How to Be an Unforgettable Podcast Guest
Make podcast hosts love you by being prepared, easy to work with, and adding tangible value to their show and audience.
Extend your impact beyond the episode with smart tactics that drive real results.
If you’re a consultant, coach, or expert, guest podcasting is one of the smartest ways to build your audience, and your authority.
When my sister and I, in a moment of Covid induced overconfidence and general silliness, hosted the Minimum Baseline podcast (subtitle “How to Become Incrementally Less Shit), I did all the planning and editing myself. In doing so, I learned everything about the most annoying aspects of recording a podcast, entirely against my will.
This has meant that, now when I help my clients with podcast pitch documents or outreach processes, I make sure I help set them (and their host) up for success.
When a podcast host positions you as someone worth listening to, their audience is primed to sit up and take notice. It’s an act of enormous generosity on behalf of the podcast host, who has spent years building trust amongst their audience, that they’d be willing to transfer some of that trust onto you.
Below, I’ll suggest some ways for you to honour that act of generosity and make the most out of every podcast guest appearance, for you, for the host, and most importantly, for the podcast listener.
Before You Hit Record
1. Know who you’re talking to.
Ask the host for a listener persona. If they don’t have one, make a quick version in ChatGPT by dropping in the podcast website link and prompting the bot to build one for you. That way you can tailor your stories, tone and takeaways to the podcast listener.
2. Send your bio early.
At least 3 weeks before recording, make sure that you send a media kit with headshots, links to your website and your socials and the primary call to action that you’d like the host to make on your behalf at least two weeks prior. In that kit, include two versions of your bio;
A short one (1–2 lines) that the podcast host can use to introduce you during recording.
A slightly longer one with relevant experience and links that they can use on their website or in their show notes.
3. Share your talking points.
Draft 3 to 5 bullet points of what you could cover and send them alongside your media kit. This helps you prepare and allows the host to redirect you if they’d prefer you to cover a different topic or a different angle.
4. Offer to create a lead magnet relevant to the episode.
One of the issues with a podcast is that you can appear, drop a bunch of value and then disappear from the listeners thoughts, never to cross their mind again. A lead magnet that offers some value to the listener, like a checklist or a quiz gives them a reason to follow up with you directly. Some hosts will love this. Others won’t. Approach it like an offer, rather than an expectation. If the host agrees, I suggest that you;
a. Host the lead magnet email collection form on a simple landing page on your website or within your email marketing software.
b. Let the host preview and approve the lead magnet and the landing page prior to recording.
c. Offer to share the leads you gather with the host to add to their own database.
d. Check that your T&C’s allow for third party sharing and if necessary make any minor tweaks prior to collecting listener's email addresses.
Prepare Your Space
1. Find a quiet place. I record from a separate office, but if that’s not an option, a wardrobe full of clothes can work. Avoid rooms with echo and background noise.
2. Brief your kids, workmates or housemates that you’re not to be disturbed and put your pets somewhere secure. Lock the door if you have to.
3. Use a decent microphone. I use a cheapish ATR 2100x USB mic with a $5 wind cover. I like it because it’s wired so I don’t run out of battery halfway through.
4. Wear Headphones. This avoids echo and lets you hear the host clearly. Asking “can you repeat that” kills the conversational flow.
5. Don’t forget lighting. Even if the podcast is audio-only, you’re going to want to use clips for social media, your blog or YouTube shorts. My setup is cheap and really simple;
a. Large ring light on my left.
b. Fill light on my right (softened with my highly techy baking paper wrap held in place by a rubber band).
c. A small lamp positioned behind me to separate me from the background.
d. Blockout curtains and shades to even out any ambient light.
During Recording
1. Bring good energy.
You don’t need to be bouncing off the walls, particularly if that isn’t the podcasts vibe, but show up with enthusiasm. Speak clearly. Show that you’ve thought about the conversation. Be the kind of guest the host would want to invite back.
2. Don’t interrupt.
Let the host finish their question before you dive in. It makes for a smoother edit, it gives you a beat to collect your thoughts and it’s just good manners.
3. Share stories.
Think of 2-3 signature stories that show the impact of your work or your point of view. Keep them to bullet points so that they don’t come across as overrehearsed.
4. Know your angle.
What’s the one thing you want to be remembered for? Keep coming back to that thread.
5. Know how to introduce your offer.
If you are offering a lead magnet, introduce it naturally once or twice throughout the recording and ask the podcast host to reiterate the offer in their episode closing.
Be the Guest Hosts Want To Invite Back
After the episode drops, you can show your appreciation to the podcast host and improve your chances of being invited back or shared amongst the hosts network by completing the following small acts of goodwill:
1. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and any other relevant platform.
2. Share the episode in your newsletter, blog or social channels.
3. Run the episode through OpusClip or CapCut and edit 5-6 short clips with captions. Send the host these files to use in their own socials.
4. Run a small paid campaign if you can. It grows your audience and adds additional value for the host.
5. Share any leads you collect from the lead magnet with the host for them to add to their own database.
6. If you’ve mentioned any books or tools throughout your chat, you might like to send them to the host as a small gift of thanks after the episode drops.
7. Don’t forget to follow up and ask for any relevant stats so you can test, tweak and learn.
Want the “Good Podcast Guest’s Pre-Recording Checklist”?
I’ve turned the action points from this blog into a printable one-page checklist that you can keep next to your mic or send to your VA before every interview.
Free Resources
Take what you need and reach out if you have any questions.
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