All the great podcasts are interview shows! So the theory goes. I would beg to differ. I understand this will not come as a shock to many of you but there you go.
Let’s look at the advantages. You get to talk to experts in your niche. They impart their hard earned knowledge, they add their authority to your podcast and you receive content for your show and, of course, your listeners.
This is great if that’s what you’re about. I know there are shows out there that just do interviews and that’s their schtick. These tend to be more your public broadcaster radio shows turned into podcasts. Yes there are indie podcasters too, The organic Gardener Podcast produced by Jackie Marie Beyer is one such show and if that’s a field you’re interested in, have a listen here.
Done well, and these two words an apply to any format but interviews done well are a joy for listeners.
When not to interview opens a larger question. In 142 episodes of World Organic News I’ve done two interview episodes. It doesn’t feel like I’ve put out a weekly show for the weeks I’ve used interviews. I think they were useful for my listeners, I just don’t think they were within the remit of what I see my show as.
Other producers move from solo to interview to co-host to roundtable and back to solo episodes as if it were as natural as breathing. Not for moi, not at the moment anyway but there are some who can. If you are then go for it. Enjoy, as every member of the world’s wait staff feel the need to tell me when I buy a coffee but I digress.
Like everything else in your podcast, you can do what you want. Simple really but, think carefully about why you’d interview someone, what it would bring to your show and, most importantly, your listeners.
Takeaways
- Do you need to have interviews?
- Listen to shows that do and learn how to do it properly.
- Even if you decide not to have interviews, you can still do them occasionally
- You own your show. You decide.