Content writers rarely have time to physically travel from location to location to conduct interviews. After all, content writers can write content for a variety of different sources, many of which are websites representing businesses across the country, even the globe.
With that said, it just makes sense to be able to conduct remote interviews.
But just how do you accomplish this? Do you just... call and hope for the best? When conducting interviews for content writing, there are several things to consider:
Do Your Research AHEAD of Time
Trust me on this one, NOBODY wants to be interviewed by someone who is obviously shuffling papers around on the other end of the phone, a person who leads with an interview question like, "so, tell me about yourself."
You want to know EVERY question you are going to ask BEFORE you even pick up that phone. And the only way to do that is to find out everything you can about the person before you even speak to them. If they are a business owner, find out all you can about what type of business, the clientele they serve, how long in operation. Check the web for news on the person. A great way to do this is to just Google that person's name with the word "article" behind it. Go to news sites and dig around for other articles written on them. It's best to leave friends and family alone, though. Don't want to come across as creepy.
Email Interviewing Tips
Many people are very open to being interviewed via email. This works great for both parties, since both you and the person you are interviewing are usually pressed for time. Just make sure you structure your questions to fit the flow of your article.
It's a good idea to number your questions. Tag the ones that you really want answered, and say so. If you need a direct quote, ask for it.
Whatever you do, DO NOT promise the interview anything in return for the interview. Be very clear that they are not going to receive any free advertising, or that the editor (if a magazine or ezine) will even run the article at all. Don't promise to show them the finished article either. Most editors have a BIG problem with this.
To Skype or not to Skype
I don't really see a need for skype. Why do people have to see each other when they are talking? For me, a phone works just fine. But some people prefer to be able to see the face of the person to whom they are talking. I guess it's just preference. Truthfully, the only downside I can see is that it is much more difficult to record a skype interview, since you have to record both sound and video. I have heard there is a program called Pamela that will allow you to do this, but I have not tried it out.
Recording a Telephone Interview
Recording an interview over the telephone can be a lot trickier than you might think. for starters, forget your cell phone. It's nearly impossible to get a clear recording. Land lines are the way to go. There are devices I have used that allow you to plug in an earpiece that basically has two speakers connected, which allows you to hear the conversation as well as record it onto a digital handheld device, but they are cumbersome and don't always work well.
GoogleVoice has a nice option, but the recording quality is terrible. Plus, you have to have the person call you in order to be able to record the phone call. A great service I've found is NoNotes.com. They give you an 800 number to use, and the conversations are recorded digitally. From what I understand, you can even download the sound files to play on your computer.
Whatever method you choose, keep the following things in mind when conducting phone interviews:
1) If possible, send over a list of talking points so you both know what direction the interview will take.
2) Speak clearly.
3) Be polite at all times.
4) Pay attention to your questions. Many questions are answered by your interview BEFORE you even ask them. No one wants to repeat themselves.
5) Allow your interview time to COMPLETELY answer the question. Don't cut them off or offer your opinion on the subject. This will throw them off track.
6) Be prepared for new information. Sometimes the process of the interview sheds light on new subjects. Stay on track, but be aware of any new leads that may develop other stories.
7) If you are looking for a specific quote, ask for it. And tell them you want to quote them on it. Don't ask it. They are giving you the interview, you don't need to ask permission to state what they have already said. They said it. But it's probably a good idea to just be up front and ask for the quote directly. For example: "I need a quote from you on how you feel the solar industry has changed in the last few years. What would you like to say?" Trust me, I have NEVER had anyone NOT answer a question. Never. You'd be surprised at what people will say and do if you just ask them nicely.
8) Keep it conversational. This is probably the hardest thing to successfully accomplish, but it will yield the best interviews.
The Followup
Think your done? Try again. Make sure you followup after you have written the article. You don't have to give away the farm, but you should definitely make sure you got all your facts straight, especially with anything technical.
I should mention that when you are working with magazine editors who have assigned you the story, they want to see EVERYTHING checked out BEFORE they get the story in. Some magazines pay pretty well. They expect YOU to do the work.
* Always get the permission of the person you are interviewing before recording the conversation.
Ted Uram, CapstoneContent.com
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Ted Uram is a seasoned writer with nearly two decades of experience that includes newspapers, trade publications, business and procedural writing, and fiction. He is the author of several private industry books and manuals. He blogs writing and work from home advice daily at http://www.CapstoneContent.com
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