(This is the last part in a 6-part series on podcasts – if you’ve ever considered starting your own podcast, or know someone who has, let’s explore together!)
How do I find Guests?
It’s sometimes hard to think through how to find guest speakers for your podcast. We are going to address this question from two different angles today. First, what are some things that you can do to hopefully get people to offer their time to be on your podcast. Second, we are going to give you some target audiences to reach out to to help you get your mind thinking about all of the different types of people that you can reach out to to get more guests on your podcast. Let’s start with what you need to do to help secure guests for your podcast.
Write a Good Pitch
This is crucial, especially if you are reaching out to someone who you don’t know. Make your pitch clear and concise, giving a vision for what your podcast is and why you are asking them to join you on an episode. Talk specifically about what you want to discuss with them on their episode and how long it will take to record. Let them know that you are serious about your business, value their time, and that you are easy to work with. If you can design your pitch in this way, you’ll be able to schedule guests that are aligned with your podcast and will be a great guest for you!
Be a Guest
Being a guest on other people’s podcasts is a great way to grow your network. There are plenty of people just like you that are trying to grow an audience in the podcast world and are looking for guests…just like you! Offer to discuss a topic that you are an expert in to help them with their podcast. It’s also a great idea to record episodes for your podcast and their podcast at the same time! The content can be similar, but the style of the interaction will be different depending on who is interviewing who.
Grow Your Podcast Network
Get out there and make connections in the podcast world. In business, we think of growing a network of people who are in the same industry, or offer similar services as we do. The same is true in the podcast industry! Find podcasts that are similar to you that you can help add value to. As you progress in your podcast experience, questions will come up that your network can help you answer. Your podcaster network may not be as industry specific as your business network, but it will help you to make connections and become a better podcaster.
Who should I reach out to?
You know you want guests on your podcast, but you don’t know who to reach out to. Here are five different groups of people to reach out to as you try to grow guest involvement on your podcast.
Leverage Your Network
Your network is a powerful place to find guests for your podcast. Since you already have a reporte with these people, the episode should run smoothly. You should also already know what people in your network are doing, so it’s easy to suggest topics for discussion. Inviting someone from your network onto your podcast will also grow your connection with them and boost future business interactions. Don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you know to ask them to join you on your podcast.
Ask Your Audience
Talk to your existing audience about what they want to hear from your podcast. Ask them if they know of anyone that would be great to be on the podcast. Most of your listeners are probably listening to other podcasts like yours, so they can serve as your eyes and ears of the podcast landscape. This also makes your listeners more engaged with you and your podcast. If someone they suggested ends up doing an episode with you, you’ll definitely have a listener in them!
Connect with Other Podcast Hosts
Interviewing other podcast hosts is a great way to generate phenomenal content on your podcast. Podcast hosts understand how podcasts work and are great communicators which will greatly benefit the production value of your podcast. Make sure to take control of the interview and set clear expectations for how the episode will work. Podcast hosts are awesome, but can sometimes try to take over and run YOUR podcast like they run THEIR podcast. One great way to avoid any confusion is to record two episodes, one for their podcast and one for your podcast.
Look for Influencers
Influencers are great because they love to…influence! Most influencers have great personalities and are good at being on camera (or microphone). Take a look through social media to find influencers that relate to your podcast. Use relevant hashtags and see who keeps coming up over and over. Influencers are always looking for a way to grow their brands, so reach out to them with a great pitch to see if they will join you for an episode. Also remember to send them links to relevant content that they can post on their social media channels which will also help to bump up your viewership.
Look for Promoters
Try to identify anyone in your industry that has created a new product or service, released a new book, podcast, or anything that they want promoted. These types of guests are great for two reasons: they are perceived as experts in the industry, and they are eager to be promoted. One great way to utilize these guests is to talk about major concepts that their new product addresses. This will bring value to your audience since your guest is an expert on the topic. Try to make these episodes a discussion on a specific topic, rather than a commercial to buy the guest’s product. It’s a great idea to mention to your audience that they can learn more by buying the product, just don’t make that the focus of the entire interview.
Chris LaFay