Whether you plan to use interview format for your podcast, YouTube show, or Facebook Live, you probably don’t wanna invite just ANYONE to join you. So that’s exactly where THESE tips come in! ?
Before you start asking people to join your show, of course, you need to have done some of the lay work of branding your show. (For info on this, check out the earlier post I have, on “How to Start a Podcast: What to Know [Part 1 of 2].”
Without further ado, here’s tips for attracting high-quality guests!
Tip #1 – Start by tapping your existing network. ?
Do you know anyone really cool off the bat that might make a great guest? Think of family, friends, colleagues, and clients with whom you have a good rapport – would any of them be appealing to your show’s audience?
If the answer is yes, make a list of them for your own organizational reasons, and then ask them.
Tip #2 – Make a list of “dream guests.” ?
Is there anyone who you’ve been dying to invite on your show? They’re not off-limits. Ask them too! In fact, this gets EVEN EASIER if you happen to have a friend in common who can hook you up. After they do make the connection for you – or, if you have to email the person cold, it’s a good idea to have a polished email ready to explain your offer.
I went through this on my show and used the template below to invite some amazing people! The format is roughly to introduce yourself, introduce your show, provide street credit (list some of your amazing guests), and then make the offer.
“My name is Liz Theresa. I have a weekly podcast called Liz on Biz with Liz Theresa which helps entrepreneurs overcome the mental, financial, and emotional hurdles of starting or scaling a business by sharing personal stories and valuable pieces of advice from guest experts.
That’s where you come in!
Some of my previous guests have included Isabel Foxen Duke – Emotional Eating Coach, Catherine Alford – Family Finance Expert, Kristin McGee – Celebrity Yoga Expert, and Michelle Elman – Founder of the #ScarrednotScared Movement.
I’m currently looking to book some great guests for future shows – would you be interested in doing an episode?
Each episode is only about 30 minutes long and recorded via Skype audio. Feel free to learn more about the podcast at liztheresa.com/podcast and if you’re interested, I’d love for you to hit reply.
Best,
Liz”
Tip #3 – Get in front of people who want to be on your show. ?
After a little time, PR firms and podcast booking companies will pitch their clients to you to ask if you’ll invite them to be on your show. Some of these people make for AMAZING guests – simply because them hiring someone to pitch on their behalf shows that they’ve made an investment in “showing up” on other shows. This means they’ve been there, they know the drill, and they (usually) are willing to be a good interview.
If your show is relatively new, feel free to reach out to PR and booking companies directly to tell them you’re looking for guests. Or, alternatively, write pitches that you’re looking for guests in the following channels…
– DashofVisibility.com
– HARO
– PodcastGuests.com
All three of these companies can provide you with people who genuinely want to be on the show – and these people almost always make for great guests.
Quick tip about these services – be ready with a web form (Google Form or JotForm or GravityForm on your WordPress site) that lets people officially “apply” to join the show. My interview application form for Liz on Biz is here if you wanna see what it looks like >> https://liztheresa.com/liz-biz-interview-information
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