Beware of the Guest Trap
Podcasts came in a variety of formats. One of my favorite podcast formats is the interview-based podcasts, where a host asks questions to a podcast guest or the episode is a conversation between the host and podcast guest. However, please do not fall into the guest trap.
The guest trap occurs when you believe that people listen to your podcast *solely* for the podcast guest(s). Additionally, the guest trap occurs when you bring guests on your show to bring *perceived value* to your podcast.
Podcast guests are often used to share their expertise about a topic or to add a different dynamic to a podcast episode. Each podcast guest has a background and community that the podcast host may be unable to reach, so including a podcast guest will expand your podcast reach. If you ask the guests to advertise the podcast on their social media profiles, WOW. You will gain tons of exposure and decrease the six degrees of separation between everyone in the world.
To that point, I have discovered many podcasts after seeing an advertisement or social media post from the podcast guest. A podcast guest brings credibility to a podcast because if the guest chose to speak to the host, I should give the show a chance and listen. However, I can honestly say that I have not continued to listen to a podcast if I do not enjoy the podcast host.
It seems like common sense that someone would not continue to listen to a podcast without enjoying the host, but many podcasters fall into the guest trap. If the idea of telling people to listen to your podcast that is all about you makes you cringe, so you tell people to listen to your podcast FEATURING the podcast guest makes you feel better, you may be in the guest trap.
You may be in the guest trap if:
You are an introvert
You don’t want a podcast host
You don’t like your voice
You are *just* the host
First, if you are an introvert and do not want a lot of attention, then you may include guests on your podcast because you do not trust what you have to say about the subject. When many introverts include podcast guests, they want the attention of the podcast to be on the guest. But again, let me remind you that if the questions you ask, your enthusiasm, your ownership of the podcast are missing, the guest will not bring much value to your podcast.
Second, if you want a conversation-based podcast without having a podcast host, you may include podcast guests. Without podcast guests or hosts, you may think recording by yourself is creating an audio diary, but this is not true. The second most popular podcast format is solo or monologue podcasts (details here). In creating a solo podcast, you are communicating with the podcast audience every week and the conversation that you want is occurring. Further, you will be in good company if you do not have podcast guests and your podcast consists of you speaking. And not *just you* speaking, because the podcast host is the reason that most people listen to podcasts.
Third, if you do not like your speaking voice, you may include podcast guests to deflect attention from you. The idea of wanting people to listen to what the guest has to say while you hide in the back is never going to happen (and ironic that you included a guest at all). Your voice is your voice. I don’t know how to get you to love it, but you have to understand that the podcast audience appreciates it. When your podcast episodes are downloaded and shared, people are hearing your voice. Do not include podcast guests to avoid speaking on your own podcast.
Finally, have you ever described yourself as “just” the host? When people compliment your podcast, do you draw attention to the podcast guests? If you downplay your abilities to be engaging and believe that your podcast exists for the guests, you may be in the guest trap.
Of all the podcasts that exist, no other podcast host asks questions like you. No other podcast sounds exactly like your podcast. No other podcast producer was able to find the guests that you found. As the podcast host, you must give yourself credit for holding the show together. Allow me to say, you are the talent and the podcast guests are the supporting actors.
Evaluate why you include guests on your podcast. I had to do the same thing with my motivation to create an interview-style podcast. I use podcast guests as social proof that my podcast idea is valuable. I discovered a niche and want to discuss this niche, so every podcast guest proves that this category exists. However, I had to deal with the introvert-based guest trap, where I thought that people only listened to the podcast because of the guests.
Because I crawled out of the guest trap, you can too! Remember that podcast guests will come and go, but subscribers and downloads continue because of the connection made with the podcast host. The podcast host is the consistency, the glue, the magic between each episode. Include guests on your podcast, but remember that the podcast downloads continue because of the podcast host.
Podcasting allows podcast host to share their ideas with their podcast audience. Continue to find guests, include them as guests on your podcast, and discuss their stories if the podcast guest will propel your podcast in the direction that you want. But remember that the podcast audience is invested in you; the audience wants to know what you want to tell them and the audience will listen to who you bring onto the show. Value the trust that the podcast audience has given you and pat yourself on the back because you are why people listen to your podcast. Get out of the guest trap.
