Why Don't Podcast Guests Share Their Episodes?

Above almost everything else (except 'do I really need to do this every week?') one of the biggest complaints I hear from podcasters is that their guests don’t share the episode they appear in.

I get it. You put a lot of time and effort into hosting an interesting and well-researched interview, turning that into a well-produced episode, promoting your show as a whole, and providing interesting and attractive swipe materials for your guests to use. (If you’re not doing that, there’s your first problem.)

So why don’t they freakin share the episode?

There are a lot of reasons; some you can control, and some you can’t.

You CAN make sure you provide lots of good, quality swipe content, tag them in posts, do really good post-production so they sound like a million bucks, and send a personal note on release day.

But you can’t control what someone decides is interesting and valuable for their own audience.

“Woah, there, Megan,” you might be thinking. “My content is interesting and fresh! I’m not a boring, boilerplate interviewer who just runs down the same list of questions they’ve been asked a dozen times. My content is excellent, and their sharing it would be a win-win!”

Well, maybe.

But it doesn’t matter.

Here’s the thing. An expert is an expert for a reason. They TALK about their area of expertise. A lot. They might blog, or have a newsletter, or books, or their own podcast, or a YouTube channel, or a webinar series, or literally any one of dozens of ways they communicate their message to their own audience.

So why would they share an interview that talks about the same things they’ve been publicly saying for YEARS to an audience that has heard it dozens of times, probably in multiple formats and with an angle that is more aligned with their interests?

Even if they have room on their promotional calendar, (which they might not!) content that is new and interesting to your audience could well be old news to theirs, so it would be nonsensical for them to share it. This is a very neutral thing: a reasonable choice about how to use precious promotional space. It doesn’t mean you suck, or they didn’t appreciate the chance to freely give you content to share with your audience.

You’re already doing fabulously well on this deal. You got a great conversation with someone you can build a relationship with that you can deliver to your own audience, and otherwise repurpose in your business. And you got it for free!

That’s amazing.

And unless your podcast is popular enough that you’re regularly beating back industry influencers desperate to be interviewed by you, that 45 minutes of time and knowledge is more than enough of a ‘give’ on the guest’s part.

They might share the episode with their community. If it’s good quality and a good fit, and you made it simple, or they’re as interested in building a relationship with you as you are with them.

That’s lovely.

It’s a bonus.

Hoping guests will share isn’t a marketing strategy. Having guests can be valuable to your podcast in so many ways, but counting on them to help you grow the show isn’t something you can rely on. It will happen sometimes, but even when it does, that share pales in comparison to all of the other kinds of value you’ll get from the episode if you’ve optimized your show correctly. And none of this is to say there isn’t the odd exception. But as a rule, sharing is a bonus, not a requirement from your guests.

Do your research and hone your interview technique to create the most compelling episode possible. Produce to the highest level you can. Make it easy, pleasant and optional for people to share by tagging them, giving them high quality swipes, and letting them know when their episode is live.

But after that, let it go.

What do you think? Do guests have an obligation to share the episodes of other shows they appear on? What about hosts that require a promise of sharing?