Effective Podcast Interviews

By S. Housley

Conducting a successful podcast interview can be a tricky proposition for a podcaster starting out. Once you have determined individuals that will appeal to your target audience contact potential interviewees and arrange a time to conduct the interview. Following this guide will insure that the interview goes off without a hitch.

1. Prepare Questions in Advance
Prepare a list of questions prior to the interview, contemplate possible follow-up questions based on the expected responses. Create a list of notes along with the questions that are accessible during the interview and will help you direct the conversation.

2. Research Interview Subject
Do your homework about the individual or individuals you are interviewing. A little due diligence will go a long way. Search newsgroups and Google for the interviewees name, product, or company, and build a background. The research will help predict the interviewees responses to your questions. Listen to previous interviews in which the interviewee participated, read their blog and articles to get a feel for the interviewees position on issues.

3. Confirm Pronunciation
Confirm how the pronunciation of the interviewee's name prior to beginning the interview! It will save you from any potential embarrassment if the name is incorrectly pronounced.

4. Scope
Explain the scope of the interview to the person you are interviewing. It is important they are aware of the expectations, agenda, time and format of the podcast show. Create a stock email to send to interviewees that explains the format and tweak the email for any special cases.

5. Hardware and Software
Be sure to inform guests of any required hardware or software that they must install prior to the interview. The more advance notice your provide the easier it will be for your guests to be prepared.

6. Test!
Test equipment prior to beginning the interview. Check sound quality, and volume levels to make sure that the settings are correct.

7. Relax
In order to relax your guest spend a few minutes chatting before the interview begins this will put them at ease and relieve some of the guests interviewer's nerves.

8. Avoid Yes or No
Ask your questions in a logical sequence. When framing your questions, avoid questions that will result in "yes" or "no" answers. Questions should be open ended and you should encourage your guests to elaborate on their responses.

9. Provide Guests Tips
Make suggestions to your guest prior to the interview. Encourage the interviewees to talk slow, articulate their words, and to remain a consistent distance from the microphone throughout the interview.

10. Stay in Control
Keep in mind that YOU are the interviewer and you should be directing and controlling the conversation. Occasionally that means you might need to interrupt your guest or bring them back to the topic at hand. There are ways to effectively do this without being rude, practice language that you might use, or better yet watch television interviewers when involved in a conflict and take a cue from the language and techniques that they use.

11. Time Cues
Let your interviewer know that you will provide time warnings and involve, use statements like: "one more question", or "let's wrap this up, can you quickly tell me" to cue your guest that time is almost up.

12. Give Thanks
Thank your guest on and off air. Provide them a copy or link to the interview. Encourage your guest to link to the show, this could potentially bring your show some additional publicity for your show.

About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com audio recording and editing software.