So you’ve pulled the trigger on launching your own podcast.
Kudos to you! This takes a huge amount of vulnerability, tech prowess, and strategic thinking. Depending on your default programming, you might prefer monologue-style episodes—simply speaking into the mic yourself. Or you may think about inviting guests to enhance your show—aka: interview style.
The stats favor interview-style shows: Based on findings at Pew Research Center, “76% of top-ranked podcasts brought on at least one guest in 2022. About one-in-five (22%) featured guests regularly, and 5% of the shows had guests in almost every episode (90% or more of the time).”
Finding great guests requires prep, strategy, and the right mindset. Keep reading to see exactly how we approach this here at TMM.
1. Who’s Your Target Demographic?
Knowing your audience is the key to booking guests who resonate. Tools like SparkToro can offer a backstage pass to their habits and preferences, bringing you one step closer to booking a guest who speaks their language.
Start with your analytics. Platforms like Spotify for Podcasters and Apple Podcasts dish out all the details—age, gender, location, and even trends like listener retention and top-performing episodes. Use this data to identify the guests who’ll truly resonate with your audience and maybe even reel in a few new fans while you’re at it.
Key takeaway: Let audience data drive your guest selection, not just gut instinct.
2. Start with Micro-Influencers, Then Work Your Way Up
Don’t be afraid to aim high when thinking about podcast guests. Start by identifying your “dream” guest. Ask yourself, “If I could interview anyone in the world, who would it be?” Make it an art project: sit down and sketch your A-list guest, down to every minuscule detail.
Getting clear on the guests who excite you will help you define the qualities that matter most. From there, start inviting guests who share similar traits. Then, with time and credibility, you’ll be more prepared to book your dream interviewee.
For our culinary school client’s top-ranking podcast, we’ve used this exact strategy. In the first few seasons, we strategically decided to target micro-influencers in-network who still held authority, such as Chef Instructors, alumni, and professional chefs affiliated with the client. Our goal was always to eventually target world-renowned chefs and industry experts who carried a household name, like the Giada De Laurentiis’s of the world.
Key takeaway: Build credibility by booking progressively higher-profile guests…start accessible, aim aspirational.
As we near the podcast’s sixth season, we’ve steadily built momentum, attracting some true icons. Think Michelin-starred chefs, James Beard Award winners, the host of Bravo’s Top Chef…the list goes on. Each time someone accepts our guest invitation, it’s a true “pinch me” moment. It gives us a surge of confidence to keep shooting for the stars.
3. Make Google Your BFF
There isn’t a secret database to find great guests. Your BFF here will be good ole’ Google. Start with a basic search for potential guests who align with your show, like “voice-over artists to watch in 2024” or “best voice-over artists in Puerto Rico.” You’ll likely come across a slew of blog articles and top lists. Don’t be afraid to put on your investigator hat and start clicking away.
TMM hot tips for Googling potential guests
As you search, ask yourself:
- Do you resonate with their values and experience?
- What are their career accolades and accomplishments?
- Have they been interviewed on other podcasts? If so, are they poignant, articulate speakers?
- Do they have engaging stories to tell that your audience could relate to?
- How about their social media following — does it live up to your standards? Sidebar: your guest will likely promote the episode once it’s released and bring traffic to your podcast. But if they only have 100 Instagram followers, will that move the needle?
- Do they have a clean, non-controversial background? Will they cause PR disasters? Did they publish questionable posts on social media back in middle school?
These questions have saved us from booking mismatched guests. As a host, you want to make sure you’re interviewing someone great—someone who you and your audience can connect with on a profound level.
Key takeaway: Vet thoroughly before reaching out. Great guests should align with your values, audience, and promotion goals.
4. Keep Your Prospecting Efforts Organized
Once you’ve identified incredible guests, organization becomes critical. You might be tempted to keep track of your outreach process through a third-party platform, but at TMM, we prefer to keep organized with in-house tools that we own. Although not all outreach tracking platforms are problematic, storing your data externally means relinquishing control — and if you ever stop using that platform, you risk losing access or continuity.
We’ve found that the most effective way to track outreach and communication touchpoints is with Google Sheets or Airtable (a cloud-based relational database), which can be shared with any stakeholders. This is exactly what we do for our podcast clients.
For example, we have a shared podcast production plan that details episode air dates, booked guests, etc. We also have a “prospecting” tab that helps us keep track of outreach efforts, delineating the following:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Influencer Status
- Website & Contact Information
- Initial Email Date
- Follow Up #1 Date
- Follow Up #2 Date
- Influencer Description
- Social Links
It’s simple and easy to navigate, so our clients or anyone at TMM can get a clear snapshot of outreach activity at any given time.
Key takeaway: Use owned tools like Google Sheets to maintain control and transparency across your guest pipeline.
5. Keep a Pulse on the Competition
Listening to competitor podcasts serves double duty: you can easily vet potential guests by hearing them in action, and it might spark ideas for questions to pose in your interview. Guests on these podcasts are also low-hanging fruit—they’ve obviously been guests before, which means they’ll likely say “yes” to being on another podcast.
Key takeaway: Competitor research helps you simultaneously vet guests and refine your interview approach.
6. Start Following People in Your Niche
Based on our outreach campaigns at TMM, we’ve learned that great guests typically have a decent following on most social media channels because they’re flat-out charming and already disseminating great content.
Start following people on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, or TikTok who “wow” you. Or if you don’t want to come off as a creeper, just save posts you enjoy and make a note to reach out to them.
How to respond to inbound pitch emails
As you release more episodes on your podcast, you’ll likely get emails from guests pitching you to appear on your show. Just proceed with caution—they’ll likely be smaller influencers who need more exposure from a business standpoint. From our experience, most “A-list” guests are so busy they don’t have time to send out pitch emails. So landing them on your show is a big accomplishment. So how should you proceed with inbound pitches? If you think the guest could be a potential fit, check out (or request) their website, social media platforms, and links to prior guest appearances to see if they could be a value add, then evaluate from there.
We’re also huge proponents of sliding into the DMs. Start the dialogue in their natural habitat. Be professional, leverage social media etiquette, and craft a message that shows you’ve done your homework. Some potential guests may never get back to your email but will respond to your Instagram DM in 24 hours. The worst-case scenario? They just ‘read’ it (sigh) and you move on to the next great guest.
Key takeaway: Don’t underestimate the power of a well-crafted DM.
7. Craft a Killer Pitch Email and Deck
Email can still work for outreach. Here’s the secret: to land that great guest you’ve been eyeing, your pitch email needs to revolve around THEM, not you. Personalizing your emails reinforces “theory of mind,” a psychological concept that demonstrates you understand the recipient on a deeper level, from their world beliefs to intrinsic values and interests. At TMM, we’ve A/B tested dozens of email approaches, and personalization consistently yields the highest response rates.
Example pitch email template
Hi [Guest Name],
Personalization → Hope my note finds you well! I’ve been such a fan of yours for quite a while on IG. In fact, I JUST made your pad thai salad a few nights ago and it’ll certainly be a staple in our weeknight meal rotation. So admire your journey thus far and major congrats on Live to Eat.
Brief Introduction → My name is Noelle, and I’m the Partnerships Manager and Producer of [Name of Podcast]. As we plan our remaining 2025 episode lineup, we’d love to have you on as a guest. To give you a better sense of the podcast, [here’s a link] to our latest media deck. You can also check out some of our episodes with [Guest Names].
Value Add → Our show reaches a large audience, and we promote each episode across our expansive social network, which has a combined reach of [Number]. This is a prime opportunity to highlight your book or any upcoming initiatives. We do encourage guests to share the episode on their platforms to help amplify the reach even more.
Call to Action → If you’re interested, we’d love to coordinate an interview—our next remote opening via Riverside is in [Month]. Please let me know what you think, and I’d be happy to send along more details.
We also can’t underscore enough the importance of including a podcast pitch deck in PDF format. Once we created this asset for our podcast clients here at TMM, it was a game-changer in terms of email response rate. Think of this deck as a “visual” elevator pitch, outlining all of the compelling details about your show. Great guests only say “yes” to opportunities that can elevate their personal brand, and a pitch deck screams professionalism and can close the deal. The moment we started sending out pitch decks for our podcast clients, we started to land those A-list influencers we mentioned earlier.
What to include in your pitch deck
Consider these types of sections in a 5-10 page pitch deck:
- About the host
- About the podcast show
- Podcast demographics
- Top guests from previous episodes
- Podcast reach on social media
- Email list size and stats (if applicable)
- How podcast interviews are typically structured
- A call to action page with contact information
Key takeaway: A professional pitch deck can be the difference between a “maybe” and a “yes” from high-profile guests.
8. Attend Conferences & Events
If you’re a host of your own podcast, you’re likely a natural people person—an intrinsic relationship builder. Leverage those skills to snag guests. What types of events would your dream guest attend? Go there.
If they’re a huge influencer and also have a YouTube channel, get a pass to walk around the annual VidCon. Think about saving up to attend some of the best podcast conferences and expos in the world.
For the podcast we manage, the host attended a huge industry dinner at a highly acclaimed New York City restaurant, where he wined and dined with today’s most renowned chefs. The next day, more than ten email conversations were in the works with potential guests he had connected with the evening before. The magic of networking in action.
I can’t put into words the importance of networking and building genuine rapport with industry folks, especially managers who oversee an exclusive roster of influencers. These connections become invaluable assets that fuel your podcast’s guest pipeline for years to come.
Also, don’t be afraid to ask for a referral from guests who come on the show. It’s as simple as verbally asking them after wrapping up a recording or sending them a quick follow-up email while thanking them for their time. Be the social butterfly we know you are.
Key takeaway: In-person connections often convert faster than cold outreach. Invest in strategic networking opportunities.
9. Hit Up Your Audience for Feedback
You don’t have a podcast without listeners, so turn to them for guest suggestions. If you have an email list, fire up an email, asking for input on guests to invite on your show.
We suggest creating a simple poll using a tool like MailChimp. Consider using a Google form, adding a poll, and promoting the poll on social media. See if you can incentivize your followers to participate. For example, by participating in the poll, you enter to win free podcast merch or something along those lines. Get creative to seek the answers you need.
Key takeaway: Your audience knows what they want to hear. Ask them directly and incentivize participation.
Don’t Think, Just Go After It
Booking great guests takes a mix of risk-taking and professionalism. Don’t overthink it—find someone who excites you and get on their radar.
But if it seems just too overwhelming to do this yourself, get in touch with us and explore how our podcast team at TMM can support your efforts.