How to Secure Guests for Your Podcast
Whether you are a brand new to podcasting or have been behind the mic for years, you have likely stressed about how to secure guests for your show. Now is the time to stop stressing, stretch out of your comfort zone, and learn how to secure guests for your podcast!
How to Secure Guests for Your Podcast
One of the most undervalued parts of having a podcast is the opportunity to build relationships with people in your industry. Instead of reaching out to the leaders in your field and asking for something, you now have the ability to offer them something – your platform! Whether you have 50 loyal listeners or a community of tens of thousands, you have a captive audience! And if you share a similar niche or target market – you have an incredible opportunity to offer!
By having a podcast, you now have the best excuse on the planet to talk to your favorite Youtubers, authors, and speakers!
You probably have a bunch of ideas of who you could invite on your podcast, but for one reason or another, you haven’t done it yet.
How do you actually go about securing a guest for your podcast?
Here are some of my favorite tips for pitching podcast guests!
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How to pitch a podcast guest
Once you’ve chosen your potential podcast guest, it’s time to make the pitch. What should you include in your pitch? I gotcha covered!
1. Make it personal
I’m all for using templates that make things easy and quick, but personalization is still key. If your email could be sent to someone else by simply swapping out their name, then it’s not personal enough.
Two ways to make your pitch feel personal:
Specific compliment or mutual interest
Research before you write! One of the easiest ways to do this is to go to their social media accounts and see what they have been posting about. Do they have an adorable new puppy? Are they obsessed with Hamilton? When you take the time to research, you can easily include a specific compliment or comment, this makes it clear that you care enough to be reaching out to them personally.
Mention a unique connection
If you have taken one of their courses or have a mutual friend, mentioning the connection is another great way to make it personal.
2. Show the value
You might be surprised to hear me say that pitching a guest is not about you pitching them. It’s about connecting the guest with your audience. You have a platform, you have an audience, and ideally the guests you are inviting want to connect with listeners in your niche. In your pitch, you want them to know why you are excited to share them with your audience.
Here are a few questions to answer to help them see the value:
What is your show about?
Why do you listeners tune in each week?
Why do you want to share this guest with your listeners?
What do you do and why did you start your podcast?
3. Grab their attention
Chances are, some of your potential guests have inboxes overflowing with invitations and requests. This isn’t to discourage you, but to encourage you to stand out from the crowd!
Two ways to make your pitch stand out:
1. Social Proof
Have you been featured in the media? Won any awards? Maybe you grew your social media following to 50k in a year. Share it shamelessly!
2. Name Drop
Have you interviewed a guest that this person knows? Or were you recently interviewed on a podcast that they were on? If you have a mutual connection, drop that name! You don’t need to call it out directly. You can simply mention something like “Some of our guests include…” and mention a few of your favorite guests, including any of the ones you think they might know.
4. Make it an easy ‘YES’
If you use a calendar booking link, it might be tempting to include that link in your pitch email. Don’t do this! I recommend getting the ‘YES’ first, a simple 3-letter response. After they commit, then you can send them the information they need to book.
5. Don’t take silence as a “NO”
You might not get a response. Maybe it went to spam? Maybe they are drowning in to-dos and forgot? Don’t take this personally! If you don’t hear back within two weeks, send a short and sweet follow up message.
If after two weeks you still don’t hear back, you have a choice to make. How badly do you want this guest? In most cases, I recommend making a note to check back in 3-6 months. But if you are gung-ho about having this guest on your podcast, then now is the time to get creative! Do you have a mutual connection who can introduce you? How else can you get on their radar? The possibilities here are endless!
Hey, now! You are one step closer to securing guests for your podcast! As you’re going through the steps to secure podcast guests, just remember this: you don’t know until you pitch! The more guests you pitch, the more guests you will book! #math
Seriously though, go take action! Think of one person who would be a great guest for your show and reach out to them this week! I’m cheering you on!
