Connect With Podcasts and Guests on Matchmaker.fm
Are you a podcast lover? Odds are, there’s at least one show that really does it for you. With almost half a billion podcast listeners worldwide, we’re in the midst of an explosive growth period for podcast media. Of course, with more than 5 million podcasts out there, it can sometimes feel tricky to find your niche and stand out in it.
One of the top ways people expand their podcast audience is through guests. Bringing a guest onto your podcast can do a lot for the show. It shakes up the usual formula by welcoming another person’s knowledge, voice, and perspective. It lets current listeners see a new side of the host in relation to the guest, especially if the podcast is usually done solo. And perhaps most of all, it lets the guest and the host alike get visibility from a whole new audience.
While everyone probably knows a few people who’d make great guests, you’ll inevitably find yourself in need of some new experts in your niche to add value to your show. Short of getting lucky when networking, how do you go about finding great guests for your podcasts? One of our favourite ways at the moment is with Matchmaker.fm!
What is Matchmaker.fm?
Simply put, Matchmaker.FM is a free, online platform designed to connect podcasters and guests. With more than 70,000 active users across countless niches, topics, and areas of expertise, there’s no shortage of talent out there. So how does it work?
Whether you’re signing up as a podcast or as a guest, the process is free to start. Here’s what to do:
Create Your Profile(s)
First up, you’ll create your own profile. This differs slightly depending on whether you’re signing up as a podcast or as a guest, but the gist is basically the same. You’ll add a quick phrase to sum yourself up, choose a few niche interests to list your profile under, include a short ‘about me’ section, and add links to your podcast and/or social media.
If you’re both a podcaster and a hopeful guest, you’re in luck. Matchmaker actually encourages you to create a profile for both—this is the best way to get new contacts and more exposure for your brand and/or your show.
2. Search and Find Great Partners and Collaborators
Once your profile’s made, it’s time to start searching! Matchmaker.fm makes it simple to search by niche. Simply enter the topic you’re interested in (e.g., business, news, marketing, arts, etc.) and search away to explore profiles from people in the same niche. From here, you can browse through people’s pages to find those who might be a good fit for what you’re trying to do.
3. Get in Touch
When you’ve found a profile that feels like a good fit, it’s time to get in touch. On Matchmaker.fm'’s free plan, you’re able to start up to 5 conversations per month on their built-in messaging service. This is your chance to show more of yourself and find out more about your potential collaborator.
4. Set Up Guest Spots, Collabs, and Promo-Swaps
If it’s a good fit, it’s time to set something up! Collaborations of all kinds can be planned on Matchmaker.fm. Naturally, you can book or be booked as a guest on a podcast, but you can also find other ways to work together.
This could mean promo swaps, where you both agree to shout out the other’s show on air. You could also agree to each play the other’s real advertisement on your podcast, exposing your audiences to each other’s content. Some showrunners might trade podcast takeovers to take this a step further, where each podcaster will take on an episode of the other’s show.
5. Make a Date
Once you’ve gotten to know each other a little and made a plan, it’s time to set a time and place! (Does this sound like online dating to anyone else?!) All that’s left now is to organize the logistics of your next podcast collab, get together and do it, and watch as both of your brands grow little by little.
The Power of Podcast Communities
If you ask us, the power of community and collaboration can’t be overstated when it comes to marketing. Contrary to what some might think, it’s almost always better to work together for mutual success than to be constantly competing—and podcasting is one great example. Audiences love a change-up. They love hearing new views and unexpected takes from the content they already listen to, and there’s no better way to get a fresh perspective than by working with new voices.
We’re big fans of anything that helps bring people together in online spaces—that’s why we’re so big into social media, after all. Matchmaker.fm is a great example of a free platform that’s designed to bring cooperation into the insulated online spaces we create for ourselves, connecting creators and making better content as a result.
By the way, if you’re interested in working with our very own Megan Shallow and getting her marketing knowledge (and general good vibes) on your show, be sure to reach out via her Matchmaker.fm profile!