Account Setup: How Do You Set Up Zoom To Record Podcast Interviews
The first thing youll want to do is sign up here. Its free, and the free account allows you to interview another person at an unlimited time length . In most cases, this is all youll need. This free account lets you interview 2 or more other parties at the same time as well, but theres a 40-minute time limit at which the meeting will end. If youre often interviewing multiple parties or interviewing someone along with a co-host in a separate location, you may want to upgrade to a Zoom Pro account with unlimited group meetings for $149.90/year.
Once your account is set up, theres a key setting youll want to check right away. Under Settings, then Recording, make sure youre set up for Local Recording not Cloud Recording. Local Recording allows you to record your interviews using separate audio tracks, which helps out when it comes to editing and bodes for a much cleaner final episode. Think about it if a loud truck drives by your home when your guest is talking, dont you want to be able to edit out that loud truck for the sake of your listeners?
Now It Is Time To Repurpose The Heck Out Of The Episode
Audio snippets and quotes can be used on Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram.
Get a transcript of the episode and post on your blog .
You can turn the episode into a content upgrade on your blog, a slideshare presentation, an email sequence and more.
You can get a few weeks worth of content out of a single podcast episode.
Podcast guest appearances can make a huge impact on your business but keep in mind, like most marketing, consistency is key.
Dont expect to appear on one or two podcasts and then the traffic and leads will flood in.
Its possible but not likely.
You might need to have 10 or even 20 appearances before you start hitting your goals.
Get to work on the steps I have outlined and you can be well on your way to podcast guest superstardom!
Think you might need some help?
Determine Where Your Subject Meets Your Audience
Your podcast interview is for your audience, so its important to determine what your interviewee knows that appeals to your listeners. Theres no sense going over things your audience already knows, or things they dont care about. You need to extract information from your guest that matters the most to your fans.
Take note of anything that would be especially interesting to your audience as you conduct your background research. Dont be afraid to ignore something unique about your guest if you dont think it will matter to your listeners.
Don’t Miss: Mailscoop Io
Structuring And Planning The Interview Into Three Sections Instantly Brings A Sense Of Order
For instance, let’s say you’re interviewing a client about a book. Instead of wandering in and out of the chapters of the book, you focus on just three chapters. You announce the three topics you’re going to cover during the podcast and then you work your way through the interview, part by part. This creates a sense of order for the listener who’s already on the move when tuning in to your podcast.
How Do I Prepare For Interviews
Im often asked if I do any preparation for my interviews, including whether I have questions ready to go in advance.
The answer is no, I dont. The only preparation I do is some brief research into the person I am interviewing so I know what they are most famous for and what websites they own. To be honest though, I dont even need this info. You can begin an interview with anyone and deliver a great podcast without knowing a single thing about them simply by asking the right questions and follow-up questions.
Right now I could ask you What are you most known for? and that would take us down a path to learn a lot about you, and make for a great interview, no matter how boring you think your life is.
Im naturally curious about people and Im good at coming from the angle of a beginner, so I find conducting interviews on the fly is my preferred style. I feed off the answers of my guests and probe any subjects I feel are relevant or interesting. This works well for me and always results in a good interview.
However dont assume this is something you can do immediately. Interviewing is not a skill everyone is naturally good at, and until you get some practice your own nerves may stop you from being relaxed and in the flow with your guest. If you need a cheat sheet of questions to help you conduct your interview, thats perfectly acceptable. I sometimes take notes myself so I dont forget to ask something.
You May Like: Questions To Ask A Cfo
What To Do After The Interview
After the interview, dont just thank the host and be on your way.
Sometimes, the relationship you build with the host is the biggest benefit of the entire strategy.
Depending on your industry and your goals, the host might even be your ideal client.
Tell the host that you enjoyed the experience and are happy to leave a review or provide a testimonial for their website or social media channels.
Ask if there is any way you can be of further service to them or their audience.
Find out when the show will be published and get ready for promotion around and on that date.
When the episode is live, be prepared to share it with your audience.
You should have social media images ready, tweets and blurbs for your different channels.
Send the host a small thank you gift.
Tag them into any social media outreach so they know you are driving listeners to their podcast.
Let them know if you have any guest recommendations for their podcast.
Just keep the relationship going.
Can I Record A Podcast On My Iphone
Yes, you can record a podcast on your iPhone, as well as using it to record, edit, and even publish your podcast. Using your mobile device saves you from buying any new, expensive equipment, and it can be a great way to enter the podcast sphere when the budget is limited.
Your iPhone can also be a useful way to record a podcast when you and your guest are in different places, limiting the amount of travel you will need to do. However, the audio quality wont be at the same standard as a professionals.
This is rarely an issue when youre just starting as youll still be building your audience, who will probably be more forgiving, but its still worth considering your options.
Apps like Facetime and Whatsapp will generally record better audio than your phone line. Ringr is another great option that uses the phones microphone instead of relying on an internet connection or phone line signal.
Read Also: What Should Females Wear To A Job Interview
Getting Ready For A Podcast Interview Involves Some Amount Of Work
The three-part structure allows you to conduct a progressive, stage-by-stage interview. It also gives a sense of order to the interviewee, but it’s most useful for the listener. If you have a fair bit of information, like the ones above, the three-part structure gives you the chance to summarise the points.
Go Short And Give Options: Podcast Guest Tip #5
Brevity goes way beyond just your origin story. Its important the whole way through your interview.
The power of podcasting is the conversation. Its the dynamic back and forth. So, make sure you treat it like that, rather than a monologue.
The trouble is, the latter is far too common. Many interviewees get on a show and they want to teach as much as possible. So, theyll get into a subject, and theyll just keep going
Firstly, when I listen to an interview like this, where someone speaks for 5 minutes at a time, solo, it just sends me to sleep. Wheres the chemistry? The banter?
Secondly, this assumes that you know exactly what the listener wants to hear. But, who probably knows better? The show host!
Ive written about how interviewers, the host of the show, should take more control over interview content. But, interviewees can help by keeping things shorter, by signposting other interesting topics, by letting the host guide them on where to go deeper.
This includes asking them a question before you just jump in!
So, yea, thats how a Facebook ad works! Do you think its worth digging into how to set one up here, or should we get on to the bits I think make it most effective, like Re-targeting or custom audiences?
Help the host by giving summaries and suggesting pathways, but let them guide you to the areas they know will have the biggest impact on their audience.
Recommended Reading: Interview Attire Women
How To Prepare For A Podcast Interview: Guarantee Capturing The Good Stuff
And in a world of interview show after interview show, you have to do something to stand out. Here’s how!
Running a good podcast interview is hard. Despite the fact that your average brand-new podcaster considers it the easy option.
I can understand the misconception. It sounds simple: find an expert, get them on the phone and then ask them questions. Theres no need for you to do a thing! Is there?
Well, turns out that getting good content from that expert is far harder than anyone expects. Sure, they know their stuff, but can they deliver it well? Can they stay on-topic, tell a good story, and avoid the waffle? Can you steer them away from the standard, rehearsed sales pitches or background stories? Can you get something different, something dramatic, something funny, or something just interesting?
Thats what this article is about running a good podcast interview, and getting the best material you can. At the end of the day, its still down to the interviewee, but theres a LOT you can do to increase the chances that theyll deliver.
And in a world of interview show after interview show after interview show. you have to do something to stand out. So, lets jump in.
Feed The Interviewer Some Good Questions: Podcast Guest Tip #11
Here’s the secret sauce. This is the thing that 99% of interviewees DON’T do, but which creates some of the best interviews around.
Tell the interviewer what to ask you.
It’s so simple it’s almost laughable, but it works like a charm. Don’t expect the interviewer to dig out the golden nuggets all by themselves. Instead, feed them some prompts so that you get to give them your best stuff, and make the biggest impact.
How does this work? Well, think about the audience you’re speaking to. Make a judgement on what’s likely to make the biggest impact with them. Then, plan out a 5 to 10-minute segment on that. You know the content, so all you need are the questions. And this goes to the interviewer. Here’s how I usually couch it:
Hello Mrs Interviewer, I wanted to let you know, I think my approach to Content Stacking will have a huge impact on your audience, because of reasons X, Y and Z. How about we spend 10 or 15 minutes going through how I create blog posts, videos and podcasts in just one process in way less time? If you’re up for that, here’s a set of questions that I’ve seen work well. It means we can have a good chat about it without having me drone on for too long on my own!
1. I see you do a lot of blog posts that have videos and podcasts attached what’s your thinking behind that?
2. Great, so what’re the first steps in planning out one of these stacked’ posts?
You May Like: Interview Questions For A Cfo
What Is *one* Podcast Interview Question You Really Love Asking Why
I have a deep love for great questions, and as I described in this article, two of the ingredients of great podcast interviews are great questions and rapport. To understand that *one* question that people use to have great podcast interviews, I asked one question to the members in the Podcast Movement community on Facebook and also in a couple of podcaster communities and forums.
What is *one* podcast interview question you really love asking? Why?
The result was over 150 podcasters sharing the favorite podcast interview questions.
In this article, I just want to share 19 of my favorite questions and also a 5-step process to come up with great podcast interview questions. You can find the complete list inside the resources section of Free Your Voice, my free podcasting course.
I hope you find these questions useful, but more importantly, I hope you put them to good use.
Is It Better To Use My Phones Mic Or Use My Bluetooth Headset
If this is a live show, the quality of the call is important, as there can be no editing later on, so you want to get good sound.
In most cases, your phone mic is going to be better. Obviously, this depends on the model of your phone versus that of your Bluetooth headset, but I have not come across a scenario where I preferred the sound of someones Bluetooth headphones. We do a lot of audio tests of wireless earbuds and headphones in our Verge reviews, and I cant think of any that compare to the microphones on the average smartphone.
Another thing to watch out for is the battery on wireless headphones. You dont want your headphones to die in the middle of a recording. For that reason, I always prefer headphones you can plug into your device the sound you get from the mic is usually better, and you dont have to worry about the battery dying or the Bluetooth connection suddenly glitching.
Dont use your phone on speakerphone if you can help it. If youre using your phone to communicate, then either hold the phone up to your ear or use headphones.
The best thing to do if youre not sure which microphone sounds best is to test your headphones versus your phone ahead of time by recording your voice on both and listening to the results.
You May Like: Questions To Ask The Cfo In An Interview
Use Headphones With A Microphone
To isolate voices and minimize background noise and overlapping sounds, it can help if you and your guest wear headphones while recording. Any pair of headphones with a microphone will do the trick, or you can spring for optimum sound by purchasing a USB microphone for a little less than $100. Whatever set-up you settle on, try to use the same recording method as your guest if possible. That way, your interview will sound clear and consistent all the way through.
Defining The Talking Points
Your guests might have a tendency to ramble on a bit as theyre explaining their 3-5 talking points, giving you too much detail about each talking point.
You want them to save the details for the actual interview, so dont be afraid to push them along by asking for their next point. A good way to transition them from one talking point to the next is this:
As soon as theyve completed their thought, say, Thats really good. Whats the next thing that you think our listeners need to understand?
Once theyve shared three talking points, ask them if theres anything else that theyd like to cover during the interview.
After youve written down each of their talking points, quickly repeat each point back to them. This will give the guest an opportunity to correct anything you mightve misunderstood while you were taking notes.
Also Check: What To Wear For An Interview Women
Can You Record A Podcast In Two Locations
Yes, you can record a podcast in two locations. There are some amazing platforms out there, such as Zencastr, Ringr, Riverside.FM and SquadCast let you record a podcast in two locations, although there might be a slight drop in sound quality, and it will be harder to build the same banter or chemistry between you and your guest.
However, remote recording is one of the advantages to having a podcast, rather than a vlog or television show where two people must travel to one location to record. This allows you to interview people from all over the world from the comfort of your own recording studio.
Remote recording in two different locations has also turned out to be invaluable over the last year or so, as otherwise, instead of video and radio, it would have been Covid-19 that killed the podcast star. Fortunately, this ability has allowed podcasters to continue and even thrive.
Who Is The Podcaster
Try to learn about your podcast host. Understand why they run this podcast. How long is this person been into podcasting? An easy way is to open his podcast and go back to the very first episode, where the host would have probably explained in detail what the podcast intends to talk about.
Another easy way is to Google their name. This is easy, and yields result if they have some amount of fame. Learn about their work and credibility. If you are going to address a challenging or controversial topic on the podcast, learn about your interviewers stance on it. It can save you from any unwanted repercussions later on. My tips for podcast guests are easy to apply, yet they are really useful for the process.
Don’t Miss: Questions To Ask Cfo During Interview
Get To Know Your Interviewees Work
Part of researching your guest means making yourself familiar with their work. You should read their blog posts, check out their social media pages, watch their videos, and listen to any other podcasts theyve been on. If they have a book, you should read it or at least the relevant parts.
In addition to their work, listen to your guests most recent interviews. Take note of which questions they are consistently asked and avoid them. Find your angle and craft questions that will require them to provide unique answers. You dont want your interview to sound like every other one theyve given. Making yourself familiar with your guests work could take some time, but its worth the reward.
