If you have been podcasting with expert guest speakers, you know the pain of sending dozens of cold emails each day, only to have most of them go unread. In this post, we will show you how to leverage LinkedIn’s networking gem, Sales Navigator, to elevate your podcasting game, grow your network, find awesome guest speakers, and help monetize your project. If your podcast type is the long-form discussion with experts, this simple solution will help you boost your views in a matter of months. We began trying this method in early 2025 for our clients in Ottawa, and we saw results within the first month. Within two weeks, we had over 10 positive engagements with top-notch experts in their fields. 

Step zero: Complete your profile: show your value to your guest

For those who were hoping for a quick cheat sheet, sorry to disappoint, but there is some groundwork to be done first. Before you reach out to other experts out there, be sure to showcase what you bring to the table. First impressions matter, especially in an environment of near-constant distraction when your competitors are all flooding inboxes with flashy invites. So, first things first: use a professional full-face photo that inspires trust and confidence. Make sure you look like someone you’d feel comfortable inviting to both a BBQ and a professional networking event, even if you’d met them only once. Professionals won’t even look at you if you have no picture, but a low-resolution, stretchy picture from 10 years ago is not a good choice either. Next up: Organize your entire LinkedIn Page around your podcast expertise brand. Make sure that your unique approach and your key interests are immediately visible, and make sure they are relatable to both a familiar and unfamiliar audience. As Simon Sinek would say, “Start with why”. Here, authenticity is your ally: if you say you are into bioengineering because it’s “increasingly important” in an age of environmental uncertainty, you are just going to sound like a salesman. Make it personal. “When I was a kid, I once saw an entire lake be wiped out by deadly cyanobacteria, and I always wanted to know more about biodiversity. Most importantly, I wanted to save it. Today, I have a chance to talk to experts like you to make a change for a world that I love”. Lastly, be sure to have some recommendations at the bottom of your page that highlight precisely what you describe about yourself. Take some time to harass your friends, reach out to your mentors, and take the opportunity to reciprocate. This is an easy way to build credibility. 

Step 1: Set up Sales Navigator for your Podcast

Set Up Sales Navigator in 5 Easy Steps

Getting started with LinkedIn Sales Navigator is your gateway to finding premium podcast guests who can elevate your show. Here’s how to set it up properly to maximize your guest outreach success.

1: Choose Your Sales Navigator Plan and Sign Up

Visit LinkedIn’s Sales Navigator pricing page and select the plan that works best for your needs. For podcast hosts just starting out, the Professional plan typically provides sufficient features. If your company already provides Sales Navigator access, check your email for the activation link and click “Activate your account here.” Once you’ve signed up, you’ll log in using the same email and password as your regular LinkedIn account. When you’re first assigned a seat in Sales Navigator, you’ll receive an invitation via email with a link to the Sales Navigator login screen.

2: Access Sales Navigator and Complete Onboarding

To access Sales Navigator from LinkedIn, click the compass icon (🧭) in the top right corner of your LinkedIn homepage. If you don’t see it, click the “Work” icon and select Sales Navigator from the dropdown menu. The first time you log in, you’ll be taken through onboarding to help tailor LinkedIn Sales Navigator to your needs. This is crucial for podcast hosts because the information you provide here will help Sales Navigator recommend relevant potential guests.

3: Configure Your Targeting Preferences

During onboarding, you’ll need to specify your targeting criteria. For expert guest hunting, be strategic about your choices:

• Industries: Select the industries that align with your podcast’s theme and audience
• Skillsets: this is perhaps the most important one after the industry. Ideally, you want experienced speakers and have worked directly in a field you want to discuss.
• Functions: Target roles like CEO, Marketing Director, or industry experts
• Geographic territories: Consider your audience’s location and time zone preferences

LinkedIn will use the information you submit during onboarding to provide you with relevant lead recommendations and sales updates. This means better-matched potential guests appearing in your feed.

4: Set Up Your Account Lists

Click the Account filters + button in the search bar to open Account Search, then search for companies you want to target. For podcasters, create account lists of companies whose employees would make excellent guests. For example, if you run a marketing podcast, save innovative marketing agencies, successful e-commerce brands, or leading SaaS companies. When you find relevant companies, click Save and either select an existing list or create a new one. Having organized account lists makes it easier to find guests from specific types of organizations.

5: Create Your First Persona

Click “Personas” or “Show all personas” on the homepage, then click “Create new persona +” and enter a name for the persona. Think of personas as detailed profiles of your ideal guests. For instance, create personas like “Tech Startup Founders,” “Marketing Directors,” or “Sales Leaders” depending on your podcast’s focus. Expand the fields and select the best criteria to define your target persona. The more specific you are, the better Sales Navigator becomes at surfacing potential guests who match your show’s needs. Pro Tip: Start with 2-3 well-defined personas rather than trying to cast too wide a net. You can always create additional personas as your podcast grows and evolves. With these five steps complete, you’ll have a powerful tool for discovering and connecting with potential podcast guests who can bring real value to your audience. Sales Navigator will now start delivering personalized recommendations and updates about your saved leads and target companies.

Step 2: Build Lead Lists For Your Potential Expert Speakers

Once you’ve enhanced your profile and set up your Sales Navigator, you’re going to want to create a list. A list is simply a series of contacts you want to reach out to, ideally centered around a common theme or goal. For instance, if you’re doing a podcast about permaculture gardening in Nevada, you probably want to start with experts in the field who are both in Nevada and into gardening. But depending on your podcast’s scope, you might want to have different lists for different purposes. Let’s say you’re passionate about health in young male adults—try setting up a list of contacts who are fitness experts, another one for psychologists, and another one for coaches. Why separate them? Because this allows you to craft a tailored first message (more to follow) for each group. This way, you can send batch messages without sounding irrelevant or impersonal. Here, there’s no right or wrong approach to lists. The goal is to streamline your outreach so that, rather than being an obstacle to your growth, it empowers you to reach the next level. You can have as many as you want, as long as you have a plan. We’ve tried it with one single list of 1,000 contacts specializing in coaching, with a response rate of 60%. This is an insanely high return on investment. And all it cost was the subscription fee for Sales Navigator plus the time to set up our lists.

Cheat sheet for your outreach lists on Sales Navigator:

• Create targeted lists based on your podcast niche and goals
• Multiple list strategy: Organize by industry, role, company size, or guest type
• Quality over quantity: Better to have focused lists than one massive, unfocused list
• Track performance: Monitor which list types generate better response rates
• Example success: 1,000 coaching contacts achieved a 60% response rate with a focused approach

Step 3: Build a Message Template With a Solid Hook Without Overdoing It

Now that you have your list, start thinking about the way you will engage with your potential guests. Craft a message that is specifically targeted to the demographics for your list. This can sound self-evident, but you’d be surprised how fast assumptions break in the face of reality. When we implemented this new LinkedIn strategy, the turnout was over 50%. Our secret? We simply told our contacts we were interested in having them on a podcast. Write one or several message templates that you can customize and start testing. Better practice with Tier 3 connections at the beginning rather than starting to chase the premium hosts.  Here is an example of a good Tier 1 cold email. Let’s say you are podcasting about AI. You read an article by an AI ethics researcher about why they believe the biggest risk isn’t AI becoming too smart, but AI remaining too dumb while we give it too much responsibility. This completely flips your understanding of AI risk and you want to record a great discussion about it with the author.

Message:

“Hi Josh, I just finished reading your piece on AI being ‘too dumb for the responsibility we’re giving it,’ and I’m still processing how much this reframes the entire AI safety conversation. Everyone’s worried about superintelligence, but you’re saying we’re already in danger from systems that are sophisticated enough to seem reliable but not smart enough to know their limitations.

I host a podcast where I explore these kinds of perspective-shifting ideas with researchers who are thinking beyond the mainstream narratives. Your insight about the gap between AI capability and AI responsibility feels like it could change how we approach deployment decisions. Any interest in exploring this further? I find these conversations often reveal the nuances that get lost when complex topics become Twitter talking points. My calendar is wide open next week.”

You probably won’t have the time to customize all your emails this way, but it is good to keep in mind how much of an impact a personalized email can have. What you may want to do is prepare a series of template messages that you can reasonably and quickly adapt to hit your daily goal. These could be a good starter:

•  “I’ve been following your work on [specific topic], and I’m curious about your perspective on [related question]. I’m hosting conversations with experts like you on my podcast, and I’d love to explore this topic together. Would you be open to a brief chat?”
• “I noticed you’re working on [their current project/interest]. I’ve been connecting with experts in your field for meaningful conversations that often lead to new collaborations and insights. My podcast focuses on [your niche], and I think your perspective would resonate with our audience of [describe your listeners]. Plus, I always make sure my guests get value from the conversation—whether that’s new connections, exposure to our network, or just a great discussion. Interested in exploring this?”
• “I’ve been wondering—do you think [relevant industry question/trend]? I’m having these kinds of conversations with leaders in [their field] for my podcast, and I’d love to get your take. The discussions often go in unexpected directions, which is exactly what makes them interesting. Would you be up for a conversation?”

Step 4: Send 20 Connection Requests per Day for a Month 

There’s no exact limit, but LinkedIn advises against sending more than 40 connection requests daily. Go beyond that, and you run the risk of being blocked for a week. This is LinkedIn’s way of preventing spam, and trust me, you don’t want to find yourself locked out just when momentum is building. Here’s the sweet spot: aim for 20 connection requests per day. It’s aggressive enough to build your network quickly but conservative enough to stay under LinkedIn’s radar. Over a month, that’s 600 new potential connections—imagine the possibilities. Second-degree connections are easier to connect with since you have mutual contacts, but this isn’t necessary. Don’t limit yourself. If someone’s profile aligns with your podcast’s mission and they seem like they’d bring value to your audience, send that request regardless of your connection level. Pro tip: Always include a personalized note with your connection request. A simple “I’d love to connect and learn more about your work in their field” works wonders. Generic requests get ignored, but personalized ones show you’re genuinely interested in building a relationship, not just collecting contacts. Consistency is key here. Make it part of your daily routine— Coffee. Emails. LinkedIn connections. Before you know it, you’ll have a network that opens doors you never knew existed.

Compelling Sales Navigator Messaging Strategy: Cheat Sheet

Initial Outreach Strategy

• Hook without overselling: Avoid generic “free podcast” pitches
• Value proposition: Focus on showcasing them, not what you get
• Winning approach: “We want to showcase you” vs “free podcast opportunity”
• Test your messages: Start with tier 3 connections before approaching premium targets

Template Examples

• Template 1: Showcase-focused approach
• Template 2: Industry expertise angle
• Template 3: Mutual connection/shared interest approach

Follow-Up Strategy

• Second message best practices: What to say when they don’t respond initially
• Timing: When and how often to follow up
• Personalization: Using their recent content or achievements

Step 5: Record, Share, and Repeat

After hosting a few experts on your show, you will start noticing that getting other experts is getting easier and easier.  You’ve become more confident, inviting them because you’ve built a solid reputation. And now people want to talk to you. There are a couple of ways you can capitalize on that momentum. First of all, as your guests come on the show, explore additional topics for which they could return. This helps you with content, and it gives some regularity to your brand as well. As you build these relationships, you can recommend your guests to other podcasters, and vice versa. Second, it is worth taking some time after the show to discuss co-promotion. This can be as sophisticated as a paid multi-level social media campaign or a strategically coordinated rollout of reels all over your social media. Either way, your guest, especially when they are public figures, will appreciate the offer of creating tailored, professional reels (we have tips for that).  

Two additional tips to leverage your growing network:

Tip 1: Create a “guest alumni” group. Set up a private group or email list where past guests can connect. This creates ongoing value and keeps your show at the center of valuable professional relationships. Tip 2: Send a recap within 24 hours. After each recording, send your guest a brief recap highlighting the key insights they shared. This shows you were truly listening and makes them more likely to refer other experts your way.

Best resources for guest speakers

If Sales Navigator is not your thing, feel free to experiment with other methods. There are multiple services, apps and websites that act as an intermediary between podcasters and guests. They are also other good tips out there that you might want to try. We have prepared a short list of great resources for you:

🎙️ 1. PodMatch

Website: https://www.podmatch.com

What it does:
PodMatch is like a dating app — but for podcasters and guests. You create a profile, and the platform matches you with potential guests based on your show’s theme and audience.

Why it’s great:

• Automated guest matching
• Filters for industry, topic, and availability
• Many professionals already using it for outreach

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🧠 2. Podchaser Connect

Website: https://connect.podchaser.com

What it does:
Podchaser Connect is a discovery tool specifically for brands and podcasts, helping hosts find guests with notable online presence and authority.

Why it’s great:

• Verified guest data (social proof, past appearances)
• Great for building long-term guest rosters
• Works well for business or educational podcasts

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🗣️ 3. Podcast Guests

Website: https://www.podcastguests.com

What it does:
A free service that sends you weekly emails with a list of available expert guests. You can also submit your podcast to be listed and receive inquiries from potential guests.

Why it’s great:

• Free and paid plans available
• Regular newsletter for browsing guests
• Excellent for beginners and indie podcasters

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💼 4. MatchMaker.fm

Website: https://www.matchmaker.fm

What it does:
Like a professional social network for podcasting, MatchMaker.fm helps podcasters and experts connect via searchable profiles and direct messaging.

Why it’s great:

• Advanced search filters (topics, country, availability)
• Many guests already media-trained and interview-ready
• Free version with decent access

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🧩 5. Podpage’s Guest Intake Workflow (Bonus Tool + Blog)

Website: https://www.podpage.com/blog/

What it does:
While not a guest directory, Podpage’s blog and platform help you create guest intake forms and optimize your podcast website for outreach, essential for attracting high-quality experts.

Why it’s great:

• Practical setup tutorials for outreach
• Automates the guest booking process via forms
• Good SEO advice to attract inbound expert requests