You know what you want to do, you know who you want to talk to, and you have reached out to everyone you want to have on your podcast. Can you create a content calendar if they haven’t confirmed? YES! You don’t have to wait to have guests confirmed to create your content calendar.
In this guide, you will learn how you can create an effective content calendar even when guests haven’t confirmed dates, times, or topics.
We don’t have guests on the show, but at the start of the pandemic, I hosted two virtual conferences (before those were really a “thing”). In just five days (two in April, and three in June), I was able to present the community with a knowledge base consisting of over 32 hours of free, on-brand content from more than 70 speakers, available on-demand, on three platforms. I did all of that in just a few weeks of preparation and planning. It wasn’t a podcast – it was a thousand times more difficult.
Not everyone was able to confirm when I needed them to, but we got it done. Here’s how you can pull off what seems to be impossible.
Define Your Podcast’s Niche and Themes
As I wrote earlier, a content calendar is very important. Before jumping into the scheduling process, make sure you understand your podcast’s niche and most prevalent themes. This will be the foundation for your content calendar and help you attract guests who align with your podcast’s identity.
Related Reading: Why Is a Content Calendar Important for Podcasters?
Put Together a List of Potential Guests
We all have a mental list of people that we would love to introduce to the world and also get to know ourselves. Take that list out of your brain and put it in a spreadsheet. Once you have a list of desired guests, organize it based on priority or relevance to your podcast’s themes. That way, you can approach potential guests strategically. Who would make a great first guest? Why? What is their audience like, and are they likely to become one of your listeners? Think about how you want your podcast to grow with each guest on your list.
Build in Flexibility
Given that your guests haven’t confirmed dates, times, or topics, you have to have a flexible content calendar. Design a calendar that allows for adjustments and accommodates your guests’ schedules and your own. What is the ideal frequency of your podcast episodes? Will you bulk record and then schedule the episode releases? Will you need to spread out recording your episodes, or can you do several in a week? Accommodating your guest’s schedule is key, but don’t forget to leave time for editing and promotion and then allocate time slots accordingly.
Craft a Professional Ask
Craft personalized and professional emails when reaching out to potential guests. Describe your podcast’s purpose, audience, and reach, why you believe they would be a valuable addition, and ask when they will be available. Let them know if it will be audio-only or video as well. Include a link to FAQs so they will know whether it will be on Zoom, StreamYard, or another platform. Use tools like Google Calendar or Calendly to make it easy for them to respond. Set aside time slots for them to choose from that are convenient for you, so that you don’t have to reschedule.
Related Reading: Video or Audio Podcasts? Do Podcasters Need Both to Be Successful?
Follow Up
If your potential guests have busy schedules, they may not respond immediately. If you are going through a personal assistant or scheduler, it may take even longer to get a confirmation. Send a quick and polite follow-up after a reasonable period of time to let them know that you are still interested in having them on your show. Make sure that you are clear about your willingness to accommodate their schedule. You can be persistent without nagging. No need for a long email – they got the first one. If you aren’t sure if they got that one, keep it in the same email thread and just change the subject line to something indicating that it is a follow-up to a previous communication.
Be Flexible with the Topic
Your guest may have a new project to promote or be pivoting in terms of what they are focusing on in interviews. They may not want to discuss their prior work or things that they are already known for. To increase your chances of securing guests for your podcast, provide a range of topics that align with your podcast’s theme. This way, your guests can choose subjects they are passionate about and currently working on, making it more appealing for them to commit to a time and date to be on your show.
Leverage Social Media and Professional Networks
Social media platforms and professional networks are an excellent way to connect with potential guests. Engage with their content, share your podcast’s vision, and start conversations. Building a relationship before you ask them for their time can make them more receptive to your podcast invitation.
Be Clear About Benefits
How will being on your podcast benefit your guest? This may be a hard question for you to answer if you are just starting out. You will have to figure out and communicate the benefits of being a guest on your podcast. This could include exposure to a specific audience, potential collaboration opportunities, or sharing their expertise with a broader community. Highlighting these advantages can encourage guests to prioritize your podcast in their schedule. Once you have increased your chances of getting a guest to confirm, you can build your content calendar with more confidence.
Creating a content calendar for your podcast when guests haven’t confirmed details requires strategic planning and effective communication. When you have defined your podcast’s niche, reached out professionally, and maintained flexibility, you lay the groundwork for a more reliable content calendar. Be persistent (not annoying), leverage your network (especially if you are new and have a small audience), and clearly communicate the benefits of being a guest.
Related Reading: Podcasting FAQs
If you have any questions about podcasting that you would like answered, reach out to us using our contact page or send us a message on social media. Your question could become a post like this one!
