12 Ways to Find Podcast Guests For Your Show

Preparing for a podcast episode can be tricky. Depending on your show, you may need to prepare anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes—which is a lot of talking. 

One easy and popular way to take the burden off of your shoulders is by inviting a guest to speak on your show. Having a guest on your show makes it much easier to fill time with valuable content. Plus, a conversation between two people tends to feel more natural than a single person presenting a monologue. 

If you know how to prepare an interview and guide the conversation, your podcast guests can do the vast majority of the talking for you. A single question could yield a five to ten-minute response from your guest, only requiring you to add a few lines of commentary to break it up. 

Whether you’re looking for a podcast guest for a single episode or you’re seeking strategies to find a guest for every new show, this guide has you covered. I’ll share my favorite ways to not only find but secure the right guests for your podcast.

1. Cold Email Outreach

This strategy assumes that you’ve already identified who you want to ask. You can’t assume that everyone you ask will say yes, and you also need to consider the schedule and availability of potential guests.

So to save some time, I’d recommend writing a list of at least ten people you want on your show. Then you can reach out to them at once.

Don’t just send a boilerplate message that will get overlooked or deleted. Take the time and write each invitation uniquely. Your message should include:

• Brief introduction of yourself
• Quick explanation of your show
• Examples of what your show discusses
• Listener statistics (if applicable)
• Why they’d be a good guest on the show

If someone is interested, try to secure a date and time to record the episode as soon as possible. Putting it in their hands to “just let me know when you want to come on” will generally get put on the back burner. But suggesting specific weeks or dates can help lock them in. 

2. Ask Your Audience

Seeking advice from your audience is a powerful way to get podcast guests that actually deliver value to your show. If multiple listeners are all suggesting the same guests, there’s a good chance they’ll tune into your episodes if you end up getting that person on the air. 

This is an excellent strategy for podcast hosts who already have a show and active listener base, but don’t know where to start when it comes to searching for guests. 

There are multiple ways to ask your audience for advice. If your podcast is available on Spotify, you can use this platform to create interactive polls with your audience. 

You can also ask for recommendations on your social media platforms or encourage people to leave comments when your podcasts get published on YouTube. Sharing your email address during an episode and asking people to reach out directly with suggestions also works.

Sometimes members of your audience can make great guests themselves. This is especially true if your podcast gives recommendations on how to do something. You could invite a listener to share their story and explain how your brand helped accomplish their goals.

3. Other Podcast Hosts

Hosts of other podcasts make great guests for shows. 

That’s because they’re already familiar with podcast formats and know how to speak to podcast listeners for long durations. They tend to have plenty of material as well, as they need it to fill space on their own episodes. 

Another reason why I love inviting other podcast hosts to my show is because other podcasters tend to have loyal followings. They could give your show a free pitch by letting their listeners know about the episode and sharing it on their platforms. 

4. Accept Invitations to be a Guest on Other Podcasts

In the same vein as the last strategy, you should welcome invitations to other podcasts with open arms. 

This assumes that the show aligns with your branding and doesn’t do anything that goes against your personal morals. Depending on your stance, you may also want to avoid podcasts with controversial hosts and sensitive topics. 

But accepting invitations to other shows helps expand your reach and builds authority in your niche. The host of that other podcast will be more willing to return the favor if you ask them to be on your show. 

Some podcasts even have multiple guests. So you could be on at the same time as someone else. In this scenario, you’re meeting someone who has already proven that they’re willing to be a guest on a show. Turning that into an invite to your show shouldn’t be too challenging. 

5. Find Someone Seeking Free Publicity

There’s no shortage of people out there who would love to get their name out in front of a wide audience. They’ll be happy to spend an hour on your podcast if you allow them to pitch whatever it is they’re promoting. 

For example, people who are promoting a book or research publication tend to make great guests. The same goes for people promoting a nonprofit organization, movie, performance act, tour, or product. 

While the entire episode shouldn’t be centered on the pitch, you can still mention it while you’re introducing the guest, in closing, and let the guest speak about it at least once during the interview. 

6. Use a Dedicated Tool For Finding Podcast Guests

For a fast way to find a seemingly unlimited number of guests for your show, you can simply use a dedicated tool or service that’s designed to connect guests with hosts. 

PodcastGuests.com is a popular option with an active community of over 40,000 podcasters and expert guests.

Podchaser, PodMatch, and MatchMaker.fm are viable alternatives to consider as well. 

The one downside of these platforms is that you need to pay for results. But they’re usually pretty affordable. For example, PodcastGuests.com has plans starting at $15 and $39 per month—which is reasonable for any podcaster seeking quality guests for their show. 

7. Join a Mastermind Community

Mastermind groups typically meet weekly or monthly. They consist of like-minded individuals across different fields or industries—all with the goal of sharing ideas and supporting each other. 

One great part about being in a mastermind community is that you know everyone in the group is there for the same basic reasons. They want to improve both personally and professionally and scale at a rapid rate. 

Many business professionals, entrepreneurs, and executives join mastermind groups. These are all people who tend to make great guests on podcasts. 

If you float the idea during a meeting or simply put it out in the group’s online forum, there’s a high chance you’ll get multiple responses. 

8. Leverage Traditional Networking

Putting yourself out there and networking is a great way to find podcast guests. 

To clarify, I’m not suggesting you go to a networking event and ask everyone in the room to be on your show. That won’t be an effective strategy, and you could end up with some unfavorable guests.

But meeting new people, exchanging phone numbers, and staying in contact tends to steer you in the right direction when you’re looking for a guest. 

You can meet people at networking events, conferences, book signings, or attend an event with a prominent guest speaker. Even networking with people on social media and LinkedIn can present you with opportunities for potential podcast guests. 

9. Invite Colleagues, Friends, and Family

According to a recent study, podcasts with guests get more listeners than podcasts without them. 

The study found that the average podcast with a guest has about 30% more listeners compared to all other formats. 

So if you’re having trouble finding a guest, you can always ask a favor from one of your colleagues. Even family and friends can make good guests. 

It should be easy for you to narrow down your options because you already know these people. You can tell which one of your co-workers or which one of your cousins is more well-spoken than the rest. 

If a friend or colleague recently accomplished something significant in their personal or professional lives, you may want to invite them on to share their story. 

This strategy may involve a bit more finesse in terms of introducing the guest to your audience and explaining why they’re a good fit for the show. Depending on the situation, it’s up to you whether or not to disclose the guest as a friend or family member. 

10. Ask For Referrals From Previous Guests

You already put in the hard work getting someone to speak on your show. I’m sure they won’t mind if you shoot them a quick email or text asking if they know anyone else who’d be interested in coming on.

In most cases, the answer will be yes. Here’s why.

Being a podcast guest is a big deal. After someone has gone on your show, they’ve likely discussed it with a number of people. Some people might even reach out and approach them saying “I heard you on [XYZ] show!” 

There’s a good chance that people even reached out saying, “I’d love to be on that show sometime” or “Is there any way you can connect me with [host]?”

This is a repeatable process. The more guests you have on, the larger your network becomes of people who you can lean on for a referral. 

11. Create a Guest Application Form on Your Website

Adding a guest application form to your website can provide you with a backlog of potential guests at all times. Generally speaking, anyone who takes the time to visit your page and apply could be a good option. 

Here’s an example of how simple this is:

You can use the application process to pre-qualify guests. If you’re getting lots of submissions, this will save you a ton of time since you’ll know exactly who is worth following up with. 

Applications should include:

• Applicant’s name
• Company name
• Company website
• Email address
• LinkedIn profile
• Topic they’d like to discuss
• How the topic relates to your show or niche
• Proposed title for the episode

Adding this to your site today won’t necessarily find a podcast guest for you tomorrow. But it’s a great way to passively get quality options delivered to you. 

12. Invite Previous Guests to Come Back

This is an often overlooked tactic for finding podcast guests. There’s no rule that says you can’t have someone on the show more than once.

If you’ve established a great rapport with someone or a certain guest was on your episode with the most listens, it can definitely be worth inviting that person back. 

Just make sure it’s a unique episode each time the guest comes back. You don’t want them to regurgitate the exact same conversation you had the last time around. 

Final Thoughts

Having guests on your podcast is a great way to add value to your show, and it can even help you get more listeners. Guests help take the pressure off of your shoulders, and they also give your audience fresh insights on a particular topic.

I’m also a firm believer that having guests on your show helps build your personal brand authority. 

While it may seem intimidating if you’ve never hosted a guest on your show, the process isn’t that difficult once you get started. Start by applying some of the tips and strategies that I’ve covered in this guide.

Before you know it, you’ll have a podcast guest schedule that’s booked out months in advance.