Tulip Podcast Manager 🎙️ Bojana Lalic

Seven templates. What to Send & When

Early on, I sent a guest the wrong Zoom link.

Not the wrong date or time, but the link for a completely different call, with a completely different person, on a completely different topic.

I caught it about four minutes before the recording was supposed to start.

What followed was a very fast, very apologetic email, a lot of copy-pasting, and a guest who (thankfully) was very gracious about the whole thing. But it taught me something I’ve never forgotten:

Guest communication is not something you improvise. It’s something you build a system for.

Why this matters more than most hosts realise

Your guest relationship doesn’t end when the recording ends. It extends through the editing process, the launch, the promotion, and potentially into a future collaboration, a referral, or someone who becomes a genuine advocate for your show.

When guest communication is disorganized (late confirmations, no briefing doc, radio silence after recording, a launch notification that arrives two weeks after the episode went live), guests notice. They might not say anything, but they notice.

On the other hand, when every stage of the guest experience is smooth and professional, they feel valued. And guests who feel valued share your episode, recommend you to others, and remember you positively.

Here are the seven templates I use with every guest, at every stage.

Template 1: Initial Outreach

When to send: When you’re inviting a potential guest

Keep it short. Introduce the show, the audience, and the specific topic you’d like to cover with them. Make it personal enough that they can tell you actually know their work; a generic ‘I’d love to have you on my podcast’ email goes straight to the bin.

The goal of this email is simply to get a yes. Not to explain everything, not to overwhelm, just: would you be open to this?

Template 2: Booking Confirmation

When to send: Once the guest agrees and a date is set

Confirm the date, time, and timezone immediately. Include the recording link. Tell them the format and approximate length. Keep it clear and reassuring, for many guests, this is their first podcast appearance, and they’re quietly nervous.

Template 3: Pre-Recording Briefing

When to send: Two to three days before recording

This is the email that makes the biggest difference. Send the topics you’ll cover, any questions they can expect, and a short list of tech tips, headphones on, a quiet room, a laptop plugged in, and a stable WiFi.

Most recording issues come from guests who didn’t know what to expect technically. A good briefing email prevents most of them.

Template 4: Recording Day Reminder

When to send: Morning of the recording

Keep it short. Just a reminder about the time, time zone, and recording link. Nothing else. You don’t need to explain everything again; just make it easy for them to show up.

Template 5: Post-Recording Thank You

When to send: Within 24 hours of recording

Thank them genuinely, not a generic ‘thanks for joining us.’ Mention something specific from the conversation. Then tell them exactly what happens next: when the episode will be edited, roughly when it goes live, and that you’ll send them everything they need when it does.

This email closes the loop on the recording experience and opens the door to the launch.

Template 6: Episode Launch Notification

When to send: On publish day

Send the live link, their show notes page, and the promo graphics. Make it easy for them to share. Include your social handles so they can tag you. Keep the energy warm; this is a celebration, not a to-do list.

Template 7: Share Reminder (Optional)

When to send: Three to five days after launch

If your guest hasn’t shared yet, a gentle nudge is absolutely fine. Keep it short, keep it warm, and make it easy. Send the link again. No pressure, just a reminder that the episode is out there.

Seven emails. That’s the entire guest relationship, handled.

Get the full templates

I’ve put all seven of these templates (fully written, with every placeholder marked) into a free Notion template called the Guest Communication Kit. You can duplicate it into your workspace and personalize each one for your show.

✉️  Get the Free Guest Communication Kit All 7 email templates, ready to personalize. Free Notion template.

If you’d rather have someone manage all of this for you (the guest communication, the coordination, the follow-through), that’s what I do at Tulip Podcast Manager.

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Which stage of guest communication do you find most awkward?

I’d love to know, it’s usually either the outreach or the share reminder.