Spring cleaning is in full swing at my house! This year I really wasn’t in any kind of cleaning mood and was rather enjoying the cooler weather. But then by mid-April, I had cleaned out all the closets, garage, dressers, made three trips to Goodwill and even hauled off things to the dump.  I do this pretty much every year and every year it drives husband nuts!

I also like to keep a tidy operation when it comes to organizing my office, paper filing systems, and especially digital filing systems. Most people have heard that having too many files on your desktop will slow down your computer. Is it true? Kind of, but not really. With computers nowadays, it may slow down certain processes by a fraction of a degree, but assuming you have a modern computer, it’s unlikely to pose a serious problem. The real problem with desktop disorganization – and file disorganization in general – is that it’s going to slow you down because you are wasting time. How much time have you wasted trying to find a particular file and then had to recreate something because you couldn’t find it?

I love creating systems where everything has a place! In this week’s video, I show you my one-folder filing solution for your desktop and sample file organization structures to get you started with your own digital filing system.

Welcome to Systems Sunday, today we are wrapping up our theme of your Podcasting Pre-Launch. I am Lisa Wells, your Virtual Assistant Trainer. 

What lights me up in doing what I do is creating a great system and today I’m going to show you one of my latest and greatest and that’s a solid gameplan for getting guests to your podcast. Even if you’re not planning on interviewing guests at this point in time, keep in mind that experts can add a new perspective to your topic and can provide valuable information to your audience.

In today’s episode, I’m going to show you a solid guest-getting game plan.

First, brainstorm a list of people you’d love to interview, without editing your choices. Second, go through your list and start researching if these people are relevant to your podcast topic and audience. Search their social profiles and websites. Cross off any names that aren’t relevant.

Also, perform a Google search with your keyword phrases. For instance, if your ideal guest is a money mindset coach, search that exact phrase for a list of names. Do your own research into their reputation, expertise, and products to determine if they’re relevant and worthwhile to interview.

For anyone who you deem to be a great guest, search their website for contact information. Sometimes you’ll even find a “Media” page on their site, with information about contacting them.

I recommend that you follow these rules, especially if your guest is a big name in your industry. They and their staff get hundreds of offers/emails every day and they don’t have time to read each one. Very often if someone does NOT follow their rules, their email gets tossed immediately as a way of eliminating offers and keeping their list manageable.

Once you have a starting list, it’s time to reach out to make a connection with an intro email.

Just in case your name doesn’t get recognized by your expert (or their VA who’s managing their inbox), make your subject line memorable and direct. Don’t leave them guessing; be direct in your subject line so they are likely to open your email to read your offer. Even a simple “PODCAST INTERVIEW REQUEST” can go a long way to getting opened.

It’s also wise to connect with your prospective guests via social media. Participating in a conversation by leaving comments goes a long way to getting your email recognized.

Of course, it’s wonderful to have people clamoring to be on your podcast but in reality, finding podcast guests is much like finding new clients: A mix of active marketing and outreach as well as having tools in place to attract your perfect guest.

When it comes to preparing for interviews, think of it as studying for a test.

Review their accomplishments; write a bio to use as an introduction (or take the bio from their website). Learn the basics about their business and their line of products. Write a list of questions you’d like to ask or bullet points of topics to cover. Going into the interview with a written “cheat sheet” will help avoid misspeaking or other flubs during the recording.

On interview day, check your tech, take a deep breath, and hit record! Thank your guest and remind them when the episode will publish.

For the post-interview, along with editing the episode, adding show notes, and publishing, you’ll want to send a thank you to your guest and promote promote promote!

Now, I want to make it easy on you so I do have a free gift for you all – it’s a Mini-Podcast Prep Pack. In this free download, I include a guest interview prep checklist and templates for
a request for interview email, follow-up email in case they don’t reply, pre-interview information email for after they’ve said yes, reminder email to be sent the day before the interview, and a thank you email.

If you’d like even more resources, check out my Podcasting Template Pack. I have email templates, swipe files, best practices, printables, and more. Check it out at VirtualAssistantTrainer.com. 

Join me next time for more Systems Sunday, have a great week!

Catch up on other Spring Cleaning Your Cluttered Digital Life episodes:

• [Video] Backup Basics and Contingency Planning
• [Video] Art of Unfollowing on Social Media – How to Unfollow and Why
• [Video] Computer Clean-up: Tips to Make Your Computer Work Better & Go Faster

Did you enjoy this episode and want to put it into action? Grab this kit!