Interviewing other bloggers

Interviews of other bloggers can provide some great content for your site, as well as attract some of their audience to check you out and perhaps choose to become a regular reader. This post aims to give you some tips about how to get the best from the interview style post.

Timing

Most up and coming bloggers will accept interviews - after all they are getting good brand exposure and a link to their site from it! For more established successful bloggers, if you pitch them for an interview when they are launching a product, you're more likely to meet with some success.

The Approach

I always email the blogger I want to interview first. I tell them about my site, the kind of traffic I get and a little about the readership, so they can see that there is some benefit to them. I also offer them a choice of doing an audio or a written interview - most so far have preferred written.

The Research

It's essential that you know a good deal about your subject prior to the interview - it means you can frame your questions to what they do and what they're interested in, and it helps you avoid asking questions that are already answered on their about page.

The Questions

If you regularly read interviews of bloggers, you'll find many follow the same pattern and ask the same questions. Look for variety, mix the questions up and ask some unusual ones. Think about the best interviewers on TV - they have a knack of finding out new and interesting stuff about people who are in the public domain.

Added Benefits

By interviewing another blogger, you're instantly creating a relationship with them, which may lead to them returning the favour, agreeing to a joint venture with you, or to them generally promoting your work.

Want to get started in interviewing a blogger? Feel free to contact me - I'm happy to do some!