Interview Tips #2: Know Your Topic and Interviewee

So, I have already covered Tip #1: Know Your Equipment. But what else will help you get the best out of an interview?

Tip #2: Know Your Topic and Interviewee

No, you don’t have to take them down to the pub and grill them for a life history before the interview (although, maybe not a bad idea), but as far as possible make sure you have a good background of the interviewee and the subject matter.

If this is not a topic you know much about then do some simple online research. Find the top 10-20 sites online for the subject and make notes as you learn interesting facts. Visit forums and message boards and see what people are talking about within the topic and what questions they are asking. This doesn’t have to be a long process, but the more you know about the subject and the language of the audience to whom the interview is targeted, the easier the interview will be.

If you don’t know your interviewee very well, ask them for a short bio. This is just a few paragraphs of information on them and why they are particularly suited to talk to you on this topic. Depending on the nature of the interview, you may want to ask them if there is anything specific they would like to cover in the interview, any new developments etc.

It’s hard to be exact about what to ask the interviewee prior to the interview because things will change depending on the purpose of the interview. For example, if you are creating a niche product you will probably have a very good idea of what your market wants to know about and the questions you want to ask. But, if someone has requested you record an interview with them for their benefit then they will have a better idea of what they want the interview to cover. However, in both of these cases it is good to be flexible because you or your interviewee may come up with a question or area of interest that will elevate the interview beyond the normal or average.

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