How to Book Better Guests
4 Tips to help grow your following and get the guests you need for your show
It seems as if everyone has a podcast these days! In fact, the industry is growing at a rate of 30% per year, which is great news for listeners and content producers alike. While this growth is amazing to see, it has created some stiff competition for podcast producers. Podcasters need to be creative and original if they plan to stand out in their niche. Anyone hosting an interview-based podcast must find out how to book great guests for their show.
Booking guests is often the hardest part of the process.
It can be difficult to find people who are both qualified to speak on a given subject and willing to appear on your show. This is especially true when you work so hard to keep up with a regular release schedule. Many podcast hosts covet the same guests to interview within their niche, but these subject matter experts have limited time and availability to be interviewed.
One of the most important things you can do in podcasting to kill it on quality content and grow your reach is to book great guests.
In this post, we will help you to book better, more interesting, higher-quality podcast guests. Let your listeners get the most out of each episode you release, with these four simple suggestions:
1. Develop a system or process
In the early days of building a show, it’s common to just try out whatever you want. After all, you’re still learning how to record, how to interview guests, and still need to establish your brand on social media. If you’re just starting, then great job! You are on the right track. Just keep in mind that if you intend to be successful in the long run, eventually you’ll need to develop a system for locating, booking, and following up with guests.
Find a scheduling system.
The foundation of any scheduling system is to efficiently schedule your own time. There are plenty of free resources out there which can help you do this, and it is worth it. But other aspects will also likely include a spreadsheet to keep track of previous guests, potential guests, and other research.
Record a few episodes ahead of your release schedule.
This is one of those goals that many write down, yet few achieve. But it’s totally doable if you plan for it, stay disciplined, and simply get it done. Having episodes ready in advance will be beneficial to you in multiple ways:
- It allows the option to take much-needed breaks from recording, which you’ll inevitably need at some point.
- It supplies backup episodes in case you can’t find a quality guest in the future
- It allows you to jump on exciting interview opportunities when they arise, without concern about your release schedule.
- You can offer extra early episodes as a bonus to paid subscribers
Once you find yourself ahead on shows, you can always sit on the recordings until a rainy day to release them too.
Pro Tip: Get extra episodes edited in advance, so you’re ready to release an episode at a moment’s notice.
2. Use podcast search engines
There are many podcast search engines out there that can help you find interesting people who are willing to come on your show.
Simply look up “podcast search engines” in your preferred search engine to find the one that works best for you.
These platforms tend to focus on specific categories/industries, so they’re great if you know what type of guest would be right for your show. This can be essential when you want to branch out into new areas as well.
If you’re looking to find who the experts or authority figures are in a certain field or industry, a podcast search engine will quickly give you a shortlist of potential guests.
Reach out to all of them in bulk to get a number of guests lined up.
It’s probably a good idea to listen to a few of their previous appearances also though. This will give you a clearer picture of whether or not they will be a good fit for your podcast.
Use a podcast matchmaking service.
Podcast matchmaking services like Matchmaker.fm and Listen Notes are indispensable to any podcaster who is trying to book better guests!
Search by episode, topic, keyword, or person- you’re guaranteed to find value on these sites. They also offer some paid promotional services, which may or may not be right for you and your show.
3. Ask people who are in your community or network
Sometimes it’s easy to overlook individuals in your immediate circle of influence when you’re looking for experts on topics that you’re interested in. But there can be ways to feature these people on your podcast, and to do it well. This can be very helpful when you’re just starting out and are struggling to find top-notch guests.
Start with someone you know.
There’s always the possibility that someone you already know will be a perfect fit for your podcast. Or if not, perhaps someone you know knows someone else who will be a perfect fit.
You will have a stronger rapport with a guest that is closer to your personal circle.
Looking at your current network has the added benefit that you will already have a strong rapport with these people. So when speaking to friends, family, or colleagues on your podcast, you might be more comfortable and genuine on the microphone. Interesting conversation is driven by comfort level, performance, and delivery.
Your performance is even more important than your guests’ performance!
If a certain guest is not a perfect fit, sometimes you need to get creative. A great podcast host will guide a conversation in order to accommodate someone else’s vantage point.
Host a friend as a ‘fellow journeyman’ where both speakers dive into a new subject altogether.
In this format, rapport and familiarity with a friend may be plenty to drive a good conversation, despite starting with a mutual lack of knowledge on a given subject. Letting the audience come with you on a journey of discovery, (with or without a guest present,) is a great podcast template to keep in your toolbox.
Just get creative and have fun.
Episodes with your immediate circle might not end up being your best ever, but they can still have a place in your podcast repertoire if you use them appropriately. If you’re still new to podcasting, seeking guests in your personal network can be essential.
4. Ask your audience for guest ideas
Asking your tribe for suggestions is a simple, yet effective way to expand your potential guest list. It not only opens up so many possibilities without requiring much effort, but it has the added benefit of engaging your listeners in the process. There are many ways to go about doing this:
- Create a survey using Google Forms or Survey Monkey
- Post a poll on Facebook or Twitter
- Email your list directly asking for feedback and guest suggestions & requests
- Talk about it on your show
Giving your audience the opportunity to give you their unfiltered feedback will benefit you in numerous ways. They will tell you if they love what you’re doing and want more of it. You may learn if they are interested in certain guests returning, or want to hear conversations about a specific topic. As long as you can get a conversation going and get people brainstorming, you’ll end up with more ideas than you even know what to do with.
Let your listeners set your direction.
You will be more successful in asking your audience for suggestions the larger your audience is, but don’t disregard the value in this even if your audience is small. The biggest supporters will be ecstatic to be a part of your process and to have an influence on the future direction of your podcast. If this tactic works, consider asking your following for guest suggestions regularly (every couple of months or a few times per year) as a way to bolster your potential guest list in a pinch.
Final Thoughts
Booking better guests is pretty straightforward: research interesting people and reach out to new people regularly, use podcast search engines, don’t be afraid to start with who you know, and rely on your audience to give you suggestions and clue you in on people with interesting things to say.
If you’re serious about being a successful podcaster, you will need to use all of these methods at various times.
Build systems for researching and following up with different guests, send out survey forms to your listeners, keep track of their responses, etc. There are many ways to go about booking better guests, but it’s very important that you don’t skip this step.
There are also many other important aspects of a great podcast besides just the quality of guests. Your podcast should be entertaining and engaging as well as professionally edited as well. If you really want to stand out from the crowd, then contact us today about how we can edit your podcast.
