Interviewing subject matter experts (SMEs) can take your content marketing to the next level. And if you have a complex medical product or service, interviews are likely required to craft compelling content.
But if you haven’t conducted a ton of interviews, they can also be pretty intimidating. You might feel nervous—even after hundreds of interviews, I still have a flutter of nerves now and then—and so might your SME.
One way around it is to outsource your interviews to your writer. But if that’s not an option, or you’d prefer to conduct the research yourself, take these 5 steps to ensure your interview is a success.
1. Start with independent research
Most medical SMEs don’t have a lot of time on their hands. You may need to squeeze the interview into 20 or 30 minutes, and you’ll need to stay focused to get the info you need.
Familiarize yourself with the basics before your interview, so you can narrow your questions to insight you can only get from the SME. Make sure you’re also briefed on your marketing goals and objectives, so you can steer the conversation accordingly.
2. Send your questions ahead of time
Your SME wants to feel prepared for the interview, too, so send over your questions in advance. Knowing what you’re going to ask helps put SMEs at ease, so you can hit the ground running on the call.
It also gives the SME an opportunity to gather information they need to answer your questions. They might even send you resources that cover some of what you need to know, so you can focus on the answers that matter most.
3. Bring a marketer’s perspective to the interview
Scientists, providers and health researchers aren’t marketers.
While there are plenty of medical SMEs with a keen business sense, they won’t always understand your marketing goals and tailor their answers accordingly. If you’re interviewing an SME outside your organization, they might not understand your business at all.
At the top of the call, brief the SME on who you’re writing to and what your goals are. Ask gentle follow-ups to learn why key features are important to get to the marketing gold. And don’t be afraid to ask them to explain a term or concept in plain English if you (or your audience) could benefit from more explanation.
And if your SME goes off on a tangent about health research that’s super cool but totally not relevant to your content? Gently guide the conversation back on track. Let them know you’d love to hear about it after you get through your questions, but you want to respect their time and get the most crucial info first.
4. Wrap your interview with these two magic questions
I always finish up technical interviews with these two questions.
Is there anything crucial for me to include that we haven’t touched on yet?
I got this tip from one of my writing coaches, Carol Tice, and it almost always gets me the best answer of the entire interview.
This question asks SMEs to get creative with their answers, and you’ll gain insight into what they truly think is most important. Conveniently, it also compensates for any gaps in your prior questions.
Is there anything I should NOT say?
This question is simple, but can save you from embarrassing mistakes. Sometimes, words that seem benign will have connotations for a very technical audience, and this question can help you avoid a slip-up.
It’s also essential if you’re writing a co-marketing piece, like a client testimonial, Q&A or case study. While both parties typically approve any co-marketing content before it’s published, this question can save you time on revisions and helps you address both brands’ voices from the start.
5. Invest in human transcription, or transcribe the interview yourself
Automated transcription services are a massive timesaver for transcribing recorded interviews (and recording these interviews is essential!).
But if you’re transcribing an interview with a medical expert, it needs a human touch. Automated transcripts will be riddled with errors. General transcription programs don’t understand medical terminology, so they’ll fill in their best guess, instead.
Consider hiring a medical transcriber for health SME interviews for accuracy. Or use an automated transcript as a starting point to transcribe the interview manually. Just be prepared to make heavy revisions.
Interviewing medical SMEs might feel intimidating, but it can also be really fun. Not only do you get to learn about something completely new and interesting, but you’ll gain crucial insights into your audience (and your industry) that’ll make your marketing even more powerful.
And if you need support? Reach out! I can help you create a content roadmap to meet your marketing objectives, conduct effective interviews and create compelling copy.
When you’re ready, fill out my brief client questionnaire and we’ll set up a free 15-minute call to discuss your goals.
