Tips for Podcast Hosts & Producers

I’ve previously covered things (links at the end of this post) I do to improve the podcast experience for guests. Now I have some suggestions for podcast hosts and producers out there looking to streamline their processes. Unless you have a staff, workflow is everything!

Our top most-show of the year. It brought in many new listeners, too.

Booking Guests

When it comes to booking guests, the one thing I cannot do without is Calendly (though any scheduling software will do) to create time-saving workflows.

Let’s say I go to my MatchmakerFM inbox and get a message from somebody pitching to be a guest on the show, and I like what I see. At that point, I send them a link to Calendly, which has a separate workflow I built in for each of my shows. PR After Hours is set for a 25-minute podcasting session, and MGO for a little longer.

Backstage at Calendly, they make it easy for you to select the days you want to open up for recording and times within those days people can click to schedule. I have two different workflows: one for MGO and one for PR After Hours.

I have a big tip for podcasters who haven’t thought about this or are starting to use a service like Calendly. Ensure you pick dates and times within those dates that you’re open and willing to do a podcast. Early on, I painted myself into a corner, working five days a week recording several podcasts daily because I neglected to establish limits.

It was a painful lesson. I literally worked several weeks straight, often recording several daily interviews — all because I didn’t think about scheduling with my other work obligations in mind.

Since then, I set aside two days a week to record shows — and only about a three-hour window on those days in the middle of the day. I do this because I want to be fresh, and I don’t want to sit there all day recording podcasts.

When I send the Calendly link to the prospective guest, she sees the calendar and these notes:

Please note that we record on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Central time. Depending on staff availability, we can try to arrange other dates and times if necessary.

We default to recording audio using Zoom. We will provide login information before your interview. Note that we activate the…