Over the years, I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t work when it comes to speaking to subject matter experts for my product reviews and other blog posts. So, how do you ensure that you’re getting what you need from the interview to create valuable content?
Check out my 5 tips that help me make the most of the interview and get the insight readers are looking for.
1. Find the source
You can find industry experts by joining PR platforms, social media, or reaching out to people in your personal network. From experience, whenever I need to use experts in a story, PR platforms like Qwoted are the most efficient because I can connect with different types of experts and get results quickly. Social media networks like LinkedIn and Twitter are also useful, so it’s worth spending time to build your network.
2. Ask and You Shall Receive
If you don’t ask the right questions, don’t blame the interviewee when you don’t get the response you’re looking for. You set yourself up for failure when you ask close-ended questions that require yes or no answers....especially if you’re conducting an e-mail interview and can’t follow up instantly. Instead, use open-ended questions that start with “how” or “why” that prompts experts to go deeper with their explanation. It’s not a big deal when sources give more info, as I can always paraphrase or edit but it’s an issue when I don’t have much to work with.
3. Remember Your Audience
Simplicity is key when it comes to questions, so make sure your questions are clear and easy for the expert to understand, especially when their responses are about something technical or if there is jargon involved. To help explain concepts better for your audience, ask questions such as “How does that work?” or “Can you help me understand this?” Most likely your expert will be happy to break it down in layman’s terms for your audience.
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4. Tidy up afterwards
A story is so much better when experts speak from their experiences and give real-life examples to help readers get the point....even if they ramble or go off-topic. When that happens, pluck hidden gems from the conversation and use them as direct quotes or paraphrase so readers get the gist of what’s said.
5. Watch out for AI
When conducting interviews by e-mail, watch out for AI responses. While it’s fine for sources to use AI for research or help make their responses more readable, the point of including an expert is to highlight their expertise and personal experience to offer more value to readers, which AI can never do.
