10 point checklist for choosing a potential podcast guest to interview
Not everyone is prime podcast interview material. So when it comes to selecting a podcast guest to interview, here’s a 10 point checklist to consider.
The 10 things you want to know –
1. What kind of guest is a “fit” for your podcast program? Do you need a professional with credentials; a published author; a public persona, celebrity or expert; an educator, trainer, coach or just someone in their field who’s is well versed. Or, maybe one that has a unique point-of-view, a strong opinion or outright controversial?
2. Can your guest appeal to the demographic profile of your audience? Think about your audience, is it mostly men or women. What’s the general age and economic range – young with or without children, college age parents, the new AARP subscribers, still working seniors or full-time retirees? What are the topics your audience is interested in the most and does you guest have something to offer them?
3. Is your guest searchable on the Internet, do they have a LinkedIn profile, engage in social media? Do they have a Facebook personal page and a Facebook business page? Any videos? You want to be looking at the kind of information are they posting, as well as comments and responses they make. This will give you a better sense of your guest’s background and interests, all of which can help you formulate some interesting questions.
4. Does your guest have prior experience as a public speaker, being interviewed, featured in videos or other on-line presentations? This is a big. Since the more speaking experience your guest has, the more relaxed both of you will be and the conversation will sound more natural and conversational. However, don’t overlook a less experienced guest, they can have great information. It just may require that you spend more time pre-planning so they feel at ease.
5. Can your guest focus on core content and present their information in a clear and coherent manner without going off-track or spending time in self promotion? Not that an audience isn’t interested in a product or service the guest has to offer, but they quickly get turned off with blatant self promotion.
6. Is your guest amenable to answering additional questions arising out of the interview, as well as, those submitted by your audience? Some guests feel uncomfortable responding to questions they haven’t prepared an answer for. You’re looking for a guest that is willing to engage with you and your audience to expand the conversation.
7. Does your guest willing to be flexible and patient if there are any technological glitches that may interrupt or cause the interview process to start from the beginning? There’s nothing more embarrassing when things break down and sometimes guests don’t allow enough time between their scheduled events to accommodate these eventualities.
8. Is your guest willing to work with you ahead of time to make sure everything gets covered in the allotted time frame of your podcast? Your audience is expecting to hear what you said you would be covering. You have an unhappy audience is they don’t hear what’s promised. However, a good guest usually has more information than can be used in the allotted podcast time, and this gives you the opportunity to invite them back as a reoccurring guest.
9. Is your guest willing to promote your podcast to their own list of subscribers and social media outlets? Let’s hope so. If not, then you’ve the one carrying all the promotion responsibilities.
10. Prior to your podcast interview, do you feel comfortable and have a sense of connection to your guest? Gut feelings can be valuable here. If you don’t feel comfortable, your audience will sense it and your podcast will seem strained and unnatural.
There are probably other things you would also want to consider based on your own personal preferences for your podcast. But, these are the 10 key things you want to know about your potential podcast guest before you extend an invite.