Ask a question; get an answer.
Ask the next question; get the next answer.
Repeat until done.
This is the basic formula for any interview.
But making a great interview requires more than just you asking the questions and the interviewee answering them.
A great interview takes a thoughtful approach, makes it easy for the interviewee to share their thoughts, and takes them on a journey that may yield some surprising answers (for both the interviewer and the interviewee) .
As a reporter, editor, and content marketer, I’ve interviewed thousands of people, from random people on the street to famous people sitting on stage in front of an audience. The way I was interviewed in my early days was different than it is now.
To help shorten your learning curve, here are some tips I’ve learned:
know the purpose
Content marketers interview all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons. you want to gain knowledge from a person subject matter expert. You need to ghostwrite a thought leadership article for a senior executive. You want to understand your customers’ experience.
This is the benchmark for interview strategy.
But you also need to know how to use interviews. Can you take notes or transcribe and produce a written article? Will you post audio clips on social media or your brand website? Will you post videos on YouTube? Will you conduct live interviews (virtual or in person) in front of an audience? Or do you use interviews in a variety of ways?
Understanding how to use interviews can put you on the right path so you can get the information you need from your interviews.
prepare for interview
You must study these two topics with that person. How much research you do depends on your level of knowledge, but don’t wing it.
Much has been written about the research topic, but very little about the research respondents. But both are crucial to a successful interview.
I look at what the person says or writes. It may be the same topic as the interview, or it may be something else, but it will be informative. It gives me a better understanding of what they know, what they think, and how they communicate those ideas. Not only does it help inform the questions to be asked, but it also prepares me for how they will answer those questions.
For example, if someone typically gives yes or no answers or writes ridiculously short sentences and paragraphs, I’d better have follow-up questions ready to get more information out of them. If someone writes a tome about a topic or keeps answering questions, I’d better be prepared to interrupt and deflect the conversation if they stray off the original topic.
If you’re doing a live interview, such as a live broadcast or live event, do your best to pre-interview your interviewees. Use video conferencing tools for face-to-face communication. During the 15 to 20 minute call, ask planned questions and build rapport with the subject.
Wearing interviewee’s shoes
Establishing a connection with your interviewees (albeit temporarily) goes a long way in delivering great content.
Think about it. This person trusts you enough to tell their story or share their insights with an audience in a public setting, even if they don’t know you at all.
Some people are happy with that. Others are hesitant, worried that they might make a bad impression or that the information they share might be misrepresented (accidentally or intentionally).
In your early correspondence with the subject, include a brief bio, LinkedIn profile, and any other relevant links about you and your work. This gives respondents an easy option to learn more about you.
Then, before you start or interview, talk a little bit about yourself. Share what interests you about the topic or how you know the person. Heck, talk about where you live and even the weather. Perhaps explain to them a brief background on your role or your relevant experience. You don’t need words to describe your resume, but incorporating bits and pieces of your life can help build rapport and establish some credibility.
Before the interview, some subjects asked to read the questions. I totally get it. They want to be prepared and don’t want to encounter questions that surprise or upset them. But I won’t send a list of all planning issues. Instead, I send a summary of the interview and some questions. I explained that I couldn’t send lengthy lists of questions because I often let the interviewee’s answer lead to the next question.
conduct interviews
As a student, I would write down my questions and leave space for answers. I quickly realized that I never left enough room for answers. I also learned that a formal question-and-answer style can lead to a stilted, flat interview.
Now, I write down some points or questions that must be addressed to create a cohesive narrative. This helps me craft the story in front of a live audience and shortens the post-interview process of figuring out what I should include in my content.
Find the style that works best for you; just make sure it makes you feel prepared and leaves room for flexibility.
Too many interviewers stick to their planned questions. They only listen as the interviewee comes up with the answer so they can move on to the next question. They didn’t really hear what the man was saying. They miss the opportunity to ask valuable follow-up questions or invite the interviewee further along the path.
If you’re a good listener, you can also sense when an interviewee is going off track or getting too bogged down on a topic. You can bring the conversation back to the current topic. First, use nonverbal cues, such as opening your mouth as if you are going to speak, stopping to nod in agreement, or shuffling note cards.
If they don’t understand the cue, speak it out loud to guide the conversation. Say something like, “This is so interesting. I know we could talk about this longer, but I want to respect your time, so let me ask a different question. If the interview is live, say something like : “That’s great information. I just wish we had the whole afternoon to discuss this more. But since we don’t know, let me ask you this…”
When you end the interview, ask questions like: “What is there that I didn’t ask that you wish I had asked?” or “What else should our audience know?”
I find that these closing answers often trigger reactions that become key quotes or sticking points for the final content asset.
Repeat, repeat, repeat
In an interview, you never know what you’re going to get – that’s the fun and challenging part Talk to subject matter experts, executives, customersetc. You’ll be able to assess your theme’s style faster. You can discover which types of questions get better answers. You can realize how much research you really need to do.
Fortunately, improving your interviewing style doesn’t require practice, practice, practice. It requires interviews, interviews, and more interviews—and you’re creating publishable content all the time.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
