Law Podcasting Episode 28 – Interview Format Podcasting

 

Be present with the interview and answers, not distracted trying to figure out the next question.

— Gordon Firemark

 

 

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In this episode, I share some thoughts on interview format podcasts.  Why and how they work, how to get the interview, and how to conduct effective interviews.

 

Hello everybody and welcome back to another solo edition of the Law Podcasting Podcast. In this episode, we’ll be talking about interview format podcasting.

Interviews are great because:

Give you a reason to contact the subject where you’re not perceived as selling, or asking for their business… You can contact thought leaders, business executives, owners, etc, and have a reason to be in touch that isn’t threatening….

Interview subjects will share their episodes with their social media followers, etc… And that helps grow your audience, and influence.

Interview format is among the easiest to prepare and conduct. You’re engaging in a dialogue, so you only have to hold up a portion of the conversation, while the subject does most of the talking about a subject he or she is already an expert in.

You can be perceived as a “peer” or “equal” to the subject… And if you’re asking smart questions, you’ll be viewed as an expert too.
(Marc Maron interviewed the president. Not a peer, but certainly an influencer).

Interviews can be a little like testimonials… (this podcast, for example)….

Get the interview

First decide what kinds of people you want to have on the show
By Job?
By industry
By aspect of your overall game plan for your show.

Just Ask
People are gracious
Strokes their ego
They get to give back
Have a system in place:
Maybe it’s your administrative assistant handling things
Maybe its a VA
Maybe it’s a podcast producer you’ve hired.

My system:
Textexpander snippets for the Ask, confirmation, reminder and thank+
The Invitation
Be direct
Be specific about the ask (date, if necessary)
Be clear –
Give a bit of background and links to you your show
Describe who else you’ve had on the show.. Demonstrate that they’re in good company. (if not enough yet, say so)
Describe in general terms the subjects you’ll want to discuss.
Ask them to confirm availability… And then book the appearance.

Calendar – scheduling tools

Benefits – efficient, effective, less back and forth, availability is shown, and they select what works for them
Drawbacks – impersonal, ask them to jump through hoops
You could have a surprise – if you don’t build in a system for prep.

Confirm the interview booking – explain your process, how you’ll connect, (where you’ll record), all the logistics. It makes sense to explain your editorial philosophy, too. Will you be editing the interview, or is it a live-to-drive kind of thing? If editing, will they have input?

Be sure to follow up with detailed instructions.., even sample questions, if you’re so inclined. I always ask for a bio or introduction and a photo of my interviewee, so I can get them into the show notes…
Prep – (be sure to schedule some time for prep_
Review the person’s bio, background, etc.
Review./read any relevant writings or articles, etc.
Review anything the interviewee has provided for you.
Plan the “flow of the show” – What do you want to draw out of the interviewee? What takeaways are you going for?

Day before./day of – confirm again… Briefly.
How to actually conduct the interview
Be linear if possible. Don’t jump around too much.
Origin story
Journey
Motivations
Feelings
Transformation
Arrival
Real conversationBe
Structure
Flow
Prepared questions?
During the interview… Be present with the answers, try not to be distracted trying to figure out the next question. It’s a conversation.. Trust yourself to keep it moving…

Take notes of interesting statements, thoughts, etc. (time code/elapsed time can help).

Finish the interview, stop recording, thank and sign off.

Then proceed with your postproduction process
SEND A THANK YOU / FOLLOW UP

I generally do this the day that the episode goes live… So I know what the episode number is and can tell the interviewee the link.
This way, I can encourage the person to share with his or her social media followers.

 

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Some of the resources mentioned in this podcast:

Text Expander http://textexpander.com

Schedule Once http://scheduleonce.com

 

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As always, the Law Podcasting Podcast is brought to you by Power Podcasting for Lawyers, the only online podcast training built specifically for lawyers by lawyers.