The Welcoming Podcast Host

With the rise of podcasts as an open market of free-for-all conversations, entertainment, knowledge and jokes, podcast hosts are free to manage their shows as they see fit.

There are no rules, requirements or regulations. 

So this post is being offered only as a list of potential ideas for podcast hosts who are not sure what they would like to do, or who would like to attract more potential relevant guests.

Everyone else, stop reading before you start complaining that you do not want to implement any of these practices, okay!

This post also does not apply to those who are, or are using, paid public relations services who have connections inside podcast networks ,and other means for directly contacting shows.

This is for podcast discovery D-I-Yers and their teams who are looking for insight into the process.

When you are pursuing guest podcasting …

as an aspiring entrepreneur…

as an expert…

as an influencer…

as a professional…

as a creative…

You have to understand what’s in it for the hosts.

Why is someone hosting a podcast?  You have to think about their priorities, and the reason why they might put out a welcome mat.

The Ready Entrepreneur podcast is an extension of my vision to prepare aspiring online entrepreneurs who want to understand how to take advantage of technology and access to the global marketplace, to achieve lifestyle freedom through an online business. 

For some people, their podcast is their whole business. They want to grow an audience, and expand their potential customer base through delivering valuable information.

As a guest, your role is to support the host’s goals, and to deliver information their audience can use.

As a host, your role is to facilitate your own objectives.

This is information hosts can use to signal that they are welcome to receiving unsolicited guests.

Provide a Way to Communicate

Potential podcast guests need a process for telling hosts they exist, and the most welcoming podcast hosts present this opening front and center on their website.

Podcast Guest Interview Request Form

Podcasters use a specific guest interview request form to gather upfront information about potential guests.  These forms can be long or short, had general questions or specific, and be a great source for potential ideas.

However podcast hosts must understand that the presentation of the form is also a reflection on them.  And potential guests will make a decision about the host based on the form content.  This may be exactly what you want.

Create the form as you see fit your show, content and audience. But keep in mind the potential concerns from possible guests.

Online business is all about niches, and reaching your specific community.  However, if you find that few guests are completing your form, you may want to look at your requested content.

Among the concerns:

Lack of space:  An answer box without a stated character limitation becomes a source of frustration when a potential guest wants to explain their pitch, but finds no room for entering the information.  A good option for this is a ‘do you have anything to add’ type of box.

Phone numbers:  Asking a potential guest for a phone number before you have agreed to the interview could be considered scammy, and an attempt to load up your email list with personal information.

Irrelevant questions: Questions that are unrelated to the podcast may appear to be a waste of time.  The potential host is unlikely to be the only person the potential guest is approaching.  Quirky, extraneous questions just take up more time to complete.

A standard Website Contact Form that specifically mentions podcast guests

This is a great alternative to the specific podcast guest form.  Specifically stating that potential podcast guests should complete the standard website contact form indicates the host is open to attracting guests, and is likely to read the submitted information.   In most cases, this also provides sufficient space for the guest to submit their pitch.

A website e-mail address

An ‘open’ e-mail address that is not specifically limited to clients or the media can be used by the potential guest.  The assumption is the email whether it says info@ or support@ or hello@, will still go to the host or podcast team.

Email in podcast description

Providing your email exactly where people are researching the podcast is extremely helpful, but rarely used.  No doubt podcasters are concerned about spam.  But if you do not have a website, or are using a free hosting service, you may want to include your email where it can be easily found.

Website Generic contact form

If you do not want to display your e-mail, but have a generic contact form, guests can fill that out.  However, since people are leery of those contact requests going into a no-reply black hole, a note about your expected response time or other welcoming comments would make usage more likely.

Social Media

Although podcasters will likely want to drive potential guests to their social sites, you should be aware this would be the most time consuming, and therefore least used approach.

With the exception of those who spend most of their time on social media, the time and effort required to go back and forth in trying to make a cold pitch may discourage some people.

But again, this may be your intention.  If you only want to work with people who engage with you on social, you can leave social media sites as your only public communication process.

Understand the Consequences of Asking for Payments, Review Requests and other contentious practices

In my research, a small number of podcasters asked for payment, review requests (often 5-star), listens or subscribers before they would commit to an interview.  Sometimes before they would even consider an interview.

A host must decide if these practices are valuable to the podcast’s brand, reputation, and viability.  For example, how valid are commanded reviews?  For some people, it’s the number of reviews that hold meaning, not the method in which they are obtained.  For others, organic reviews are more valuable and encouraged.

Given that there are tens of thousands of potential podcasts for guests to choose from, hosts can expect that some percentage of potential guests will not be willing to accept any type of ‘extra’ command in exchange for an interview.  In other cases, they will almost certainly say ‘yes.’

No doubt the ‘big names,’ are not asked, nor respond to additional requests, however that does not mean they are not aware of who participates in these practices and who does not.  Some podcasters are striving to build a recognized, formal podcaster community that delivers value to listeners, and sets an example for model online entrepreneurship behavior.

So do what you believe is right for your show, and expect both understanding, and negative feedback from your decision.

Use Relevant Categories, Clear Descriptions and Specific Keywords

Potential guests are going to search for relevant podcasts by categories and keywords.  Make sure your title, description and category convey the message you want to communicate.

If possible, select more than one category since your topic may cover more than one area.

For podcasts that cross multiple categories, use the description to specifically describe your content.  If you want to encourage guests, state in your description that you will be interviewing guests of X,Y,Z background or interest.

The descriptions for each episode are also important.  If you want potential guests to understand the types of people you interview, include titles, background, knowledge, interests and other relevant facts in the episode description.

In the Apple podcasts page, the first three lines of the episode description are visible.  A potential guest can scan through the information, and determine if they would be a good fit.

You can always look at the descriptions of other podcasts to develop ideas about what you would like to do.

If you really want to attract only a certain kind of guest, for example one who may speak on topics like spirituality, mental health, politics, religion, and so on, put that message in your description.  Neither side is served by misunderstandings or conflicts over the meaning of certain words.

Un-conflict Conflicting Podcast Names

For our purposes, to un-conflict is to take the conflict away.  Do a search for your podcast name, and see if you own the first page of the Google search results.

If you don’t own the first page, get your podcast listed in all available directories.  In my research, a podcast listed in multiple directories, beyond the most obvious, typically owned the first page of the search results because Google returned the locations where the podcast appears. 

Searching for the Ready Entrepreneur podcast in Google brings back first page results for listings in multiple directories. Try to own the first page becoming listed everywhere.

If you don’t own the page, check on the status of the conflicting name podcasts, especially the ones that come out above you.  Even if a podcast is dead, losing search results domination means that if someone is looking for you, they might not find you, or they might go to another podcast with a similar name, see that it’s dead, and assume that you are no longer recording.

Conversely, a podcast that had only one listing for its name was usually either in a name conflict with one or many other podcasts, or was dead.

No Need to Respond to Pitches

The majority of cold interview requests never receive a response and that is expected.

If you are interested in the guest, but have a full calendar, a legitimate ‘maybe next year’ is relevant, although may be unhelpful if the guest is promoting a product.

An outright ‘no’ is rarely welcome.  However, if you want to give the potential guest a reason such as your podcast is coming to an end, then you eliminate the possibility of follow-up requests.

Robo-replies with specific information like you are no longer accepting guests are also helpful.

Confirm Technical Requirements

In the short span of a few months, Zoom video has gone from a ‘new’ app some people use, to the default provider of face-to-face global communications.

When you schedule an interview with your potential guest, confirm the technical requirements especially if you have special requests or want to use a less popular communications app.

Existing podcasters may already be set-up for a quiet discussion, but new interviewees could have limited experience.

You can put the technical requirements in your confirmation email or calendar event.

Confirm Promotional Expectations

Surprisingly, podcast hosts are frustrated by the lack of promotion done by podcast guests.  For hosts, the minimum requirement is to advise the guest when the show is available, and the link you prefer for posts.

If you do not provide your preferred link, the guest will have to select their own preferred option, like the Apple Podcasts link, or not link to the show at all.

When the show is available, promotion usually extends only to social media and the guest’s e-mail lists.  You will see the social posts, but not the e-mail list unless you sign-up for the guest’s community.

Good practice is to also provide your social media handles so the guest can tag you on social, and you’ll know when the episode is promoted.

An even more effective promotion is to provide graphics for the episode that the guest can use to promote on their own, but this is not necessary unless you are creating graphics for your own promotion, then you can share those with the guest.

Summary

If you are a podcast host who want to have guests on your podcast, and you welcome cold requests from potential guests in the world, these practices can help attract more of the people you are looking for.

You can also reverse engineer the requests to ensure you narrow your guest list to those who best meet the vision for your podcast and your intentions.

The general best practice is communication and mutual understanding. If someone sends you a pitch that provides value for your audience, then together you can arrange a productive interview that you both use to grow your show.

Here are the practices to remember:

Provide a Way to Communicate

Understand the Consequences of Asking for Payments, Review Requests and other contentious practices

Use Relevant Categories, Clear Descriptions and Specific Keywords

Un-conflict Conflicting Podcast Names

No Need to Respond to Pitches

Confirm Technical Requirements

Confirm Promotional Expectations