Podcasts have become popular nowadays among listeners worldwide due to their accessibility and quality of content. Each podcast is unique in its own way. However, you’ll know how hard it is to prepare quality content and find podcast guests if you decide to start podcasting. Podcasts gained a lot of popularity among listeners. It doesn’t require excessively paying attention, like reading articles or watching videos. People can listen to their favorite podcasts whenever and wherever they are.
According to research published by Statista, “Forecasts suggest that the number of podcast listeners will surpass 160 million in 2023 after increases of around 20 million each year.” To attract the audience, you must provide engaging content. One way to offer unique content is to host influential guests. Finding potential podcast guests is not easy, and there are some strategies you should follow. In this article, you will discover ten ways to find podcast guests.
How to Get Guests on Your Podcast in Brief
1) Reach out to your immediate network, people like friends, family and co-workers to get your first guests.
2) Invite people from your niche to come and speak. They will likely be eager to promote their own show as well.
3) Communicate the benefits of coming on your podcast, e.g. showing your listener numbers or influential followers.
1) Try to find podcast guests on the internet
Whenever you want to search for something, the rule of thumb is to use the internet. Whether you are looking for books, job opportunities, partners, or even friends. The same rule applies when you are looking for potential podcast guests. For example, suppose your podcast is about art, paintings, and painters. In that case, you can search online for artists, art content writers, or art critics. Contact the one you think is suitable for your episode and send a podcast guest invitation.
2) Listen to your audience’s suggestions
In some cases, your audience could be the perfect guide to elevate the quality of your podcast. Get your audience to engage with you via social media platforms. Try asking them to recommend a podcast guest at the end of your podcast episode. Furthermore, you can post a podcast guest questionnaire on your website and ask them to participate. This way will help you find podcast guests and, at the same time, increase the number of listeners, especially if you choose the guest that your audience recommended. Communicating with your audience, for this reason, has lots of benefits because people like to feel appreciated and heard.
3) Look for a potential podcast guest from your audience
If you have a popular podcast and want to invite creative guests, let your audience know about what you’re looking for. Offer the opportunity of joining you on the next episode as a podcast guest. Many of the experts among your listeners will apply because some of them might be writers, consultants, critics, or famous podcasters, and you will choose the appropriate one. When someone applies, quickly research the potential podcast quest online to confirm the claims and move forward.
4) Connect with popular people
If you know an author who publishes about topics similar to your podcast idea, take advantage of that and send a podcast guest invitation. Although you might never hear back, the chances are there. You can also contact any popular writer, journalist, historian, actor, artist, and even podcaster to ask if they don’t mind being your podcast guest. Furthermore, look for people who recently achieved something and made it to the news. It might be your chance to host them before they become very famous. When people achieve success and start becoming famous, they like showing up more. However, it might become harder to invite them if you wait too long.
5) Ask your previous podcast guests to give recommendations
For sure, if you are a popular podcaster, you must have already communicated and hosted many guests. Ask them to recommend qualified friends they know, and this way, they’ll help connect you with the potential podcast guest. Your previous guests might help you a lot because they know the type of people you prefer and look for. Either ask your previous guests to introduce you directly to the new ones, or get their contact info and do that independently. However, when you first contact potential podcast guests, make sure to introduce yourself and clarify how you got their contact details.
6) Use Twitter
Twitter is the best social media site to help you find your potential podcast guest. Twitter is a formal platform highly used between politicians, authors, celebrities, journalists, and famous stars. Use Twitter hashtags to request a guest for your podcast. Twitter hashtags will help your request reach many people, and you might get lucky with someone you’ve always wanted.
7) A celebrity could be your next podcast guest
Many people watch interviews and read articles because it’s about their favorite stars. Similarly, many popular podcasters host celebrities to gain their podcasts more popularity and listeners. Draw water to your mill and do the same. Try reaching out to well-known and beloved stars and invite them to become your podcast guest. Although you might never get a reply in most cases, it’s possible to get lucky and receive a positive answer. Such a thing could take your podcast to the next level and help you achieve fame yourself.
8) Try different Guest booking services
The recommended guest booking service is PodMatch.com because its AI engine automatically matches ideal guests and hosts for interviews. Beyond PodMatch, there are many online guest booking services, some free, some paid. Search the internet for service providers and contact those who suit your podcast idea. Their primary aim is to facilitate the connection between podcasters and guests. Many use those services to find podcast guests for their show.
9) Formal emails
Formal emails are considered the best way to reach potential podcast guests and invite them to your show. If you know someone who could be the perfect guest for your next episode, email a podcast guest invitation and follow up with your email every few days. You do not have to know them personally. For instance, if you know a famous journalist suitable for your podcast, you can search their contact details online and send them a formal email invitation.
10) Find podcast guests on social media platforms
Connect with your audience on different social media sites to gain more popularity. You can find a new podcast guest by posting invitations on various Facebook groups concerned with that reason. Furthermore, you can also reach your audience on LinkedIn, one of the best sources for professional and high-end guests. Moreover, most content creators have profiles on LinkedIn, and you can send them direct messages asking them to participate.
How to Find Podcasts to Be a Guest On
1) Find podcasts that are in your niche and reach out directly to the host or producer.
2) Use websites like PodMatch to find podcasts accepting guests to be on their show.
3) Engage with podcasts that you would like to appear on, share their content and build a relationship with the host.
Conclusion
To sum up, new guests create new ideas and increase your podcast listeners. That’s why podcasters are always eager to find special podcast guests with fresh ideas for their episodes. Podcasting is growing, and the number of listeners is increasing yearly. Moreover, according to Forbes, “Listeners are spending more time streaming podcasts on Spotify than ever before.” All that matters in podcasts is the featured content, and that’s what podcasters are competing for in their search for potential podcast guests. However, it might not be as easy as you imagine to host famous people, but nothing is impossible, and you have to keep trying.
