Preparing for your Talking Trading Interview
Congratulations on being chosen as a guest speaker on our weekly podcast, www.talkingtrading.com.au. It’s very exciting! You’ll be presented in the best possible light to our large, keen, hungry database. We want to make sure that this is our best interview EVER, and produce a resource that you will be proud of for years to come.
By agreeing to be interviewed on Talking Trading, you are agreeing to promote your episode, using the emails, swipe files, social media posts and images that are provided once the episode goes live. They can be tweaked for your voice.
We’re going to promote the heck out of the interview when it goes live, and I’m looking forward to hearing your plans for how you’ll be aiming to promote it. Best practice is to send out one email before the show airs, and another after the show has gone live. Emailing is where you’ll get the highest number of engaged listeners, and it’s a great way to showcase that you’re in demand and an authority in your field.
This will be a video recording, and we will promote the video on Youtube and the audio as our podcast. So, please note this so you’re prepared.
I’d like you to focus on two key aspects of preparation: using a USB microphone for clear audio and setting up effective lighting for a professional look.
1. USB Microphone for Crystal-Clear Audio
Why Use a USB Microphone?
Using a USB microphone can significantly enhance your audio quality during video interviews. These microphones are designed to capture sound with greater clarity and minimal background noise, making your voice sound professional and engaging.
Tips for Using a USB Microphone:
Select a Quality Microphone: Invest in a good USB microphone that fits your budget. Popular options include the Blue Yeti, Audio-Technica AT2020USB+, or the Rode NT-USB.
Proper Placement: Position the microphone at mouth level, about 6-8 inches away from your mouth. This ensures optimal sound capture without picking up unnecessary ambient noise.
Test and Adjust: Before the interview, conduct a test call to ensure your microphone is functioning correctly.
Use Headphones: To prevent audio feedback, you can wear headphones during the interview.
2. Effective Lighting for a Professional Look
Why Good Lighting Matters?
Well-lit video is essential for creating a polished and professional appearance during your video interview. Proper lighting helps eliminate shadows and ensures that your face is well-lit, making you look more engaging and trustworthy.
Tips for Effective Lighting:
Natural Light: Whenever possible, use natural light from a window. Sit facing the window to avoid harsh shadows and achieve a soft, flattering look.
Lighting Setup: Invest in affordable ring lights or softbox lights to create a controlled lighting environment. These can be positioned behind or beside your camera to illuminate your face evenly.
Avoid only using Overhead Lighting: Overhead lighting can cast unflattering shadows on your face. Opt for side or front lighting for a more flattering appearance.
A well-lit and clear-sounding interview will be more engaging.
With these tips, you’re well on your way to producing a professional and polished podcast interview for both audio and video.
We will:
- Send out 1 or more emails about the show.
- Promote the show on social media.
- Especially trusted guests will be considered our VIP guests. They will be invited to provide free advertising via a 30-second audio advert, &/or an email advert out to our entire database.
(Hint: The easiest way to become a VIP is to honour all commitments regarding dates, and to provide a fun and informative interview. We’re after a long-term relationship with you).
You will:
- Make sure you’re ready for your interview on time, using the link we’ll provide. It’s important to have good lighting on your face. Plus, (I know you’ll be all over this), but sound is so important. Use a USB microphone or a high-quality headset, and make sure you’ve done a trial run to check out your background using the Zoom Test service. Even if we don’t use zoom to record, this will give you the basis about how you’ll appear.
- Ideally, you will send out 1 email 1 week prior to your show being aired, and also send out 1 email after the show has aired to your database. Where possible we will help you promote via social media by tagging you when we promote your episode, and we’d appreciate it if you could share those posts with your followers as well.
- We will write the copy for you and write incredibly persuasive show notes for your episode, so we’ll make it super-easy.
- You’ll be given time during the interview to promote your product/service/website. (We will also be happy to include a link back to an url of your choice on our websites, which will be great for your SEO).
- Make sure your background is clear from distractions such as pets, or anything that will take the focus off you, as the star.
The Crunch
Unfortunately, in the past, sometimes we’ve been disappointed by people who just want us to promote THEM. This is a true joint venture, where both of us promote each other into our databases. Only fair that way, hey.
We’re after a long term relationship with you so you can appear on the show again and again. This type of relationship is based on trust, where we match each other’s promotional efforts.
Looking forward to hearing your sparkling interview!
