9 Tips to be a Great Guest

There are more than 500 million blogs, 850,000 active podcasts, 30,000 radio stations, 1,200 newspapers, 7,300 magazines, and 6,000 digital magazines. What do they have in common? They all need content. Most of them rely on interviews to create content. Why not you? I use social media to gain the know, like, and trust factor. I answer questions in industry-specific groups and provide endless value while building my brand. I post in podcast collaboration groups like this group on Facebook and this group on Reddit, to find guests and get myself booked as a guest. I'm going to cover tips to be prepared for an interview. If you want more information on how to get the yes for the interview, check out my interview with Lori McNeil here. The best thing is to have branding consistency throughout your platforms. Did you recently update your logo? Do all your platform have the updated logo? Did you update your links? Do all platforms/content have updated links? Is your headshot more than two years old? If it is, get new headshots. 1. Research the podcast host and listen to at least 2 episodes. 2. Test your Gear. Ensure your mic and headphones are selected on the correct input on Zoom, Streamyard, or Riverside FM.  3. Know Their Audience. Understanding the audience is vital to ensuring your message gets the most impact. 4. Be a Storyteller. This isn't a job interview. Ensure you have relevant stories on tap. These could be light-hearted, love, serious, business, origin, and your why. 5. Provide Value. Many guests provide a PDF. In addition to providing value to the audience, you need to also provide value to the host. Make sure to rate and review the show. Also promote your interview on your social media and on your email list. 6. Nail your Message. Your message must be refined and practied, know your core message, at least 3 valid points, and your CTA (Call to Action). If you don't tell the audience what to do, how can you ensure they take the desired action? 7. No Filler All Killer. Filler words hurt. Ahs and Ums will distract from your message. You want your audience focused and hanging on your every word. 8. Prepare the Space. Ensure the pets are in their own space, turn off phone and email notifications, ensure your family knows you are recording, be punctual, and use the host's name throughout the interview. 9. Be Gracious. Things can get hectic during recording, regardless of how prepared you are noises can happen in the background, you can lose your cool, or a million random things can happen. Make sure you go viral for the right reasons and not because you flew off the handle. Things can pop up. Coordinate ahead of time with the host to know how to handle them. This can be editing, re-recording, or re-asking the question. Grace is a skill and it requires practice.