Many podcasters are looking for high-quality guest interviews on their show. It can be a challenge but don’t be discouraged. This article will share some tips and tricks for finding the perfect guests to give you a great interview.
The benefits of interviewing guests on your podcast.
Guest interviews have numerous benefits for new and existing podcasters:
- Perspective: Interviews offer the listener another view on your topic of discussion and can be used to provide more detail about a specific subject.
- Education: Guest interviews also allow you to learn from others, which is invaluable for new podcasters who want to grow their skillset.
- Networking: The podcast host’s network continues to expand with each guest interviewed on the show. Podcasting is the new networking, which isn’t true, but the results speak for themselves.
- Access: Podcast guest interviews allow the host to have an opportunity to speak with someone they might not be able to meet in person. Podcast guests may be high-profile and are often busy people. They may not make time for a one-on-one coffee date but will happily participate in a shared podcast with others.
- Credibility: Podcast guests are an essential asset to a host who is just starting. Early listeners may have reservations about someone they don’t know but become much more likely to tune in if the show includes esteemed professionals from various fields and professions.
How to find high-quality guest interviewees for your podcast.
It can be intimidating initially to try to find high-quality guests to interview. Where do you start?
- Authors: One ideal place to look for possible guests is on Amazon. Search for authors of recent books on the topic of your show. The authors want to increase the visibility of their book and hopefully sell more copies. Most authors are eager to do podcast interviews because this will allow them to gain more exposure.
- Writers: Another great place to look for guests on your podcast is to reach out to writers of recent articles on your topic. They are usually excited to share their writings with more readers. A podcast interview allows them to get in front of a possible new audience who may not be familiar with their work already. Tools such as Feedly and Google Alerts make it easier to find articles that focus on your topic.
- Fellow Content Creators: Who else is creating podcasts, writing blogs, or video content on a similar topic as your show? They are likely to want to share their work with your audience.
- Speakers: Who is speaking at conferences and events on the same topic or niche as you? I have leveraged this one many times when I attend in-person and virtual events. I bring my Tascam DR-40x Digital Recorder to the conference. I’ve reached out to the speaker or panelist ahead of time to let them know that I will be at the event and would like to do a short interview if they are available. I have never had anyone decline this yet. Interviews with speakers at virtual events can are easy to manage with tools such as Riverside.FM, Squadcast, Zoom, and Skype.
- Admins and Moderators: You can also consider reviewing the admins of large communities online as well as in-person meetups. These guests are great because they may also be willing to share the interview with their communities.
- Assistants: Finally, consider interviewing the right-hand person to the guest that may decline or not have time for the interview. I tried this before. I interviewed the administrative assistant to an individual that had a lot of visibility and respect. Getting the chance for an interview was a great pleasure for the assistant. They also had an inside perspective on the individual that I originally was hoping to interview. Their insights were informative, engaging, and helpful.
The strategy of interviewing the assistant turned out to be a smart move because the interview generated rapport, which then resulted in more referrals. I ended up scoring the interview with the assistant’s boss because they put in a good word on my behalf. It would not have happened if I had not first built a relationship with the assistant.
How to contact prospective guests.
A busy person usually does not read long emails from someone they do not know. Keep your pitch emails short. I send emails to prospective guests with the subject line:
I love your {{Name of Book, Podcast, Speach on Exotic Birds}}. The body of the email is short and sweet. “Respectfully request consideration to interview you on my podcast. Here is the link. Grateful, Jared Easley.”
I don’t talk about the content; I don’t brag on myself or name-drop previous guests. They can always reply, and we can discuss that if they want more information. However, they will look at your website link from the email to learn most of what they want to know. Tip: Have your house in order (website, social channels, etc.).
- Website: I usually like to start by using the contact page on the guest’s website. They may have their email address on clear display on the page. If not, the contact page will likely have a form that you can fill out that goes to their inbox, or the inbox of someone on their team, etc.
- LinkedIn Premium Account: A LinkedIn Premium Account allows you to contact a certain number of individuals per month. These messages will show up in their inbox. Yes, it costs money, but it guarantees that your message will get through to the person.
- Getemail.io: Getemail.io allows you to review a LinkedIn profile and then search for their email address. It is not always accurate, but it is worth a shot. I have used this many times.
- Hunter.io: Hunter.io is a Google Chrome extension. You can go to the individual or business website of the guest that you want to contact. The Hunter Chrome extension will light up and show you valid email addresses for that company. If you can’t find the one you are looking for, you can always guess based on the naming structure for the website or company emails. Example: [email protected] or [email protected]
- Podcast RSS Feed: You can look for the email address in the RSS feed if the prospective guest is a podcaster. I have used the site GetRSSFeed.com, pasted the unique podcast URL link for Apple Podcasts, found the podcast RSS feed, and then did an “@” search for the email address that sometimes displays in the feed. It won’t work every time, but it is a neat little trick that can be effective.
- YouTube: YouTube is another excellent place to look for an email address. I know that may seem silly, but if you are on a laptop or desktop and the prospective guest has a YouTube channel, click on their about page. Sometimes the About page will have a contact email address.
- Social Media: If all else fails, you can always try staying FIT by sending a direct message on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I have talked to other podcasters who have used Clubhouse and Telegram to connect with prospective guests and succeed. Podcast Movement contacted a significant keynote speaker for one of our events using direct message on an app. I’ll share that story with you in person if you want to ask me about it.
- IMDB Pro – IMDB Pro helps connect you to agents of various celebrities, professional athletes, etc. However, please remember that when agents get involved, the conversation is likely to turn to “pay to play”.
Once the guest commits to doing the podcast interview, it is helpful to offer an online calendar link. It allows the guest to select a time for the discussion that works best for both parties. If configured correctly, the online calendar link can also collect some basic information that makes interview preparation more manageable.
An example is asking the guest for a headshot and a bio. You will likely need this for the show notes at a minimum. Calendly and Scheduleonce are good online calendar platforms that help schedule guests in advance.
A list of resources for finding high-quality guests.
You can always sign up for guest services such as Interview Valet and Podcast Clout. You also have the option of trying accessible databases such as PodcastGuests.com, AwesomeGuests.com, and Podmatch.com.
These are just some of the tips and tricks I’ve tried to find great guests for our podcasts. Is there anything else you have seen that has been helpful in this area? Please share your thoughts.
The resources listed are only a sampling, but they should give you an idea of where to start your search. What questions have worked best for getting information from your interviewees? Please share by sending an email or message on social media!
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