen frequently for our coaching clients who are consistently getting themselves in front of new audiences.
Sometimes the “halo effect” means simply getting a warm introduction to another podcaster.
Sometimes it means getting a referral to someone who would be a perfect client.
And sometimes it means getting a Zoom call with the head meat snacks buyer at Walmart. 🙂
The halo effect might be a little unpredictable, but it’s often invaluable.
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