According to Nielsen, 97.1% of Tampa Bay adults have access to the internet. An online connection is all that is needed to listen to a podcast. In all 24.7% of consumers, in fact, do listen to podcasts every month. They listen while at home, commuting, at the gym, at work, at the local coffee shop, pretty much anywhere there is WIFI or good cell service.
Most likely, at one time or another, each of the 646,540 podcast listeners in the Tampa Bay area has thought to themselves, “I could do that. I could launch my own podcast.” This is theoretically true.
A quick Google search by aspiring Tampa Bay content producers will reveal which recording equipment to buy, how to edit shows, and how to post episodes for the world to hear on platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify Google, Stitcher, and Tune-In. The magic of being a successful podcaster, however, involves persistence, longevity, and consistently engaging content.
One element of podcasting that often adds dimension and perspective to new episodes is the use of podcast guests. Not only do guest experts supply engaging content, but usually they will participate in return for exposure without the need to shell out any cash.
But how does a Tampa Bay business small owner get started? It’s a very chicken-and-egg situation.
A podcaster first needs to publish episodes to demonstrate to potential guests that the podcast is worthy of their participation, especially because there are so many choices. Currently, there are over 2.4 million valid podcasts in Apple’s Podcast directory alone, according to podcast industry insights expert Daniel J. Lewis.
So, what separates podcasters who stick it out for the long haul from those who give up after just a few episodes? One of the primary factors is the subject matter and the ability to book guests.
This article explains how Tampa Bay small business owners can book guests for a podcast.
Suppose a Tampa Bay area business is looking to reach customers and establish itself as a credible expert in its profession. Podcasting is an excellent platform for sharing expertise, controlling the conversation, and conveying its personality.
Business owners should consider the potential audience for their podcast and will listeners stick around episode after episode. Even if the business owner has a pleasing voice and speaks eloquently, episodes may become monotonous if additional voices are not interjected on a regular basis.
Having a co-host and guests will add an additional dimension to a show by providing disparate voices and degrees of spontaneity that are difficult to replicate with just one voice.
But how does a business owner find and invite guests to be on a podcast? Read on!
One of the best places a business owner can find guests for a podcast is within their immediate circle. While it might take some convincing that people who otherwise haven’t appeared on podcasts make for great guests and interview subjects.
Make a list that includes co-workers, friends, customers, and employees. It is surprising how many of these people would make for interesting podcast interview subjects.
It is also a good idea for a business owner to invite people they kind of know to participate on podcast episodes. It can be made known on 
social media channels like Facebook and LinkedIn. This is a great way to find people less known on a day-by-day basis but who share common interests.
Other excellent sources of potential podcast guests can be found among customers and vendors on a company’s email lists.
Other ways to find guests is by doing a Google search like “how do I find guests for my podcast” This will return several excellent podcast booking service options, such as Matchmaker.fm, PodPros, PodMatch, and PodcastGuests.com. These services are often free for podcast hosts and require and only require an investment of time to build out a business profile and reach out to guests. A profile should include links to the company’s social media pages, website, and posted podcasts. A solid profile will result in many potential guests who are willing to participate.
A real-life example comes from a local realtor that accepts podcast guests from around the country. The expertise of these guests helps to establish the credibility of the business owner who hosts the show.
Once these company-built profiles appear on several booking services, its podcast calendar began to swell. After just one week there was enough response from guests and booking agents for six months’ worth of interviews.
This constant quest for guests is essential for the longevity of a podcast.
Among all of the podcasts available to Tampa Bay consumers, the average series has only 26.5 episodes posted. Just 21% of these podcasts have posted a new episode within the past 90 days.
According to PodPros, 90% of podcasters fail before reaching one year. Many of these inactive podcasts were designed to have a limited shelf-life, but the majority just simply “podfaded” away. In other words, 4-out-of-5 podcasters who launched shows with the best of intentions simply stopped posting episodes.
The real estate company in the example above was dangerously close to one of the 90%, stalling out after only eight episodes. But the hosts re-committed to releasing new episodes that initially featured just themselves, then featured friends and colleagues, and finally produced episodes with people who asked to be on the show. Now the company has posted more than 50 recorded episodes that have been downloaded more than 20,000 times and achieved more than 35,000 views on YouTube.
It is possible to market a Tampa Bay business to targeted audiences using podcasts in a cost-effective way. This is true whether the company is a local landscape artist, life coach, restaurant owner, insurance agent, financial planner, physician, attorney, or interior designer. Truly, there is a podcast audience for any product or service.
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