To bring your podcast to the next level with amazing interviews, there are a few important things to remember. While content is always key, the ability to properly facilitate and execute content during a podcast interview is no doubt the master key. A large part of that ability is to be mindful and strategic before and during your interview sessions.
Here are five great strategies to keep in mind while preparing your next podcast episode:
1. Remember that the person you’re interviewing is your guest and should be treated as such! Don’t interrogate them or make them feel uncomfortable during the interview.
2. The spotlight should be on the guest and not the interviewer. While it is your show, you invited your guest to the podcast because you felt that they have valuable and unique experiences or opinions to share with our audience. Give them the space to do just that.
3. Listen to your guests! You can have an endless amount of questions drafted, but it’s important to listen and ask questions based on what they’re talking about. You can always lead your guest towards the questions on your list, but by actively listening to them you’re likely to help your guest open up even more.
4. Research your guest prior to inviting them to your podcast to make sure that your listeners will benefit from their audio presence. While researching them, you may also find something worthwhile to bring up during the podcast.
5. Let your guest know what you expect from them and what your angle is. For example, if you invite a politician who happens to be a passionate dog walker on the side, you may want to focus on their experience with passing a specific legislation so you should make that clear to them prior to the show even though the latter experience may be more interesting.
Final Thought
With careful planning, research and open communication with your guests, your podcast can be an effective tool to bring your audience quality and professional-grade interviews on topics they are passionate about.
