Should You Interview Guests or Host a Solo Podcast?

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make when starting your podcast is whether to interview guests for your show or run a solo podcast, where you’re the only one talking. Interviewing guests is often what comes to mind first for new podcasters, but there are benefits of each option. The route you choose depends on your goals and what’s best for you and your audience.

Why should you interview guests for your podcast?

Going with an interview format for your podcast can benefit you in a number of ways:

It’s incredible from a networking standpoint.

Podcasting is easily the best networking tool I’ve ever experienced. Let’s say your podcast features you interviewing a new guest every week. That’s a new, relevant contact every week that’s now in your network – and you got off on a strong foot with them. Or, it’s someone already in your network who you just had a fantastic time with and took your business relationship to the next level. Interview podcasting gives you the means to reach out to experts in your industry you otherwise couldn’t imagine reaching out to, and makes it possible to grow your network every single week.

It’s easier to record each episode.

This comes down to personal preference, but for me, it is wayyyyyyyy easier to record an hour-long podcast with a guest than it is to even record a 1-minute intro and outro by myself. There’s something about having a guest be the star of your show that allows you to focus on active listening and guide the conversation, rather than being forced to come up with all the content yourself. You can treat each episode like a conversation.

It’s more fun.

What’s more fun than having fascinating conversations with some of the coolest people you’ve ever heard of, all around the world? Interview podcasting opens more doors than you could imagine and opens the door to a whole world of awesome people telling awesome stories. It’s a blast. There’s a one-of-a-kind glow that comes after wrapping up an exhilarating interview with someone you’ve always dreamed of talking to – and knowing your listeners will love it.

Why should you host a solo podcast?

If you don’t want to go the interview route for your podcast, you can certainly have a successful podcast in the solo format. Here are the benefits of a solo podcast:

You can establish yourself as an expert in your field.

Imagine your listeners are listening to you – just you – for a bit of time every week, or even multiple times a week. Whatever you’re podcasting about, you establish yourself as more and more of an expert in your industry with each episode. Having a solo podcast keeps the spotlight on you and your message all the time, as opposed to a guest being the main attraction of your episode.

You can record whenever you want, for as long as you want.

Ahhhh, what a relaxing thought. Being able to record on your own time, not having to worry about anyone else. It’s just you, your notes, and your mic. Plus, you don’t have to worry about a guest having to jump off for their next meeting. Record as long as you want, and mess up as much as you want, because hey – why not?!

You can have a different theme for each episode.

If you have an interview podcast, you can certainly tweak your segments and overall style over time. But a solo podcast gives you complete freedom to change things up whenever you’d like. You could do an episode that’s a deep dive on a topic close to your heart, followed by an episode that shares lessons from a personal story you have, followed by an episode where you celebrate a client milestone. Solo podcasts give you the opportunity to switch it up and keep it interesting for yourself and your listeners.

Is interviewing guests or hosting a solo podcast right for me?

A good argument could be made for interviewing guests or running a solo podcast. What’s right for you? It depends on your goals and what you and your listeners would enjoy most. Think through why you’re starting the podcast in the first place. Now, which of these formats best lends itself to achieving those goals? And would you enjoy running your podcast that way, or is it something you’ll dread over time? If you see serious value in both formats, you could even do a combination: alternate solo episodes and interview episodes. This give you the perks of each option, and may just be the variety that’s perfect for you and your podcast listeners.

If you have any questions on podcasting or podcast production, you can always reach me at . If you enjoyed this post, you’ll also appreciate my blog post on “Why Do You Need to Edit Your Podcast?” and any of the 100+ episodes of the Wild Business Growth Podcast. Thank you for your time. Pod on.