Is Being a Podcast Guest Worth It? What 15 Interviews Taught Me

I had two goals when I started. The first was practice. Talking about my work doesn't come naturally to me, and the more I do it, the easier it gets. I did a lot of podcasts five or six years ago, and they helped me get more comfortable.

The second goal was getting found by AI tools. People now start online. They search Google or ask an AI tool. If you don't show up, there's little chance they'll find you another way. I wanted more places online that describe me accurately, and a published episode page adds one.

One benefit surprised me. Every interview gives me material for content. In my first week, I recorded about five hours of interviews, and they gave me more than 30 content ideas.

The time cost is small. Each of my interviews runs 30 minutes, and I spend an hour or less on each one, including prep and follow-up.

When a host publishes an episode page, it puts your name and a description of you on another website. That's a page you didn't have to build yourself.

AI tools build their answers from many sources. Google says AI Overviews and AI Mode can run multiple related searches across subtopics and data sources. Perplexity says it gathers information from sources across the internet and compiles it into one answer. So what other websites say about you shapes the answer.

Names are rarely unique. I asked Perplexity, "Who is Amie Thompson?" It asked whether I meant the Olympic swimmer from Australia or the business person. That question will keep coming up, because the name is shared. What I can control is what's attached to my name.

A podcast attaches my focus to my name, and another person says it. When I say I help small business owners build visibility, it can sound like self-promotion. When a host says it, it carries more weight.

That's why I look at where an episode will live online before I look at how many people listen. Even a small show gives me a page with my name and description on it, if the host publishes one.

You have several options for finding shows. You can search Google, ask an AI tool for podcasts in your industry, or use a platform that matches guests with shows. For my clients, we've built lists from internet searches and AI tools. For this experiment, I used PodMatch. That's my affiliate link, so I earn a small commission if you sign up. But don't worry, I only recommend tools I use myself and find valuable.

On PodMatch, hosts invite you to be a guest. In my first week, I received 52 invitations. Choosing which ones to accept took more effort than finding them.

Say yes selectively. Before I agree to an interview, I check four things.

The show's page, website, and social media. I want to see who the host is, who listens, and what the show covers. A show about business or leadership supports what I want to be known for. A show on unrelated topics won't do much for me.

How many episodes the show has. I look for at least 12 to 15. A show with only two or three episodes can stop publishing before yours goes live. Then you've spent your time for nothing.

Video or audio. I started by saying yes only to shows that record video, because YouTube is a strong platform for discoverability. Then I noticed more of my invitations came from audio-only shows. A video requirement would have meant fewer interviews. More interviews mean more practice and more pages online with my name. So I stopped requiring video. Audio-only episodes can still help with discoverability when the host publishes an episode page.

The host's no-show record. This is the one to be careful with. Some platforms show how often a host has been a no-show, and PodMatch does. If the rate is anything above zero, I pass.

Before you pitch anyone, make sure you can answer three questions:

• What do you do?
• Who do you do it for?
• Why does it matter to them?

Then pick one topic you could talk about almost endlessly. I pitched one topic, and the hosts built their questions around it. That kept my preparation for each interview manageable.

Smaller shows give you room to practice. Fewer people will hear an early episode, so if your message changes a couple of weeks later, that's fine.

Listen to a few minutes of past episodes. You'll hear the host's voice and energy, and you'll know what to expect.

Find out if the interview is recorded or live. If it's recorded, the host can edit out a stumble.

Go over your talking points. In a good conversation, it's easy to forget what you wanted to share with their audience. Keep a few notes with the points you want to cover.

Prepare your closing. Hosts often ask how people can find you. Share your website or LinkedIn profile, whichever you have. Then name two or three things listeners will find there and why connecting with you is worth their time.

Check your settings. Test your microphone and, if it's a video podcast, your camera. Do it before you join.

Join four or five minutes early. That gives you time to settle in, and you can chat with the host if they're already there.

If you feel nervous, that's okay. It means you want to do a good job. The more interviews you do, the more comfortable you get.

Confirm your audio. Once you join, ask the host if your audio sounds good. I usually say, "Is everything good with my audio? Can you hear me clearly?"

Frame yourself on video. If it's a video interview, center yourself on the screen and keep your background clear. When the video comes on, take a moment to see how you look.

Repeat the question in your answer. I restate each question before I answer it. It gives me a moment to think. It also makes my transcript cleaner if I want to pull out a clip later.

Ask for a repeat if you need one. If you don't understand a question or can't hear the host, ask them to say it again. You need to know what's being asked to answer it well.

Thank the host. They've given you a spot on their show and platform, so say thank you before you sign off.

Two habits matter most after an interview.

First, send a thank-you note with a ready-made episode description. The host can use it or edit it. It saves them time, and it keeps your name, links, and keywords correct on the episode page. I do this after every interview, because hosts sometimes misspell or mishear names.

Second, check the episode page once it goes live. Look at your name, links, and description. If something is wrong, ask the host to correct it.

If you struggle to come up with content ideas, start with your interviews. I record each interview on my phone or in a note-taking app. Then I download the transcript and ask AI to pull out content ideas. They sound like me, because they come from what I already say in conversation.

One interview can feed several pieces of content. Here's how I use mine:

• A YouTube recap of what I learned
• Short clips from the conversation
• LinkedIn posts

It depends on your goals. Mine are practice and getting found by AI tools. I started recently, so I'm early in tracking both. Here's how I'm measuring each one.

Practice. It's working when I feel more comfortable explaining what I do and how I help small business owners. Each interview is getting easier.

Getting found by AI tools. I ran a 30-minute self-audit to set a baseline. I typed "Who is Amie Thompson?" into Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. In Google, I looked at the AI Overview. I took a screenshot of what came back. I'm repeating the check every month to see what changes as the episodes go live. You can run the same check before your first interview so you have a starting point.

I'm an introvert, and podcasts are one of the most comfortable ways I've found to build visibility. I'm at home, in my own chair, with my own lighting. For video interviews, I can wear flip-flops as long as I look good from the waist up. Most of my interviews have been audio only, so I don't have to worry about that.

You don't have to change who you are to build visibility. Look for methods that fit you, and stretch a little.

You can hear every interview on my podcast appearances page. Take a listen to learn how to build visibility and show up in AI search. I cover checking what AI tools say about you and keeping your bio consistent. I also talk about deciding what you want to be known for.