How To Be A Great Podcast Guest

If you want to turn podcast guesting into a profitable income stream in your business, know it’s a long game: it takes practice, repetition, consistency and constant improvement. But with these key strategies for beginners and experts alike, for these guest opportunities you’ll be sure to make a great impression on any podcast host, build lasting relationships that’ll grow your business and most importantly -- get invited back! If you’re wondering how to be a great podcast guest, let’s dive in. 

Show up with energy.

Like anything else, energy is what drives results. Think of your podcast interview like a big performance on stage (because, it basically is!). Thousands of people are listening to you speak, and picking up on your energy. If you show up with the four Cs: certainty, confidence, conviction and clarity, people are going to pick up on what you’re sharing and understand how they can use the information you’re giving them. As a Great guest energy is the baseline when it comes to being a great podcast guest. So, bring that positive mindset and energy with you!

Add incredible value.

Not only does this make the host look good and build trust with their audience, but you’ll be more likely to get introduced to other hosts that you can collaborate with. Bringing value to the table will help you connect with their audience and give them more insight on your service or products. When your mindset is serving over selling, the selling will come naturally when you do a great job serving their audience!  

Plan your content.

Give the host your bio and 3 to 5 talking points or questions prior to the interview, so you’re both on the same page and prepared to engage in the same conversation (no one likes to be blindsided!). If you’re wondering what to talk about on a podcast, here’s a tip: the audience should be walking away with tangible content: action steps, strategies, solutions or insight that they didn’t have before listening to the episode. By the end of your interview, you’ll know you’ve made a positive impact if you’ve given listeners key takeaways that will improve either their business, health, life, etc. 

Be conversational.

Let it flow! While some prep is necessary, canned answers are not. Don’t be rigid, but do be mindful of how long your answers are (you don’t want to lose ‘em) see them as a good fit. Let the questions lead from one to the next, and stay in a mindset of sharing and serving. The conversation should be clear, concise and fluid. Pro tip: use the host’s name a few times in conversation. This builds affinity between the two of you, and makes the conversation feel more relational. 

Know your audience.

Do your research. Look up the podcast ahead of time. like podcast booking and stuff you should also Listen to at least one episode To understand who the target audience is, and get a feel for the format, style and positioning. Then, take your message and tailor it to those who are going to be tuned in. 

 Serve, don’t sell.

Like I mentioned before, the more you serve, the more you’ll naturally sell. But: the more you try and hard sell, the more you’ll turn off listeners. Remember, the audience is just getting to know you. They’re learning who you are, what your experience has been, how you can help them and what results you’ve gotten for people. Only after that, can they decide if you’re someone they want to connect with further. One of the key elements of successful podcasting is delivering value to your listeners. So, focus on serving your heart out and bring to the table, and the rest will follow!

Let your host queue you up.

Prepare to show up with a killer free offer. Whether that’s a text opt-in, a free resource, a product or service you’re promoting: it’s your job to make sure you have a pitch prepared to invite listeners to take action. Give your host this information prior to the interview, so that they can build it into different threads of conversation so the interview flows naturally into that free offer. This also builds anticipation and excitement for more information! 

Thank the host.

This seems obvious, but don’t forget to be gracious! Share and promote the episode if possible, and provide support in any way that you can. Doing what you can to share it out and help spread the word is a great way to thank them for having you on the show. 

Have a plan to repurpose.

Don’t let your content sit on the shelf. Have a strong marketing plan to repurpose every interview that you do. Turn your interviews into evergreen content that can be rotated throughout your social media channels. Whether this is something you handle or your team handles, make sure you’re maximizing the use of your content. 

Following these simple steps are an easy way to generate more guests opportunities (and, get an invite back!) So, make sure to keep these tips in mind as you amp up your visibility strategy. And don’t forget: serve, serve, serve!