Podcast interviews are more than just having conversations with guests on your podcast. There is a certain finesse to creating an interesting and intriguing interview. Interviews are a great opportunity for you and your guests to talk about topics that your audience would love to listen to and to add some pizzazz to your podcast.
The thing is, there are a lot of things that happen before the actual interview. So, it’s important to always be on your A-game when it comes to recording interviews. Fulfilling the right preparations can make your interviews so much more valuable and worthy of your listeners’ time. In light of this, we’ve decided to dedicate a whole blog to teaching you guys how to prepare for a podcast interview as both a podcast host and as the guest. Let’s dive right in!
How to Prepare for a Podcast Interview
Find interesting guests.
First things first, you’ll need to figure out who you’re interviewing. This can be someone in your niche, a friend or family member, a business-owner – anyone! The most important thing to remember here is that your guest must be interesting, intriguing, and entertaining. For more on how to get guests for your podcast, click here.
Do your research.
Before any interview, it’s important to do your research. This includes researching your guest, their career, current events, and so on. You can accomplish this in many ways. Feel free to stalk your guests on social media, reach out to their friends and family where applicable, or take some time to get to know your guest by meeting them before the interview.
Prepare interesting & relevant questions.
Just like the quality of your guest is important, the quality of the questions you ask in the interview are important as well. When preparing questions for a podcast interview, be sure to create interesting and relevant questions that your listeners want to hear.
Questions can include, but aren’t limited to, questions about your guest’s life, their work, their business, their lifestyle, and so on. Unless previously discussed, you should avoid controversial, boring, or off-topic questions. Check out some of our other blogs for some inspiration for your next interview: Best Questions to Ask in a Podcast Interview, Fun Interview Questions, and Best Podcast Questions.
Complete your pre-interview process.
Before each podcast interview, it’s important to go through your pre-interview process. This process will look a little different depending on the podcast host and the guest(s). But, in general, your pre-interview process should include:
- Confirming your interview date, time, and place with your guest(s)
- Sending your guest a list of prepared questions you intend to ask
- Sending your guest a quick outline of the podcast format
- Double checking all necessary equipment
- Stocking your podcast studio with snacks, water, comfortable chairs, etc.
- Getting to know your guest(s) a bit better
- Asking your guest if there is anything you can do to make them feel more comfortable (this one is important!)
Create a guest bio.
In addition to releasing your interview to the public, you will also need to release a guest biography. This bio tells your listeners who your guest is, what they do, and why they should listen to your interview. In most cases, this bio will might become your podcast summary. To read some examples of great guest bios, be sure to check out TSC Him & Her Podcast podcast summaries.
Minimize distractions.
And last, but certainly not least, you need to mentally prepare yourself for the interview. This means minimizing distractions and focusing deeply on your upcoming interview. You can practice saying the questions out loud, do any final research, silence your phone, ensure a stable internet connection, prevent background noise, and so on.
How to Prepare For a Podcast Interview as a Guest
When it comes to podcast interviews, there are also some things that you can do as a guest to improve the quality of the interview and make the interview more interesting. Be sure to take note of these tips if you plan to be a guest on a podcast soon or feel free to share these tips with your upcoming guest(s)!
Get plenty of sleep.
One of the best ways to prepare for a podcast interview is to get plenty of sleep the night before. This way, you are bright and bushy tailed and ready for whatever the interview has in store. Plus, just in case you’re a guest on a video podcast, getting plenty of sleep will make sure you’re camera ready come interview time.
Listen to the podcast.
This tip might sound super intuitive, but we’ll mention it anyway for good measure. Before agreeing to be a guest on any podcast, be sure to listen to a couple episodes of said podcast. This is an important step for several reasons: to make sure that you even want to be a guest on this podcast, to get a good idea of what types of questions may be asked, to get a better idea of how long the podcast might last, and to get to know the podcast host better.
Provide your own bio and headshot.
As a guest, you can assist the podcast host by providing your own biography and headshot before the interview. This way, the podcast host can use this photo and bio as inspiration for the creation of their questions and to promote the episode. They may use your photo and bio to advertise on social media, to create show notes, or to help create the podcast summary. At the very least, giving the podcast host your photo and bio can help them get to know you a little better before the big day.
Invest in good-quality equipment.
Most of the time, podcast guests don’t have to worry about bringing their own equipment. However, if you’re big in the podcasting game and sound quality is super important to you, feel free to bring whatever equipment you feel necessary. Just make sure the equipment you bring is quality. Common equipment that a guest may bring to an interview is a comfortable chair, a microphone, a laptop, a camera, or anything else you think might improve your interview. For a brief overview of necessary podcasting equipment, click here.
Ask the host what you can prepare.
Each and every podcast host is different. And thus, each podcast will have different expectations of their guest. The best way to ensure a great interview is to ask the podcast host if there is anything you can do to prepare. They may request that you show up early, bring certain equipment, silence your phone, and so on. The more prepared you are for the interview – the better it will be!
Be confident!
Lastly, be confident! And we know…this is one of those things that’s easier said than done. But still – when it comes to creating a great podcast episode, both the host and the guest need to be confident, outgoing, interesting, and entertaining. Need a little confidence boost? Try listening to some of these confidence boosting podcasts!
With a little preparation, you can take your podcast interviews to the next level!
As with any important interview, it’s essential to take the necessary time to prepare. Not only will this improve the quality of your interview, but it will improve the overall experience of the interview as well. When you take time to prepare and plan for your interview, it will show through in the podcast in the best ways by making you seem more professional, more relatable, and more trustworthy. All of which will improve the popularity of your podcast and keep those listeners coming back for more.
Here at Dear Media, we hope you found these tips helpful! As you try these tips out, be sure to come back and let us know how your interview went. For more blogs like this one, head on over to the Dear Media Blog. And to stay up to date on new releases, be sure to give us a follow on Instagram. Until next time, we wish you the best of luck in all your upcoming interviews!
