The Open Source Marketer

If you are looking for creative ways to generate content and value for your blog readers or podcast listeners, then consider hosting a recorded call with someone who is an expert in you topic of interest.

The recorded call can be turned into a downloadable MP3 as part of a series of audios, as content for a podcast, or as the basis for articles on your blog. You can even have the audio transcribed for a minimal fee. The transcript can also be made available on your blog as a search engine friendly version of the call.

The number of possible options is inspiring. But, before we get caught up on our options, let’s look at what goes into creating an interesting, well structured call.

The following list of suggested activities is simply a rough guide for conducting a call and I highly recommend that you listen to existing successful calls to understand how different formats work best for different subjects and audiences. Take note of how the host of the call leads the conversation and how they create value for both the listener and the guest speaker. The more value everyone takes away from the call the most successful the call will be. Valuable content is something people will pay for and something they will distribute on your behalf, free of charge.

Here is the list in order of execution:

1 ) Provide a list of interview questions to your guest prior to the call. This will help you and the guest to understand the tone of the call. Your guest will also have a chance to think about their answers. This will make them more comfortable on the call which will translate into an authoritative presentation of their information. The more prepared each of you are, the better the call will go. Again, this will provide your listeners with more value.

2 ) Introduce yourself briefly as the host of the call so listeners will know who you are, if they don’t already.

3 ) Introduce the topic of the call for anyone who is just joining the call or has downloaded a recording of the call at a later date.

4 ) Introduce your guest and emphasize their background. The more information you provide about the speaker’s background the more credibility your speaker will have with your listeners. This perceived authority will also be transferred to you as you interview your guest.

5 ) Welcome your guest to the call and thank them for taking time out of their busy schedule to talk with you.

6 ) Begin by walking your guest through the pre-supplied questions but don’t present your questions in a mechanical way. Use the questions as a guide for conducting the call, but don’t get hung up on using all the questions in the call. The questions should act as an outline for the conversation, but if you think a particular question needs more time based on your guest’s response, then spend the time exploring the question fully. If the direction of the question becomes to off topic then you can always table the question for later discussion or expansion at the end of the call if there is additional time.

7 ) As the discussion progresses, periodically restate your call topic, who you are , and who you are talking with. This will be helpful to anyone joining the call late and it will remind the listeners about the purpose of the call. Restating the topic and the participants on the call is also an easy way to promote the blog, or products and services or everyone involved on the call.

8 ) When closing the conversation, be sure to give your guest the opportunity to tell the listeners where they can get more information about the speakers products or services. Ask them to spell any difficult names or blog addresses. If possible offer to host a link for them on your site so that you can track the response to the call topic. Doing so will also indirectly drive people to your site as you help the speaker promote their blog.

9 ) Lastly, thank your guest for their time and for sharing their valuable expertise.

10 ) Before you completely close the call, thank your listeners for tuning in and tease your next show, if one is upcoming. Also, be sure to tell your listeners where they can download more calls. Even if this is your first and only call, giving the blog address will help to direct traffic to your blog over time.

Overall, this form of content generation is simple to coordinate and it takes the focus off of you to produce all the content for your blog and hopefully it adds value to your blog readers and your call expert. In most cases everyone wins. A few related services are listed below in the resources section of this article. Use these resources to refine your call process, but remember to continually focus on value to your listener and your guest speaker and you will be on track for creating success phone interviews.

Keep reaching for success,

Charles McKeever
OpenSourceMarketer.com

Related Resources:

CastingWords - Podcast Transcription
Based in Northern New Mexico and Seattle they also offer
non-podcast audio transcription and expedited services

Free Conference Calls
A free conference call service that offers call recording and rss feeds