Guide for podcasters
How to make podcast clips your guests will share
A guest with an audience is the fastest way to new listeners, and most of them never post the episode. Here is why, in podcasters’ own words, and what makes a guest actually hit share.
The short answer
Ask before you record, not after. Pick the moments where your guest looks their best, not just the ones your audience will like. Send two or three finished, captioned vertical clips with the link on release day, and post them on Instagram as collabs so they land in the guest’s followers’ feeds too. Expect some guests never to share, and do not hold it against them.
Why most podcast guests don’t share
Ask hosts and the honest answer is that most don’t:
“I politely ask/suggest that they share and VERY few will.”
“All of our guest are there for free on their time usually so it's great when they promote the content to their network, but not expected.”
Some of it is effort. Some of it is the clip itself. A moment can be great for your show and wrong for theirs:
“A moment can be “great” in isolation, but if it does not fit how the guest wants to be perceived or what their audience expects, they have no incentive to share it.”
“It could have been that your guest didn’t want their audience to see that side of them.”
That second point is the useful one. The clip you would post for your audience (the guest’s wildest story, their hottest take) is not always the one a guest wants their clients, employer or fans to see.
What makes a guest share
Asking early. I definitely feel like it's best to ask it up front and get a soft commitment to share.
Making it no work. A finished vertical file with captions, a sentence they can paste and the episode link is something a guest can post from their phone in a minute. A link to “the episode, somewhere around 34 minutes in” is not.
Making them look good. Choose the moment where they are clear, generous or funny on their own terms. If in doubt, send three and let them pick.
Sharing the post itself. On Instagram, a collab post is one post with two authors. In Instagram’s own words:
“If the other account accepts, the post will also be shown on their profile and be distributed to their followers in Instagram feed.”
“The post's header will attribute the content to both accounts.”
Getting the words right. Captions with the wrong spelling of their name or company are a reason not to share. Fix names before you send. When two people talk in a clip, captions should show who is speaking; Slice tells the voices apart and keeps the guest’s lines theirs.
Permission, releases and redos
Hosts disagree about formal releases; plenty have recorded hundreds of interviews without one. Two habits keep it simple. Put the terms where the guest already agrees to things:
“The release is baked into the scheduling app. They can't book a time unless they agree to the terms.”
And give them a way out during the recording, which also makes better clips:
“I give my guests the opportunity to redo answers while we're recording”
Our free podcast guest release form covers the episode and clips cut from it, and the guest soundcheck gets their mic right before you record. Neither is legal advice.
Guest clips from an audio-only show
No camera, no problem, if you have a photo of your guest. Slice’s audio templates can show the guest in a circle on your colour, side by side with the host, or lit up while they talk, with their words as big captions. These were drawn from a real episode before any photos were added; with a guest’s photo, the initials become their face.
Guest clips, step by step
- Ask before you record
Tell the guest you will make short clips and ask whether they would share one. A yes before the recording is worth more than a request afterwards.
- Get permission in writing
Use a short release that covers the episode and clips cut from it. It can sit in your booking form so nobody has to chase a signature.
- Let them redo an answer
Tell guests they can restate anything that comes out wrong. Fewer regrets later means fewer clips they will not share.
- Pick moments that make them look good
Choose the guest at their sharpest: their best story, their clearest advice, the thing they are known for. Check it is how they want to be seen.
- Send the clips ready to post
Send two or three finished vertical clips with captions, a line of post text and the episode link, the day the episode goes out.
- Post as a collab
On Instagram, add the guest as a collaborator so the clip appears on their profile and in their followers’ feeds as well as yours.
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Questions
Why don’t podcast guests share their episodes?
Often because sharing is work, the clip does not show them the way they want to be seen, or nobody asked. Podcasters report that very few share when asked afterwards; asking before the recording and sending finished clips makes it more likely.
Should I ask podcast guests to share the episode?
Yes, politely and early. Many hosts ask for a soft commitment before recording. Do not make it a condition: guests give their time free.
Do I need a guest release form to post clips?
It is wise: a short release that covers the episode and clips cut from it avoids arguments later. Some hosts bake it into their booking form. We make a free podcast guest release form; it is not legal advice.
What are Instagram collab posts?
A post co-authored by two accounts. Instagram says that if the other account accepts, the post is shown on their profile and distributed to their followers, and the header credits both accounts.
How many clips should I send a guest?
Two or three of their best moments, ready to post, with captions and a line of text. More than that becomes homework for them.
Can I make guest clips from an audio-only podcast?
Yes. Ask the guest for a photo: Slice’s audio templates can show it, lit up while they talk, with their words as captions.
More for podcasters
- How to pick the best moments from a podcast
- One episode, a week of posts
- Clips from interviews: choosing who is on screen.