5 Ways to Prepare for Your Podcast Interview You've scored a podcast interview to promote your business. Now what?
By Holly Irgens Edited by Jessica Thomas
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Small business owners should take advantage of each and every marketing opportunity and publicity tool to help spread the word about their company. As the thought leadership space gets crowded with traditional media outlets like print, TV and online media outlets, podcasts are an ideal way to garner press coverage in an in-depth interview featuring your brand. With the expected number of monthly listeners in the U.S. raising to over 100 million in 2021, podcasts are a marketing tool that small businesses cannot overlook.
Related: 6 Reasons Why Podcast Guesting Is An Untapped Marketing Tool
Between the value you get out of media coverage, including brand credibility, SEO boost, social proof and more, the opportunity in podcasts are limitless. Either by working with an expert or DIY-ing the outreach yourself, the goal would be to identify a specific topic that you can uniquely speak to. Then, align that subject matter with targeted podcasts, ideally that align with your target audience. Once you've connected with a few podcasts and reached out with an individual, thoughtful message, sooner or later you are bound to score an interview!
Related: How to Attract Sales Leads through Your Podcast Guest Appearance
However, the work doesn't stop there. Because podcasts are recorded live, everything you say will be used. That means there is no room for error. Don't panic, however; there are a few simple things you can do to prepare and nail that interview, helping to spread the word about your business and expand your brand's reach.
1. Listen to the podcast
This step may seem simple, but it is 100% necessary. I would recommend listening to a minimum of two full episodes of the podcast that you're about to go on. This will give you a sense of the host's style, what questions they like to ask and how the conversation typically flows. Write down notes for angles the host is interested in or personal attributes that may bring commonality to the conversation. This will help it flow into a more organic conversation.
2. Ask the host for pre-interview questions or prep
Don't be afraid to ask the host for questions in advance. Every podcaster is different — they may want to do a quick pre-interview call, they may have a set list of questions or they may want to go into the interview blindly so it is a free-flowing conversation. Regardless, always ask them up front so any expectations are given at the onset.
3. Establish your interview takeaways
Think about what you want the listener to take from the interview — is it your brand purpose? Your entrepreneurial challenges and journeys? Understanding where to buy your product and what makes it unique? A helpful tip would be to write down your one sentence takeaway and mission statement, along with some bullet points you want to hit in your interview. Don't write full sentences so it sounds like you are reading from a script, but have these in front of you to reference during the interview.
4. Consider the questions you don't want to answer
Because podcast interviews aren't paused or edited mid-way through, think about any questions that you want to avoid. Whether that's getting into specific sales numbers or awkward personal issues, consider how you would approach the subject if asked. A great prep idea is to think through how you would pivot that question into a topic you do want to dive into. Think about potential segues and practice how you would guide the conversation into the topics you do want to discuss.
5. Breathe, smile and be confident
Even though podcast interviews are typically not on camera, pretend as though you are. It never hurts to practice public speaking prior to the interview. Even recording yourself on your phone and watching how many ummmms you say can go a long way to help you sound more professional in your interview. While the listener can't see you smile, they can hear your energy and passion in your voice.
As you head into the interview, relax and have fun. And, don't forget the real work starts after the interview to take advantage of it as best you can. Make sure your website and social media pages are all updated and that your brand is ready for the spotlight. Share on social, post to your Press section of your website and ask your friends to share as well.
