How To Come Up With Podcast Questions
The most difficult aspect of recording a podcast interview is coming up with questions. It may appear that you must be an experienced journalist or interviewer to know what questions to ask, but any good question will suffice as long as it gets your guest talking. Here are some pointers to help you come up with good questions for your next interview.
Follow the arc of your guest’s story.
Think about what you want your podcast to be about. What is the arc of your guest’s story? What does that journey look like? Where did they start and where did they end up? How did the journey change them?
It can be beneficial to think through these questions before asking anything else, because it can be difficult to ask meaningful questions that will help them tell their story if you don't know where they are coming from or how far they have come in their life (or business).
Open-Ended Questions
Open-ended questions are the best way to get your guest to tell their story. These types of questions start with who, what, why, when, where and how.
“Who are you?”
“What do you do?”
“Why did you start doing that?”(and then follow up by asking how they got started)
"When did this happen?" (and then follow up by asking how it changed over time)
In an interview, open-ended questions should be used sparingly because they can feel like they're taking over the show or interviewing your guest instead of allowing them to talk about themselves. There's nothing wrong with asking a few open-ended questions early in an interview if they're directly related to who the person being interviewed is and why they're being interviewed in the first place. In other words, open-ended questions are excellent for establishing credibility for your guest and getting them to talk about themselves without appearing forced!
Don't be afraid to ask Tactical Questions
Tactical questions are the most effective way to elicit your guest's best practices. These questions elicit specific actions taken by your guest to achieve a goal, which is preferable to asking them about general strategies that anyone could use.
For example, if you're making a podcast about how to start your own business, tactical questions might look something like this: "What steps did you take to launch your business? What tools did you employ?" You'll get a more detailed answer if you ask these types of questions rather than open-ended ones like, "What do I need to know before starting my business?"
Tactical Questions will make it easier for listeners who are attempting something similar in their own lives to avoid missing out on valuable information that could help them succeed!
Use our AI Questions Generator
The ability of AI to generate interview questions can assist you in coming up with interview questions by giving you a list of potential inquiries that you might not have otherwise considered. If you're stuck or unsure of what to ask during your interview, this can be especially helpful. Check the questions that our AI generated by scrolling back up.
Conclusion
We hope we inspired you to come up with some great podcast questions. Remember, you always want the guest to feel comfortable so that the conversation flows naturally. If you want to learn more about planing your podcast check out our Podcast Planning Template