20 Powerful Ways to Help Your Guest Promote Your Show

You are creating content that entertains and or educates. Make sure you are helping it spread!

If you have an interview-based podcast, radio show, or livestream, I know that you are already putting gobs of time into creating each episode. You are likely investing time to:

• find the right guests,
• coordinate with people that often don't reply to your first email (or second or third),
• record a fabulous show,
• edit and produce the episode,
• write/publish show notes on your website.

You are creating content that entertains and or educates. You are creating content that will change people's lives!

You gave the interview of a lifetime, and your guest sounds fantastic. So, why aren't they sharing the episode?

I have been on hundreds of radio and TV shows, internet radio shows, webcast shows, and podcasts. I have seen amazingly brilliant promotions from hosts and hosts who promote the episode less than I do.

In that time, I collected a list of things to do and not do that will encourage your guest expert to want to share the episode that you create together. 

Some of these things are common sense.

Others take a bit more effort but are pretty effective.

The Basics – Don't Accidentally Insult Your Guest Expert

1. Spell your guest's first and last name correctly

Use the correct spelling on the show URL, show notes on your site, and anywhere else their name is listed. This is a non-negotiable. People like to see their name spelled correctly. If they use a prefix or suffix, use it. Don't assume that altering their name is okay. (While this may seem like a simple thing to do, I have had several experiences where my first or last name was spelled incorrectly.)

2. If they have a title or moniker that they use, don't change it

Many experts have a title that they use as a part of their branding. They have specific reasons for using it. You may or may not like it, but changing it is the same as if you had changed their name. Either use what they give you or eliminate it completely, but don't change it.

3. When quoting your guest, make sure it is their words

No one likes to be misquoted. No matter if you do show notes or if you hire someone else to create them, make sure that everything that is quoted actually contains the words that your guest said verbatim. I have had a few frustrating experiences where my words were inaccurately paraphrased, changing the meaning completely and then attributed to me.

Make Your Show Easy to Promote

4. Have share buttons on all web pages and posts

Don't make your community waste time figuring out how to share your stuff. Make it one-click simple. In addition, make sure that your buttons automatically tag you where possible. That way, when someone clicks it, you will get notified and can start a conversation.

5. Make your posts easy to pin on Pinterest

If you create show notes for your show, make sure that you include an image that is easily pinnable on Pinterest. Yes, I know that you are promoting a content medium that is audio based, but Pinterest drives traffic! Later in this post I'll share some ideas on how to create engaging pinable graphics.

6. Tag your guest when you share

Social media moves fast. Even if you are connected, your guest may or may not see that you have written a post about them. Make sure they see it by tagging them on each post. They will be more likely to share, retweet, regram, repin, etc.

7. Tell your guest ahead of time when and how you plan to publish

Many experts have a set content marketing strategy and timeline. When you let them know in advance when and in what formats you plan to publish the episode, they can build it into their own marketing timeline. If the guest has a PR or marketing team, engage them in the promotion process.

8. Don't make them hunt for their episode

There are a number of hosts that push publish to iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Spotify, and Google Play and then walk away from their episode. I have found out about a few episodes I was on by receiving a Google alert rather than hearing from the host! Don't let that happen. You are missing a huge opportunity to build a relationship.

9. Give them prewritten social media blurbs that they can cut and paste

Social media starters are fabulous for making it easy for someone to help you spread your message. One of the best notification emails I have ever received was from Neil Ball. I'm sharing it below to give you ideas of what you might do. You'll notice that when you click on his social links, it auto-populates content:

Marketing and Promotion Strategies for Podcasts, Radio Shows and More

10. Create an episode-specific image

When you create a blog post and show notes for your episode or share the episode on social media, don't let it blend into everything else! Yes, this does take extra work, but it is worth it. You can create a template using PowerPoint or Canva and create your episode graphic quickly, or delegate it to your designer or someone on Fiverr.

Even better, send in a few different formats so that they are easily shared on different social media platforms. Here are a few examples to get your inspiration going:

You can see more samples by visiting my media room, where I share the various platforms I have been featured in/on.

Why this helps with sharing: Notice that many of the hosts chose the same headshot of me when they created their episode graphics. If they had only put that headshot in their show notes rather than an episode-specific one, when I shared it on social media, it would be a sea of my picture over and over—not appealing to me or my community!

By creating specific episode graphics, the hosts have branded themselves, and my community can see that there is a difference. Plus, it adds visual interest that my headshot alone would not do.

11. If you do show notes, provide real value

Some show notes are a graphic, the expert's bio, and an image. That is ok, but it does not inspire someone to share it. Consider adding:

• a personal note of why you enjoyed the episode
• the top 5 things learned
• powerful quotes from the guest
• time-stamped list of what they will discover if they listen in

12. Create quote graphics

If your guest says something that you like, consider making a quote graphic that you can share across social media.

Advanced Marketing and Promotion Strategies for Podcasts, Radio Shows, and More

13. Create a video of a favorite quote or segment from your show

The video could be just seconds long, minutes long, or your entire episode, but consider using the power of video! There are very few hosts that are using this media type, yet those that do find that it is shared often.

Episode 8 - Stephanie Calahan's Top Tips For Making Yourself Visible

14. Create an infographic

Infographics are widely shared in many forms. As the owner of a content creation machine, you have a tremendous opportunity! Here are different ways that you could use infographics as a part of your show promotion:

• Time-stamped listing of points of discussion
• Top 5 tips for X as stated by the expert
• Top 5 quotes from the episode
• How-to do X
• Highlights of the episode

Here are two different examples to get your juices flowing:

15. Give a testimony for your guest

LinkedIn is a great place to find listeners for many show types, and it is also a great place to edify your guests. Connect with them on LinkedIn and write a powerful testimony. If LinkedIn is not your thing, post a testimony on your favorite social media platform. Make sure to discuss the things you care about as a host in addition to the great content that they shared.

        

16. Introduce them to other show hosts

If you know of other shows that your guest would be a fit for, make an introduction! This is not only good relationship building but good business too. It fosters a spirit of reciprocity where the guest will want to help you more.

Off-Line Show Promotion Strategies

17. Send thank you cards to your guests

It is unusual to receive anything other than bills and junk mail in your mailbox. Hosts who send thank you messages to their guests stand out and build relationships.

18. Create and hand out business cards focused on your show

Haley Radke, host of Adoptees On, created business cards with her show logo and subscription information. She originally ordered them to be handed out at a conference filled with her ideal listener, but she has other ways of using them. “I also am sending 5 with every guest thank you card. I'm sending them out to the therapists I've interviewed previously so they can hand them out to their clients.“

19. Create a card game

Andrea Parrish, host of A Thousand Things to Talk About, created conversation cards. Each card has a conversation starter on the front that aligns with an episode on her podcast. For example, the card below is from episode 38. The back of each card contains branding on the show, instructions on how to find it, and a link to subscribe. You could model this idea with

• your favorite tip from each episode,
• a quote from each episode,
• a resource from each episode,
• etc.
  

20. Send them show branded swag

Coffee cups, t-shirts, rubber bracelets, pens, etc., are all promotional items you can create and send to your guests as a thank-you for being on your show.

There you go! Twenty ideas you could start doing today that would encourage your guests and others to promote the episodes you produce.

Bonus Ideas

• Pre-Show Expectations: Communicate your promotional desires during the initial invitation or conversation. Let your guests know that you view promoting the show as a collaborative effort, and tell them about your promotion process.

• Provide Education: Ask them what their comfort level is with promoting the show. If your guest is not familiar with self-promotion, highlight the promotion's benefits, such as increased visibility for the guest, networking opportunities, social proof of expertise, and potential new followers or customers. Share examples of previous guests who benefited from promoting their appearance on your show.

• Templates: Offer email and blog post templates that guests can easily personalize and use.

• Behind-the-Scenes Content: Provide exclusive behind-the-scenes content or bonus material for the guest to share with their audience.

• Affiliate Programs or Incentive Programs: Offer an affiliate program where guests can earn incentives based on the episode’s performance.

• Run a Guest Expert Competition: Create a friendly competition among guests to see who can generate the most engagement. Let your past guests know that you give prizes every quarter to the guest who gets the most listens to their episode or promotes the most on a certain platform. Offer rewards for top promoters, such as gift cards, shout-outs, VIP experiences with your company, or featured spots on future episodes.

• Regular Updates: Inform the guest about the episode’s performance and engagement metrics. Let them know how their episode performs compared to your average and highest-viewed episodes. Remind them that their continued promotion can improve the visibility for both of you.

• Personal Messages: Send personalized messages appreciating your guest's efforts and highlighting any positive feedback regarding their episode. Or give them a testimonial they can use on their media page about how it was great to work with them.

• Polls & Surveys: Include interactive elements in your promotions, like polls or surveys related to the episode topic, which the guest can share to increase engagement.

Your Turn!

What do you do, or what have you experienced? I would love to hear about your experiences.