One question I get a lot from my clients at Interview Connections is How do I get my guests to promote their interviews? and a few people even said they are considering requiring the guest to do so. Hear me loud and clear: requiring your guests to promote your show is a very bad idea!

You have to take having interviewees on your podcast as seriously as if they were guests in your home.

Last week my son Nathan had his first birthday party, and one of my friends called me to ask what kind of gift they should bring. I told her, of course, that she shouldn’t bring anything and that I only wanted her company.

The most important reason you should invite a guest to your show is that you want them to deliver great content to your audience.

So asking them to e-mail their list about the interview is very impolite- it makes it look like you only want them on the show so you can promote to their list. Don’t forget that the people who can provide you great content are busy and successful entrepreneurs, so requiring them to promote your podcast would leave a really bad taste in their mouths and they will probably decline your invitation to interview at all!

Provide your guests a spotlight to share their story, to provide valuable, actionable content. All the rest will follow: They will feel compelled to share about it on social media, and you will have successfully laid the foundation for creating a fruitful long-term relationship with them since you made them feel welcomed and appreciated.

If you want to learn more about how I can help you book great podcast guests, visit interviewconnections.com!