Podcast Guest Guide: How to Get the Most Mileage out of Being a Podcast Guest

You pitch, you use your connections, and it happens – you get booked as a guest on a podcast. Yay!

That celebration may be short-lived though, as you find yourself wondering, “Now what?” or “How do I prepare?” 

There are two important considerations to help you get the most mileage out of being a guest on a podcast.

One is how to be a good guest so that you’re asked back, referred to other podcast hosts, and the podcast host loves it so much they share it far and wide.

The second consideration is equally important, if not more important. 

You need to know how to leverage the free publicity to your greatest advantage to boost your business and brand.

Both how you prepare to show up for the podcast personally and how you prepare your business for new traffic are a must! 

Podcast Guest Guide: Let’s first explore how to be a great podcast guest.

You want to be a great guest on a podcast because you are connecting with influential people in your niche and potential new clients and subscribers. 

So much great collaboration can come from these podcast connections which makes it important to put your very best foot forward.

Here are some key ways to prepare to be a great guest that come from years of experience as both a Podcast Host and Podcast Guest:

Technology Prep

Make sure your audio is on point.

You’ll need a decent microphone. 

If you are using guest podcasting as a key component of your marketing strategy, and I highly recommend you do (see The Most Overlooked Marketing Strategy on a Budget), making a small investment in better technology is a no brainer. 

You don’t need to go crazy and spend 1000’s of dollars. You can use one for less than fifty dollars and it will do the job for you. This is one we recommend.

What you don’t want to end up with is the podcast host emailing you later to say they couldn’t use the recording and they will get you back to reschedule as soon as they can. 

Often, the podcast host gets booked up or when you re-record it doesn’t have that same pizazz and authenticity as the first go around.

Take the time to record yourself before your first guest podcast to check the quality of the recording so you are ready to go.

Being clearly heard is very important for podcasts!

Personal Prep

Now that your audio equipment is squared away, here are some ideas to prepare for how you show up.

1. Be yourself. I’m sure you are someone people want to hang out with – the audience needs to feel that.
2. Share your knowledge about the topic out as if you were telling a friend about it.
3. Research the podcast before your scheduled recording, if you haven’t already.
4. Review the topics you either pitched and they approved, or the topics you later agreed to discuss.
5. Be there for the conversation, not for how you can get business from being a guest. You want the conversation to be organic and flow – not sound like a sales pitch.
6. Don’t be difficult to schedule and work with.
   I know this should go without saying, but it doesn’t. If you are pushy, demanding, make it hard to schedule a time, the podcast host will move on and skip you. They are busy and don’t have time for hassles.
7. Be prepared with your social media handles, a good bio, a decent profile picture AND have your website set up to capture any traffic that comes your way.
   
   Which leads me to my next point that many people often aren’t prepared for.

If you really want to get the most mileage out of being a guest on a podcast, your opt in and email funnel should be connected to the topic or niche you are speaking to. 

People often prepare to be on the podcast, but then forget to prepare for what happens when traffic comes to your website or social media accounts. This is key!

Here are some key things to consider for your marketing strategy BEFORE you record the podcast episode

What do you want people to do if they like what you’re saying on the podcast?

1. Do you have a landing page with an opt in specifically for the guest podcasts you are doing?

Having a relevant, easy to share landing page that the host can share with the listeners is extremely important.

2. Are your social media accounts clear with what you offer and what you do?

How long does it take a visitor who views your Instagram profile or your Facebook bio to figure out what you do and what you offer?

Make it clear.

Make sure your profiles say what your business is and how people can easily find you.

I can’t tell you how many Facebook profiles I see that don’t have a link to a website or contact page. If you have a business or service – be easy to find!

Denise Duffield-Thomas recently shared a Facebook post saying she wanted to buy a bunch of eCourses from her followers to help them in an economic crisis.

The next day, she sent an email to all her subscribers because she was so frustrated by what she saw and she wanted to help out. She shared that she abandoned many sales pages because she was unable to find the “buy button” for their products.

Can you imagine? The opportunity for someone well-connected and semi-famous to buy your product, but you buried the “buy button” so far in your sales copy she gave up and left your website?!

Be easy to find and clear about what you do.

3. Have an opt in that does more than send one “Welcome” email.

Your opt in should be well thought out and be a chance for people who are hearing you for the first time on a podcast to get to know what you’re all about.

Not just get to know you, but understand how you can help them and eventually convert them to buyers or clients (fingers crossed!).

Explaining how to set this up and nurture subscribers will take more than a paragraph. (Here is an article that gets more in depth about relationship building in email).

CLICK HERE TO LEARN HOW TO START YOUR OWN PODCAST.

The important thing to think about is having a plan.

At minimum, have a landing page with an opt in relevant to the audience you’re speaking to.

If you’re talking about how to make money in a global economy shift, have an opt in on your landing page that speaks to that.

If you’re talking about manifestation and mindset, your opt in should reflect that too.

Whatever you do, don’t leave them hanging once they sign up.

Have a sequence to keep them engaged so they aren’t surprised when you pop up three months later with a launch and they can’t remember who you are so they unsubscribe. 

So, the best podcast guest is

Informative.

Engaging.

Someone you want to hang out with.

Able to explain things in an understandable (not boring!) way.

Can be clearly heard. 

The way to get the most mileage for your business goals by being a guest on a podcast is…

• Have an easy to share landing page for listeners to opt in. 
• Have an email sequence once they opt in so they get to know you and what you offer.
• Have a plan as to what you want to happen with the traffic once they come.
• Make it easy to understand what you do and how to further connect with you. 

If you’re still figuring out how to land a guest spot on a podcast, check out these helpful posts on “How to Craft the Best Pitch for Podcasts Looking for Guests” and “The Most Overlooked Marketing Strategy on a Budget”.

Then, sign up for THIS demo on Podcast Clout to see how it can help you narrow down who you are pitching to so your guest podcasting is more niche specific and targeted.

Getting the most mileage out of being a guest on a podcast includes having a strategy. 

“Hope marketing” will only get you so far and isn’t very effective.

Using these tips and tools – you’ll be prepped and ready!

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