How to conduct better SME interviews for your content
By Rachel Henry
Every day, a staggering 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created online. The sheer amount of information being generated means that there’s a lot of crappy content on the internet. This is an excellent opportunity for your B2B tech company to rise above the noise and publish interesting and helpful original content. Knowing how to conduct better subject matter expert interviews (SME interviews) is a critical part of the process.
In this article, we’ll dive into:
The importance of original content
An answer to the question, “What is an SME?”
The two types of SMEs you can work with
Four tips to conduct better SME interviews
Bolster your marketing with original content
As a B2B marketer who’s strapped for time, the thought of writing content yourself may not be too appealing. And if the content you want to publish includes industry-specific subject matter, you might be concerned that a content writer won’t be able to do it justice.
While the latter point isn’t necessarily true (many content writers are trained journalists who know how to present technical topics in a digestible way), there is likely a simple solution for your content marketing program: pairing a writer up with a subject matter expert.
A great SME knows your industry inside and out. They can explain complicated concepts, discern trends from data and make a fantastic partner for a content writer, who can then weave a compelling story from the SME’s knowledge.
Considering that original research like SME interviews fuels new content from only 41% of bloggers, this presents a chance for your B2B tech company to stand out. When you leverage SMEs’ expertise, you can create high quality content that builds a strong, trustworthy relationship with your audience.
On the other hand, if you’re only sharing other brands’ content online, you’re missing a valuable opportunity to establish your company’s credibility and provide your unique perspective. “Womp, womp,” as they say.
What is an SME and why work with one?
An SME specializes in a specific field and has a thorough understanding of their niche (for example, product development, operations or finance). They can often share information on technology, strategy and more. As a B2B tech marketer, you can leverage their expertise to create original content that takes a deep dive into a particular topic.
There are two types of SMEs to have on your radar for content creation backup: internal and external. An internal SME works within your organization, and you can ask a content writer to interview them and craft a piece (for example, a white paper or blog post) based on their conversation.
External SMEs also have specific expertise, but they don’t work within your company. For example, you may need a Chartered Public Accountant (or Certified Public Accountant for our American readers) to weigh in on a piece of content you’re creating. If your B2B tech company doesn’t employ that role, you’ll need to find an external SME to help.
Teaming up with an external subject matter specialist is a great option when you require the know-how of someone with a specific credential or skillset. They can provide quotes for your content, give their insight to confirm your brand’s position on a topic, and ultimately offer up information to create content that your audience wants to see and learn from.
4 tips to conduct better SME interviews
1. Choose the right SME
Look for a team player! Enlisting the right subject matter specialist for your project is key to a successful piece of content. You want an expert who not only has extensive knowledge on the subject you’re writing about, but is also eager to help your organization and work with your content marketing writer.
If you’re sourcing an internal SME, it should be someone who is supportive of your company’s content program.
2. Craft solid interview questions
Your subject matter expert interview questions will impact the type of responses you receive, and ultimately, the quality of the finished product. Avoid yes or no answers (which make for bland content) by ensuring that you or your content writer asks powerful, open-ended questions. This will give the interviewee lots of space to provide compelling comments. Consider the 5 Ws — who, what, when, where and why — and phrase questions in this way to elicit interesting information from your SME.
Remember to always ask your SME what the key takeaway for the reader is on any given topic, and if they have any recommended resources to share, so you can highlight key points while encouraging your audience to investigate further.
3. Help your SME prepare
SMEs are busy people with day jobs and other demands on their time. To ensure you get the most value possible from every SME interview, give your interviewee the opportunity to prepare. When requesting an interview, communicate your expectations and make it clear why you’re asking for their time and how the interview will help your company. This is especially crucial with external SMEs.
It’s not only good etiquette to send your SME the interview questions a few days in advance, it also ensures they have time to review them and understand exactly what information you’re looking to include in your content.
4. Listen deeply during the interview
Limit distractions and actively listen to your interviewee to show them you genuinely value their time and insight. You can give yourself more freedom to be engaged in the conversation by recording the interview and not taking notes. This will also make it easier for you to ask follow-up questions in the moment and encourage the discussion to flow naturally. Or, if you’re a seasoned interviewer, you may want to record the call and take notes.
Practicing techniques like reflecting, summarizing and clarifying throughout the interview can help you get the best insights possible for your content.
Stick with us! This post is part of a series on developing a 10-step content creation workflow for exceptional results. Read the next post.
Leverage original content to reach your goals
Working with an SME is an excellent way to produce content that will set your B2B tech company apart from the crowd.
Not sure what to do with all the great insights your SME shared? Download our free essential content checklist and learn how to turn the knowledge from your SME interview into content that will drive both brand loyalty and sales.
