The 2024 election cycle demonstrated the importance of podcasts as a medium for reaching voters. The Center for Campaign Innovation found that 32% of voters listen to podcasts each week – a 3X growth in four years.
As candidates and campaigners increasingly look to podcasts for getting their message out, it's important to learn how to be an effective guest.
Forget Your Media Training
Unlike typical TV, cable news, or radio interviews, podcasts are more conversational and feature a personal tone. Much of the strategies or tactics of traditional media training come from the time constraints imposed by these mediums. A cable news segment may only be 5-7 minutes and a TV interview will be clipped to a single soundbite.With podcasting, there are no artificial time restraints and full, unedited answers are often included in the final version. This longer format gives a guest the opportunity to go into more depth.
Build Rapport With The Host
Podcasts lead to parasocial relationships between listener and host. After listening to so many hours, the audience comes to feel like they know and have a friendship with the host. Building a rapport with the host is how you get the listeners to like you.
An adversarial relationship will not help you win over the audience, as they typically side with their trusted host.
Answer Questions Directly
You have to answer the host's questions directly. Dodging or pivoting might work with traditional formats with time constraints and deadlines, but a podcaster doesn't have to publish your episode if you don't cooperate. After all, you're using them to reach their audience.
Similarly, if listeners feel you are being evasive they will be turned off and disengage from your message.
Know The Show
Podcasts have more personality than traditional formats and listeners will reward guests who are familiar with the show's inside jokes or the host's pet issues. In your preparation, you should listen to a few episodes at least.
If there are recurring segments like a lightning round or standard questions like "what was your first job?" then you should be ready for those.
Prepare Your Story Bank
Podcasts are all about personality so think about the personal stories, anecdotes, examples, trivia, or data you can have at the ready in response to questions. Authentic, relatable stories tend to resonate best with podcast audiences.
Conclusion
Podcast interviews are different than traditional media interviews and being an effective guest requires a different approach. By embracing the conversational nature of the medium, building rapport with the host, answering questions directly, knowing the show format, and preparing compelling personal stories, you'll maximize the impact of your podcast appearances.
.png){kind=icon}