Freelance writing: How to Conduct Professional Interviews

You may be accustomed to conducting research interviews, however there’s a new trend to publishing audio interviews online with podcasts.

The number of websites that are featuring podcasts is growing rapidly. They are a great way to connect with a site’s visitors and provide them with information they are looking for.

If you are looking into offering podcasts (have been have been asked by a publisher to create one), the subject of interviewing someone for others to listen to can seem like a daunting task. You’re a writer, not a presenter!

Here are some tips to make it easier:

Send Your Questions To Your Subject Ahead of Time
In order to make the most of your podcast, send the questions you are going to ask to your interviewee ahead of time. They will be able to prepare answers; and your podcast will sound much smoother.

Test Your Equipment
Don’t let your first interview be the first time you actually plug your microphone in. Set everything up and practice a few times before you conduct your first interview.

Be Early
If you are going to meet your interviewee(s) on a conference line, make sure you show up several minutes in advance. You will want to greet everyone as they come onto the conference line. If you are going to call someone for a one-on-one interview, be ready to call them at the appointed time. No one wants to sit around and wait to be interviewed.

Know Your Game Plan
Your interviewee is a busy person. Before you start the interview, have a game plan in mind of how long the interview will take. Let them know what you expect, and watch the time while you are talking to them.

Preliminary Chat
Greet your interviewee and chat for a moment before you start the harder “money” questions. This will give you a chance to get comfortable speaking to each other and will make the interview banter sound friendly and comfortable.

Ask Questions in Order
Ask your interviewee the questions in the same order that you had sent to them before the interview. If you start jumping around and asking them questions out of order, your interviewee can get flustered and your podcast will not sound as professional.

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