finding-podcast-hosts-for-outreach

Finding Podcast Hosts for Outreach

Discovers podcast hosts on Twitter by episode announcements, guest mentions, and show promotion signals.

Prerequisites

• APIFY_TOKEN environment variable set
• Optional: Apify MCP server installed

Inputs

Parameter	Type	Required	Default	Notes
startUrls	array	Optional	[]	Twitter profile or tweet URLs
twitterHandles	array	Optional	[]	Twitter usernames (without @)
twitterUserIds	array	Optional	[]	Twitter user IDs
getFollowers	boolean	Optional	false	Extract follower lists
getFollowing	boolean	Optional	false	Extract following lists
getRetweeters	boolean	Optional	false	Extract retweeters of a tweet URL
includeUnavailableUsers	boolean	Optional	false	Include unavailable/suspended users
maxItems	number	Optional	Unlimited	Maximum users to return
customMapFunction	string	Optional	—	JavaScript function to transform each output object

Workflow

Progress:
- [ ] Step 1: Search for podcast announcement tweets
- [ ] Step 2: Collect unique host handles
- [ ] Step 3: Enrich host profiles
- [ ] Step 4: Score outreach priority
- [ ] Step 5: Deliver podcast outreach list

Step 1: Search Queries

Recommended — run_actor.js (handles waiting, output, and file saving automatically):

# Quick answer (prints table to chat)
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~twitter-user-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}'

# Save as CSV
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~twitter-user-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_results.csv --format csv

# Save as JSON
node scripts/run_actor.js \
  --actor "apidojo~twitter-user-scraper" \
  --input '{"param": "value"}' \
  --output YYYY-MM-DD_results.json --format json

APIFY_TOKEN must be set in environment or .env file.

If Apify MCP is available:

Tool: apify:run-actor
Actor: "apidojo~tweet-scraper"
Input:
{
  "searchTerms": ["[TOPIC] podcast", "new episode [TOPIC]", "podcast host [TOPIC]"],
  "maxItems": 300
}

REST API fallback:

curl -X POST \
  "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/apidojo~tweet-scraper/runs?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"searchTerms": ["entrepreneurship podcast", "new episode startup"], "maxItems": 300}'

Step 2: Enrich and Filter

Run apidojo~twitter-user-scraper on handles. Keep profiles where bio contains "podcast", "host", "show", "episodes".

Guest format: bio or tweets mention "guest", "interview", "this week's guest" → has_guest_format = true

Step 3: Score Outreach Priority

outreach_score = (has_guest_format ? 1 : 0.3) * 0.35
               + (tweeted_episode_in_last_30_days ? 1 : 0) * 0.25
               + (followerCount in 1000..100000 ? 1 : 0.6) * 0.25
               + (topic_alignment: strong=1, weak=0.5) * 0.15

Step 4: Edge Cases

• Account shares content but is not host: Verify bio says "host" — some accounts share show content without hosting
• Show name not findable: Note as show_name_unknown; LinkedIn search needed
• Large media company podcast: Flag as PREMIUM_PLACEMENT — A-list guests only

Output Format

# Podcast Host Outreach List: [TOPIC]
Hosts found: [N] | Guest-format: [N] | Active: [N] | Date: [DATE]

## Priority (Guest-Format + Active + Mid-Tier)
| Host | @Handle | Show | Followers | Last Episode | Score |
|------|---------|------|-----------|-------------|-------|

## Small Shows (Easier to Land)
| Host | @Handle | Followers | Last Active |
|------|---------|-----------|------------|

## Personalization Tip
Reference the host's most recent episode topic in your pitch — hosts receive dozens of pitches, relevance is the strongest differentiator.

Troubleshooting

Results include listeners not hosts: Require "podcast host" OR "host of [show]" in bio. No show found on Twitter: Supplement with Spotify/Apple Podcasts search. Host inactive > 60 days: Flag as potentially on hiatus; verify before pitching.