Find a Podcast Co-Host to Diversify Your Business Show
Having someone to share in the podcasting experience is incredibly fulfilling. In the four business shows I’ve hosted, I was lucky enough to find a podcast co-host twice. There is quite a contrast between the two formats. In this article, we’re going to explore the benefits of having a partner-in-crime, and how to find a podcast co-host for your show.
Interested in finding a podcast co-host for your business podcast? I will happily play matchmaker and find the right person to pair with you. Simply reach out to start a conversation.
Ready to dive in? Let’s go! 👇
Podcast Co-Hosts: An Untapped Opportunity in Professional Services
Recently, I looked at a sample of 147 podcasts across accounting, AEC, and legal industries to explore their characteristics. I wanted to see if I could notice any unique differences or commonalities worth exploring further.
There was one thing that stood out. A whopping 70% of these shows had only one host. The remaining 30% had multiple hosts, which included a mix of rotating hosts as well as co-hosts.
Based on this data sample, paired with my interviews on Podcasting in Professional Services, I believe there to be a massive opportunity for podcasts to differentiate with episodes that feature co-hosted commentary.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to scrap guest interviews. In fact, even for co-hosted shows, guest interviews (and their networks) can be an amplifier. I wrote more about episode structure, formats, typology and outlines in this podcast episode guide.
Benefits of Finding a Podcast Co-Host
Since January 2024, I’ve interviewed dozens of successful podcasters about their experience launching, running, and growing their shows. This has broadened my knowledge of podcasting, which I then apply to myself and clients.
When guests on my show also have a co-host, I make a point to ask them about their experience. Here are some of the common themes that have emerged:
More creative and operational control
A co-host creates a multiplier effect
Finding a podcast co host can shorten the sales cycle
Podcasting becomes a shared experience
Listen to the full podcast episode, or read more on each of these benefits below:
More Creative and Operational Control
With a podcast co-host, you have more control over subject matter. You can be more edgy and provocative with the conversations you have or go deeper on specific topics. In turn, this leads to more entertaining content for listeners. Especially in professional service industries where co-hosted podcasts haven’t yet become popular.
Additionally, finding a podcast co-host gives you more control over scheduling recording sessions. You can set a regular schedule with your co-host and record multiple episodes in a session.
Another mode of control is with two hosts, you have the flexibility for one of you to go off and do a 1:1 interview with a guest if the other has a schedule conflict. This way, you can divide and conquer. Recently, I interviewed Jeremy and Heath from Upstream Leader and here’s what they had to say about their experience co-hosting:
“The two biggest [benefits] that come to mind is we have different perspectives, different approaches,” said Heath, referring to his experience co-hosting the Upstream Leader. “The back-end part of it is just from a time management perspective; I'll take two [interviews], he'll take two.”
Jeremy built upon what Heath said. “We have different networks. We have different connections,” said Jeremy. “We approach and think about things differently. So it's nice because it brings diversity of thought and perspectives to the same show.”
Finding a Podcast Co-Host Creates a Multiplier Effect
In addition to having more control over the content, finding a podcast co-host can have a multiplier effect. Different perspectives and diversity of thought multiply the number of ideas generated. This can reverberate into your own thought leadership outside of the podcast.
Additionally, each co-host has different people in their respective networks. Using a podcast to engage each of these networks brings them together and cross-pollinates connections. Two hosts also means double the promotion. As a podcast co-host, you have shared responsibility to promote your episode content and engage with listeners on social media.
Recently after we finished recording a few podcast episodes for Breaking BizDev, Mark and I had 10 minutes to spare. So I asked him if he would share his experience and perspective on the benefits of finding a podcast co-host. Here’s what he had to say:
“What I thought about initially was, what we're doing in Breaking BizDev…would I have done that all by myself? And I thought, absolutely not. There's no way I would have done this solo.” said Mark, reflecting on the decision to launch the podcast in the first place.
“The co creation of ideas,” Mark said of the first benefit of co-hosting a podcast. “It's not just one plus one is two. It's one plus one is 10. It's that exponential ability to think through and come up with ideas. I love that. We've been really successful so far in coming up with a really good list of ideas that we constantly add to.”
A Shortened Sales Funnel
When you interview guests, you shine the spotlight on them and their expertise. This can be extremely valuable to your audience and the growth of your show. However, guests can take away from your own expertise and calls to action.
With a podcast co-host, you’re able to increase your share of voice “on air.” You can also focus listeners to a direct call-to-action (CTA), which can shorten your sales funnel. Recently, I interviewed Rion Willard of the Business of Architecture. I asked him what he sees as the benefits of finding a podcast co host and he brought up this benefit (among others):
“For the vast majority of life of the podcast, Enoch and I always interviewed guests,” said Rion, reflecting on the evolution of his podcast. “It's only been in the last 18 months that Enoch and I have started to interview each other.”
“Since we've been doing that, our engagement has shot up with comments,” Rion continued. “We used to have quite a long protracted sales funnel off of the podcast, or we invite people into webinar trainings first. Now we just have people just coming straight to us. They're saying, ‘just heard your podcast on such and such and think, how do I join your program that you were talking about?’”
Finding a Podcast Co-Host Creates a Shared Experience
Recently, I interviewed BJ Kraemer of Inspiring People & Places who mentioned that hosting a podcast can be lonely at times. He is the only host of his show (although he did say he was experimenting with different episode formats). Having experience in both formats, having a podcast co-host brings energy, accountability, and a lot more fun to running a show.
If you work at a large enough organization, you might be surprised to know that finding a podcast co-host may be easier than you think. In fact, your future co-host could be at your firm already! This was the case for Florian Heinrichs of unbillable hours, with whom I interviewed recently. Here’s a window into how he and his co-host Ash structure their show:
“There’s a lot of efficiency gained having a podcast where two of your experts from in-house talk to each other about some critical problems you encountered last month and how did we respond to it and so forth,” said Florian, commenting on his podcast editing workflow with his co-host, Ash.
“You don't have to give confidential information away or name clients or get into specifics, but you can talk shop and record yourself. And you will find that people find that very interesting. Probably more interesting than your artificially-created ‘five reasons why you need a digital transformation’ listicle blog post.”
Let’s find a podcast co-host for you
If you’re thinking about launching a podcast but you want to do so with a co-host, I’m offering to play matchmaker and find the right co-host for your podcast concept. I will happily reach out to folks in my network who would be a good fit, make introductions and make it easy to bring your show to life. Simply reach out to start a conversation.
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