It’s no secret that podcasting can do wonders for your business. With monthly podcast listeners going up over 60% in just a few years, this is one of the best mediums for building your business. When you put yourself out there on a podcast, you’re directly communicating with your audience in your own voice. Whether you’re creating a podcast or podcast guesting, you stand out.
However, you don’t have to start your own podcast to reap the benefits. While creating a podcast is an easy way to promote your brand, it might be more of a time commitment than you’re ready for. Alternatively, you can focus on podcast guesting. This is when you appear as a guest on other podcasts in your industry.
There are actually advantages to podcast guesting vs. hosting your own podcast. If you want to supercharge your business, podcast guesting gets you in front of a wider audience. It positions you on the same level as the podcast host, making you a thought leader in your own right. Unlike written content, there’s a personal connection that makes it feel like you’re talking directly to a friend.
You’ve likely already heard of the power of guest posting and collaboration. If you want to be taken seriously in your space, you can’t do it alone. While posting on other blogs and publications is great, it doesn’t have the same conversational connection as a podcast. Podcasts are promoted across platforms, and they have a long digital shelf life. If you’re ready to get started, here’s how to use podcast guesting to supercharge your business. 🎙️
Be Intentful When You Say “Yes”
First, understand why you’re interested in podcast guesting. It’s easy to get excited when you’re first starting. It’s fun to meet other creators, and you can certainly get hooked on the thrill of being in front of the microphone. There’s something magical about knowing hundreds (or even thousands) of listeners want to hear what you have to say.
That being said, you should always be intentional. If you don’t know why you’re interested in guest podcasting, you might miss an important opportunity to share a call to action. There are a lot of great reasons to go on other podcasts:
- Credibility: When you’re trying to position yourself as a thought leader, you need to work with others who are already respected. Appearing as a podcast guest lends a certain amount of trust. You can use this to pitch gigs in the future and further your career.
- Reach: Even if you have your own social platforms and content (and you should), it’s not always easy to get your stuff in front of fresh eyes. Collaborating on a podcast lets you share someone else’s audience without your own marketing effort.
- Money: If you’re promoting your own product, course, download, or speaking services, podcast guesting can get the job done. This is a new platform to sell yourself.
- Leads: Aside from selling products/services, you can also use podcast guesting as a way to source leads. By sharing a contact email, special sign up, or other landing page, you create a new sales funnel.
- Repurpose: Though podcasting is great on its own, you can also repurpose episodes to create new forms of content. From transcribed blog posts to videos, this is a way to share even more value with your audience.
- Humanity: Lastly, podcast guesting is a way to humanize yourself in front of your audience. You become more than an anonymous writer on the internet. You’re a real person with a distinct voice.
Before you begin appearing as a guest on podcasts, get clear with your intentions. Once you know your why, you’re prepared to meet your goals. The more specific, the better.
Don’t Say “Yes” To Every Show
With that in mind, don’t jump into every single show request. Just because a show is your favorite or popular doesn’t automatically mean it’s right for you. Becoming a guest is a match to be made not a prize to be won. First, you want to make sure the show is actually worth your time. This means it has a strong listener base, action-driven content, and it’s well respected.
While you shouldn’t be afraid of appearing on newer or less popular podcasts, recognize that this is a time commitment. Your time has value, so you want to make the most of each opportunity. Think of podcast guesting as a mutual collaboration. Not only are you helping the podcast host by being a great guest, but they’re also letting you leverage their existing platform.
Second, make sure this podcast is relevant to your industry and what you do. It’s not helpful to appear on a podcast for the sake of it. There are a lot of great ways to source podcast leads that might be the right fit, but it could take a bit of research. Here are some ways to find the best fit:
- Competitors: Do you have any competitors in your space who have appeared on podcasts? If so, odds are these podcasts would be open to speaking to someone with similar skills and expertise.
- Search terms: You can also search Google and other podcast directories (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, etc.) for specific keywords. For example, if you’re a social media marketing expert, search “social media marketing” or “digital marketing” to find some podcasts that might be the right fit.
- Podcast tools: Lastly, using tools like Podmatch makes it easy to find the right fit quickly. These tools are designed specifically for podcast guests to find and secure the right podcast leads.
With that in mind, you’re ready to source the right fit—not just any fit. Keeping an eye out for relevant podcasts and opportunities might take time, but it’s how you turn podcast guesting into real progress.
Define A Single Call To Action
Next, you need a single call to action for each show. One mistake newbie podcast guests make is trying to plug too many things at once. “Thanks for listening! If you could follow my Instagram, download my book, and share my latest blog post, that would be great!” While that might seem easy enough, consider that most people won’t take the time to do a whole list of actions even if they’re really motivated.
Remember, people want an incentive to act. You might have to sweeten the deal. You could offer a special discount code for podcast listeners, a free download, or additional free content that isn’t available elsewhere. Send people to a single place that’s easy to find. Most podcasts allow guests to share a specific link (or links) in the show notes or with any promotion. This is a chance to drive traffic, but you need to be intentional.
Here are some action-driven CTA examples for podcast guesting:
- “Download our free resources at…”
- “Take my free leadership assessment at…”
- “Use the discount code PODCAST to save 20% on my ebook.”
- “Visit the show notes to find the link for my free e-course.”
- “Follow my Twitter for the latest marketing tips.”
If you’re driving people to a specific landing page, it’s easier to track your success. While you might not know how people found you on social media, for example, you can see just how many people used a specific signup link. These extra steps allow you to analyze the effectiveness of your podcast strategy, and you might find ways to hone in on your CTA.
Finally, how often should you share your call to action? Every. Single. Time. Most podcast hosts wait until the end to avoid nagging listeners, but this is something you can mention when it feels natural.
Define Your Primary Message
Moreover, also define your primary message when podcast guesting. You might consider yourself a jack of all trades, but that’s only going to confuse podcast listeners and hosts. There are over 850,000 active podcasts. That’s over 48 million total episodes. If you don’t define your primary message, it’s hard to stand out.
There are podcasts out there about everything imaginable. From space robots to underwater basket weaving, you can bet it’s been covered before. How do you stand out when it’s all been done before? You have a single, clear message and voice. This is how you stand out to podcast hosts. When people listen to podcasts, they want to learn something or be entertained. You have to be inspiring, useful, or both.
What is that you’re good at? How can you help listeners be better? Can you motivate them to take the next step in their career, or do you have real-world insight into a niche industry? When you define your primary message, you’re laser-focused. You don’t ramble into uncharted territory, and you wow your podcast host. This builds your reputation as a thought leader and expert.
How do you define your primary message? Now that you know your goals, create a clear outline of topics that are important to you. Which aligns most with your goals? This is your sweet spot. From there, think about what types of questions the host is likely to ask. You can practice your answers, prepare anecdotes and stories, and be ready to share when put on the spot. The more you practice your key message, the better podcast guest you become.
Prepare Your Podcast Guesting Materials Beforehand
Next, your job when podcast guesting is to be so easy to work with that the host is so excited to bring you back next time. If you have a podcast guesting kit ready to go, you make their life a whole lot easier. There’s a lot of work that goes into planning, creating, producing, and promoting podcasts. Sharing key materials in advance and being organized makes you a dream guest.
What can you do in advance? Here’s what to prepare:
- Themes: Have clear themes outlined so you know what you want to cover and discuss. This avoids unwanted rambling and tangents.
- Headshots: Sharing a few headshots and promotional images in different sizes makes it easier for the host to promote your episode.
- Bio: Like a speaker profile, a bio is a way to share the most important facts about you. Preparing a short and long bio in advance makes it easy for the host to highlight your expertise on his or her blog, website, or social media. You can also include a list of relevant links you mention throughout the episode.
- Microphone: While you don’t need to invest in an expensive microphone to be a podcast guest, it makes a big difference. The quality of your mic affects how professional you appear, so investing in an inexpensive (yet good quality) USB microphone is recommended.
- Recording space: Your recording space should be free from unwanted distractions and sounds. If you can, choose a carpeted, sound-friendly space that doesn’t echo. You can even purchase (or DIY) a mini studio for your desk to really wow your listeners!
- Headphones: Lastly, you’ll also need a pair of headphones to make sure you’re focused on the audio.
When in doubt, ask. Most hosts send along a checklist of things to prepare, but don’t count on this. You can always ask what they need from you and how to make their lives easier. They’ll be happy to know you’re taking this seriously.
Be As Consistent As Possible
With that in mind, don’t worry if you’re not a podcast guest mega-star overnight. These things take time. There are no quick formulas for success that always work. The only thing you can count on is consistency. The more you put yourself out there, the better you’ll become. More importantly, you gain more insights into how you can do better each time you’re a guest.
When you’re consistently a great guest, hosts are dying for you to come back. Additionally, different podcasts are excited to have you on as well. In short, it’s a gateway to endless opportunities. But how do you start off on the right foot, even if you have no prior podcasting experience?
Again, it’s all about your preparation. Taking the time to make sure you know what to expect helps you stand out when it matters the most. This means listening to at least two full episodes of the podcast in advance. From there, familiarize yourself with any consistent segments of the show so you’re ready to participate. When you’re prepared, you react with confidence.
Still nervous when it’s time to actually pick up the mic? Don’t worry, that’s completely normal. Even if you’re a professional speaker, there’s something intimidating about knowing a lot of people might be listening to a recording of your voice. It’s normal to feel pressure, but don’t let this get in the way. This isn’t a formal news interview—it’s a chance to be conversational and yourself. It often takes appearing on many shows to learn how to be the best guest you can be. Nobody expects you to nail it right away!
Follow The Data After Each Episode
Speaking of learning as you go, follow the data. There isa lot of analytics relevant to podcasts that can help you determine how successful you were. This helps you fine-tune your guest skills in the future. Whether you need to think of a new call to action, be more confident, or sell your experience, you’ll know where to begin if you follow the data.
How can you track the success of podcast episodes you appear on?
- Custom URLs: If you’re directing your users to a specific landing page, you can easily track this traffic yourself. The same is true for any custom promo codes.
- Downloads: How many downloads did the podcast get within the first 3-6 months?
- Demographics: Where are the listeners located and what demographic information is relevant to you?
- Skips: Did listeners skip through certain sections of your episode (like your CTA)?
- Reviews: Lastly, did this episode get called out in any reviews?
While you’ll need to check in with the host for some of these details, it’s worth it. The right metrics help you understand which shows are performing the best for your business. Not every podcast is the right fit, but you might not know this for certain until you put yourself out there. Because being a guest is time-consuming, you don’t want to waste time focusing on the wrong things.
Finally, keep in mind that podcast episodes have a long shelf life. Unlike other forms of content (like social posts), people download and listen to podcasts weeks, months, or even years after they air. This can make it tricky to track data. A good rule of thumb is to check in every month for up to 6 months to see how the episode progresses.
Share Episodes Far & Wide
Last but not least, if you want to use podcast guesting to supercharge your business, you have to continue the work even after recording. There’s always something you can do after you end the interview with your podcast host. They work hard to get each episode out there, so it’s only fair that you give them some love in return.
At the very least, you should promote the episode on social media and your website. This is a form of social proof, showing that you’re taken seriously in your industry. You might also recommend future guests in your network or ask for referrals for other podcasts that you might be a good fit for. It’s important to use these relationships to your advantage. Many podcast hosts are more than excited to send you recommendations or personalized referrals to others they trust.
In conclusion, don’t forget to repurpose your podcast content. Content is never one-and-done. You always need to find fresh ways to keep it in front of people. Since you worked so hard to be an excellent guest, why let that go to waste after the episode airs? You can repurpose this episode into a video, blog post, guest post, infographic, and so much more.
With podcast listeners on the rise, now is the time to tap into your audience. Luckily, you don’t have to commit to starting your own podcast to reach your niche. You can use podcast guesting to get your business in front of new eyes, build trust, and show you’re a thought leader. This is more than a networking opportunity, it’s a way to create compelling, action-driven content that stands the test of time.
Want some podcast inspiration? Check out the latest episode of Technically Speaking, a podcast led by the thought-leaders behind SpeakerFlow. 🙌
