Creating a podcast has many steps, and an occasional step of this process involves inviting and managing guests as the host of a podcast. This post will help simplify your game plan!
Invite with plenty of time
Giving your guests the right amount of time to plan to be on your podcast is very necessary. You 100% have to respect your guests time. Busy people have packed schedules, and giving a tiny amount of time to respond to your invite not only equals more no's for guests on your podcast, but also is insulting. Of course there are exceptions, and I do believe there should be podcasts scheduled immediately depending on urgency and the recency of events, but this should be an exception and not the rule. Be polite, and ask if in two, three weeks they could fit time in for your podcast. You'll most likely be seeing more guests on your show as well.
Inform the guest
Don't make it awkward and wait until your guest joins the call to tell them they can't sit outside because the kids yelling in the background are too loud. When inviting them, be sure to let them know what is expected on the podcast. How should the noise be, is it a video recording, do they need to dress up, do they need to have anything prepared? Give your guest as much information as you can so they can be ready as soon as they join the call!
Check quality
Before your show starts, be sure to make sure your microphone, and your guests microphone are similar in loudness. When you play back the recording, it's a bad podcast if your listeners lean in to hear one speaker and cover their ears for another. One can't be loud and one can't be quiet. Make sure before hitting record that you are both sitting around the same decimal! Also before hitting that record button, if you are recording video, make sure the guests camera has them framed how you would like (head right in the middle) and that their background is at least decent for the standards of your podcast!
Before the show
You already informed the guest of what will be happening on the episode, but do it again. Go over the rough outline of how the guest will be going today. Let them know of how long each section should be if you have a time limit. Ask them if there is anything they need to do before beginning, don't just roll right into it. Your guest may need to grab a water or hit the bathroom before you begin.
lead the show
A great host let's the guest speak often, but also can make sure that the guest stays on topic. You're basically like a horse rider not holding on to the ropes, letting the horse walk, gallop, whatever it wants, but tugging on the ropes to make sure it stays on the trail. Let your host talk about their side of things however they want, but make sure that they are talking about what they should be talking about. Not about Arianna Grande if your show is about the new iPhone.
stay on time
Along with leading the show is maintaining pace. This step is for those podcasts that have a time limit. If you have six sections, and one hour to record, that is a maximum of ten minutes per section, unless you know some other sections will go by quickly. You have to be a master of knowing how long each section will be. If your guest is going over the time limit, you can learn the skill of segueing into your topic. Basically a smooth transition that hardly notices that you change the topic.
End of show
Time to be a gentleman. Your guest took the time to be on the podcast, plug them! If they have a podcast, a book, a YouTube channel, let your listeners know how to get there. This doesn't just have to be at the end of the show either. You can continuously plug them throughout the show as well, just make sure to end the podcast with your listeners knowing how to find the guest, and highlight some recent work they can check out.
after the show
Again, your guest took valuable time out of their schedules to be on this podcast. Say thank you for being on the podcast, have some ending conversations off air that you wanted to talk about that didn't relate to the podcast, and wish them a good day! Days later, send a thank you note. These notes are 100% underestimated and underutilized, they mean a lot and will get you a lot of social capital with that guest.
Overall
Being a great host is treating your guest like VIP while maintaining the standards of your show. Inform the guest as much as you can, while opening their eyes to your standards. Throughout the podcast, make sure these standards are maintained while guiding the conversation but letting your host have their say. After the podcast, appreciate their time because they did not have to be there. Be a good person, and you'll be a good host!