When you have a friend over for a meal, you likely have clear-cut roles. As the host, you prepare ahead of time, buy groceries, etc, you take the lead in making everyone feel at home, and you normally have some cleaning up to do after. On the other hand, the guest had a different set of tasks. They get dressed for the occasion, and hopefully, they bring a nice bottle of vino, relax and enjoy a nice meal and conversation. In a similar line, while a podcast host and guest both have very different roles, and one carries more responsibility, both reap benefits from doing their part to get the most of their time spent together.

Some people just love to host a dinner party, whereas others may feel overwhelmed at the prospect. It’s not that one is better than the other, they are simply different experiences, and one may be much better suited to you. It is the same scenario when it comes to podcasting. So which is better for you, podcast hosting or podcast guesting? That is what we are going to discuss here in this article.

Podcast hosts and guests have a strong common denominator, both are looking for opportunities to provide interesting information and connect with like-minded people.

Examine Your Schedule

A realistic evaluation of your time is key to deciding if being a podcast host or a podcast guest will be the best fit for you. In order to host your own show, you need to factor in not just the recording time, but prep beforehand and then editing and polishing after recording.

As a host, you will need to plan ahead of time what guests you will have on your show. This will likely include responding to potential guests or podcast agencies and selecting who would add rich content to your discussions. You may choose to dedicate a block of time to recording all your interviews and then release the episodes gradually, or you may choose to record and publish the episodes as you go along. Think too if you are really willing to dig into this for the long haul. All too many shows start off strong and fade off after a few months when the host realizes that the podcast is not a sustainable part of their lives.

You will also need to plan on editing, publishing, and releasing social media content for every episode. This can take a considerable amount of time, but it is key to making the most of potential SEO reach.

Want to learn more about how to harvest content after you’ve recorded? Read more here: How To Repurpose Your Podcast Guest Interview for MAXIMUM Impact

Some shows release a podcast daily, others weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly. Often a weekly show seems to be the sweet point for sustainability on the host's part while being enough content to keep loyal listener’s' appetites filled. It’s a nice treat knowing your favorite podcast has a new episode being released each week that you can look forward to listening to.

As a host, be well prepared ahead of time and plan your schedule so that you can regularly roll out your episodes without a delay or hitch, as loyal listeners want consistency.

Are You Set Up to Succeed?

What is your current recording setup? It can take a bit of effort and investment to create an acoustically friendly environment to produce a high-quality audio recording. Once you are set up however, the result will go a long way in creating a polished and professional atmosphere for your show. Sound quality can be the difference between keeping listeners and losing them. If you are new to recording, the best way to get your feet wet is to be a guest on several shows first. You can ask your host what they have for their own setup, their advice, and recommendations. Once you have crafted a space to succeed with the right quiet atmosphere and equipment, you will be better prepared to host your own show and help your own guests to enjoy an uninterrupted and smooth audio experience.

Looking for more detailed tips about your setup? Check out our blog here: How to Improve Your Sound Quality for Podcast Interviews

How Much Information Do You Have To Share?

When you really put pen to paper and plan out a season of topics you can start to evaluate, is this a sustainable avenue for me?

True, you may be an absolute expert on a topic, perhaps business, marketing, real estate, health, or relationships. But how far does your knowledge realistically reach, and how many different angles can you speak on this topic? How many expert guests are out there to speak on subjects that complement your show’s focus?

Remember, if you are an expert in key aspects that you would like to speak on, then podcast guesting would be a great fit for you as you can share your talking points again and again on a wide variety of shows.

Think too about your own personality and communication style. Is verbal communication how you truly love connecting with people? Can you see yourself having lively and in-depth conversations on a weekly, monthly, or daily basis? Do you have the conversation skills to effectively draw guests out, and to listen well? Examining these factors will help you decide which process you would enjoy more, and which side of the mic is best for you, hosting or guesting?

Professional Website and Social Media Presence

A well-designed and easy-to-navigate website is an absolute must for all aspects of business nowadays, and podcasting is no exception. Whether you are the host or an expert guest on a podcast show, after listening to an episode, listeners will often use your website as a primary way of investigating more about you and your business. If your website does not appear to be professional, it can reflect poorly on your professional credibility.

A podcast host's website should have a clear tab or feature the podcast on the main page. This enables viewers to find episodes, descriptions, headshots of guests, and easy access links to those guests.

If your social media platform is not well established at the time, and you are looking to build your platform, then being a guest, at least to get started, is a great avenue to build your network and increase followers. However, we recommend you work to build at least a few hundred followers on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or another social media platform before you start guesting. It is an important aspect for podcast show hosts who expect their guests to also promote the episode. You can not do that without a following.

As you guest on shows and your followers build, if in the future you choose to launch a podcast of your own, you have a network of people that have already enjoyed listening to you and are likely to hit subscribe when you launch your show!

Learn more about why a professional website and social media presence are important, and how to build them here: The Importance of a Good Online Presence

Decided to be a Podcast Host? Make These Decisions From The Get-Go

If you’ve decided you have the schedule, information, setup, and online presence to warrant starting your own podcasts, congratulations. The benefits of starting a podcast are endless!

You can create deep relationships with listeners, build a platform based on your message, create connections with your guests, and further define yourself as an expert in your field.

Now there are still several key decisions that you will want to make before launching, such as: Will you have guests? Will you have a co-host?

If you choose to have guests you will want to invest time into finding and accepting the right people to have on your show. Do not overlook other expert guests in your field because you think they are direct competitors. The two of you can speak on the topic in a complimentary manner, providing an informative and well-rounded conversation that will be of immense value to your listeners.

Endeavor to be a good host. This involves clear and regular communication with your guest before, during, and after the show. You will want to send them any information they need to prepare ahead of time, nailing down key questions and topics you will speak about together. This includes the login to the platform you will use to record the episode. After the interview, ensure you inform your guest when it will air so they can share it with their audience to maximize the interview exposure.

Decided to be a Guest?

If you’ve picked the expert guest strategy of going on other podcasts to build your audience and promote your business, then this choice is going to skyrocket your reach.

Being a guest is an incredible time saver, as you generally only have to set aside an hour or less for each interview, and you get to have a great conversation with amazing show hosts. The host does all the work in editing and airing, they then provide you with a link to the episode that you can use in multi-beneficial ways. When you promptly share it on your social media and tag the host, it provides value to your own network and in turn, interconnects with the host's audience. We mentioned it above but for more info on how to get the most value out of your episode after the recording be sure to read How To Repurpose Your Podcast Guest Interview for MAXIMUM Impact

In order to be a gracious podcast guest, you will want to ensure that you respond to the host's inquiries or emails in a timely manner. Creating an online calendar that will send you a notification on the day of your interview can be a lifesaver and prevent you from missing an interview or being late. Remember to be appreciative of the fact that your host is doing the lion’s share of the work in producing your episode, and is allowing you to connect with their audience, giving you the opportunity to find new connections.

Pro Tip: Say “YES” to interview opportunities, do not narrow the field to just the obvious shows. Going on a variety of podcasts, with diverse hosts and audience demographics gives you exposure to as many people as possible in your target audience. You might be on a large show but not a lot of listeners are within your target audience, whereas a smaller well-established show might have your perfect target demographic. Greater success comes from podcast guesting when you have the mindset that the quality of a show and its audience engagement is the most important factor, not necessarily its size.

Whichever avenue you choose, be sure to enjoy the process, as podcasting is ultimately about people and connections. Whether hosting or guesting podcasting is an undeniably amazing way to boost your reputation and marketing goals.

If you want to be an expert guest and need help connecting to amazing podcast hosts, or if you are looking for experts to interview on your podcast, we can help. As one of the longest-standing podcast interview booking services in the industry, we have made thousands of host-to-guest connections.

Click here to apply here to work with The Expert Bookers and make podcast interviewing a breeze!

we are podcast bookers

Who we are: Simply put we are expert podcast bookers. We have been busy for years now, booking guests on podcasts for business owners, podcast hosts, book authors, business coaches, financial advisors, retail brands, SaaS, Apps, tech companies, fitness and health professionals - really anyone who wants to tell the world who they are. We also work with marketing agencies who would like to offer podcast guest booking to their clients, but want to use our team. We are proud of our team - we have been around long enough to know that it takes hard work to book our clients on top podcasts - but when we see our clients successfully grow their client base and build a great online reputation - it is worth all the effort and more.

Email our team manager Michelle to see if you qualify to be a podcast guest. michelle@expertbookers.com