If you’re a podcaster, then you know the importance of booking guests for your show. But what if you don’t have time to book guests yourself?
That’s where a podcast booking agent comes in. They can take care of all the logistics for you, from finding guests to coordinating travel and accommodations.
Having a podcast booking agent on your team means that you’ll always have someone looking out for the best possible guests for your show. You’ll never have to worry about scheduling conflicts or last-minute cancellations again.
But, is that all they do? Not in the slightest…
Contents
1. Solicits and assess potential clients and business partners
If you’re one of those people that believe that podcasting is just about two or three people sitting down with mics in front of their faces, talking about random topics, then you’re sadly mistaken. There’s a lot of work that goes into producing a quality show.
Part of that work is finding the right direction to take your business in and the right type of partnerships that will help you achieve your goals. A big part of that is having a network of people to draw from when you’re looking for potential guests or sponsors.
That’s where a podcast agent comes in. They have their finger on the pulse of the industry and they know who’s who. They also know who’s looking to get their name out there and who would be a good fit for your show and your brand.
2. Assists podcasters in finding the right guests for their show
Sure, getting brand deals and some cash flow is nice and all, but without guests to talk to, you’re basically just rambling on and on about the same thing over and over again, and trust us – that’s boring.
Even if you’re the most interesting person in the world, you’re not going to be able to keep your audience engaged if they’re only hearing from you. That’s why it’s important to have a variety of guests on your show.
A podcast booking agent can help you find those guests. They know who’s who in the industry and they have a network of people to whom they can reach out to.
3. Manages all the logistics for guests
Once you’ve found the perfect guests for your show, it’s time to start coordinating travel and accommodations. If you’re doing this yourself, it can be a huge hassle.
You have to keep track of flights, rental cars, hotels, and more. It’s not as easy as it sounds.
A podcast agent can take care of all of that for you. They’re experienced in coordinating travel and they know all the ins and outs of the hotel industry. They have to.
They can also provide your guests with access to a VIP concierge service, so they don’t have to worry about a thing while they’re on your show.
4. Works with producers to book timeslots and ensure smooth production
Now, check this out. A lot of people think that podcasters just wing it when they’re on the air.
But that’s not the case. In order to produce a quality show, you need to have a plan and you need to stick to it.
That’s where a podcast booking agent comes in. They work with producers to book timeslots and ensure that the production of your show runs smoothly.
What does this mean? Well, it means that they make sure that you have the right guests booked for the right time slots and that everything is coordinated well in advance.
It also means that they’re there to troubleshoot any problems that may arise during production, and a lot more.
5. Creates and distributes promotional materials
Unless you’re a household name like Joe Rogan, there’s no way you’ll be able to lift your thing off without promotional materials.
A booking agent can help you create and distribute those materials. They have the connections and the know-how to get your show in front of the right people.
They also have a network of influencers and media outlets that they can reach out to promote your show, which is basically all you need in this day and age.
6. Monitors statistics and audience engagement
Numbers, numbers, numbers… But how else would you know if you’re on the right path? A podcast booking agent monitors your show’s progress and engagement levels so you can make changes on the fly.
This includes things like download numbers, social media engagement, website traffic, and any other metric that can give you insights into your audience.
7. Keeps up-to-date on trends
While the nature of podcasting isn’t necessarily to stay on top of trends, it certainly can’t hurt to ride the right wave at the right time.
A good podcast agent will know what’s hot and what’s not, so they can help you make your show more relevant (and attractive to listeners), while at the same time making sure you remain true to your brand and authentic to yourself.
Podcast fans aren’t too keen on sellouts.
8. Arranges sponsorships or advertising deals
Look, you have a mouth to feed and quite frankly, views and clicks can only get you so much money. So, what do you do? You find a sponsor. Well, not you, but your agent.
Now, this might be a little tricky because most of these guys (businesses, not agents) don’t really understand the new era and new format and would often like you to just interrupt the program to deliver a message – as Andrew Shultz does in his podcast.
Quite frankly, we think that’s horrible and we’re fairly certain your agent would be able to weed out the bad seeds and partner you up with someone who actually GETS IT and is willing to collaborate on your terms.
Conclusion
There you go. Those are 8 things a podcast booking agent can do for you, but ultimately it all comes down to one thing – making your show the best it can be so you can attract more listeners and grow your audience.
