Do you know how to interview someone for a podcast?
To provide your listeners with value, you should look to bring on guests with unique insights and perspectives on specific topics.
In some cases, podcast hosts and guests can have opposing views. This is perfect for a debate format that aims to explore every angle of a particular topic.
You need to think about what your audience wants to know and who has the expertise to deliver this information.
While a podcast host might have general expertise in a certain area, a podcast guest could elevate the conversation with their insights. Before interviewing someone for a podcast, you should always consider whether the content will provide your audience with value.
To increase the value of your podcast, you need to pick the right guests and ask the right questions. If potential guests have large social media followings, you can create strategic partnerships to increase exposure by leveraging content across all social channels.
When you bring someone onto the podcast with name recognition in your industry, this is an easy way to attract new listeners. Once they’re aboard, it becomes the job of the podcast host to extract as much value from these guests as possible.
The more value you can extract from the guests, the more likely it is that listeners will return for future episodes. Podcast listeners want to feel like they’ve spent their time wisely.
Learning how to interview someone for a podcast is relatively easy because it all comes down to the questions you ask. You can think of interview questions as keys for unlocking value.
So, let’s dive in and find out how to interview someone for a podcast!
How To Interview Someone For A Podcast
Here are some crucial tips for successfully interviewing podcast guests:
- Find guests that you are genuinely interested in.
- Do extensive research on the guest to identify talking points.
- Listen to previous podcast interviews featuring the guest.
- Avoid interrupting the guest during the conversation.
- Make sure they are given plenty of time to speak.
- Don’t be afraid to challenge guests on their opinions.
- Practice the concept of active listening.
- Talk with the guest before you start recording.
- Always keep the conversation moving forward.
- Create batches of questions on particular topics.
Ultimately, good preparation is key. Having a genuine desire to speak with someone also helps.
If you’re not interested in their opinions and perspectives, there will likely be an absence of thoughtful interview questions – and this will damage the value proposition of the content.
To create great audio content with guests, you must lead with passion. It’s essential to focus on topics that both you and the audience care about.
Before you dive into topical issues, you must take the time to introduce your guest to the listeners. You can do this by telling the listeners why the guest has valuable and unique insights.
Depending on the guest, you may want to vary the length of your introductions. You should consider whether the episode’s listeners are likely to already be familiar with the guest.
For instance, if you’re launching a brand new podcast with a well-known industry titan as your special guest, you may want to keep the introduction relatively short.
Understanding who your target audience is and putting yourself in their shoes is crucial to recording interviews that sizzle and pop with value.
What is a good question to ask someone on a podcast?
If you’re struggling to come up with interview questions for a podcast, you could always turn to your audience for ideas. What questions do they want to know the answers to?
Bringing listeners into the process of crafting interview questions will help to ensure you’re creating content that will interest them. There’s little point in asking loads of questions that they don’t want to know the answers to.
When you book a guest for a podcast, familiarize yourself with their previous interviews and consider…
- What questions have they already answered?
- Which answers sparked conversations on social media?
Crafting a list of interview questions should be done in a logical and methodical way. This means checking out their previous work and making sure your questions will help to break new ground.
If you’re looking at box-standard sets of interview questions for inspiration, you need to change your approach. This begins with doing some research and considering what questions your listeners need answers to.
How do you approach someone about a podcast?
Usually, the best way to approach a possible podcast guest is through email communication. To get them on board, all you need to do is send a short email.
In this email, you should aim to include listenership figures to give the possible podcast guest some understanding of who you’re successfully engaging with.
Through a series of deliverables, snippets of the audio content could be used across the guest’s social media accounts. If you don’t have much of an audience, offer to deliver assets that can be leveraged across the guest’s marketing channels.
You’re looking to create win-win situations. A potential podcast guest needs to understand why having access to your platform is valuable.
If you don’t have the listenership to prove this value, you must offer to deliver assets that can be leveraged by the guest at their own discretion. For instance, a 30-second audio snippet from the podcast could be used on the guest’s social media accounts to promote their latest book.
How long should a podcast interview be?
When the value stops, the interview must also stop. You cannot let the podcast interviews drag on forever.
You must find a way to bring each episode to a natural close. If the conversation has been geared around a central theme or topic, you should ask the guest for their closing thoughts.
Ideally, you’re looking to provide the greatest amount of value in the shortest period of time.
With targeted interview questions formed through extensive research, you can cram plenty of value into your podcast interviews.
Ben Krueger is the founder of Cashflow Podcasting and he specializes in helping thought leaders and entrepreneurs amplify their impact through podcasting. He’s a world traveller, outdoor sports junkie and future enthusiast!
