Podcasting is a great way to connect with your audience and share your thoughts and ideas with the world. But if you’re new to the game, it can be hard to know where to start. That’s why I decided to write this article and hope it will help you out!
So, here are 7 tips for having a successful podcast interview with your guest, that will help you connect with your audience and make your podcast a hit. Let’s rock this!
Tip #1 Prepare Your Questions Beforehand
Before you start your podcast interview, make sure you have a list of questions ready to go. This will help you stay on track during the interview and make sure you get all the information you need. Make sure your questions are open-ended and allow your guest to share their thoughts and experiences.
I’ve also let my guests know that they have the options to receive the questions before I interview to give them a “heads up”, or if not, we can “wing it.” Either way, I always make sure I have the questions in front of me while I interview them, just in case.
Tip #2 Do Your Research
Before the interview, take some time to research your guest and their background. This will help you ask more informed and relevant questions, and will also help you to build a rapport with your guest more easily. I find out about who they really are, and if they have a YouTube content, you can get a sense of their personality. Find out what they do and learn about the person. In doing this, I can develop good questions to ask.
Tip #3 Be flexible
Even with a list of questions, things may not always go as planned. Be prepared to go off-script if your guest starts talking about something interesting that you didn’t expect. This is where active listening is so important! But, be flexible and go with the flow to make sure you get the most out of your interview.
Sometimes you get an answer that takes you in an unexpected direction. It was alright though, because it became one of my best podcast interviews ever. You can listen to this interview here by clicking on the link below or from any podcast platform you use to listen from by doing a search for my podcast: 8th Level Podcast
For Apple iTunes: Breath Work to Manage Stress and Health Issues with Frank Roser
Spotify: Breath Work to Manage Stress with Frank Roser
Tip #4 Listen to Your Guest
One of the most important things you can do during an interview is to listen to your guest. Make sure you’re paying attention to what they’re saying and ask follow-up questions to keep the conversation going. This will help you build a connection, keep the conversation flowing with your guest and make the interview more engaging for your audience. This will also make your guest feel heard and valued.
Tip #5 Editing the Audio
Make sure you have a plan for editing so you get the best possible sound quality. After the interview is over, you’ll need to edit your podcast to make it sound great. I usually put on my headphones so I can closely listen to every detail of the interview.
You can also add additional audio or music to make your podcast more engaging. For my own podcast, I have created and added an intro and outro with background music.
Tip #6 Promoting your Podcast
Once your podcast is ready to go, it’s time to promote it! Share it on social media, reach back out to the person you just interviewed and ask them to share it, and make sure your website is optimized for SEO so that people can find your podcast easily.
Social media is free and it’s my favorite way to promote podcasts. Create images optimized for each social media platform to promote your podcasts. Depending on your podcast platform that you’re using, you can also include an audio snippet to include into your social media post.
Include a downloaded audio link so when visitor your blogs, they can see the podcast interview link and can listen directly right from your website.
Tip #7 Get Permission to Use their Headshot
Lastly, my last tip, is to get permission for their headshot (or images) to use for your podcast‘s social media platforms, any media outlet you may use their interview for, and for your blog. I know most podcasters don’t ask for the headshot permission, but I do!
How do you get permission? Create a simple form that asks their permission to use their headshot and images or they can send me a photo as another option. Ask them to sign the permission form.
You’re probably wondering how to get the signature back online? I use a free program called Panda Docs. I used to use HelloSign and DocuSign until one day, I stumbled on PandaDocs. It’s a free way to send your document and get their signatures online.
By following these tips, you’ll be able to have a successful podcast interview that will help connect you with your audience: To reiterate, to be prepared, be flexible, listen to your guest, have a plan for editing, and promote your podcast.
Well folks, there you have it. With these 7 tips, you’ll be well on your way to conducting a successful podcast interview. Remember, it’s all about building that connection with your guest and creating an engaging conversation for your listeners. Happy interviewing!