Did you know that as of 2022, 49% of US adults claim they pay attention to a podcast? This number will undoubtedly rise this year.
You may have always dreamt of moderating a podcast interview. Now is the time to make your dream a reality.
Before doing that, you must learn how to get people to listen to your show. You must also ensure that people will want to listen to your performance and that it’s worth a subscription.
We’ve got the best guide for you. Read on to find out how you can build a successful interview podcast.
Have a Thoughtful Editing
Editing the podcast is very important. It is the key that your podcast will have the right tone.
Make sure to cut out any parts that don’t fit with the overall goal of the podcast. Tailoring the editing to the style you want to create can go a long way in making a podcast that people will enjoy.
Incorporating music, audio effects, and sound bites can add more sophistication. It will also help to set the mood and paint an auditory picture for the listener.
Under-editing a podcast could leave the audience unable to follow along. On the other hand, over-editing could have the same effect. A rudimentary editing process should involve refining the sound, removing any dead air, and cleaning up the flow of the conversation.
In the editing process, the main goal is to ensure the conversation sounds natural. Also, see to it that there is an accurate portrayal of the people’s personalities in the interview. Furthermore, the editing should build the podcast into an engaging story instead of just a collection of questions.
With thoughtful preparation, editing, and music selection, you can create an excellent interviewing podcast that appeals to a broad audience. But if you admit you are not good at editing, you can hire a podcast editor.
Set the Order of Interviews
Setting the order of interviews is critical to help ensure the success of an interview-based podcast. A thoughtful plan should drive the demand for the interviews. It should focus on the best possible audience engagement.
Determine the most logical order for the interviews to create a cohesive flow. Create an outline with each interview topic and guest. When building a thought-provoking podcast series, you can layer issues and order guests based on need or potential flow.
The key is to start strong and keep the momentum going. The first several interviews should be with guests who provide captivating content to draw listeners in and encourage them to keep listening.
From there, the interviews should progress in an order that serves to build upon the topic, provide additional insights and heighten listener interest. You should also select guests to ensure a mixture of diversity, engaging personalities, and the opportunity to hear multiple perspectives.
Come Up With Meaningful Questions
Quality interviews involve asking probing and follow-up questions to explore the nuances of a guest’s perspective. When beginning to design an interview-based podcast, it is essential to consider how to ask the right questions to engage your audience.
It would help to tailor podcast interview questions to the guest’s expertise. It should ask them to explain complex concepts in layperson’s terms.
Depending on the podcast topic, questions can range from general inquiries to more specific issues. Some good questions for podcast interviews include “What motivates you?” or “What techniques do you use to inspire yourself and help you stay on track?”.
A compelling podcast requires careful consideration. It also calls for practice crafting questions that take the conversation from a literal “question” to a meaningful “conversation.”
Know the Approximate Time of Each Conversation
Knowing the approximate time of each interview is essential for ensuring each episode has adequate coverage and time for connections to build. Researching the topics and questions to ask is critical to engaging in exciting dialogue.
Knowing a rough time frame enables you to prepare an outline for the podcast. It ensures that you have questions and stay on-topic. Knowing the approximate time can also help you choose themes or topics that are engaging and relevant to the allotted timeframe.
Additionally, monitoring your talking time and preparing a backup set of questions help ensure the podcast runs on time. Keeping the podcast to the allotted time keeps the show exciting and allows you to produce quality content with every episode.
Nevertheless, stay flexible. Even if you have a pre-planned structure, the conversation may take unexpected turns or require more or less time. Listen to the flow of the conversation and be open to modifications.
Learn the Best Transition Between Questions and Conversations
Learning to maneuver smoothly between questions and conversations will keep the audience engaged. Having good transitions will also give natural breaks between topics.
Through a few simple steps, podcast hosts can master the art of transitioning between questions and conversations. As a rule of thumb, always keep the listener engaged and asked questions leading to more natural dialogue, including ‘how,’ ‘what,’ and ‘why.’
You can also use storytelling as a bridge. It will help you tie the conversation back to the topic and develop a narrative as you conduct a podcast interview.
Practice on the phone or during in-person interviews. It will aid you in honing your craft and transitioning seamlessly between questions and conversations.
Provide a Loose Atmosphere
This loose atmosphere will create an environment where guests feel safe and accepted to express their thoughts. It also gives them the freedom to reflect on their experiences and opinions.
Ensure to provide an avenue for guests to give insight on topics that may not be part of the conversation. It can help enhance the flow. Moreover, having a co-host can reduce the tension that may arise and help add positivity to the podcast.
Guide to Creating an Interview Podcast People Will Love
You can conduct a podcast interview that people will love through thoughtful editing, coming up with meaningful questions, being aware of the conversation time, setting the interview order, and having the best transitions and loose atmosphere. With an interview podcast, listeners can become better informed, more engaged, and even inspired.
Would you like to know more about podcasting? Our posts are full of exciting articles. Keep exploring!
