by Case Lane

In a Mexican telenovela, aka a television soap opera, you can occasionally see that when a major movie star or esteemed talent or famous personality decides to make a guest appearance, the credits will say something like…

…we welcome to television, the great…- name of person-…

Or if it’s a former star who has not done TV for awhile…then the credits will acknowledge…

…we welcome back to television – name of person – …

The guest star is elevated to a kind of reverential position – a proud, open armed moment of mutual accomplishment and acclaim.

And the terms ‘Guest Star’ or ‘Guest Starring’ or even better ‘Special Guest Star’ or ‘Special Guest Appearance by’ are all used regularly, especially by Hollywood productions, to signal to viewers that someone has joined the cast temporarily to bring new interest and life to the show.

The guest star is a welcome visitor in a mutually beneficial position for the host and guest.  

If you guest podcast, that is the role you will play.

The Guest Star Role

Guest podcasting is appearing on a podcast for an interview or conversations, or sometimes to teach, entertain or provide commentary or analysis.  The guest’s role is to add value to the show by providing new insights outside of the normal routine and intentions.

Anyone with valuable communication to share should consider guest podcasting.  There are now nearly two million podcasts, many with conversations covering almost every topic imaginable. 

While established public speakers or subject matter experts may be the first to think of the podcast stage as an opportunity to spread their message, aspiring entrepreneurs should not overlook the possibility of building an audience and testing ideas in a public space.

The Opportunity for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

As an aspiring entrepreneur, if you have a business idea, then you likely recognized a problem that needs to be solved, and you have a solution.  Since you are planning on building a business, you are going to need to inform your potential customers of your proposed solution. 

Guest podcasting is one of the best ways to raise your visibility.  From the podcast stage, you can grow your audience, expand your authority and influence, promote your product or service, enhance your brand or marketing…or any of several other benefits.

You may not immediately know what your impact will be, but if your audience begins to grow after you start guest podcasting, you will receive feedback that determines how influential you have been.

Collaborate With the Podcast Host

Guest podcasting is a two-way street…always.  You provide value to the audience, and some of them may follow up with you, or look for your products.  Therefore when requesting an interview, potential guests should focus on the content and value they offer.

In a 15, 30 or 60 minute segment, your product or service is secondary to delivering on the outcomes the audience is seeking. You have to know what the audience is expecting to hear, and why they are listening to that specific podcast.

When you set out to guest podcast, do your homework.  Research the podcast you are pitching for an interview, and make sure you know the kinds of topics that are covered by the host.  You do not want to repeat a topic that was already covered on the show. You want to demonstrate why your work is different.

Guest podcasting means finding those differentiators so that you can engage in a more fulfilling conversation with your host.  And your appearance may extend beyond the interview, by leading to other opportunities, collaborations, or projects with your new growing network of podcast friends.

The D-I-Y Process for Finding Podcasts That Fit Your Subject

You can decide how to use guest podcasting as part of your business strategy, by looking for podcasts that are a relevant fit for your topic, confirming that you might be a good guest, and reaching out to the podcaster to request an interview.

You can also become a successful podcast guest without hiring an agency, connecting with influencers, or networking, by following this Do-It-Yourself process that uses the podcast directories to find relevant shows.

Select Keywords

After deciding on the topics you want to cover on the show, select keywords that reflect your subject area, and related topics.  

For example, if you’re an expert on tulips – select keywords like flowers, gardening, fragrance, outdoor activity, and so on.  Be as broad as possible because different podcasts will use different words to talk about similar subjects.

Search for Podcast Names

To find potential shows, search for podcast names in the podcast directories.  The directories are online databases where podcasts are listed. Directories include the podcast apps like Apple or Spotify, as well as websites that provide podcast information. 

The best directories for search are those that return sufficient information on initial search – that is after entering a keyword in the search bar – that allow you to make a decision about whether to continue researching the show.

Looking at hundreds of podcasts in directories can be time consuming. But if you do the work yourself, or outsource the work to someone who reports to you, you give yourself an opportunity to find more shows than an agency typically delivers.

You also connect directly to the podcaster, increasing your chances for follow-up or additional collaboration.  Podcasters often report receiving pitches that do not fit their show, if you do the work yourself, you improve your chance of making a good impression based on the research you have conducted.

Read Relevant Details

When searching in the directories, check the last episode upload date.  Many shows are no longer active, and as an interviewee, you only want to spend time researching active shows that are conducting interviews.

If the show is active, read the description.  Show descriptions vary from a few lines to multiple paragraphs. But if the information looks promising, check the show page for more details.

On the show page, read episode descriptions to verify that the show has interview episodes.  Also check the episode duration. 

When researching the show details, take some time to listen to a few episodes to learn how information is presented, and how the host likes to manage the show.

Find Contact Information

Once you have covered all the research points, if you are still interested, begin searching for contact information for the host or show.  Some show pages provide links to the website or an email. 

Check the Show or Host Website

Always look at the show or host website to see if there is a podcast guest interview submission process that you should follow.

If there is a specific process, this indicates the show is open to interviews. If there is no form to complete, you can still look for an email address or contact page on the website.

Many shows, especially the most popular, have no contact information. You can try to reach out on social media, or through their other previous guests.

But remember there are thousands of shows to consider, so if contact information remains elusive, move on to the next show.

Send Your Pitch

Once all the above points have led you to a relevant podcast, send your pitch and wait to hear.  Many podcasters receive hundreds of pitches, and will not respond to every email. But if you think a show is absolutely perfect, you can probably follow up after around 3 to 6 months.

Seize the Opportunity Now

Guest podcasting is one of the most important activities you can do to get your work in front of new audiences.  And you can find podcasts on your own, by reaching out to podcasters to create your own network of podcasting opportunities.

Summary

• Guest podcasting is appearing on a podcast show – to add value to that show’s audience.
• A guest podcast appearance is typically for an interview, but you can also have a conversation, teach, entertain or give analysis on your subject.
• Prepare your message. You must have something to say, and be willing to work with the podcast host to make a great show.
• Utilize the asset. You can promote your appearance to your audience as an example of your expertise, and to those who are interested in your work, as an example of what you do
• Find relevant shows for guest podcasting by doing your own search
  • Create a list of keywords that match your subject
  • Use the podcast directories to look for shows that match your keywords
  • Check the last episode upload date – to make sure you only research active shows
  • Go to the show page and check the episode descriptions and duration
  • Look for links to the website or email to find the host or show contact information.
  • Research the show by looking at the show or host website, listening to at least one or two episodes, and confirming that your topic would be valuable to the audience
  • Send your pitch and get ready to enjoy the benefits of guest podcasting

For more information: Listen to the Podcast Discovery series of the Ready Entrepreneur podcast, episodes 92 to 97 that was posted in late September through October 2020.

Click the show graphic to go to Episode 92 for the Podcast Discovery Series Introduction on Apple Podcasts

• If you want to get started with guest podcasting, go to podcastgueststar.com/blueprint, to get your copy of my comprehensive guide to finding, researching and contacting podcasts for an interview.