Because you are an ambitious Freelance consultant, you regularly provide content marketing that showcases your expertise and reinforces your brand with current and potential clients and, when good fortune intervenes, motivates them to give you some much-needed billable hours. As you plan your activities, you may at some point reach out to a fellow Freelancer, a good client, or another expert and ask to include that individual in your content marketing by way of an interview. Featuring another perspective every once in a while keeps your marketing content fresh and more interesting to the audience. I’m thinking of doing exactly that sometime soon, if my target interview guest is willing to speak with me on the record. Stay tuned.
At some point in your professional life it is likely that you may decide, or be asked, to interview someone, so you would be wise to learn the process. Successfully conducted interviews hinge on good preparation. While some of us may feel that interviewing is an intuitive skill and that we should be able to manage the process spontaneously, that will not be the case. You could probably muddle through, but why not take a couple of hours and learn how to get it right?
Think first of an interview guest to invite. Who do you know who might tell a good story, or share some useful information that will be appreciated by your audience and does it seem possible that you’ll be able to convince that person to speak with you?
Second, consider the basic interview format. Will your guest agree to a face-to-face Q & A that will be required for a video, or will it be a phone interview that is suitable for your podcast, blog, or newsletter? Email interviews often do not produce the best results according to many journalists.
Third, brainstorm questions or topics that might be interesting to your audience and play to your guests’ strengths. You may want to write up a list of potential questions, or make note of possible topics. Visit the Twitter feed, Facebook page, LinkedIn profile and conduct an internet search to find out what may have been written by or about your proposed guest.
Invite your potential interview guests in a phone call. Some requests require a more personal approach than email. Immediately upon reaching an agreement with your guest, send a confirmation email. Two or three days in advance of the interview, send a second email to confirm the interview time and place and specify whether a phone call or in-person meeting will take place.
In all formats, introduce the guest to your audience and give a brief bio. If your interview will be video or podcast (audio), welcome your guest warmly and thank him/her for agreeing to appear. Your audience needs to hear, and see, this greeting. If the interview will appear in text you will still give a warm welcome and thanks and that exchange will appear in print.
As you ask questions be friendly and upbeat, to help your guest to feel comfortable and safe. Avoid “gotcha” questions designed to make the guest feel judged. Keep your mouth shut and practice active listening as you take notes as the guest speaks (you can record as well and if you plan to do that, ask permission). If you hear a particular word, phrase, or aspect of the topic that piques your curiosity or seems to give unexpected insight into the question, enter it into your notes and then ask a follow-up question. In this way, your interview will become a conversation, rather than a stilted Q & A session. The best interviews are what seem to be a relaxed and intelligent conversation between the host and guest.
FYI, it is sometimes necessary to ask the same question two or even three times, in different ways, to persuade your guest to give a complete answer. It’s important to build rapport throughout the interview to make the subject feel comfortable sharing information.
You may need to nudge the interview back on track if your subject goes off on a tangent, in particular if this is a video or podcast conversation. A useful phrase could be, “How does that relate to the big picture”? Conversely, you might draw out more information from a reticent guest when you ask, “Do you have a story that will illustrate your point”? At the end of the interview, thank your guest for participating and enlightening the audience.
If the interview will appear as a podcast or video, your guest may appear for 15 – 20 minutes, unless his/her topic is especially compelling. If you are interviewing for your blog or newsletter, 15-20 minutes is probably still a good time limit for the conversation. Overwhelming your guest or audience is to be avoided.
Interviewing a guest for your chosen content marketing platform will build your audience and enhance the brand of your guest as well. Create a win-win situation for you and the guest by carefully considering the benefits that will accrue to each of you through the proposed interview and be sensitive also to the interests of the audience.
Thanks for reading,
Kim
Freelancetheconsultantsdiary's Blog 