7 Ways To Book Podcast Guests And Grow Your Audience

7 Ways To Book Podcast Guests And Grow Your Audience

One of the best things about having a podcast is the opportunity to bring on amazing guests who can speak to your topic and share and empower your vision. Podcast guests add dimension to your episode and can be a great way to expand your audience.

After all, when you have a guest come aboard, they’re bringing their audience with them. It’s totally a win-win situation, and that’s only the beginning!

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Front view of smiling woman podcaster with a podcast guest at table in front of laptop speaking into mic.

In fact, bringing guests on your show comes with a few benefits:

  1. You Get Expert Information
    As well-versed as you are on your topic, it’s impossible to know everything! Getting someone in to co-host with you or to interview adds dimension and insight to your episode. Plus, with a different perspective, you can go different routes in your content. Providing your audience another way of thinking or seeing brings a whole new richness to your podcast and gives them so much more to work with to make their own empowered decisions.
  2. Enhances Your Content
    New personalities breathe new life into your content and way of thinking. Even if you don’t have guests, inviting one on every once in a while jazzes it up. Try a Q&A, interview, Ask the Audience or just a high-quality conversation between two individuals.
  3. Reaches Subscribers
    Teaming up with a guest is another opportunity to bring in their audience. So not only do you get to dip into their set of followers but you also get to share and swap. Talk about exponentially expanding your reach!
  4. Bump Up Networking Opportunities
    Your guest doesn’t have to be someone you know well. In fact, your guest can be someone you want to meet or get to know, and what’s even better is that you don’t need to be in the same room to have them featured on your podcast. With modern technology and high-tech virtual studios, you can work with anyone from anywhere to put out high-quality episodes you’re proud of!

But now here’s the million-dollar question; Which guests do you want to have on and how are you going to book them?

Front-facing view of man in loft space surrounded by plants and wooden framework, seated at laptop with mic and portable light.

Here are 7 ways to find the guests your audience wants to hear:

  1. Reach Out To Guests Who Are Recently Published
    Keep an eye out for anyone in your field of expertise who is a content creator. Know a band who just released their new single, a coach with a new program, an author with a new book? They’re looking for publicity as much as possible. Shoot them a message and you might just be surprised! The first place to start? The “Coming Soon” section on Amazon.
  2. Cross-Promote With Other Creators
    Check to see who else in your niche is doing what you’re doing or doing something similar. Look for ways you can empower each other, especially if the person is a blogger and you’re a podcaster, for example. This is a perfect way to reach into each other’s media channels and create partnerships; It also works wonders with other podcast hosts too.
  3. Meet Guests IRL
    The whole point of being a content creator is to provide value and make a genuine connection. Doing this virtually is more possible now than ever before thanks to social media, but let’s not forget how valuable it is to make connections in the real world through conferences, meetups, referrals, and word of mouth. Search to see what kind of conferences are coming up in your area or if there’s anywhere you can go. It’s as simple as starting with a Google search.

Don’t forget to bring business cards, or better yet, when you meet someone, grab their information and connect as soon as possible

  1. Participate In Online Communities
    Get your message out there by participating in online groups and making your name known. There are groups dedicated to hobbies, sports teams, podcasting niches, and more; Just don’t be too shameless about it. The territory is ripe for making connections but shouldn’t be overloaded with self-promotion. Reach out across Facebook groups, Reddit, Meetups, and any other forums online.
  2. Ask For Referrals
    Keep the thread of connection going by asking for personal referrals from each guest you come across. Rather than asking point black “Who do you think would be a good guest?” lessen the degrees of separation by asking, “Do you know anybody you think I should interview?”  This is a crucial step in opening up your network because you’re tapping into your guest’s already known connections.
  3. Ask Guests Who They Want To Hear
    Equal parts guests and podcasters are looking to guest and host, respectively! The only thing getting in the way of a guest appearing on a show is the connection. Make yourself reachable. Have your contact information readily available on all your touchpoints. Bonus: Create a tab on your website where potential guests can request to be on your show. Set up a simple submission form and get a feel for the people out there who want to be a part of your podcast!
  4. Ask Your Audience Who They Want
    As your podcast audience continues to expand, ask them more about what they want to hear like who they want to listen to. At the end of your episode or on your website, flat out ask for them to share their ideas. Collect all sorts of recommendations to give the people what they’re asking for. The best part? Your audience knows what they want so when you give it to them, you can only trend upward!

With TalkShoe podcast software, you’ve got everything at your fingertips to take your idea out of your head and put it into crystal clear audio! Write, host, and record podcasts using state-of-the-art virtual equipment to record in advance or stream live. TalkShoe lets you host and store your podcast, distribute and syndicate, and easily transcribe.

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