A complete guide to effective interview blog writing

Staring at a blank page, trying to come up with another fresh angle on the same old topics? We've all been there. If you're looking to shake things up, interview-based blog posts are a great way to do it. They let you bring in unique insights, build some serious credibility, and share perspectives that you just can't find anywhere else.

Think of it as bringing an expert right to your audience's screen.

This guide will walk you through the whole process, from figuring out who to chat with all the way to hitting "publish" on a polished, engaging article. But let's talk about the biggest headache: turning a messy transcript or a bunch of notes into a story people actually want to read. That part can take forever.

While the interview itself needs your human touch, the writing part doesn't have to be a slog. AI tools like the eesel AI blog writer can take that raw material and spin it into a publish-ready post in minutes. This frees you up to do what you do best: have great conversations. 

Understanding the basics of interview blog writing

At its core, an interview blog post is just a piece of content that features a conversation. This could be with a big-shot industry expert, a loyal customer, a cool team member, or anyone with something valuable to share with your audience. It’s less about you talking at your readers and more about you facilitating a conversation they can learn from.

These posts can take a few different shapes, and the best one for you really depends on the topic and the flow of the conversation.

• Q&A format: This is the most direct style. You simply list the questions and follow them with the answers. It's super easy to read and skim, making it perfect for shorter interviews or when you want to get straight to the point.
• Narrative format: This approach is more like telling a story. You weave the best quotes and insights from your interviewee into a cohesive article. It’s a great choice for diving deep into a complex topic where you need to provide more context.
• Hybrid format: Can't decide? Go for a hybrid. You can start with a narrative intro to set the scene, dive into a Q&A for the main points, and then wrap it all up with a narrative conclusion. It gives you the best of both worlds.

No matter which format you pick, adding interviews to your content strategy has some major upsides. According to industry experts, this approach is a powerhouse for a few key reasons:

• Builds authority: When you feature experts, some of their credibility naturally rubs off on your brand. You become a trusted source of top-tier information.
• Provides unique content: This isn't just another rehashed article. You're sharing original stories, opinions, and advice that can't be found anywhere else.
• Expands reach: Your interviewee will probably share the post with their own network. That’s free promotion and a whole new audience delivered right to your digital doorstep.
• Enhances SEO: Search engines love high-quality, long-form content packed with expert insights. These posts are often rich with keywords and provide the kind of value that gets rewarded with better rankings.

The pre-interview process

A great interview blog post doesn't start when you hit record. It starts with solid prep work. Getting these foundational steps right makes the conversation smoother and the final article a whole lot better.

Finding the right interviewee

First things first, who are you going to talk to? The possibilities are pretty broad. You could reach out to industry experts, chat with a super-fan customer about their experience, or highlight a team member's expertise. A great place to start is often with friends and peers; they’re usually happy to help you get the ball rolling.

Once you have a type of person in mind, it's time to find them. LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) are goldmines for professional connections. You can also check out industry forums, Slack communities, or virtual networking events to find people who are actively talking about the topics your audience cares about.

The most important thing? Make sure their expertise genuinely lines up with your blog's goals and your audience's interests. A fantastic expert on a completely unrelated topic won't do you much good.

Crafting the perfect outreach message

Once you have a shortlist of potential interviewees, it's time to reach out. The goal here is to be professional, respectful of their time, and interesting enough to get a "yes."

According to outreach pros, the best approach is to keep your message brief and to the point. Nobody wants to read a novel in their inbox. Clearly state who you are, what your blog is about, and what topic you'd like to discuss. Be specific about the time commitment, like "a 30-minute video call," so they know exactly what they're signing up for.

Don't forget to mention what's in it for them. This could be exposure to your audience, a backlink to their site, or simply the chance to share their expertise. End your email with a simple, direct question like, "Is this something you'd be interested in?" to make it easy for them to respond.

Preparing effective questions

You wouldn't show up to an exam without studying, so you shouldn't go into an interview without preparing your questions. The best questions are open-ended, meaning they can't be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." Start your questions with words like "how," "why," or "what" to encourage your interviewee to share stories and detailed explanations.

Second problem: every 'experienced' interviewer has a set of pet subjects and possibly specific questions that he or she feels is an accurate gauge of a candidate's abilities. The question sets for any two interviewers can be widely different and even entirely non-overlapping.

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Aim for a list of 10-15 questions organized by theme. This gives you a solid structure, but don't be afraid to go off-script. The best interviews feel like natural conversations, so if your guest says something interesting, ask a follow-up question to dig deeper. Your list is a guide, not a straitjacket.

Conducting the interview

Alright, you've done the prep work. Now it's time for the main event: the interview. After that, you'll have to tackle the part that traditionally takes the most time and effort: turning that conversation into text.

Best practices for a smooth interview

First, decide on the medium. A video call on Zoom or Google Meet is usually best because you can see facial expressions and build a better connection. A phone call works too, and for super busy people, a written interview over email can be a decent fallback.

Before you dive into your questions, start with a bit of small talk. Ask them about their day or a recent project. This helps break the ice and creates a more relaxed atmosphere for both of you. Once the conversation is flowing, remember to practice active listening. Don't just wait for your turn to speak; really listen to their answers. This is where the best, most insightful follow-up questions come from.

And one crucial tip: always get their verbal consent before you start recording. It's a matter of confidentiality and privacy and is just good professional courtesy.

From conversation to transcript: The manual bottleneck

Once the interview is done, you're left with a recording. Now what? You need to transcribe it, which means turning the spoken words into written text. This isn't just a simple typing job; you have to make decisions about the style.

• Verbatim: This means typing out every single word, including every "um," "uh," and nervous laugh. It's the most accurate but can be tough to read.
• Intelligent: This is a cleaned-up version. You keep the core message but remove all the filler words and stutters to make it more readable.
• Edited: This goes a step further, where you might omit entire sentences or tangents that are off-topic to keep the transcript focused.

Here’s the catch: transcription is a massive time sink. It takes, on average, about four hours to transcribe just one hour of audio. This, followed by the actual writing and structuring of the blog post, is where projects stall and content calendars fall behind. It’s the single biggest bottleneck in the whole process.

The easy way to turn notes into a post with an AI blog writer

So, you've got this amazing conversation, but it's trapped in a recording or a messy transcript. Instead of blocking off half your day to wrestle it into a blog post, there's a much smarter way. The eesel AI blog writer is designed to solve this exact problem.

The workflow is simple and lets you focus your energy on what matters: having great conversations.

1. First, get your raw material. This can be an auto-generated transcript from your recording software or even just your detailed notes from the call.
2. Next, open up the eesel AI blog writer and paste your transcript or notes directly into the context field.
3. Enter the target keyword or topic for your post (e.g., "expert tips on content marketing").
4. Click "generate," and that's it. The tool will create a complete, well-structured blog post that weaves your interview content into a perfect narrative or Q&A format.

It's not just about speed; it's about quality. A few features make it perfect for this kind of work:

• Automatic assets: It does more than just write text. It can generate visuals like infographics or tables to summarize the key takeaways from your interview, making your post more engaging.
• Authentic social proof: The tool is smart enough to find and embed relevant Reddit quotes or YouTube videos that support what your interviewee is saying. This adds another layer of authority and real-world validation.
• Human-like tone: We've spent over a year refining the AI to produce content that sounds natural and conversational, so it actually honors the voice and tone of the original interview. We used this exact tool to achieve our own blog's growth from 700 to over 750,000 daily impressions in just three months by publishing over 1,000 optimized posts.

To see some of these interview techniques in action, check out this helpful video guide. It breaks down the process of conducting an interview specifically for written content, offering practical tips to ensure you get the best material for your article.

This video guide breaks down how to conduct an interview for an article, blog post, or white paper.

Elevating your content with expert voices

Ultimately, interview blog writing is one of the most effective ways to create content that’s unique, authoritative, and genuinely valuable to your audience. It helps you stand out in a sea of generic articles.

Success comes down to a simple formula: thoughtful preparation, a genuinely curious conversation, and an efficient writing process that doesn't burn you out. By following the steps for finding and preparing for your interview, you set the stage for a great conversation.

But the real magic happens when you can effortlessly turn that conversation into compelling content. Incorporating expert voices is how you differentiate your blog, build trust, and create something truly memorable.

Ready to turn your next conversation into a perfectly polished blog post without the headache? Generate your first article free and see how simple it can be.