The interview: a simple solution to your content nightmares

When everyone tries to do something that only some people are good at, it’s no surprise most of the output is pretty dire. This seems to be the case with many marketers’ content creation today.

Staring at blank sheets, they anchor their hopes to seasonal trends and happy holidays, soon churning out the same formulaic ‘Buzzfeed Lite’ style posts as everyone else.

There is a solution. And it takes a step back toward one of the cornerstones of proper journalism.

Throw away your content formulas and numbing brainstormed titles: it’s time to return to the old-fashioned art of interviews.

Why?

• Relevance – good material relates directly to your target reader. What could be more relevant than to literally put one of them up on stage, from which to draw out truths for other like-minded individuals?
• Context – if you have a conversation with someone outside your business, fundamentally they are more likely to reference the world surrounding you both in a more organic way than your branded stuff.
• People trust people – one of the great, fundamental truths of good PR. In all trust surveys, the number one authority comes out as “someone like me”. If you are trying to open conversations with a specific group, put them in the spotlight to attract others.
• Ease – A conversation naturally structures itself. As long as you prep with questions, you will get something you can use and it may only take 30 minutes (+ transcription.)
• Authenticity – you will get something true. Scrounging in the dirt of throwing together your own original thinking week in, week out, is a thing of the past. Find the truth that surrounds you and you’ll immediately start on solid ground.
• Variety – Share the audio immediately for a podcast. Produce a simple transcript. Write a more traditional article and reference the interviewee and their quotes as part of it. Combing quotes from multiple articles into a further comparison article. The options to use this work over and over again almost never end.

Talk to someone

Like most valuable strategy, the first one you do will be the worst that ever happens. But if you keep going, you’ll work your way through improving quality the whole time. And you’ll never end up anywhere near competent if you don’t get started.

If you need an easy target, you know where to find me…