This month we’re talking all about podcasting, and today’s episode is actually going to share some podcast interview tips for people on both sides of the microphone––to help you be a better podcast host and guest! For the best ROI, you want to be sure you maximize your podcast presence, so let’s dive in!
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If you haven’t started a podcast yet, be sure to read my beginner’s guide for podcasters.
Let’s start with ‘before’ the podcast episode.
As a podcast guest, you should be listening to an episode or two of the podcast before you do your interview… just so you can get a feel for the show. Really, you should be doing this before you even pitch the podcast host to let you on their show. But, if you were asked to be on the show and didn’t pitch, then be sure you listen to the show.
As a host, before the interview with your guest, you want to streamline this scheduling and onboarding process as much as you can. The first step is using Calendly or Acuity, so there’s no back and forth 100 times to get an interview scheduled. I cover the extra steps you can take to streamline the process inside my podcasting course, which you can check out by going to jesscreatives.com/cc.
The other benefit of using Acuity or Calendly for scheduling interviews is that they can send reminder emails to your guests, so you don’t have to do that. But, I would still recommend sending one personal email to the guest with a few things: some questions you’ll be asking, and a reminder to wear headphones, and other noise suggestions like silencing their phone, being in a quiet room, and so on.
So, now let’s move into ‘during’ the podcast episode.
As a guest, as I just said five seconds ago, make sure you are wearing headphones and in a quiet spot in your house. I know this probably sounds silly, but you’d be surprised at how often I interview people who don’t have headphones at first, and are sitting out on their patio where it’s windy and cars are driving by.
Something else you can do as the guest, or even as the host, if you are using Apple headphones as your mic, be aware of what you’re wearing during an interview. There’s nothing wrong with just using the mic on your Apple headphones, but that mic will brush up against your necklaces or scarves as you’re recording. It’s such a minor detail, but most people don’t think about the fact that their mic is picking up every time you shift in your chair, or it brushes on your scarf. As a guest, you should care about how your interview sounds so that people will actually listen to the full episode.
And as a host, this is why we covered preparing your guests before you record. There are a lot of people who’ve not been on a podcast before, or may not have been on a podcast that put as much thought into their recordings as you will. So, the reminder emails are important, but if you hop on the interview and something sounds off––politely point it out!
The last thing I want to say about recording an interview, is to show up fully. If you are having a bad day, or you feel too overwhelmed to be fully present… then re-schedule. And this goes for both the host and the guest. It’s important to have a good vibe and a good energy, and if you’re not that interested in actually being on a podcast that day, it’s going to be obvious to the audience. Now, saying all this, I will add that it can really throw off a host’s recording schedule if you’re canceling last-minute. Personally, I record several weeks or months in advance, so it’s not a big deal to me usually. But, it’s just a fine line to walk between respecting the other person’s time but also being in the right headspace for an interview.
So finally, let’s talk about ‘after’ the podcast interview.
Funny enough, I’d say that the before and after parts of podcasting are more important than anything. Obviously, we all want a great podcast episode as well, but part of that is a result of everything that happens before the podcast. And, if we do have a great podcast interview, then the ‘after’ is super important.
So, guests, pay attention real quick. If you’re working or cooking as you listen, just stop typing for a second and listen. If you are a guest on someone’s podcast, be courteous enough to actually share the interview. If you don’t plan on sharing your interviews, then I’d just stop wasting everyone’s time. If the host goes out of their way to create custom social media graphics for you to share your interview, then share it. The podcast host is graciously letting you onto their platform and in front of their audience, but your audience also wants to hear your podcast interviews. Yes, being a podcast guest is great for getting in front of new audiences but don’t discount sharing it with your own audience as well.
Not only should you be sharing about the podcast interview, you also need to link to it from your website. This helps build social proof on your site for potential clients, and other podcast hosts, but will help your SEO, too.
Now, podcast hosts, be sure you’re actually letting your guests know when their interview goes live. I’ve been a guest on a looooot of podcasts and it’s always fascinating to me when people don’t even give me a heads up that my interview is live. No graphics, no links, nothing. Which, don’t get me wrong, I’m totally capable of just hopping on Instagram Stories and verbally mentioning that I’m on a podcast, but that’s not the issue. How can I share about my interview, if I don’t even know that it’s live?
I usually let my guests know when their episode will go live when we wrap up the interview, or at least give them a timeframe. And then, I at least email my guests the day before about their interview, but I’m trying to make it happen a week or a few days before the go-live date.
So, let’s recap.
Guests: listen to the show before your interview, wear your headphones, and share your interviews once they’re live. Hosts: streamline your scheduling process, prepare your guests, and make sure you tell your guests when their interview goes live! I hope today’s episode has helped you think about your own podcast and what that might look like in the future. If you have any questions about podcasting, be sure to DM me on Instagram, @jesscreatives. Otherwise, I’ll be back next week with more podcast tips.
