S To Prepare For An Interview
1. Guest and Topic Research
When you invite a guest on your podcast, get started by researching.
Before you invite someone on your podcast, you should have a decent amount of knowledge around:
- Who they are
- How they can add value to your audience
- What theyre currently working / focused on
Knowing these things ahead of time will help you in guiding the conversation.
This is also a part of the process that could be delegated to a team member if you dont feel you have sufficient time to do thorough research on every potential guest.
2. Scheduler and Intake Form
Once youve done your research and found someone who you know will be a great guest, your next step is to send them a scheduler link so they can book a time for the interview.
You can do this with the help of a software like ScheduleOnce or Calendly.
Both of these programs allow you to share a link and have someone book a time with you, plus they help you gather all info you need ahead of time from you guest via an intake form.
So if a part of your interview will be sharing:
- your guests bio,
- a fun fact about their childhood,
- 5 bullet points that they can talk about during the interview, and
- an image for you to use for social media and your show notes
you can request ALL of this prior to the interview even taking place via an intake form!
3. Questions to ask
Weve got a list of 10 of the best questions to ask below, but be creative! This is your show and it should be unique to you.
4. Interview pre-chat
If You Had An Extra $xxxx Of Budgethow Would You Spend It And Why
Now, put yourself in your guests shoes. Budget challenges can present a lot of strain on both the project and the mastermind behind it. If you were them, would you use the extra funds on development, manufacturing, marketing, or something entirely different?
Even if your guest comes from an affluent background or has investors, a little extra money can go along way. On the other hand, if your guest is managing to pursue their project with an especially tight-budget, imagine how they would respond to the question.
In either case, this is a discussion point thatll really make your interviewee think for a moment.
Search Apple Podcasts For Trending Podcasts
Podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Play Music, and TuneIn are great places to find trending podcasts for your industry.
You can typically use the search box on the platform to find podcasts that discuss topics that are relevant to your business. Or, theres often a Trending or Top Shows column that showcases the top podcasts for that day, week, or month.
Use these platforms to find additional podcast interview opportunities, run them through the criteria above, and add them to your list.
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Get Up To Twice As Many Guest Requests Delivered To Your Inbox By Upgrading From Our Free Email Service To Choose:
1. ALL ALERTS: Get ALL the Guest Request Alerts we publish delivered right to your inbox, every Monday and Wednesday . The “All Guest Request” emails include DOUBLE the interview opportunities that our free list subscribers receive! OR:2. “TARGETED ALERTS“: Choose from 7 different topic areas to only receive targeted Guest Requests from radio shows and podcasts looking for interviews about your favorite topics or expertise. OR:3. ALERTS DIGEST“: An easy-to-read once-a-week email collection of all the recent Guest Request Alerts in one weekly digest only each Wednesday.
Create A List Of Prospective Podcasts
While PodcastGuests plays podcast-guest matchmaker for you, you can also take a more active role in seeking out top-tier podcasts in your industry.
The best way to create a list of prospective podcasts is to create a tracking sheet that helps you organize which podcasts you want to reach out to. Start digging into the research, and as you find podcasts you want to target add them to the spreadsheet.
At The Content Factory, we have a tested process for identifying the absolute best prospective podcasts for our clients.
You can we use to vet potential podcasts, track which podcasts you have pitched to, and confirm which podcasts you have gotten successfully booked on.
This tracking sheet includes:
- Number of reviews on Apple Podcasts
- Any requirements they have for landing an interview
You can continuously add to this list, knowing which podcasters you have reached out to and following up with podcasters over time to increase your chances of getting booked.
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Promote Your Podcast Episode
After the interview, ask the podcaster when the episode will air once the episode is released, its time to promote it!
After the episode airs:
Interact with listeners on the shows social media:
Engage with the host’s audience after the show is released to answer the listener’s questions about your episode.
Post a link to the episode featuring your interview and include a quality image of the episode or show art.
Update your Podchaser creator profile:
After your guest appearance, add your credit to that episode on Podchaser so you can show off your interview and keep track of where youve appeared for future pitches.
Mention the episode on your podcast:
To boost traffic to the episode, mention the recent interview on your own podcast and link it to the episode in your show notes.
This kind of cross-promotion helps out the podcaster who interviewed you and is a great way to show your appreciation.
How Do You Ask A Question On A Podcast
Becoming a good interviewer and asking great podcast interview questions is a practice. The best way to constantly improve is to keep doing it.
Each time you complete an interview, you should be asking yourself:
- What went well?
- What didnt go well?
- How can I improve the next time Im on the microphone?
When you are focused and committed to becoming better every time you get on the microphone, improvement is inevitable.
With this in mind, having question lists is a good way to make sure you have all the questions you want to get through in one place.
But remember: people want to hear stories and a good conversation, so while interview questions can and should be a guide for your episode, never sacrifice quality of conversation just because you want to get through all of your questions.
When it comes to how to ask a question on a podcast, keep these tips in mind.
For example, instead of me asking John Have you tried Facebook advertising before?
A much better way to pose this would be Whats the best marketing strategy to grow your podcast audience that youve tried to date?
First, its very like youre genuinely curious about his answer.
Second, its not a yes or no question, so it will automatically encourage a more in-depth answer that can lead to a bigger conversation.
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Next Steps To Help You Get Booked As A Guest On A Podcast
Now that you’ve got a few irons in the fire, you should start preparing for when you do get booked as a guest on another podcast.
After all, if you do a poor job with your first interview, it could hamper your chances of being invited onto any other podcasts as a guest.
You might be thinking I’m already a podcaster, this part will be easy. but being in the guest chair can be quite different in a lot of ways.
With this in mind, we’ve also put together a handy guide on how to be a great podcast interviewee. That’ll lead you past all the potential pitfalls, and help you do a great job as a podcast guest. Not only can this lead to more subscribers to your own podcast, it can also lead to a lot more guest bookings, too.
And, if you’d like more help and support with this or any other aspect of podcasting be sure to check out The Podcast Host Academy. That’s where you’ll find all our courses, downloadable resources, and get access to our weekly live Q& A sessions!
Understand Your Podcasts Niche
When you want to find podcast guests, start by researching other podcasts in your niche. This will give you an idea of what your listeners enjoy as well as the type of guests to consider for your show. Even if you canât catch the same big fish for your show at first, listening to the things that other podcast hosts and their guests speak about will give you information and resources you can use for your program like: â
- New or hot topics to help write podcast interview questions
- Familiarity with influential people in your podcast niche who accept interviews
- Upcoming industry events where you can scout for podcast guests
- Online communities specific to your podcast’s niche where you can find experts and additional resources
- Podcast interview tips that can help your conversations run smoothly
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Have A Spectacular Ending: Podcast Guest Tip #10
The finale is almost as important as the first impression. More so, perhaps.
This is your chance to take the most important step of the entire conversation and underline it.
So many podcast interviews offer great content, but leave the listener hanging on where to get started. So, think about this well ahead of time. What do you want this audience to do, right away, after they finish listening?
Make sure it serves them, first and foremost. This is your chance to create a legion of new fans. If you’ve followed all the steps above, then you’re already unique, you’re memorable. Now, you make yourself a legend by giving the listener some instant success.
So, what part of the conversation can they put into action right away, and win a bit of success?
For me, it’s often the gear. This is what new podcasters tend to struggle with the most. The amount of anxiety that arises when looking through lists and lists of microphones is amazing. So, at the end of any how to start a podcast’ interview, I’ll give them these steps:
- Theory: You have permission to keep it super simple. It’s the best choice at this stage to help you launch a great show and make it easy to run!
- Action: So, get out there buy a Samson Q2U, right now. Plug it right into your computer and hit record.
End with a bang, and leave the listener in no doubt as to what they should do next.
Advantages Of A Panel Show
It keeps things interesting for your audience
A panel show is a great way to give your audience something different each week because theyre constantly getting access to new opinions and perspectives.
It takes the content pressure off you
When youve got other brains in the room, youve got other people to rely on for content.
Yes, youll need to moderate the conversation which can be hard work, but youll also get so much more from your guests than you could dish up on your own.
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Confirm The Air Date And Link
When the episode comes out, you should share the link and social media promotional images with your networks. Be sure to ask the host how and when you can get that link.
When the episode is released, make sure to post it on your personal academic website, department webpage, and social media accounts.
If you , send the link to your publisher with a request that they add the link to their site. Most book publishers are quite happy to do this, as well as promote any of your social media posts about your book and your interview .
Recording Out On Location
What’s the best equipment for recording face-to-face podcast interviews whilst out on location? Well, that all depends on your budget, and the amount of gear you’re prepared to lug around with you.
We also have a full series dedicated to recording professional face-to-face podcast interviews. In this series, we discuss which recorder to use, why the Shure SM58 might be the best mic option for you, and the other bits and pieces you’ll need for your on-the-go interview kit.
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Use Guest Directories As A Resource To Find Podcast Guests
You can use a podcast guest directory to find and interact with potential guests for your program. These directories include business owners and thought leaders with the knowledge and experience to engage your audience. Best of all, the people listed are looking to be interviewed, which increases your chances of them saying yes to an interview request.Guest directories simplify how you contact a potential guest by providing all of their contact info in one place. Sometimes, you can use forms that send directly to the person. Check out these guest directories for help with finding your next podcast guest: #1 – PodcastGuests.com
This site connects podcast hosts with other podcasters, experts, and authors for podcast interviews. You can use the site to find guests in two different ways:
1. Fill out their questionnaire and explain the type of guests you’re seeking for your podcast. Once you’ve done this, the site will provide you with a list of experts relevant to your show.
2. Use the directory section of the website to browse for guests. Click on the industry to view profiles of potential guests. Each profile has a bio so you can learn more about potential guests before reaching out. You can view other podcasts someone has been on and find links to their social media pages if you want to see what kind of online following they have.
#2 – InterviewGuestsDirectory.com
#3 – FindRadioGuests.com
Search For Top Podcasts In Your Industry
With more than one billion podcast subscriptions spread across more than 250,000 podcasts, iTunes should definitely be your first stop when podcast hunting. From the podcast section of the iTunes store, you can search for podcasts by category or sub-category, by keyword or by the name of industry experts, who have already appeared on podcasts. A Google search for podcasts related to your industry or area of expertise works well too.
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Write For An Industry Publication
Every industry has a trade publication or blog. Find out what they are and pitch some ideas. Getting your name and podcast out into the world is crucial to finding great guests.
Action steps for using industry publications for finding podcast guests:
- Offer to write a series about your podcast and how its helped you in your business.
- Ask the editor of the publication to come on the show.
- At the bottom of each article ask if you can have a call to action requesting guests.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The Joe Rogan Experience is a free audio and video podcast hosted by American comedian, actor, sports commentator, martial artist, and television host, Joe Rogan. It was launched on December 24, 2009, by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban, who also produced and co-hosted. By 2015, it was one of the worlds most popular podcasts, regularly receiving millions of views per episode, and includes a wide array of guests.
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Audio & Video Guest Pitches
If you really want to boost your chances of getting that all-important yes, then consider taking a highly personalised and unique approach.
Rather than sending an email, you can send your guest pitch as an audio or video file for the host to review. This significantly boosts your chances for several reasons.
First, it stands out in their inbox. The host gets lots of email pitches. But theyll get far fewer audio or video pitches. And because of that, youll have their attention by default.
Second, it shows youre invested in their podcast. If youve gone to the trouble of creating a personalised recording or video just for them, it shows a level of genuine interest in their show. Basically its the polar opposite of a lifeless generic template.
And third, it shows you are technically competent. The host will be able to rest easy in the knowledge that they won’t have to coach you through the recording process. Youll have shown that you know how to use your mic. Theyll also be able to hear your tone and enthusiasm and make a better judgement about whether you are right for their show.
Choose Your Guests Wisely
If youre bringing a new name to your show, you want to give your audience a reason to hear their voice.
You can steer the conversation a certain way, but you cant control everything your interviewee says. One way to guarantee an interesting interview is to pick a guest you are genuinely interested in. Finding someone who knows a topic intimately that you and your audience are curious about will translate into great content, as you are genuinely learning and exchanging in a meaningful manner.
Finding a good person to interview could be as simple as asking a friend, or you can do some online creeping until you find the perfect candidate. Instagram is a good place to start, where you can browse niche-specific hashtags to find trending topics and people in your industry. If you have a following already, you could put out a call for podcast guests and see who contacts you.
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