If you were to ask any podcast listener about their top five favorite shows, there’s a pretty good chance that at least a couple of them will be interview-driven podcasts. 

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According to CoHost’s  State of Branded Podcasts Report, 63% of branded podcasts are in interview/discussion format, making it the most popular podcast format among brands. On top of that, a recent study from Rephonic found that podcasts with guests get more listeners on average than those without guests.

These facts really speak for themselves, and the reasons for this are clear: interview podcasts give brands a chance to develop thought leadership, raise awareness about their brand, and form a strong brand narrative.

In addition, interview-style podcasts often feel more casual and conversational than highly produced journalistic series, and they can help raise brand awareness—especially if the show features high-profile guests.

Indeed, booking the right guests to be featured on your show can mean the difference between an average show and one that breaks into the top charts. If you’re able to secure guests with clout in your industry, already have a devoted audience base, or carry some sort of significant presence in a particular area, then you’re already halfway to podcast stardom.

For example, look at Alex Cooper’s podcast Call Her Daddy, which ranked number two on Spotify’s 2023 list of the most popular podcasts. Each episode of the podcast features a different high-profile guest who is currently relevant to their younger audience demographic including Gossip Girl’s Chace Crawford, Jack Harlow, and Lisa Vanderpump, to name just a few of the show’s recent guests. While the show’s success can’t be credited to the famous guests they feature alone, it’s definitely a huge aspect of its appeal. 

So, how can you up your podcast guest sourcing game to secure interviews with your dream guests? 

In this blog post, we’ll help you gain an understanding of what effective guest sourcing looks like and how to secure the ideal guests for your show. We’ll also cover how to write an effective guest pitch, research tactics including how to find the best guests for your show’s subject matter area, and crafting follow-ups that perform. 

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Step-by-step tips for finding and securing the best guests for your show

Let’s break down the process of podcast guest sourcing, step-by-step. This list assumes that you’ve already laid the groundwork in terms of your show’s overall themes, messages, tone, and branding, so if you haven’t done that yet, check out some of our other blogs including: 

• How to start a branded podcast
• How to build an audience
• 5 ways to create value and authenticity in your branded podcast

But for the sake of this article, let’s assume you’ve already done all that and you’re only looking to upgrade the guests you feature on the show. It may seem like a lot of moving parts at first, but it’s all pretty intuitive when you get down to it. 

Step one: Brainstorm

First things first, sit down with your team for a brainstorming session about who your ideal podcast guests would be and why. 

Don’t limit yourself to only guests you think you could realistically secure—think big. This will help you determine the kind of guest you would want on the show and more importantly the why behind it: do they align with your brand? Do they have a similar message to your brand? 

Once you have more clarity on this, it will be easier to work backward and identify the type of person you want to feature on the show, and how they ladder back to your overall podcast marketing goals.

Step two: Research

Steps one and two go hand in hand since you’ll need to do some initial research in the brainstorming phase. But post-brainstorm, you can use this time to really dive into the specific guests you’d like to feature and what they could speak about on the show. 

To stay organized, we recommend creating a spreadsheet with each potential guest’s name, links to their website, social channels, or any other relevant materials, what topics they could speak about on the show, how they can bring value, and any other necessary logistical information like how to contact them or their team. 

Again, think big here—you never know what big-name celebrity or public figure will give you a “yes” and change the trajectory of your podcast forever.

“The guests you choose to feature on your podcast will dictate the kind of listeners you attract, the tone of the show, and the general trajectory of your podcast. It can be one of the most important elements of the production process, so it’s really key to the success of your podcast and as a result, your brand’s overall marketing strategy.” – Paul Stachniak, Senior Producer at Quill

If you’re unsure of which guests would be a good fit for your series, here are some general guidelines for choosing branded podcast guests:

• Provide value to your listeners via expertise or experience
• Have an interesting and engaging story to tell 
• Fit into your podcast’s niche
• Be trustworthy and credible
• Be confident in interviews 

If you’re looking for a place to start, here are some easy ways to find potential podcast guests:

• Keyword/Google search: We’re sure you’ve thought of this before, but a simple Google search for the kind of guest you’re hoping to feature on your podcast can sometimes be the best way to find solid candidates.
• Social media: Browsing LinkedIn, X, and Instagram for people who are talking about the same topics you’re discussing on your podcast can be a great way to find like-minded guests to feature in future episodes.
• Source internally: Another way to promote your brand and its products/services through your podcast is to feature your employees/colleagues on the show who can offer their expertise on the subject and increase brand awareness.
• Networking events: Getting out to IRL networking events is another great way to build your community and start conversations, which could lead to some fascinating podcast content.

Step three: Outreach 

Now that you’ve done the legwork necessary to find your ideal guests, it’s time to make contact! 

The first time you reach out will likely be over email. You can craft your own email pitch note, or feel free to use the template we’ve included below. 

When crafting a pitch, it’s important to remember a few rules of thumb–but of course, there’s some room for variation: 

Quill Tip: If you can’t find an email address for the potential guest online, you can try reaching out over social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram DM, or X. The same rules apply here—keep the copy friendly, light, and short, but be sure to include all the necessary details. 

Subject line: 

Your email subject line should be to the point and read like it was written by a human. With so many brands and companies already trying to capture our attention, it’s important that your initial outreach note doesn’t seem like just another sales pitch. 

Try to make sure your subject line stands out from the crowd and looks authentic. It should also clearly state what the email is about so the recipient knows what to expect and understands the opportunity. 

Lastly, you’ll want to ensure your subject line is short and succinct. Not only because humans love to skim, but also because most email platforms limit subject line previews to 33 characters. 

For example, you may want to write something along the lines of guest appearance opportunity for [insert potential guest’s name] on [insert podcast name].

Email body: 

You’ll want the email body copy to be short and sweet because as we’ve already mentioned, it’s likely the person you’re contacting already has a ton of messages in their inbox and doesn’t have time to read a long note. 

Try keeping it to 3-4 short sentences. In terms of what to include, just keep it to the most salient facts like the name of your podcast and any impressive metrics related to your listenership, a couple of bullet points of what you’d like them to speak about, and of course, a few pleasantries. Check out the example below to see how this could look in action.

Quill Tip: Make sure to emphasize the mutual benefit of collaborating. What’s in it for the guest? Whether it’s increased exposure or a paycheque, it’s important to make this clear off the bat to increase the chances of a response. 

Tone:

Of course, you’ll be personalizing your email pitch to your own brand voice and persona, but in general, try to keep it light, casual, and friendly. 

Especially with the rise of AI, you’ll want to ensure your email reads like a human. Try reading your email aloud to look for ways to make it more personable. Is it something you’d want to read? 

Follow ups: 

Once you’ve sent out the initial pitch, give it a few business days before you follow up. Two to three follow-up emails are generally enough—beyond three, there’s a good chance they’re just not interested and won’t be responding.

When crafting your follow-up emails, here are some things to keep in mind:

• Briefly reintroduce yourself and the proposal. Remember, these people are busy and are likely not taking the time to re-read your initial email.
• Remain personal and engaging, but not pushy. 
• Offer a quick meeting to answer any questions and explain the opportunity more in-depth. 
• Make the reader feel comfortable. Even if they aren’t interested in guesting this time around, never burn a bridge. They may be up to it down the road or you may be able to find different collaboration opportunities. 

Guest sourcing email pitch template

To help you get started, here’s an example of a pitch email you can customize to land your dream podcast guests:

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Subject line: Potential guest opp for [insert the name of your podcast]

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Hi [name],

I hope this note finds you well! I’m [name and title] of [podcast name], and I wanted to reach out to see if you [or guest name if you’re reaching out to their team] would be interested in joining us on the podcast for an episode about [episode topic].

Given your wealth of expertise in this area, we thought you could bring a lot of value to our listeners! The episode would cover [more detailed episode topics], and you would have a chance to promote your [book/podcast/anything else they want to promote]. 

In exchange for your participation, we’d love to offer you [incentive/mutual benefit].

If you’re interested in hearing more, I would be happy to hop on a quick call to discuss it! 

Thanks so much, looking forward to connecting. 

Best,

[name] 

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Guest sourcing in-house vs. with a podcast agency

Depending on the budget you have allocated for your podcast, you may decide to keep your guest sourcing efforts in-house or outsource this part of the process to an agency. Of course, there are pros and cons to both options.

If you opt to use a full-service agency, they will handle all aspects of guest sourcing including research, outreach, and follow-ups, all of which can add up to a significant amount of time. Plus, the agency will likely have a larger network to tap into, and you’ll have the chance to benefit from their name and credibility in the podcasting industry.

On the other hand, some brands like to maintain full control of the guest sourcing process, and personally reach out on behalf of the brand. It all depends on your preferences and how much time you have available to devote to the process.

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Are you ready to secure your dream podcast guest?

Finding (and securing) the right guests for your podcasts is an art as well as a science. The guests you reach out to should align with your podcast’s brand tone and topic, and your pitches need to be clear, concise, straightforward, and transparent.

While this takes some work, ultimately sourcing the right guests for your show will help you: 

• Raise brand awareness and strengthen your brand narrative
• Differentiate yourself from the competition
• Expand your show’s visibility, reach, and audience base
• Increase credibility, authority, and thought leadership
• Create interesting and engaging content that performs 
  

It’s important to note that having a big brand name associated with your podcast is not enough to secure high-profile and valuable guests. It’s important that you emphasize what’s in it for them and the mutual benefit of the collaboration.

If you need some support, working with a well-connected, established, podcast agency is the best way to secure podcast guests.  

Reach out to Quill to learn more about our branded podcast services and our approach to guest sourcing.