10 Tried and True Podcast Interview Questions
- What’s something about you that most people familiar with your work wouldn’t know? This is a great podcast interview question because it serves as an icebreaker. ...
- What’s the biggest challenge facing you right now? In X years? ...
- What advice would you give to someone pursuing a career path similar to your own? This question gives your interviewee a chance to speak directly to your audience. ...
- Who has been your biggest supporter/mentor/role model over the course of your career? ...
- What motivates you to get up in the morning and go to work? Podcast audiences love to listen to people discuss their passions. ...
- What do most people misunderstand about your field of work? ...
- When did you first become passionate about your chosen field? If you can get your guest to talk about their passions, you might not even need any more questions. ...
- If you could give advice to your 16-year-old self, what would it be? ...
- What’s an example of a mistake or failure that you experienced, and what did you learn from it? Every industry leader has made mistakes in the past. ...
- How can our listeners connect with you online?
Full Answer
How to ask great podcast interview questions?
How to Prepare To Conduct An Amazing Podcast Interview
- Choose Interesting Guests. Some guest are, well… boring. ...
- Do Some Background Research on Your Subject. A podcast interview shouldn’t be your first exposure to your subject. ...
- Get to Know Your Interviewee’s Work. ...
- Write The Guest’s Bio For Them. ...
- Determine Where Your Subject Meets Your Audience. ...
- Prepare Your Questions In Advance. ...
How to find a good topic for a podcast?
Summary: Choosing Podcast Topics
- You need to think about why you want to podcast. ...
- You have to weigh up your podcast ideas, and decide on your overall podcast topic – that's the general subject matter your show is built around.
- Even if your goal is to market a product or service, you still need to be interested or passionate about your chosen topic.
How to sound good on a podcast?
- Audio files should transmit from both output speakers clearly.
- Microphone recordings should not sound muffled and have a decent amount of volume.
- Audio file should not include any distortive sounds like signal interference, clipping, crackling, wind noise, or that somewhat rubbing sound that happens when a person handles a live microphone.
What makes a good podcast great?
Podcast Tips: 7 Strategies to Build a Successful Show that Thrives
- Define a Successful Podcast. First thing's first: success means many different things to many different people. ...
- Have a “Why”. When you run a podcast, things don't always go to plan. ...
- Play The Long Game. ...
- Make It Sustainable. ...
- Don't Get Stuck On “The Launch”. ...
- Take Control. ...
- Don't Rely On Audience Participation. ...
What are some good podcast questions?
What are three movies you'd recommend to my audience and why? What are three other podcasts you'd recommend to my audience and why? What's one question you wish I'd asked you, and how would you have answered? Where can listeners find you online?
What are some fun interview questions?
Funny Interview Questions"How would you solve problems if you were from Mars?" ... "What do you think of garden gnomes?" ... "Why are manholes round?" ... "You've been given an elephant. ... "If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be and why?"
How do you make a podcast interview interesting?
How to Prepare To Conduct An Amazing Podcast InterviewChoose Interesting Guests. ... Do Some Background Research on Your Subject. ... Get to Know Your Interviewee's Work. ... Write The Guest's Bio For Them. ... Determine Where Your Subject Meets Your Audience. ... Prepare Your Questions In Advance.More items...
What are good follow up questions?
Here are follow-up questions to ask about the next steps:Is there anything else you would like to know more about?When can I expect to hear from you?Do you need any additional materials from me?What else would be helpful to know about me?When are you hoping to have your top candidate start?
What are some unique questions?
Here are 5 interesting get to know you questions:Do you have any ridiculous goals in life? ... What's the most spontaneous thing you've ever done? ... What cartoon do you still like to watch? ... What personality trait do you wish you had? ... What's the meanest thing you've ever done to someone to get back at them?
What is a unique question to ask?
Nothing can make or break a first date like conversation.Who inspires you? ... Shark diving, bungee jumping, or skydiving?What's your favorite cheesy pick-up line? ... What's your favorite Disney movie?What is the weirdest scar you have and how did you get it?Where did you and your best friend meet?More items...•
What makes a great podcast guest?
Cliche messages are perfect for posters, coffee mugs, and T-shirts, but not for podcasts. We want juicy details, riveting stories, and real emotion. If all of your answers sound like one schmoozy elevator pitch, we won't trust you. TIP: If you want to understand the audience, just ask the host.
How long should podcast interviews be?
Bigger isn't always better… The ideal length of your podcast is the ideal length for your content. There should be no fluff, no additional crap, no rabbiting on for 20 minutes before you get to the good stuff. You need to be respectful of your listener's time and only include the best of the best.
What should I do to prepare for a podcast?
Feel free to get out a notebook or a whiteboard so you can start planning your podcast like a pro.Choose A Topic. ... Pick A Co-host (optional) ... Choose A Name. ... Show Format. ... Create Cover Art. ... Get A Professional Intro (Optional) ... Choose Intro Music. ... Get A Microphone.More items...•
What are good small talk questions?
Small Talk Questions 1-8 WorkIf you weren't working here, what would you probably be doing right now?How did you become a [job title]?What surprised you the most about your current job?What's the quirkiest thing a boss has ever asked you to do?Would you rather work four 10-hour days or five eight-hour days?More items...
How do you ask a smart question?
How to ask smart questionsThink about what you already know. Reviewing your existing knowledge on a subject can help you pinpoint any gaps. ... Confirm what you want to learn. ... Create a draft of your questions. ... Refine your questions. ... Ensure simplicity. ... Ask your questions confidently and politely.
What open-ended questions?
Open-ended questions are questions that cannot be answered with a simple 'yes' or 'no', and instead require the respondent to elaborate on their points. Open-ended questions help you see things from a customer's perspective as you get feedback in their own words instead of stock answers.
Why is it important to ask interview questions on podcasts?
Asking great podcast interview questions leads to compelling content. Not only will your existing listeners love it – they'll want to share your show with everyone they know too!
Should I Send the Podcast Interview Questions in Advance?
I'd argue that, almost always, it's a good idea to send the questions to your interviewee in advance. It can help to settle nerves, and often produces better answers.
How to answer podcast questions?
To glean authentic, helpful answers from your expert guests, remember these takeaways: 1 Use the list of 25 revealing podcast interview questions 2 Prepare for the interview with a pre-interview 3 Focus on asking POV questions and follow up with what/why/how questions
How many interview questions are there in a podcast?
Spoiler: Remember that list of 25 podcast interview questions up there? They can all be used as POV questions.
How to feel prepared for an interview?
To feel really prepared for the interview, try asking POV questions during the pre-interview. Depending on the quality of the guest’s answers, those questions should pop up in the real interview.
Why do podcast listeners listen to podcasts?
Podcast listeners are motivated to improve themselves in regards to career, education, and life in general. That’s why they’re listening to your show.
What is POV question?
A POV (Point of View) question is meant to draw out a distinct perspective from your guest. Its objective is to turn a high-level topic like ABM or content marketing into a unique conversation around the guest’s specific experiences.
What do listeners want to hear from podcasts?
When it comes to your business podcast, listeners want to learn from people in their same situation. Writer s like to hear from other writers. CMOs like to hear from other CMOs. Musicians like to hear from other musicians.
How long does a pre-interview last?
A pre-interview really only has to last about 15 minutes. Its purpose is to get you and your guest more comfortable and build rapport.
What is a podcast glossary?
Podcast Glossary: A Technical Guide to Podcasting
How to get a good interview?
1. Do Your Research. Don’t make the mistake of showing up to the interview without knowing basic information about your guest; it’ll come off as unprofessional and rude. But beyond that, learning about your interviewee’s life and achievements will likely spark more question ideas.
Is a remote interview good?
For many remote interview podcasts, the episode is only as good as the questions (and, of course, the audio quality ). Finding the right balance of informative and entertaining usually starts with the host’s ability to put their guests at ease, converse with them naturally, and spark intriguing, dynamic conversation.
Should I Send Podcast Interview Questions Upfront?
While sending a list of interview questions is generally up to you, it’s considered polite to give your guest at least a heads-up of the topics you’ll want to cover. And some guests (especially the high-profile ones) even insist on seeing the podcast questions in advance.
What does it mean to ask the right questions on a podcast?
Asking the right questions can mean the difference between an engaging conversation and a podcast episode that falls flat. Interviewing guests can be one of the more stressful parts of hosting a podcast. However, when you prepare the right way, you can ask tailored questions that naturally flow into a conversation that your podcast listeners will ...
How to prepare for a podcast?
Researching your podcast guests is one of the most important things you can do to prepare for your show. This means you need to be familiar with each guest’s work, their current projects and any other relevant information that might be covered in the episode. For example, if your guest recently published a book, you should at least read a couple of chapters, if not the whole thing.
What to consider when researching a guest?
Always consider your audience when researching a guest. What will your listeners want to know about the interviewee? This can help you formulate engaging questions that resonate with your audience. For example, the same guest might talk about their personal experiences on a magazine-style podcast, but they might focus more on their preferred style of working when speaking on a business-focused podcast.
Why do you ask an icebreaker question?
Unless you’re interviewing someone you already know, a question like this one will establish a personal connection that will support a strong conversation .
What is the purpose of a "shout out" question in an interview?
This question provides an opportunity for your guest to give a shout-out to their mentors and anyone else who helped them along the way.
How to stop a conversation from being too formulaic?
One way to stop the conversation from becoming too formulaic is to avoid yes/no questions. If an interviewee can answer a question with a single word, it’s probably not an interesting question to begin with. Ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation moving along smoothly.
Why do podcasts help?
The best podcasts give their listeners deep insights that they can’t get elsewhere. By asking your guests about their challenges, you will provide them with an opportunity to share the methods, processes and tools they use to solve complex processes.
What is the biggest challenge you face as a podcast host?
Arguably, the biggest challenge you’ll face as a podcast host is developing the perfect interview questions. Of course, great podcast interview questions will yield better answers than mediocre ones, so it’s essential to perfect your brainstorming process.
What is podcast interview?
Think of a good podcast interview as an exciting match of ping pong. There’s a lot of back-and-forth and involvement from each party. It’s an engaging conversation between the host and guest and a chance to build rapport.
What is the purpose of the question "How successful are you without flaws"?
Then, your guest can share stories of their shortcomings and how they rose above them to get to where they are today.
How to be a good host?
As the host, make sure you listen and process everything your guest has to say. Don’t just spit out questions rapid-fire-style. Instead, offer some comments before moving onto the next question, and ensure you contribute to the conversation as thoughtfully as you can.
What to say at the end of an episode?
At the end of your episode, you should direct your audience to further interactions with your guest. Help your listeners connect with your guest, whether on their website, blog, or another place online. For example, you can shout out upcoming shows your audience can attend or your guest’s newsletter to sign up for.
Can you ask questions about a specific company?
While you can ask questions related to the specific company, you can also experiment with broader questions.
Do podcast hosts have dull moments?
A great podcast host never has a dull moment, especially if they interview guests regularly.
