How to Identify Potential Guests for Your Show

Caroline Early on September 22, 2016

Jerod and Jon are back! And, they hope, better than ever. In their triumphant return to the mics for the beginning of Season Two of The Showrunner, they tackle a listener topic idea that they’ve had percolating for a while and discuss the best methods for identifying potential guests for your show.

Here is the idea, submitted by loyal listener Chris Conner, who hosts Life Science Marketing Radio.

I know that it can be hard to find guests to sustain a podcast. Last week I came within an inch of having to do a solo show. Yikes!

But then I look around and realize I have other opportunities. The best source of guests for me have been 1) past guests, and 2) listeners who contact me. It works because my audience are the type of people I interview.

Maybe it’s worth a mention or a whole episode that interviewing the peers of your audience is a strategy to ensure a long running show. Obviously, HTE does this too so it’s not a new idea, but for folks starting out, it may be a consideration.

Chris’ suggestion — about interviewing the peers of your audience — is a smart strategy. It can lead to useful stories and lessons because ostensible your guests will naturally empathize and relate with your audience, and vice versa. Well said Chris.

They take Chris’ suggestion to the next step and identify additional strategies for finding guests for shows, including:

  • Jonny’s “Barnes and Noble strategy”
  • How Caroline Early identifies guests for The Digital Entrepreneur and Unemployable
  • How Will DeWitt booked his biggest interview yet by simply doing something nice

Plus, they discuss the importance of balancing aspirational guests with “move-the-chain” guests, and we provide some useful wisdom on how to approach the possibility of bringing on a co-host.

All of this, and more, on the latest edition of The Showrunner.

Listen, learn, enjoy …

[episode]

[episode_subscribe]

The Show Notes