The Podcast Pitch Trap: Protecting Your Time and Brand

I’ve operated my agency for nearly fifteen years, focusing primarily on small- to medium-sized businesses. In some ways, my agency is pretty standard—we use the same tools, software, and core strategies as others in our field. In other ways, we’re entirely unique. It’s our approach, our culture, and who we are that sets us apart. I’m proud of that.

When these podcast invitations land in my inbox—whether the host has produced two episodes, twenty, or a hundred—I always look closely at the guest roster.

Usually, it’s a lineup of other agency executives or regional business owners running companies I’ve never heard of. I inevitably ask myself a simple question: Why were these specific people selected?

Is it because the host was scouring the internet, searching for the brilliant business leaders of today and tomorrow? Doubtful.

Are they just hunting for warm bodies to fill a seat, churn out content, and build an audience on their terms so they can monetize their show and create a profit center? Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

I’m not trying to be negative here. I’m being realistic.

When you’re invited to tell your story on a podcast, you have to ask yourself two honest questions:

1. Why me?
2. Are you doing this for your benefit—or theirs?

Every business owner has unique experiences and lessons worth sharing. However, I am fiercely reluctant to attach my name, my likeness, or my brand to a personality or company I know nothing about. I would never want to do anything that could reflect poorly on my firm, my staff, my family, or myself.

Worse yet, imagine getting into a conversation with a host that goes off the rails—suddenly, what was supposed to be an innocuous business chat veers headlong into politics, religion, or social controversy, and you’re on camera. You no longer have control of your image or the conversation. One mistake and you’re more famous than the cheating couple at the Oasis concert, for all the wrong reasons. Hosts love the curveball because controversy builds ratings

Due diligence is your friend. Before you ever say yes to a podcast invitation, protect your brand:

• Research the show: Look at past episodes, guest quality, and production value.
• Understand the audience: Who is actually listening? Is it your target client, or just an echo chamber of other guests?
• Look at the host's background: What is their actual authority in the space?
• Verify editing rights: Do you have the right to approve a final edit or even stop the episode from airing entirely?

I’m particularly reticent when the invitation comes from another marketing agency. It happens all the time, and the motive is transparent: the host wants to position their agency as the category leader that other agency owners look up to. In short, they want prospective clients to call them first, using my industry perspective to build their own credibility. Why would I bolster your agency at the expense of mine?

It’s not so much cynical as it is pragmatic.

If you have a story to tell and want to share your hard-earned wisdom, consider launching your own show. Build your own audience, control your messaging, and attract your own sponsors. If these shifty hosts can do it, so can you.

And above all else: Never pay to be a guest on a podcast.

No credible journalist or legitimate media entity charges a fee to interview you. Paying a middleman or a host to put you on an obscure show is a complete waste of time, money, and resources. Their goal is to do whatever they can to separate you from your money.

If you’ve got a story to tell, sit down with a real PR or marketing professional and talk about the right way to share it. Podcasts are an incredible tool, and when done responsibly, they can be extraordinarily beneficial to everyone. That’s the key—it should be beneficial to everyone involved.

If it’s not, say "no thanks" and start your own!