Tips on How to Conduct Engaging Interviews for Your Podcast

Check out these tips on how to conduct engaging interviews.

In the dynamic world of content creation, podcasting has emerged as a formidable medium for captivating storytelling and engaging conversations. Hosts go the extra mile to create content that will stand out amidst the millions of competing shows vying for listeners' attention. 

To become a successful podcast that captures the audience's interest, shows must conduct engaging interviews. These segments provide a platform for thought leaders, experts, and intriguing personalities to share their insights, stories, and experiences — offering listeners a rich and immersive experience.

Podcast interviews also serve as the backbone of audio content marketing. That's because it enables hosts to connect deeply with their audience by delivering valuable information, evoking emotions, fostering genuine connections, and inspiring listeners.

Want to know how to conduct engaging interviews for your podcast? Look no further; this article gives tips on creating a captivating podcast interview that will resonate and captivate your audience, set you apart from other shows, and build an engaged audience.

Find the Right Guest

The guest you will invite for your podcast episode depends on the topic you want to discuss. A well-chosen interviewee brings expertise and can provide unique insights and perspectives to enrich your conversation. Their knowledge and experience also ensure the content is valuable, accurate, and relevant to your listeners.

Other qualities of the ideal podcast guest include having excellent storytelling skills and can resonate with your target audience. These characteristics can captivate the audience, create a deeper connection, and increase the likelihood of engaging and attracting a more extensive listenership.

Looking for recognized individuals, leveraging your professional network, and seeking recommendations from trusted sources are ways to find the right guest for your podcast to bring expertise to your discussions and get your audiences hooked.

Research About Your Guest

After determining who your guest will be, it's time to look deeper into who they are. You may have run a background check on them during the search phase, but this research is likely the tip of the iceberg — meaning it's the basic details about them, such as their background and social media presence.

Researching your guest means digging deeper into these pieces of information and understanding their background, expertise, and accomplishments. This knowledge helps you ask relevant and insightful questions, demonstrates your preparedness, and fosters a meaningful conversation.

One way you can do so is to explore their online presence. Dive into their social channels, blogs, articles they’ve written, past interviews, and other content that provides insights into their thoughts, opinions, and expertise. You can also look for past projects, research, publications, or awards showcasing their knowledge in the relevant field.

Prepare Your Questions

While podcasts sound like casual conversations or narrations, they follow a structure. For interview podcasts, hosts often have questions they refer to while speaking with their guests to ensure that they cover relevant topics, elicit insightful responses, and maintain a smooth flow of conversation.

Adequate preparation allows you to steer the interview in a focused and engaging direction. It also enables your guest to share their expertise, provides value to your audience, and showcases your podcast as a platform for insightful conversations.

If you find it challenging to prepare questions or need assistance, consider hiring a freelancer experienced in podcast content development. This extra help can ease the responsibility of research and formulating questions. Knowledgeable freelancers can also provide valuable insights on structuring the interview effectively.

Be a Good Listener

On top of creating good questions and interesting talking points, it's also essential for you to be a good listener during your podcast interview. Doing so enables you to understand your guest's insights fully and allows you to ask open-ended questions that encourage them to share more of their experiences and perspectives.

Being an active listener lets you pick up on engaging or thought-provoking points, follow up with probing questions, and delve deeper into the topic. It provides your audience with valuable information and shows genuine interest and curiosity, creating a more engaging and dynamic conversation.

What's more, being a good listener puts the focus on the guest. This makes them feel heard and respected, fostering a comfortable and collaborative atmosphere that can make them share their knowledge and stories more authentically.

Know When to Wing It

While preparation is essential, being flexible with a predetermined script or set of questions can help the natural flow of the conversation. That's why it's vital to know when to improvise — so you can be spontaneous, create an organic dialogue, and explore unexpected or untouched topics.

Recognizing these opportune moments to deviate from the planned structure also enables you to embrace the unexpected and delve into topics or ideas that arise at the moment.

This flexibility keeps the interview fresh and engaging. It also allows for authentic reactions, deeper insights, and unexpected connections that can make the podcast episode more memorable and captivating for both the guest and the audience.

Conclusion

Conducting engaging interviews is an art that combines meticulous preparation, active listening, and a willingness to embrace spontaneity. The tips outlined above enable you to find the right guest, lay the foundation for asking insightful questions, and create a comfortable space for authentic conversations.

It also allows you to balance preparedness with the flexibility to easily navigate unexpected moments and make the interview truly captivating.

If you need a place to make your preparations for your podcast interview, consider going to a coworking space. These workplaces provide you with the relaxing ambiance of a cafe with the professional feel of an office. Croissant makes it easy to find the best workspaces in your city to help you be more productive.