As a seasoned podcaster, it may not be inherent to you that a podcast interview can be intimidating for guests. Preparation and education of your podcast process is key to making guests comfortable and guaranteeing the best possible footage for your podcast. Most of these steps only take a few minutes, but they deliver a high-value return for you and guests on your show. They are your guests, make them feel at home with you!
Here’s our guide to making guests feel comfortable through each stage of the podcast process…
Scheduling Guests
Scheduling, in general, can be a pain. Make it easy for guests to book with you and refer back to their booking details if needed.
- Use programs like Calendly or Doodle to find times that work for both of you easily.
- Sent an email to confirm the details – when, where, who, equipment, etc. If you are a regular podcaster, create an email template for these and have them ready in advance for each guest.
Prepping Before the Show
Before you start recording, spend a few minutes talking to the guests. Talk about your expectations of the show and let them freely speak about what they want you know before going live.
- Give guests a rundown of the show’s cadence and what topics you’ll be discussing. Even just a brief outline can help prepare the guest and calm any unsettled nerves.
- Check for “off the record” questions or topics that you shouldn’t ask the guest to go into. Sometimes parts of their story are off-limits and that boundary should be respected.
- Reassure guests to be themselves and that the audio will be edited for any content that was undesirable.
Ice Breaker Chat
As you go on air, keep it light at first. You can edit out the audio in this section, but it gives your guests the chance to get comfortable for the longevity of the interview.
- While on air, exchange pleasantries with the guest to get them comfortable with the studio space, audio equipment, and interview style. You can buy an ice breaker question game to have fun, compelling questions on hand.
After the Show
- Send a follow-up email to the guest thanking them for their time and contribution to your podcast. Let them know you’ll be sending them the link once the show is live.
- Emailed me the link to the live show, along with recommendations for social sharing. You could potentially send your guests a Recast clip, graphics, and copy for social sharing. The more ways you give them to share, the better for both of you!
With your podcast guests, it’s important to set the right tone for the interview. You want each guest to feel no pressure during the interview and act as natural as they can. Go the extra mile to make sure they are comfortable on your show.
At Podcast Marketing, we can handle the beginning to end the process of creating and producing a podcast for you. We’ll get your podcast set up on the major podcast apps, interview you monthly about your business, edit and publish the content, and promote it on social media. If you’re ready to start your podcast but want us to do all the work, explore our packages.
