4 interview tips for content marketers

Mastering the art of storytelling by Audie Cornish

Asking good questions isn’t a skill just for reporters. Podcasters, writers, panel moderators, and PR folks are often tasked with getting a stranger to open up and share a story—and there’s a right way to do it! 

Journalist goddess and former NPR correspondent Audie Cornish recently sat with Hillary Kerr for the Second Life podcast to share her top interviewing skills. I had to pull over while driving and write it all down. Audie is the queen for a reason.

Here are Audie’s tips for interviewing:

1. Listen all the way to the end of a person’s sentence before you speak. Audie says this tip alone can make a huge difference for many people.

2. Ask only one question at a time. It’s easy to try and soften a tricky question by putting a few easy ones around it. Audie recommends being direct, even if it feels intimidating.

3. Understand that an interview is a performance. Get your subject comfortable. Different kinds of interviews need different tones. Think about “what is the mood I am trying to create here?” 

4. If you’re exploring someone’s personal history—trade intimacy by sharing your own experience.

   This tip is why empathetic and authentic people make the best content creators.

   It can be scary for your interview subject to let you in, especially if they don’t know or trust you. But there’s no story if they don’t share. So make it safe and share a bit about yourself during the conversation.

The entire interview with Audie is so good. Listen here to the full episode.

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