When Studio Cotton founder Aime asked me to share my thoughts on how to introduce yourself as a podcast guest, I was thrilled – because as a copywriter and host of RE: The Podcast, this is the perfect middle of the professional Venn diagram for me. So, let’s go on this journey together, shall we?
Imagine you’ve been asked to be a guest on a podcast – hooray. You’ve been chosen to speak on a topic you absolutely love talking about – double hooray. As part of being on the podcast, you’ve been asked for a podcast guest bio, so that the host(s) can accurately and excitingly introduce you and your work to their listeners – why does God give his hardest battles to his cutest soldiers?
Explaining who you are and what you do can feel like one of the ickiest parts of running your own business (and I should know, because I make a living from helping people do this for themselves.)
How can you show up without feeling like you’re showing off?
How can you get your personality across to prove that you’re an absolute hoot?
And, especially in the case of podcast guest bios, how can you ensure your spiel sounds good when it’s read out loud, instead of as wooden and stilted as Pinnochio at the fairground?
Here’s how.
Ditch the elevator pitch
This is your full permission slip to abandon the idea of using a full-service ‘elevator pitch’ for your podcast guest bio (or anywhere in your business, really).
Remember, the podcast host will be using this to bracket a chat with you, and that chat will be a much better way to get more information across!
Think about the podcast audience
You might not even have the same podcast guest bio every time you’re a podcast guest – and that’s ok. Instead, it’s always good to have a foundational framework that you can tweak to each specific instance.
To do this, think about the podcast’s audience – what problem do they have that you can help with? This may be a particular offering you have that the host highlighted when they asked you to be their guest, or alternatively something particular that you pitched them.
You could try searching for the podcast’s listener profile, and if it’s not available, don’t be afraid to ask the host (although, if you pitched them, you should probably already know).
With this information, you can tailor your podcast guest bio to focus on one particular arm of your business or a specific offering that will resonate the most with the listeners, so that the listeners can recognise their own needs quickly.
So if podcasts had existed in the 80s, Delia Smith might have introduced herself as a cook and TV presenter on cooking podcasts, the majority shareholder of Norwich City on football podcasts, and both on podcasts exploring women in business (her episode of which would, of course, be called “Let’s be havin’ food” – I’ll see myself out.)
Don’t use jargon
Make sure that you explain what you do in a way that the podcast listeners will understand. A helpful tool for this is to use the framework
“I am a [job title/description], so I help [ideal clients] [impact of your job] by [method you employ].”
E.g.
“I am a [personal branding writer] who helps [small business owners] [get the opportunities they deserve] by [finding the words to confidently describe who they are and what they do].”
But this isn’t to say don’t use industry specific terms if, for example, you’re going on a niche industry podcast – they’d probably be more confused by you trying to dance around the terms!
Exceptional websites for brilliant podcasts
Check out our brand new website design package – a dedicated, optimised website for podcasts.
Add some personality in there
You don’t have to wisecrack your way through your podcast guest bio, but adding some personality to it will really make it stand out. This can be an extra descriptive detail about your workspace to help listeners build a more visual picture in their head, or something relatable, like about your pets.
Again, of course, you have the full episode to showcase your brilliant personality – but signalling it in your podcast guest bio will get people instantly on board.
Read it aloud
Podcast guest bios can be used in a number of places, including the show notes for the episode, the podcast website, and any promotional material for your episode.
On top of that, some podcast hosts will also use them as your introduction at the top of the podcast (or your segment), so make sure it reads easily; some phrases may look epic written down, but lose all impact when they’re delivered with caution.
Need a hand writing your bios? Check out my copywriting services at Eleanor Mollie, where I love to help small business owners introduce themselves with confidence and clarity. And listen to me yap with my lovely co-host Rachel on our small business podcast, RE: The Podcast.
