I used to interview guests on my show, then eventually I went solo. But when I was interviewing, I received some big names like Jeff Olson (he wrote The Slight Edge), Mike Robbins (Hayhouse author), Dan Millman, and a few others. I learned a few things along the way when it came to connecting with people of interest, so I wanted to share many of the methods I used below.
And if you’re not well-known yet, don’t let it stop you from asking. I received many yes’s even though the guest never heard of me.
Don’t hold back, just ask!
How and where to find guests for your podcast:
- Contact page on their website (usually the most common way to get a hold of someone)
- Reach out to podcasters in your niche. The host of a show usually knows a lot about the niche, and can also refer guests if they themselves aren’t available
- Amazon new book release page, find author info and contact them
- Any authors of even not so recent books might like the attention and exposure too
- Go through your Twitter followers, potential for lots of guests in there. Contact them through Twitter as well.
- Get on the email list of mediaproductions.tv
- Sign up with HARO http://www.helpareporter.com and you’ll get to request to be pitched to (as an expert), or pitch to others (for guest requests)
- Look for people on youtube (i.e. TED talks, other shows in your niche, etc)
- You will sometimes need to reach out through a media company, agent, or manager for bigger guests (celebrities especially). A quick internet search can reveal someone’s representative.
- Facebook fan pages. You can often message people directly on their fan page.
- Bloggers in your niche would likely love to do an interview
- Other podcasters may reach out to you to be a guest.
- The more podcast friends you have, the more likely you’ll receive referral guests out of the blue
- The closest city to you. If you can interview locally, reach out to people in your subject matter.
Exposure is the name of the game for most folks. When you reach out to someone and ask them if they would like to be interviewed, it shows that you actually notice them. You might be surprised that even the big names still like getting noticed. If they believe they will gain more exposure for themselves of their brand, you are more likely to get an interview with them – so make your pitch compelling!