Conducting Podcast Interviews

People love to hear an interesting conversation because dialogue makes things fun. But when you are podcasting alone, you miss out on that element. However, interviewing guests can infuse that exciting element into your podcast.

Interviewing is not as simple as question and answer time. There are a few things that you should consider:

1. Prepare for the interview. Make sure to do background research on your subject. Background research includes Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, previous media coverage that your subject has received, and obtaining bio sheets if applicable.

2. Prepare your questions. Write down your questions in advance and make sure to organize them in a way that flows.

3. Prepare to listen. When newbie interviewers have the questions written down they tend to not listen to the answer that the person gives. They just ask a question and move on to the next question. But when you truly listen to the answers, you'll come up with more questions which will add depth and excitement to your interview.

4. Prepare your guest. You'll get a much better interview if your guest is prepared as well. Before you start, be sure to inform your guest of the types of things that will be discussed. Don't give them each question word-for-word because that will give your interview a "scripted tone". However, give them a basic overview so that they can prepare.

More Tips:

* Always maintain control of the interview. Don't allow your guest to ramble.

* Ask open ended questions. Avoid questions that begin with do you, have you, would you, could you.

* Avoid asking leading questions. Take your opinion out of the question before you ask. For example, if you ask "Were you excited about the game?" you'll either get a yes I was excited or no I was not excited. The guest will be focused on the word "excited". But if you ask "How did you feel during the game?" you'll get a much better answer.