Making The Most Of Your Podcast Guest Spot

A few weeks ago I wrote about how to get on someone’s podcast. Congrats! Now you have your first podcast guest spot lined up. You’re set to provide value for a ready and willing audience. But being a podcast guest is about more than just talking. While you shouldn’t be going on just to hawk your wares, you should be ready to help listeners learn more about you. Here’s how.

Know What You’re Going to Talk About

If you’ve pitched yourself for a show then you likely also suggested a topic. But if someone reached out to you just to have you on, make sure you nail down the topic before going on the show. Just because you’re an expert on a topic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared. Brush up on a few talking points and make sure to hit the big areas during the interview.

Define your topic before going on the podcast. Click To Tweet

You should also try to stick to one area. This is a mistake I’ve made several times as a podcast guest. Because I do so much, we kind of jump around a lot. And while I’ve tried to tie it in a bow after the fact, it probably didn’t land like I wanted it too with the audience. Instead, when you nail down the topic with the host, be sure to stick to that topic.

You can mention the other aspects of your lift or business. But keep the main takeaways to one area. Speaking of…

Have 1–2 Takeaways for the Audience

You will not have a podcast listener’s full attention. They’re either working, commuting, doing chores, or something else while also listening. If you want them to get value, make sure you pick 1–2 takeaways you want the audience to have, and repeat them throughout.

Have 1-2 clear takeaways for the listeners. Click To Tweet

On my own show, I repeat what I think are the important points too. This ensures that the listener hears what you’re saying and knows the most important parts. It gives them plenty of opportunities to hear and remember what you’re saying. Plus they don’t come away from the episode with a laundry list of things to do.

Have a Clear Call to Action

Now that you’ve imparted some great advice on the show, it’s time to direct people where they can learn more. Hopefully the host will ask you where people can find you/learn more/etc.

If you're a guest on a podcast, have a clear Call to Action – send listeners to ONE place! Click To Tweet

DO NOT give them 4 different links. Pick the CTA that makes the most sense and only repeat that one (more advice in the next section). If you want Twitter followers, mention Twitter. If you have a podcast, this is a great opportunity to get new listeners because they already listen to podcasts. Send them there. If you sell something, maybe send them there.

OR (and here’s what I recommend) send them to a link to get them on your list. If you do have a bunch of different things you want people to know about you, there’s a great way to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

Have a Landing Page for Podcast Guest Spots

Ideally, your CTA should be to a landing page you’ve created specifically for podcast spots. It doesn’t have to be a custom landing page for every episode you do, but it should be specialized for the topic you talked about it. Here’s an example: My Learn More page. It has:

• My bio
• Social links
• A podcast subscription link
• An email optin form related to the topic
• Resource links related to the topic

This one in particular is a generic one I have when I go on a podcast and talk about running a small / digital business. I have a much more specific landing page for when I talk about podcasting.

Create a landing page specifically for podcast listeners to visit, and include resources you talked about on the show. Click To Tweet

Set Up a Redirect

Another smart step you should take is make the URL include the podcast’s or host’s name. This will make it easier for listeners to remember, especially if they’re unable to visit your site right at that moment.

If you have reusable pages, like the ones I’ve set up, you could always redirect them. It’s very easy to do with both WordPress and Hover. Plus it’s a win for you: you only need to make one page. If you want to better track where the traffic is coming from, you could always setup the redirections with UTM parameters.

Here’s an example: I was on a podcast where the host’s name is Nev. so. The URL I’m sharing is casabonaorg-staging.eowgdit8-liquidwebsites.com/nev/. That will redirect to casabonaorg-staging.eowgdit8-liquidwebsites.com/learn-more/, but I’m adding some extra info: casabonaorg-staging.eowgdit8-liquidwebsites.com/learn-more/?utm_source=nev_harris&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=podcast_guest_spots.

Let me make it clear that I’m not an SEO expert, but Hubspot has a good post on UTM Parameters.

Build Your Audience!

The main goal in all of this is to build your audience. So you want to make sure you’re giving good advice. You want your new audience members to trust you! Once they do, get them to take that action with a clear CTA and a rock-solid landing page.