Podcast Guests: How to Find People Worth Interviewing

You can’t produce a great interview podcast without great podcast guests. While a podcast can help raise your own thought leadership, it’s the expertise and insight of guests that provide engaging discussion to keep your audience hooked. Guests allow your podcast to share different perspectives, offer a little debate, and share new information. 

At Lower Street we’d say this is only part of the equation, that to really launch a top-notch podcast you need a great host to conduct interviews, but more on that in this blog. Now, we’re exploring how to find guests for your podcast.

Why are the right podcast guests so important?

Frankly, guests can make or break your podcast, and the ones worth interviewing definitely take your podcast up a notch. 

The right podcast guests can bring a fresh perspective to every episode. They bring new stories and insights which always offer your show something new. Listeners will be eager to tune in week after week for fresh content. 

Great podcast guests are often experts in their field and can share their knowledge with your audience. Think of yourself as a curator, bringing together the best minds on your show, for a one-stop resource for your audience.

From another perspective, guests generate a boost in audience. You can tap into their audience by bringing them on your podcast. Also, aligning your content with their expertise and knowledge can give you a credibility boost, securing your thought leadership in your niche. Not to mention, inviting new guests to connect strengthens your network. With every guest, you haven’t just created a new podcast episode, but you’ve created a genuine relationship with another expert in your industry. 

Finding Podcast Guests Right for Your Show

It’s important to remember that every niche will have its own list of the best potential podcast guests. It’s not about getting the biggest celebrities out there, but getting the leading experts in your niche. For example, if you have a podcast about growing your legal business, Taylor Swift might not be a great potential guest for your podcast.

When it comes to creating a list, your guests should either have a big name, big opinion, or big insight to engage new listeners (and keep current ones tuned in).

Here’s how to find podcast guests perfect for your show.

Niche Down and Get Clear

More often than not the secret to success is in niching down. Same goes for success in finding podcast guests. The more specific you are with the concept of your show, who you’d like to speak to, and who the show is for, the easier it will be to identify great guests.

There’s a good chance that someone out there is creating a podcast at least similar to your idea (don’t worry, there’s plenty of space for all), this can actually be very helpful when it comes to guest searching. Find out who your top “competitor” shows would be. These may not be the same as your business competitors, but should be shows in the same category as you, taking on similar themes. 

Have a look at who they’ve featured as guests. By being on these podcasts you already know they are a good fit for your audience, and that they might be willing to be on a show.

However, there is one thing you need to be mindful of. Don’t tell the same story. Don’t ask the same questions, or take on the exact same angle as the previous podcasts. Use your show for this guest to tell a fresh story, or a new angle and give your audience even more content. 

Tap into your Network

The best place to find podcast guests is right in your network. If you’re launching a brand podcast, there’s a good chance you’re already established in your niche. We’d guess you might already have some great names in your contact list (or right in your organization!)

Have a look through your LinkedIn and personal network to see if any individuals stand out as aligned with your show. Since you already have a personal connection, this can be easier to make contact.

Seek out Known Names

The best way to get an audience boost with guests is to choose a guest that your audience knows. They could be a leader in the industry or another creator.

For inspiration on finding podcast guests with a promising following, you can look to content creators and leaders in traditional media.

Content creators

When considering your niche, is there anyone creating similar content, or at least content in the same field? They could be a blogger, a YouTuber, or even a social media leader. We’ve covered podcasts above, but it always is a good idea to look at more than one platform. 

If this creator covered similar themes in their content, they most likely would be happy to come to chat about them even more on your show. 

This gives you a chance to share valuable and relevant content with your audience. It can also boost your, and your guests’ audience. 

Traditional Media

Leaders in your industry may not always double as creators, in fact, they might avoid the social network scene entirely. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t big names in the field.

Look at television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and even academic journals to see who may be relevant to your topic. 

Academics can especially be great podcast guests bringing the latest in research and new perspectives to your topic. Many will also be very keen on spreading the word about their work. Educational communication is increasingly an important part of grant proposals and funding because it proves the worth and public interest in research topics. Look for those conducting research on your show’s relevant topics and reach out.

When looking for big names in your show’s industry, ​​YouTube can really be your friend!

Search for conferences that cover the topic you are interested in talking about. Then see which panels they may have uploaded to YouTube and get the guests from there. This lets you also hear the guests speak publicly, immediately letting you identify good speakers with expertise and insight.

Share Diverse Voices

Diversity in podcasting is more important than you think, as we saw at the 2024 Brand Podcast Summit, podcast listeners are diverse, and they want to hear a range of voices. Not only that but including different perspectives increases the value of your show, making it stand out from the rest.

Take a look at your potential podcast guests, do you see any women or BIPOC names on your list? If not it might be a good starting point to seek these guests out.

When considering diversity in the voices on your show, it isn’t only about including more women or people of color. Diversity means many things, you should look to add geographic diversity, neurodiversity, diversity in sexual orientation, and more. No matter your podcast topic, your content can only improve by adding multiple perspectives.

How can you start to find diverse voices?

You can seek them out the same way we find podcast guests normally, and the ways we mention in this blog. However, additionally, you could actively seek out groups or organizations that bring more of these voices into the mix.

For example, look for organizations like Women in AI or Women in Tech. 

Look For Recommendations

We’ve already mentioned tapping into your own network. But even if you’ve used your contacts as guests already, they can still give you a hand in finding new guests.

Assuming that your LinkedIn is curated to match your niche they may have some great recommendations for potential guests. Facebook Groups can also be a great starting point, as long as they align with your show’s themes.

However, posting a shout-out for recommendations may get you more responses than you’d like. Here’s a tip for only attracting the best quality podcast guests: be specific.

Rather than a post like this:
“I’m looking for guests to talk about sustainability.”

Think of a specific theme you’d like to cover:
“I’m looking for an expert on wind and solar energy to come on my podcast. I’d like to cover what are the challenges of implementing these sources of energy, and where in the world they are being used the best.”

You can also turn to your guests for recommendations. When you wrap up an interview, you can ask if they happen to know anyone else interested in being featured. There’s no right or wrong time to ask, it could be as you close the recording, or it could be an email after the episode goes live. Whichever you feel more comfortable with.

Use Podcast Guest Finders

To make our jobs as producers just a tad easier, we like to use tools called Podcast Guest Finders. These web platforms take information about your podcast and do all the search work for you to select podcast guests. They can often help you sort out how to get guests on your podcast by simplifying the contact and booking process.

Here are a few of the best tools out there.

• Podchaser: This platform has a lot of different features for listeners and podcasters, but one of the best features is its “Connect”. Podchaser Connect uses data-driven matching to bring together podcasters and guests.  This creates profiles of hosts and guests, listing every episode they’ve been featured in.  You can search by show, by guest, or by theme to find potential guests. 

• PodcastGuests.com: This is a member-based website that can help you find new guests for your show. It acts as a mailing list, and in every newsletter you can post a request for guests, and then individuals can apply. Alternatively, you can browse their website for guest profiles to get in touch.

• PodMatch: A podcast booking service designed to connect hosts with podcast guests through an automated matching system, much like a dating app. PodMatch uses AI to identify suitable guests and streamline the booking process, allowing hosts to focus on creating content rather than managing administrative tasks. 

• MatchMaker.fm: Users can create free profiles, allowing them to search through a large community of over 70,000 members to find suitable guests or shows that align with their interests and expertise. The service also offers features like AI-powered recommendations based on user profiles, scheduling tools for coordinating interviews, and options for content collaborations and ad swaps.

How to Approach Guests

Creating a list of potential podcast guests is just the first step, then comes convincing them to join you for an episode. Let’s look at how to get guests on your podcast.

Every guest has a different personality, some may respond easily to a quick LinkedIn or Instagram Message, and others might like to keep it a bit more professional.

To be safe, we say email is the most effective way of communicating with potential guests. Saying that, you want to avoid PR and marketing departments speaking on behalf of a guest. Look for personal emails as they are much more likely to elicit a response. RocketReach is a great service to help you find these contacts.

It’s important to be clear in your invitation and keep it short and to the point (but always friendly).

Here’s an example to guide your outreach:

Subject: Want to be on [Podcast Name]?

Hey there [name], how are you?

I’m [name] and I am the host of [Podcast]. I recently [read your book, heard your interview, watched your video etc] and loved it. I would love to have you on the podcast to chat about [subject] more. 

If you are interested, why don’t we have a quick introductory call to sort out the details? Here’s my calendar link for you to book a slot that works for you.

Looking forward to speaking with you,

Podcast Guest Preparation

Once you’ve come up with a list of potential guests and contacted them, you’ll want to conduct a bit of pre-interview and selection before finalizing your podcast episodes. 

You won’t want to go straight from the first point of contact to already recording a podcast episode. At Lower Street, we always recommend having an introductory call to understand a few things. 

First, is this person actually a good fit for your show, do they have the expertise you are looking for?

Second, what story can you tell on your episode?

This pre-interview is one of the most important parts of shaping valuable content in your podcast interview. You want to use this conversation to figure out their story, and how they can add niche value to your episode. As a producer (and host!) your job is to identify the guest’s story and expertise and intertwine them into an engaging show.

When you sit down blindly for an interview, if you ask someone their story, chances are they may talk in a bunch of different directions. They may be great speakers, and they may have great expertise, but without guiding questions and structures, they may not reach the story you want to tell. At times, something the host may think is obvious to discuss isn’t going to be the best story to tell. 

A pre-interview lets you find that story and lay out the structure for the final recording. It lets you find out their unique value as a guest.  

This pre-interview can also be important as it makes sure the host will only cover topics that the guest is comfortable talking about. Going into an interview blind means there may be some hesitation to bring up certain topics or questions, this gives you a check-in to avoid any awkwardness during recording. 

Once you’ve had that initial conversation, you can sort out a date for recording, and make sure they have proper equipment for high sound quality.

Final Thoughts on Finding Podcast Guests Worth Interviewing

There are a lot of voices out there that could bring your podcast a fresh perspective and an audience boost. You’ll find there are a few ways to find guests, through recommendations, your network, guest finders, or even some research sorting through social and traditional.

How do you know which ones are really worth interviewing? 

It won’t be as simple as making a list and sending out a recording invite, you’ll need to do some prep work. Having an initial call with a guest can help you clarify if they are really who you want on the podcast before you take the work to record. 

Lower Street’s team has years of experience finding the best guests for our client’s branded podcasts. If you’d like a hand securing leaders in your niche as podcast guests, get in touch and see how we can help you.