Great interviews are icing on the writing cake
One of our favorite writing tools is quoting outside sources. Proven Media Solutions CEO Dustin Siggins took this tactic from his journalist days, when he interviewed Members of Congress, grassroots political activists, government officials, and others. Now, it is a regular “added value” for Proven Media Solutions clients and for syndication partners who carry our monthly column.
Done right, quality interviews
- add credibility for positions our clients take and arguments they make;
- provide interesting and thought-provoking insights;
- improve the odds of placement at targeted outlets; and
- create greater opportunities for our clients’ work getting spread more widely on social media, e-mail lists, etc. when clients and sources share published material.
We like this tactic so much that we use it in our company’s marketing program. In a recent recent Home Business Magazine columns, Dustin interviewed eight small business owners in diverse fields on keys to success — from the right insurance coverage and legal assistance to breaking through a saturated market. This piece added significant value for readers and was widely shared online in part because those he quoted were highly engaged on LinkedIn.
There are four key steps to getting the right interviews:
- know who our clients are targeting with the written work;
- develop the right list of interviewees;
- implement an effective outreach strategy for interviewees; and
- asking the right questions.
Landing interviews is the hardest part of the process. The second-hardest is finding the right balance of original work and expert analysis. Outside commentary must be short, incisive, and drive home points the author makes elsewhere. Long quotes are often boring, and should be saved for when absolutely necessary.
Let us know how we can help you land interviews that’ll spice up your writing, increase your credibility, and land you in the publications your target audience is reading.