The best content evolves from the best interviews. Follow these tips for a streamlined interview:
1. Before scheduling time with a writer, ask for an outline or a question list to help you prepare and provide the foundation for a solid interview.
2. Before the call, jot down a few notes and make a list of important points to cover or issues or questions that you want to address.
3. Send background information to your writer ahead of time such as existing product literature, white papers, press releases, sales presentations, and links to web pages that might be helpful.
4. Choose an interview location that is conducive to talking freely and being heard—close the office door and turn the telephone to voice mail.
5. Telephone interviews are just as effective as in-person interviews, especially when they provide the flexibility for you and your writer to be anywhere.
6. Consider non-traditional times for interviews—such as time spent commuting or while you wait for a flight.
7. Suggest use of a digital call recording service so you can speak quickly and the writer can fill in their notes later.
8. Stay on topic as much as possible—beware of tangents that crop up when you share too much information or when you discuss issues irrelevant to the materials you are creating.
9. When multiple people are involved, appoint one person as “interview leader” to keep on target.
10. If an interview goes into overtime, regroup and schedule another meeting—a better option than keeping the interview going when attention is waning and smart minds are growing tired.
Author: admin (page 2 of 2)
Some companies are feeling the sting of the recession, but many of our clients are faring better. That’s because at Hoffman, we help our clients understand the value of keeping brand awareness high during times of economic trouble. Smart companies know how important it is to stay in front of customers even when times are bad. If they don’t—their competitors will! And white papers are a cost-effective way to stay top-of-mind.
Marketing budgets are tight in a recession, so spend your marketing dollars wisely—invest in a white paper. Exhibiting at conferences, designing fancy brochures, placing high-profile ads, or sponsoring events can be expensive. White paper development is less costly, yet the paper produced can reach an even larger audience and can be distributed in many venues. Post it on your web site, use it as an enticement to build registration-based prospect lists, post it on white paper library web sites, send it as an attachment in an email in response to a prospect inquiry, email it to analysts and press contacts, and hand it out at conferences. Stay in front of your customers and they will remember you when the economy rebounds.