How To Find, Select, and Work With Podcast Guests

A podcast guest is someone invited to speak with the host or hosts of a podcast in an episode or series of episodes. 

Finding a great guest has the potential to benefit your podcast. The Jann Arden Podcast, for example, saw a boost in social engagement after having talk show host and comedian Rosie O’Donnell on the show. “Social engagement and social reach are still metrics that advertisers are interested in, even if it isn’t the same as your listening numbers for the show,” says Caitlin Green, media personality and cohost of The Jann Arden Podcast. 

Ahead, learn about the role of a podcast guest, how to select one for your own podcast, and read through best practices for inviting guests onto your show, with insights from Caitlin.

The role of podcast guests

Podcast guests add value to an episode or series of episodes, providing entertainment, expertise, or sharing their stories with hosts and listeners. They can also give you access to a wider audience, introducing your podcast to their own followers. 

Guests often appear on podcasts to promote something of their own, like a new product, launch, or upcoming event. If you’re appearing as a guest on a show, Caitlin believes that your role is “to be the most entertaining version of yourself, like you’re at a party. You want to show up and be engaging and charming, have things to say, or touch someone on an emotional level,” she says. “You want to make an impact in some way, and you also want to effectively promote whatever you’re promoting. 

The type of guests you invite onto your show depends on your podcast type. The Shopify Masters podcast, a business podcast about ecommerce, has interviews with CEOs and founders who talk about how their companies started, what worked for them, and what trends they’re observing among businesses and consumers. The Jann Arden Podcast, on the other hand, features celebrities like authors and comedians who converse with the hosts about more personal experiences and pop culture.

How to choose the right podcast guest

• Know your audience
• Consider the medium
• Prioritize quality over fame

Selecting the right guest for your podcast interview is about finding someone who can relate to your audience and podcast theme, actively participate in your conversation, and bring new potential audience members with them. Below are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a podcast guest.

Know your audience

When brainstorming potential guest candidates, think about your listener base, the kinds of people they would relate to, and their own knowledge about the topics you cover. “It’s about finding a good demographic fit,” says Caitlin.

“Because our show speaks to women who are 35 to 45 plus, and it’s a longer form conversation, we’ll deal more with things that are happening in everyone’s lives—personal stories—and less current events,” says Caitlin. “Can someone speak to a topic that one of us on the show has experienced, or that we think is going to connect really well with the human day-to-day experiences for our listeners?”

Consider the medium

“Deciding who to talk to is really about finding people who are conversant,” says Caitlin. Even if there’s a video version of your show, podcasting is still a primarily audio-driven experience: People are tuning in to hear what you and your guest have to say. In order to produce the best end product, make sure your guests know how to keep a dialogue going so the interview maintains momentum.

If you’re considering a guest who’s appeared on another podcast, listen to that episode and ask yourself if they seem like someone you’d actually be excited to talk to. If you’re planning to host remote guests, make sure they can speak comfortably when they’re not in the room with you.

Prioritize quality over fame

Hosting an influencer or celebrity with millions of followers might be a great opportunity for exposure, but consider whether or not that person will be able to speak with you in a natural way, whether they have something to add on the topic you want, and whether they have the time and bandwidth to prepare and have a quality conversation. 

“It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone who has a big name,” Caitlin says. She suggests leaving off candidates “if you think that they’re not going to be interesting to talk to or you’re only going to be able to have five minutes with them.”

Best practices for shows with podcast guests

• Tap into promotion cycles
• Use the connections you already have
• Shoot your shot
• Use a talent agency
• Know when not to have a guest
• Make your guest expectations clear
• Do your research, but remain curious

Here are some best practices for finding the next guest to be on your podcast and making the best use of your time with them.

Tap into promotion cycles

“When someone has something to promote, you’re going to have better access to them,” says Caitlin. “Who’s just going to go on for free?”

Pitch your show to potential guests as an opportunity for exposure when they have a product or event to plug. Since most podcast guests are not paid, inviting people on at a time when they actually need press gives them an incentive to appear and makes the proposal mutually beneficial.

Use the connections you already have

Look to your network and community as a source for finding interested guests. If you’re friends with other podcasters or show producers, for example, ask them to make a personal introduction between you and the guests they’ve had on. If one of your customers is a well-known figure, ask if they would consider appearing as a podcast guest. 

Continue to build your network as your podcast grows to find more guests for future episodes.

Shoot your shot

Know the value of your podcast and reach out to anyone you think would be a good guest, even if they have a significantly larger audience than you do. 

“I’ll DM any celebrity with a pitch for the show and include all of our info,” says Caitlin. “Most of the time you never hear anything, but sometimes you do.”

Use a talent agency

Talent agencies connect podcast hosts with guests and offer other services such as securing release forms. 

“There are entire talent booking agencies that have really set their sights on podcasting, because they recognize that the downfall of late night is probably going to transfer into more guests’ availability for podcasts,” says Caitlin.

Know when not to have a guest 

In some cases, going solo is better than having a guest, especially if the guest isn’t a perfect fit for your show. “I’ve done other guest-heavy shows where the drive to have a guest all the time means that some of the guests diluted quality,” says Caitlin. 

Additionally, some episodes might lend themselves better to skipping a guest. If the hosts are discussing a personal story or a topic on which they have a lot of expertise, having a guest on might pull focus. For The Jann Arden Podcast, Caitlin wanted to structure the show in a hybrid format so that the hosts could alternate between episodes with and without guests.

Make your expectations clear

Communicate guidelines around promotion, show format, and content guidelines upfront so that guests know how to prepare for your show, how to act on-microphone, and what to do with the published episode. 

If you have a sponsor who won’t advertise on podcasts that use explicit language, for example, make sure your guests know this before you start recording. If you work with a marketing agency that will be using clips of the show for marketing and promotional materials, make sure guests know. 

If you expect guests to share their episodes, repost clips they’re tagged in, or collaborate on social media marketing with you, make this clear early on as well. 

Do your research, but remain curious

“On the host side, you should try to be naturally curious,” says Caitlin. “It’s that fine balance of preparing yourself by doing your research in advance, but also being in the moment and in the conversation.” 

Caitlin recommends watching clips of upcoming guests on other podcasts or at public appearances, and even looking into people they follow on social media as a way to build a rapport and spark conversation.