A No-Nonsense Guide to Boosting Visibility with Your Podcast Guests (Without Hassling Them)
On this page
Back to top
IN A GIST
Podcasting, as you might know, isn't all sunshine and rainbows. One of the trickiest parts? Getting the word out about your show without making your guests feel like they’re on an endless promo tour. You've worked hard to get these cool cats on your show, and you don't want to ruin that by bombarding them with promotional tasks.
So, here's the million-dollar question: What's the simplest thing your guests can do to give their episode a visibility boost? Today, we’ll go over:
- Quick ways to identify their digital stronghold
- Adjusting your promotion ask based on their media savvy level
- Crafting a unique promotional package they can’t resist
- Unconventional promotion tactics that actually work
Stick with us here, and by the end of this read, you'll know how to navigate this promotional conundrum, making both you and your esteemed guests look like rockstars.
MAIN ARTICLE
The Ins and Outs of Your Guests' Influence
Understanding your guest's sphere of influence is the first crucial step in devising a tailored promotional strategy for their episode.
Zeroing In on Their Strongest Platform
Let's get practical here.
- Start by compiling a list of all the social platforms where your guest is active. Tools like Brandwatch can help with this.
- Now, analyze each platform to see where they get the most engagement.
- Look at the number of followers, as well as average likes, comments, and shares per post.
The Unchained podcast did this beautifully when they had Anthony Pompliano as a guest. They leveraged his massive Twitter following and had him tweet about the upcoming episode, resulting in a significant spike in listenership.
Calibrating According to Their Media Savviness
What to look for: You need to determine your guest's comfort level with promotional tasks. Watch out for cues.
Are they adept at social media jargon? Do they frequently share content? Does their online behavior suggest they'd be open to a Twitter Q&A, Instagram live session, or a Facebook watch party?
For guests like Gary Vaynerchuk who are social media gurus, going live on Instagram to discuss your podcast can work wonders. For less digitally proficient guests, providing them with a ready-to-share LinkedIn post might be the better approach.
Assembling a Knockout Promo Package
Now that you understand your guest's influence, the next phase is creating an enticing promo package - a collection of promotional materials that make it super easy for your guest to share your podcast.
Constructing Tailored Promotional Material
Creating promotional material that speaks directly to your guest and their audience can increase the chances of getting shared. Here’s how to do this:
- Understand your guest's brand and audience: Start by researching your guest's brand and audience. Check out their social media profiles, website, and any other content they've shared online. Look for recurring themes, color schemes, the language they use, and the type of content their audience engages with the most.
- Create a thematic design: Once you've understood the guest's brand and audience, use those insights to guide your design. For instance, if your guest often uses bright, bold colors, reflect that in your graphics. Canva provides a library of templates you can start with, or you can create a design from scratch.
- Personalize the content: Tailor your promotional content to your guest and their audience. Mention your guest by name, highlight a key point or quote from the episode, and make sure the content fits their tone and style.
- Include key podcast information: Don't forget to include the name of your podcast, episode number, and where to listen. This allows anyone who sees the content to know where to go to hear the full episode.
- Include calls to action: Encourage the audience to listen, share, like, or comment. A simple "Check out the episode and let us know what you think!" can go a long way.
- Get the guest's approval: Before you finalize the promotional materials, send them over to your guest for review. They may have feedback or suggestions that could make the content even more effective.
- Format for different platforms: Ensure the promotional material fits various social media platforms. Instagram might need a square graphic, and LinkedIn could benefit from slideshows which the algorithm prefers. Canva allows you to quickly resize designs to fit different platforms.
Streamlining the Sharing Process
Now, we're going to make this process so easy that your guests can share their episode during their morning coffee break or while waiting for their Uber to arrive. Let's break this down into bite-sized chunks:
- Highlight Copy-Paste Content: Your guests are awesome at what they do, but they might not have the bandwidth to write a compelling promotional copy. Let's not add another task to their to-do list. Instead, create an engaging caption or two they can use verbatim or modify to their liking. These should be short, snappy, and engaging. For instance:
"Had a blast talking about [topic] with [podcast host name] on [podcast name]. Check out the episode here: [link]."
"So excited to share my episode on [podcast name] where I dive into [topic]. You won't want to miss this: [link]."
- Use Click-to-Tweet Links: It's a lesser-known fact, but here's the gold: Twitter has a neat feature that lets you create pre-made tweets that can be posted with just one click. Create a click-to-tweet link, include it in your guide, and voila! It's as easy as clicking a button. Literally. Use ClickToTweet to make your episode link more shareable.
- Direct Sharing Links for Major Platforms: Remember, convenience is king. We don't want our guests to take the scenic route; we're providing them with an express lane. There are resources like ShareLinkGenerator that generate pre-made sharing links for major platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. These links automatically create a new post with your content when clicked.
- Add a Reminder: We all are juggling a thousand things. A polite reminder a day before and on the day of the episode's release can make a world of difference. A simple message like, "Hey [Guest's Name], just a reminder that your podcast episode goes live tomorrow! We can't wait for everyone to hear it. Here's the promotional guide again for any last-minute shares. Thanks so much!"
Joe Rogan of the Joe Rogan Experience simplifies sharing by emailing his guests a Dropbox link that contains everything they need to promote their episode.
Creating a Crystal Clear Guide
Alright, let's jump into the good stuff. It's time to deliver a hassle-free playbook to your guests that feels more like a secret cheat code than homework. Here’s a template to get you started:
Podcast Guest Promotional Guide Template
Hello [Guest's Name],
Thank you again for joining us on [Your Podcast Name]! We believe our audience is going to love your episode. To help you share this episode with your audience, we've created this simple guide.
Episode Information
- Episode Title: [Your Episode Title]
- Episode Link: [Direct Link to Your Episode]
- Release Date: [Episode Release Date]
- Short Episode Description: [Brief Description of the Episode]
Pre-written Social Media Posts
Here are a few pre-written social media posts for you. Feel free to use them as they are, or adjust them as you see fit:
- Twitter: Had a fantastic time discussing [Topic] with [Your Name] on [Your Podcast Name]. Listen to the full episode here: [Episode Link] #podcast #YourPodcastName
- LinkedIn: I recently had the pleasure of being a guest on [Your Podcast Name], where I discussed [Topic]. You can listen to our conversation here: [Episode Link]
- Instagram: Swipe left to see some highlights from my recent appearance on [Your Podcast Name]. To listen to our conversation, click the link in my bio. #podcast #YourPodcastName
Graphics for Sharing
We have created some graphics for you to share along with your posts. You can find them here: [Insert a Google Drive or Dropbox Link to Your Graphics]
Sharing Walkthrough
- Choose the social media post you prefer for each platform.
- Copy the text.
- Click the link to access the graphics. Choose the one you like best and download it.
- Create a new post on your preferred social media platform.
- Paste the text and upload the image. For Twitter and LinkedIn, add the episode link in caption. For Instagram, add the link to your bio.
- Post and interact with your audience's responses.
Spotify Code
We have also created a Spotify Code for your episode. Your followers can scan it using their Spotify app to access the episode directly. You can download the Spotify Code here: [Spotify Code Link]
Thank you for your help in promoting your episode! We truly appreciate it.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Uncommon Strategies for Maximizing Impact
Want to go the extra mile? Here are some unconventional strategies to maximize your podcast episode's reach.
Creating Magic with IGTV/YouTube Shorts
Yes, videos. Now, before you skip this part thinking, "I run a podcast, not a TV show," hear us out.
Platforms like Instagram and YouTube prioritize video content, especially short videos, meaning more organic reach and potential new listeners. And the best part? You already have the content! You just need to repurpose it.
- Take a juicy clip from your podcast episode, something that is impactful, controversial, or just plain entertaining. Make sure it's under a minute.
- Now, onto the video creation. Canva is here to save the day again with its video editor. Import your clip, and add some engaging visuals. If your guest has video footage, great! If not, play around with Canva's stock footage, images, or just use a static image of your podcast cover art with animated captions.
- Ensure your video is subtitled – not everyone can or wants to listen, and you don’t want to miss out on that potential audience. Deciphr automatically transcribes and timestamps your episodes. It even curates a list of its best quotes and segments to make it easy to select clips.
- When you're happy with the video, export it, and send it over to your guest with clear instructions on how to post it on IGTV or YouTube Shorts, or do it yourself if they're comfortable with you handling it. It's a win-win – your guest gets high-quality content for their page, and you get the visibility.
LinkedIn Ghostwriting for Articles
Writing a LinkedIn article summarizing the podcast episode can work wonders, especially if your guest has a professional audience. Now, before you break a sweat about writing an article, it's not as tough as it sounds.
- Start by summarizing the key points of the episode, and add in a couple of quotes from your guest. Don't make it too long – 500 to 700 words is ideal. Deciphr offers publish-ready summaries in a snap.
- Then, add a little bit of color – what were the fun moments? Did your guest share any exclusive insights or stories? Add those in. Finish with a link to the episode and a call-to-action encouraging readers to tune in.
- You can write this article as if it’s from the guest's perspective, so all they have to do is hit the publish button on their LinkedIn. Just make sure your guest is okay with this, and always send them the article to approve and modify before it goes live.
Spotify Codes for Ease of Use
For guests with a significant following but less digital proficiency, Spotify Codes are a perfect fit. They're unique, easy to use, and fun. A Spotify Code is like a QR code for your podcast episode that users can scan to instantly play it.
- Creating one is simple: go to your Spotify desktop app, click the '...' next to your episode, and select 'Spotify Codes.' You can then download this code, customize it if you want (for example, by adding it to a graphic or image), and then it's ready to share!
- You can use Canva to design a cool graphic with the Spotify Code in it, something your guest can share on their social media platforms. Or, even print it out and place it in strategic locations if that's their style.
Wrapping Up
Promoting a podcast shouldn't be a nerve-racking tug-of-war with your guest. It's about collaboration, empathy, and mutual benefit.
By understanding your guest's influence, crafting an easy-to-share promo package, and exploring less conventional promotional avenues, you'll not only boost your podcast's visibility but also provide a comfortable experience for your guest.
Now go, experiment, and find your perfect promotional rhythm! Happy podcasting!