Being a guest on a podcast is a great way to get your message out to the masses. The success of that podcast interview depends on several factors: finding the right podcast, a great host, and YOU being a great guest.

Here are some tips on being the perfect podcast guest. Follow these and you are sure to have a fabulous experience, make your host happy, and get the desired exposure resulting in more sales, more clients, or more awareness for your cause. You will also find that you will be referred to other podcasters as the perfect podcast guest.

 1. Speak in soundbites

While you are the guest with the expertise to share, never lose site that it’s the host’s show. Don’t overshadow the host with long-winded, run on answers that don’t allow for them to get a word in edgewise. Speak in short concise sentences that are easily digested by the audience in a way that always leaves them wanting to hear what you’re going to say next. This makes for a much more comfortable, conversational and informative interview.

2. Know the show

If a podcast host is generous enough to give you the spotlight on their podcast – be prepared. Listen to prior episodes to get a feel for their interview style, the flow of the show, and ways to make both you and the host shine. Coming onto a show having no idea what it’s all about can make for a very awkward interview. It could even result in the podcast episode never being released.

3. Accommodate the schedule

Sure your time is valuable, and so is the host’s. Chances are they have a very specific day and time of the week they do their interviews. In some cases, the shows are even live so that doesn’t allow for pre-recordings and any flexibility in scheduling other than the date. Make it easy to schedule you and work in favor of the podcast host’s schedule if it becomes challenging. If they have to jump through hoops to find a time you’re available they’ll forget about you and move on to someone available on their schedule.

4. Podcasts are real media

There seems to be a common misconception that internet radio and podcasts are not “real” media outlets. Nothing could be further from the truth. When you consider a whopping 57 million Americans are tuning into podcasts every year, you darn well better think of it as a serious media outlet. The host is doing you a favor by having you on and giving you exposure to their audience. Get over the thought that you are doing them a favor.

5. Be prepared

Don’t wait until 5 minutes before the interview to start looking for call in information, pulling your content together and rummaging through emails to find the instructions and talking points. Unless the interview was scheduled last minute, chances are you had plenty of time to be prepared. Block off extra time on your calendar, either earlier in the day or 10-15 minutes before the interview to prepare. Take time to relax, get in the right frame of mind, and be ready to go without sounding rushed and scattered come interview time.

6. Be early

Nothing makes a podcast host more frantic than sitting on the line waiting for a guest to arrive. It only leaves them wondering all the worsts, including what the heck are they going to do for a show that day when it’s too late to book someone else. Connect with them 4-5 minutes before the scheduled time to do an audio check, have a little small talk, and to allow for differences in clock settings – not every time piece is calibrated with your source.

7. Ensure good audio

Good audio quality is key for a successful podcast. Be mindful of the type of interview you are doing and prepare accordingly with a good quality microphone or landline connection. Be in a quiet place, and always, always, always talk clearly and slowly. Enunciate your words, spelling out the more difficult to understand things like a web address. Don’t talk so fast you leave the listener cross-eyed and exhausted just from listening to you.

8. Promote your interview

Ask any podcaster and they’ll tell you a key ingredient to the success of their show is promotion. That means promotion by the podcast host as well as each of their guests. As mentioned earlier, they are doing you a favor not the other way around. Be eager and willing to send an email out to your mailing list. At minimum, agree to promote to your social networks both before and after your interview if it’s a live broadcast, or regularly after it’s made available to the public. Promotion equals more downloads. More downloads equals more exposure. More exposure means more potential connections for you.

 

Get podcast hosts and producers to come to you with a listing on PerfectPodcastGuest.com.

 

About The Author


 

Kelly Poelker, owner of Another 8 Hours Inc. and bestselling author of Virtual Assistant – The Series: Become a Highly Successful, Sought After VA is a frequent co-host of The Mary Goulet Show, producer of Reinvention Radio, and creator of PerfectPodcastGuest.com.