Having a successful podcast is the result of careful planning and deliberate execution. But merely going through the motions is not good enough. Everything from your topic of conversation and interview questions, to sponsors and guests for your podcast, should all be chosen because of the value they add to your podcast.
When looking to invite guests to your podcast, you need to ensure that they are the perfect fit for you and your brand. Not any guest will do. They need to bring along with them a way of making your podcast stand out from all the rest. So your guests should improve your podcast and be of value to your audience.
So, how do you go about finding the right guest for your podcast?
First, we’ll take a look at how you can attract the right guests to your podcast. After that, we will show you where you can find them.
By the end of this article, you should know how to get the perfect guests on your podcast. Ones that entertain your audience and help your podcast’s overall growth.
How to Attract the Right Guests to Your Podcast
Choosing the right guests for your podcast will gear your podcast up for success. But first, you need to know how to go about it.
We have three things that you need to be on top of when laying the foundations for bringing guests to your show.
1. Make an Incredible Show
The best way to have quality guests interested in your show is by being an amazing podcast.
The quality of your content will inspire interest from eligible people and brands who are looking for guest opportunities.
If your content is great then chances are that you’re building a good following for yourself. Potential guests will see your large audience as a chance for them to market themselves. This will further entice them to your podcast.
If your podcast is amazing then future guests have no option but to take notice. And, who knows, your brilliant podcast may push them into making the first move.
2. Build Relationships
Before you even invite your guests to your show, you must first build a relationship with them. People will seldom be a guest on a show they’ve never heard of or whose hosts and creators they do not know. However, once a relationship has been fostered, they are likely to accept your invite and be a great guest on your show
Connect with your potential guests on social media and engage with their content. Go to their website, read their blog, and leave a comment or two.
Go to your own social media pages and share your future guest’s information and content with your followers. This will help build trust between you and the guests, and also give your followers a glimpse of who may feature in future episodes.
If you take the effort to learn more about your potential guests and engage with them in a visible way, they will appreciate your endeavors and will repay the favor by accepting the invite to be on your amazing show.
3. Send That Email
Lastly, when it comes to attracting the right people to your podcast, once you have identified your ideal guest, send that email! How you make that initial contact is crucial if you are to have great guests saying yes to your show.
And it may not be an actual email, but make sure that you connect as soon as your mind is made up on which guest you’d like to invite. The sooner you are able to build that relationship, the better.
There are other ways to connect, of course. You could reach out on various social media platforms or directly on your guest’s websites if they have that option available. Just do the research to ensure that your guest is comfortable being approached in that manner.
Everything You Need to Invite and Book Your Next Podcast Guest can be found right here.
Where to Find the Perfect Guest for Your Podcast
Now that you know how to go about attracting the right guest to your podcast, let’s take a closer look at where you can find them.
1. Low-Hanging Fruit
When looking for a guest that will bring value to your podcast, the best place to start is by using the information and resources that are already available to you. Low-hanging because they’re easy to grab.
You’ve taken the time to build connections in your podcast’s niche so use those relationships to your advantage. Approach other podcasters and brands that you’ve worked with and ask them to be guests on your show.
Related read: How to Land a Guest Spot on a Top Podcast.
You can also ask the people and brands that you’ve met on your podcasting journey for guest recommendations. They’ll probably only suggest quality guests because of the trust that has been built between the two of you.
Finding guests within your niche-aligned group of connections will ensure that they will be of value to your audience. They will already be from the field that your listeners take an interest in.
2. Ask Your Audience
The second point on our list brings us to the people for whom your podcast was made: Your audience. What better way to ensure valuable content than by asking those who consume it?
Explore your contact, email, and subscriber lists and run a survey on the type of people they would like to hear from on your show. You can even approach your followers on social media and run polls for the same purpose.
Reaching out to family and friends is also a good way to find quality guests. Chances are that those in your inner circle are both fans of your show and ultimately want what’s best for you. They are uniquely positioned in that they know what they would want to hear when listening to your podcast and they will do anything to make sure that you and your podcast succeed.
3. Podcasting Events
A great place to find amazing guests for your show is at a podcasting event. Conferences, seminars, and awards ceremonies are teeming with quality guests who might be perfect for your show.
These pod events are filled with industry professionals that have valuable knowledge and experience. At the very least, the guest you’ll find at a podcasting event is interested enough in the industry to immerse themselves in the social culture.
All you need to do is find out who is in your niche or will compliment your podcast if they were put on as a guest. Then, approach them and build that connection.
Face-to-face interactions are the fastest way to build meaningful interactions. So if you meet a guest face-to-face at a podcasting event, the chances of them saying yes to your proposal improve exponentially.
4. Recent Publications
Fourth on our list of where to find great guests for your podcast is to search for authors, musicians, and other artists who have recently released new material (or are about to).
You can use the momentum built from their publicity campaigns to garner interest in your own podcast. Better yet, ask them to make your podcast part of their marketing campaign and situate your podcast as a piece of a greater movement.
Approaching other experts and professionals in other mediums will also give you access to their list of followers. Just make sure that those you ask to be a guest on your show (and their content) align with your podcast’s brand.
5. Guest Referrals
Guest referrals are brilliant! Previous guests of yours could show you the way to having other dynamic, meaningful conversations on your podcast.
You’ve already established that your guest compliments your niche and is a good fit for your podcast. With that in mind, there is a high chance that your guest knows others in their industry who could offer you the same value if you were to host them on your show.
A guest that has already been on your show has built some sort of relationship with you; knows the quality of your podcast; understands what is required of guests on your show and; knows the type of guest that will add value to your podcast. They’ll be able to give you expert recommendations at the drop of a hat.
6. Podcast Guest-Booking Services
Our final suggestion for you for where to look to find quality guests is through a podcast guest-booking service. A podcast guest-booking service is an online directory that connects you with experts, authors, and other podcasters to be guests on your show (and you on theirs).
These services are wonderful because the people you encounter are willing guest participants. Either they are looking for a guest to interview or they want to be guests themselves. In the former scenario, you could offer a quid-pro-quo agreement where you guest on their show in exchange for the chance for you to host them on yours.
So there is no need to convince anyone to be a guest, all you have to do is show why your podcast is the best place for them to feature.
There are a few options available, but some great options are on this list of 4 Websites for Finding Podcast Guests.
The Perfect Guests for Your Podcast
There is no denying the incredible value that having the right guest can add to your podcast. If you’ve chosen correctly, your guest will be interesting to your audience, increase audience engagement, and also give you the opportunity to grow your podcast.
You can also grow within the podcasting community by regularly hosting guests that are podcasters themselves. You will be able to learn and grow from their experiences whilst marrying their followers with your own.
Choose your guests wisely and give your podcast the chance to shine high and bright above all the rest.
