According to 2021 research, there are more than 48 million podcast episodes online. That is a drastic increase in the number, as there were only half a million podcasts in 2018. It means that a lot of people are interested in making such content. It establishes high competition for you. You can stand out only if you create high-quality and valuable content. A good podcast interview includes entertainment, stories, and engaging questions. In this article, we have elaborated on creating a good podcast interview. Before we discuss the tips, here are some of the basic factors you need to know about podcasts!
- An episode must not be longer than an hour.
- Ask the guests to share their story
- Keep your audience the main focus
Plan Ahead
Recording a podcast takes time and effort. Planning things or making a draft of what you are going to do is important before inviting the guest for the interview. It gives you an opportunity to practice and perform well in the future. Following are some of the steps you can follow while planning the episode:
- Conduct keyword research to come up with an optimized topic
- Collect accurate information about your guest
- Discuss interview questions with the guest
- Formulate the whole podcast using the collected information
Choose Guests Wisely
Who should be your next guest is one of the challenges you might face every time you record the episode. Here are some of the tips you can use to choose which guest will be the best match for your podcast:
Listen to Other Podcasts
You would want to listen to other podcasts where your desired guest has bee appeared. This way, you can get a clear idea of how that person could add value to your podcast and what kind of question you can ask them. When you choose this method, make sure you use a completely different approach to make it completely different from the interview your guest has already done.
Choose the one with a story
When you choose a guest, your focus must not always be big names. Your guest can be anyone with a great story, big achievements, or even big dreams.
People Working in the Same Niche as You
People who work on the same topics as you would love to be a part of your podcast. This way, you can create more relevant and valuable content.
Value your Audience
One of the factors that will make your podcast more engaging is knowing what your audience wants. This way, you will create more relevant and valuable content. You will not only be able to focus on a specific niche but also increase your listener’s base. Here is how you can know your audience in a better way and create content accordingly:
Talk to them
You should make an active appearance on social media platforms to connect with your audience and talk to them. You can ask your audience to leave some ideas about interview questions. This way, people feel valued, and you can get to know them in a better way. Plus, it helps you grow your relationship with the audience.
Take their Feedback
Feedback helps you a lot in improving yourself in your field. To make your audience stable, it is important to be open to criticism and use it as a ladder to reach the next level.
Good Editing
After recording the podcast, the next step is to make some edits to make it more effective for the audience. Good editing could take your podcast to the next level. There are some of the factors that you need to consider while editing the episode; some of them are as follows:
Extra Noise
Podcasts are supposed to be conducted in a calm environment. However, you might have to face noise issues when conducting an online interview. While editing, you do not need to be conscious about the sounds that are not too noticeable. Just remove the distracting sounds like siren or traffic etc.
Do not Break the Flow
It is important to maintain the flow of ideas while editing. There should not be incomplete portions of the conversation that do not convey the full idea.
Adding Sound Design
You can add background music to arouse emotions and keep the podcast more engaging.
Do’s and Don’ts of Podcast Interview
Podcast interviews should be fun yet professional. Following are some of the dos and don’ts of podcast interviews:
Exercise Mindful Listening
It is important to make your guests feel valued and listen to them with great attention. When you listen to what your guest is saying, it helps you reply more naturally. When you remain conscious about which question you will be asking next, you might not comprehend the idea your guest is presenting, and things could go wrong.
Do not Cut In
It will be the last thing you will want to do while interviewing as it is considered rude and unethical. You should just shoot the question and let your guest speak. You might have to interrupt your guest in some cases. However, that does not happen more often. So listening to the next person until he makes his point is the best thing to do.
Do not Stick to the Script so Strictly
Even if you have formulated questions for the interview, you should show some flexibility. The flow tends to break when you remain stuck to the script, which compromises the content quality.
Respect your Guest
Always make your guests feel valued and respected by prioritizing their desires. If they do not want to talk about a certain topic, avoid asking questions.
Bottom Line
It is important to be mindful of little things as they could make a huge difference. There are several ways to make your podcast interview engaging and valuable. It includes deep research about the guest, valuing your audience, and focusing on technicalities. Discussing things with the professionals is also a good idea to get a deeper insight into how things work in the market.