A lot of people think that starting a podcast is as easy as sitting in front of a camera and talking about various topics, but, it’s so much more than that. There is a wide range of things that go into preparation for each podcast out there, and if the host isn’t prepared properly, it could lead to a loss of followers, or even worse, bad reviews that might cause people to skip a channel whenever they come across it.
If you’re about to start an online show, one of the tasks that you might find particularly daunting is booking interviews with individuals. However, with suitable tips in mind, booking a guest doesn’t need to be overwhelming, instead, it can be quite simple. Here is our 2024 guide that’ll help you book guests for your new online show:
1. The Individuals You Choose Must Be Interesting
Although this is something that is completely logical, it’s still worth mentioning – the individuals you choose to invite to an episode must be interesting. If they aren’t, your followers won’t be curious about hearing what they have to say, which basically means that they’ll most likely choose to watch something that is more fun. Because of this, you must be extra careful when it comes to inviting different people for an interview.
It’s best if you search for individuals that have a unique angle on the world, who talk and think differently, and who in some instances refuse to follow the norms of today’s world. This suggests that they should be unique and bring value to your listeners. Of course, finding such a person can be a little bit complex, however, it’ll make sure that you keep your followers interested in what you want to say. When you find someone that suits the description from above, you must do a little bit of digging into them, which leads us to our next point…
2. You Must Research The Individual You Wish to Interview
No matter if you ask a writer or a musician to be your guest, the discussion mustn’t be your first exposure to who they are and what they do. What does this mean? It’s easy to understand, it means that you must do research on them and learn a bit more about them. Your main goal as a podcaster should be to reveal the person to your targeted niche, which is something that you cannot really do without learning more about their life.
Because of this, you should see how they act online, read different articles, go through their social media accounts, and don’t forget to Google them as well. Read about the accomplishments they had in life, which can include things such as them winning awards, writing books, being an ambassador for some important brands, and so on. By researching your potential guests, you can make the interview much more personal – something that people are always interested in listening to.
3. Find Our How You Should Contact The Potential Guests
Whether you’re planning on inviting a relatively famous person or if you wish to invite a person that is, for instance, about to publish the first book, learning how you could contact them is a must. For instance, some people will put an email address highlighted on their Instagram accounts, while other people might use direct messaging on Instagram for booking interviews. Hence, it’s crucial that you find out how you should contact them without being informal.
But, if you don’t wish to contact them by yourself, there are always companies that can help you do just that. For instance, there are people that’ll help you book interviews for your show, so, if you aren’t willing to go through the entire procedure of contacting them yourself, you could opt for such services. Of course, you must always learn more about the podcast booking agent that you’re considering, just so that you can learn whether or not they could book individuals that are suitable for your podcast.
4. Be Careful When Reaching Out
If you do decide to contact them yourself, you should remember that you shouldn’t overwhelm the individual with all the elements of why you wish them to be on your show, which is particularly true if you don’t privately know them. Instead, you should send two messages or emails, one that’ll prompt them to be curious about being on the show and a second one that’ll highlight all the elements revolving around the show and channel.
In the first letter, highlight their accomplishment, skills, or characteristic that you prefer, introduce yourself briefly, tell them the reason why you chose to invite them, and ask whether or not they’re interested. If they accept your invitation, the second message must contain a thank you note, you should give them details about your podcast, and most importantly, send them the questions that you might end up asking them. If they don’t respond, you should ask them once more, and if they say no, you must, of course, move to the next possible guest.
5. Lastly, Make Sure That There Are no Distractions
If you’ve successfully secured a guest, your last goal is to minimize all and any distractions while recording. When you ask someone for an interview, you should ensure that there is nothing else going on during the recording, hence, you must put your smartphone on silent, ensure that there are no other people that could make noise, and if you own pets, ensure that the individual is comfortable with being in the same room as them. Not ensuring these things could lead to a pause in the conversation, which can be difficult to bounce back from.
Conclusion
No matter what type of show you’re planning on starting, it may be daunting and complex for you to book suitable guests for each episode. However, if you keep the tips we’ve mentioned in mind, you won’t only ensure that you have people to interview, but, you’ll also ensure that your followers and niche enjoy listening to them.
Since you’re now well aware of the tasks you should do in order to book interviews, you really shouldn’t lose your free time reading 2024 guides similar to this one. Instead, you should start with the first piece of advice that we’ve mentioned, which is searching for an individual that has an interesting background.