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How to Create the Perfect Guest Profile on MatchMaker.fm

To land those all important guest bookings, you’ll need to create the perfect guest profile first. So we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks to help you get it right.

a year ago • 6 min read

By Louise Forster

So you’ve decided to spread your wings and become a guest on podcasts or radio shows. Great idea.

Getting on the right shows can be a fantastic way of promoting yourself and your business. But to land those all important bookings, you’ll need to create the perfect guest profile first.

It can be daunting figuring out how to put together an attention-grabbing profile. So we’ve put together a list of proven tips and tricks to help you get it right.

5 Elements That Make a Good Guest Profile

Below are 5 great qualities that make for a good guest profile. You should aim to apply each one to your own.

1. A Professional Profile Picture

Choosing the right profile picture might seem like a simple task, but you need to take care here. Remember that first impressions matter. And your image will be the first thing show hosts see when considering you as their guest. So it needs to be good.

Whether you’re a professional guest looking to become a thought leader in your field, or a movie-buff wanting to talk all things Batman, the image you present should reflect your unique persona clearly.

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A poorly-lit bathroom selfie probably isn’t appropriate in any case. It doesn’t look professional, and hosts won't take you seriously.

If you don’t have a suitable photo to hand, take some time and create yourself a headshot. You don’t need an expensive camera for this - most smartphones are more than capable of doing a good job. Here are some tips to help you get the best shot:

Make use of the self-timer option if you haven’t got someone to help you.
In the absence of professional studio lights, natural daylight always works best (avoid artificial indoor lighting). If the sun’s out, you might want to step outside for the shot. But if not, take the photo indoors and face a window.
Take plenty of shots - it’s good to have options. Once you’ve wrapped up your photoshoot, you can flick through to find the right one for your profile.

2. A Punchy & Memorable Headline

Let’s think like a show host for a moment - what would you look for when considering a guest?

No one wants a guest that’s only out to promote themselves. When show hosts search for guests, they look for someone with a message likely to resonate with their audience. So, when considering a punchy headline for your profile, it should be a compelling sentence featuring your topics of interest, subjects you’re passionate about, and what you can offer as a guest.

Your headline matters, and it can often be the deciding factor determining whether a host chooses to book you or not. So take time to craft it properly. Don’t rush it, and don’t run with the first thing that comes into your head. Brainstorm a list of different variations and choose the one you think represents you best.

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If you want your guest profile to be found for a specific keyword (like “investing”, or “fitness”), include it in your headline. Bear in mind you only have 140 characters to play with, so focus on the most relevant keyword for your show.

3. A Well-Written “About Me” Section

When creating the perfect guest profile, your About Me section must provide a clear picture of who you are and what you stand for. It’s not a resume, so you don’t have to go into your employment history, but you should use it to expand on your headline and go into detail regarding your story. So, what are you enthusiastic about? What are your interests? Why would you be a great guest for the right show? What makes you qualified enough to speak on a certain topic? What would a recording session with you sound like?

Your goal here is to help hosts understand why you’d be the perfect guest for their show. So try to put yourself in the shoes of a host as you write. Remember, they’re not going to be all that interested in you personally. They’re much more concerned with what you can bring to their audience, and they’re looking for someone who will meet their criteria and fit in with their discussions on a certain narrowly-defined topic. So play to your strengths and focus on your core interests.

Don’t be scared to express yourself. With a world full of personalities, trying to blend in is a mistake. Show your flair and entice show hosts with your colours.

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It’s a good idea to include a call to action in your About Me section. By this we mean a short paragraph that encourages the reader to contact you if they’re interested.

4. A List of Your Recent Guest Appearances

You know what they say - actions speak louder than words. So why tell a potential collaborator how good of a guest you’ll be when you can show them instead?

Listing some of your recent podcast appearances on your profile is a great way to promote your guesting experience. It also lets you showcase how you perform in interviews and your personality, expertise, topics of interest, and verbal fluency. If the person considering you as a guest likes what they hear, they’ll be more likely to book you.

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Providing examples of previous guest appearances acts as social proof. You’re essentially using them to prove what you’re saying on your profile is true, adding to your overall credibility.

If you’ve got a dedicated online space that showcases who you are, like a website, include it on your guest profile. Doing so gives people the option to find out more about you and what you can offer as a guest on their show. Not to mention it’ll likely boost your organic traffic and online visibility - a win-win.

Social media is an exceptionally important part of the world today, and your social presence will be looked into when you open yourself up to being a guest on shows. So the advice here is to be socially present and include all the links to your active social media channels on your guest profile.

Don’t include links to inactive profiles just to appear like you’ve got a bigger presence than you do. It doesn’t look good, and it may put off the hosts looking for cross-promotion opportunities. If you only regularly use Instagram and Facebook, these are the only ones you need to reference.

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When writing your guest profile, make sure it aligns with your social profiles. If you present yourself in a completely different way on social media, hosts will naturally question the credibility of your guest profile (and you).

An Example of a Great Guest Profile

To help you get a better idea of what a good guest profile looks like, we’ve searched the MatchMaker.fm database for an example that ticks all the right boxes. Have a look below and think about how you could apply some of these elements to your own profile.

Profile Picture & Headline:

Check out Elinor's full MatchMaker.fm profile here

Key Takeaways:

Profile picture looks professional & reflects Elinor’s persona
Headline is well-written, to the point, & states her subjects / topics of interest

“About Me” Section:

Key Takeaways:

The information provided expands on the headline to give the reader a more in-depth image of who Elinor is, & what she’s about
It states how & why she’s qualified to speak on certain topics
It clearly states her availability, requirements, location, etc