How to Conduct Compelling Podcast Interviews

I've conducted over 860 interviews with eCommerce experts across two podcasts. Most people see podcasting as content creation. I see it as strategic research. Through hosting the Keep Optimising Marketing Podcast and the OG eCommerce MasterPlan Podcast, I've built a system for uncovering what actually works in eCommerce marketing today. Here's my approach: Guest selection is deliberate. I'm not chasing follower counts or massive news stories. I'm finding guests who are implementing strategies right now-people managing Meta Ads at scale, retention specialists working with high-growth brands, founders building high-growth and sustainable eCommerce businesses. On KO the mini-masterclass format is key. Instead of jumping between topics randomly, we explore one marketing channel across five consecutive episodes. Different experts, same channel. This depth reveals patterns that single interviews miss. I say on the podcast it's to help the audience avoid overwhelm... it's also a lot easier for me 🤣 The real value comes in the distillation. After each conversation, I identify the tactical takeaways that eCommerce brands can actually implement. Not theory. Not fluff. The specific tactics that are driving results. Recent examples that stand out: 🎤 A retention framework from a DTC brand that reduced churn significantly 🎤 An Amazon Ads structure that simplified campaign management whilst improving performance 🎤 A sustainability positioning strategy that strengthened both brand loyalty and margins Podcasting isn't just about producing content. It's about building a continuous learning system that benefits everyone involved. What's your primary source for staying current with eCommerce marketing strategies?

Interviews these days are performances—for the guest, platform, and the interviewer. Not the tech-bro podcasts stream, but interviews where questions can earn answers. As someone who has done hundreds of interviews in my role as a journalist, editor, moderator, panelist, there are some I am proud of & others I detest (and you know which is which at the very moment) I have also observed, watched excellent interviewers as they prepare for high-stake interviews, emotional ones, sensitive ones, and those where the stakes are as high as the access. A few things I have held close: 1. One clean question at a time. No ampersands, no clauses. Ask it in one breath. If you can’t, it’s not ready. 2. Define the stake, not the topic. A question should take you closer to what’s at stake. 3. The interview as a ladder. Base—ground truth. Start climbing —mechanism—how does this work. Reaching the top—accountability—who decides, who benefits, who pays? 4. There are off-limits. I agree to some: trauma, legal, minors. Boundaries make harder questions possible later. 5. I learnt it later in my career but prepare one generic disconfirming question: what would change your mind? It can pull the conversation out of autopilot or give you a way in. 6. Silence is magic. Count to three after the answer. Rehearsed talking points can break. 7. Quote the number back: you said ₹___ crore / %, right. Numbers crack open the spin. 8. Separate story from stance. “That’s moving, can we move to the ___.” Empathy isn’t endorsement. 9. Come back to the question if you need to—sometimes firmly, sometimes gently, sometimes with caveats, sometimes acknowledging the repetition. Know when to stop. 10. I do this more since I have gone independent. Publish your method when it’s high-stake. Even two lines—what we asked for, how we got it, what was declined—builds trust. 11. Eat a nutritious, low carb meal, at least three hours before an interview. 12. And, listen. I have more lessons from a bad interview, hard lessons that took a while to learn, because it lingered in my head for weeks. I'll write about that soon. Have you conducted or had a bad interview? How did you recover + what did you learn? #interview

Here's how I used AI to make a podcast interview unique and highly relevant to my audience. A step by step walkthrough of my process. If your guest has been interviewed a hundred times before, how do you ask them something new? That was my challenge before interviewing Joe Pulizzi. I already speak to Joe from time to time. I've interviewed him before. I’ve heard his takes. We share audience and they hear him often. So I needed fresh questions—ones that matter to my podcast audience. Enter AI. This is how I used Perplexity AI to: ✅ Research what Joe has already been asked before ✅ Identify content gaps my audience would care about ✅ Generate original, thought-provoking questions But AI doesn’t replace the human touch. It just gives you a smarter starting point. I still refined the list, added my perspective, and removed any obvious questions - keeping only the most relevant and engaging ones. Now, my interview won’t be just another repeat—it’ll be a real conversation with new questions that you wouldn't have heard on another show. #contentmarketing #podcast

Okay, yesterday I wrote that asking great questions is a superpower. It is. Today, I'll give you 12 tips I've learned from conducting 100s of podcast interviews the last few years: 1) Your guest mirrors your state If you're confident and open, chances are they will be too. If you're nervous and defensive, they probably will be too. Mindset is very, very important. 2) The goal should be a good guest experience An interview isn't an interrogation. It's a conversation, and my goal is simple: make them forget that we're recording at all. 3) Don’t worry too much about your audience This is specific to podcasting. I don't care about what my audience wants. I care about what I'm curious about. That's the only authentic way I can gauge what's interesting, and I can only hope that others find what i find interesting. The broader point is you don't want to be too self-conscious or self-aware of what you're doing. Focus on the subject. 4) Sailing > rowing Research is fine, but asking a pre-written list of questions in order is super lame and ineffective. I know you want a conversation to go in a certain direction, but trying to force it that way limits its value. You have to feel the wind to sail. 5) Argue with people who are too polished If you're getting stock answers, you can play devil's advocate and push them a little bit. This works with well-spoken people who have talking points. It doesn't work well with shy people. 6) State inaccurate opinions or numbers to trigger corrections Playing the dumb guy works with most people because then they get to play the smart one 8) Self-deprecate and ask dumb questions Re-emphasizing this point because it's particularly important to draw insights out of people who aren't interviewed often or are in their shell. 9) Ask a record skip question to get someone out of autopilot Sometimes I'll be in a line of questions about SEO and then just ask about architecture because I know they like it. They're like "wut?" and then their authentic self comes out, even when I go back to SEO. 10) The thesis emerges via the conversation You don't know what you don't know, and the patterns will emerge only if you're a mindful participant in the conversation. 11) Open up and be vulnerable You being vulnerable gives them the chance to do so as well 12) Double click and call back I'm shocked when I'm a guest on a pod, give an answer, and they don't ask any follow ups. No clarifications, nothing. We just move on...? Some of the best insights I've gotten come from "Can you explain more?" type questions. Also, if their eyes light up, come back to the topic. Notice body language signals. 13) Be confident This comes with time and practice, but the more confident you are, the more open you'll be to finding your own tactics, and getting away from a scripted playbook. Pros are fluid.

The biggest flaw of podcasting is that there’s no built-in distribution, which means: 1. Podcasts only spread through word of mouth or by 2. Piggybacking off of trending formats (short-form video) on algorithmic platforms (LinkedIn, YouTube, Substack etc) Ultimately, the only way to maximize the k-factor of a podcast episode is to extract 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 — practical insights and polarizing opinions — from the guest. Whenever I’m interviewing guests, I try to shape my questions into narratives where I can make the listener feel like they want to stop what they’re doing and to take a note. I’m always trying to get someone to stop driving, pull their car over, and bookmark what the guest is saying. ___________ Here is my essential list of questions to get the best soundbites from a guest: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂? - In an ideal scenario, if a customer has finished listening to this, what would you want them to naturally do? - What’s the call to action? - What is the feeling you want to leave them with? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀? - What trends are BS or fads? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 / 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? - In what specific contexts do they experience the pain? What are some specifics? - How are you / your peers / your customers solving this problem today? - What are the pros and cons of each alternative? - If competitors exist, what’s the difference between your company’s approach and theirs? Use this as an opportunity to counterposition your business. What makes you 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 versus better? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 / 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆’𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟬𝟭 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲? 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 [ 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 ] ___________ I’m Ira Ko CEO of Shapeshift. Since 2019, I’ve founded two podcast companies and have spent thousands of hours interviewing, producing, and coaching CEOs on how to podcast. Subscribe to my Substack for practical insights weekly.

Here’s the thing nobody tells you about speaking on a panel or podcast. Most people are so focused on sounding smart that they forget the ONLY thing the audience cares about. Connection. Real, human, punch-you-in-the-chest connection. After speaking at SXSW, SEAT, and presenting to teams at Disney Entertainment, Live Nation Entertainment, Peloton Interactive, and a few others who definitely didn’t have time to be bored, I’ve learned one truth. Public speaking is not a performance. It’s a service. And when you treat it like service, everything changes. Here are the data-backed habits that actually move the needle. 1. Speak in 12-second blocks. Studies show the average listener tunes out after 12 to 18 seconds. Break everything into short, clean blocks. No paragraphs. Just punches. 2. Start with a story, not a credential. Neuroscience says stories activate up to 7 regions of the brain. Credentials activate one. Make them feel before you make them think. 3. Give one controversial take. Panels are full of "nice" opinions. Be the person who says the thing everyone is thinking. Bold viewpoints create 3 to 5 times more engagement. 4. Make every answer actionable. People remember speakers who solve problems. Not speakers who speak. Every point you make should pass the "can someone use this tomorrow" test. 5. Let your personality leak. Humor increases retention by 20 percent. Vulnerability increases trust by 40 percent. Combine both and you’re basically cheating. 6. Slow your pace by 15 percent. Most speakers rush. Research shows listeners rate slower speakers as more credible, more confident and more strategic. 7. End with a takeaway, not a thank you. Give them the line they quote later. The line they text to a friend. The line that gets screenshotted. If you’re stepping onto a stage or into a podcast, remember this. You’re not there to impress. You’re there to impact. And when you shift your mindset, the audience shifts with you. #sales #publicspeaking #podcast

A client preparing for an important podcast confessed he's a bit "wordy." I complimented him for recognizing what could be a fatal flaw and said, "That's why you're going to keep your remarks to 2 minutes and answer every question with an EXAMPLE instead of an EXPLANATION. Explanations are INFObesity. Examples are INTRIGUING." He agreed but said, "I don't know HOW to tell a short story." I told him, "The key is to put us in the S.C.E.N.E. Here's how: S = SENSORY DETAIL: Start with WHERE to put us THERE. Think of a real-life situation that illustrates your point. What did it look like? Smell like? Feel like? Sound like? C = CHARACTERS: Describe the individual(s) involved so we know their MOOD. We don't need to know they have brown hair. The question is, are they sad, mad? Excited? Frustrated? E = EXPERIENCE IT: Re-enact what happened so we can SEE what you're SAYING. If YOU see and feel what you saw and felt then, WE will too. N =NARRATIVE: If you don't have dialogue, it’s not a story, it's a listicle of events. Use comma/quotes of exactly what was said so it's ALIVE and we feel part of the conversation. E = EPIPHANY: What is the lesson-learned, shift, or AHA where everything comes together and the point suddenly makes sense? If the podcaster asks, "WHY did you write this book?" don't TELL him why you wrote the book. Put us in the S.C.E.N.E. of when and where you realized people were getting outdated badvice, and decided to share your recent research and evolutionary results so they could thrive instead of suffer needlessly. And keep each response to under 2 minutes. If you do, this becomes a rock-and-roll interview from start to finish. You will be infinitely more interesting and people will be motivated to keep listening. #podcasts #storytelling #speaking #samhorn #presenting

5 things that will transform the way you connect—on camera, in meetings, and in real life. After 12 years in journalism, I’ve learned that connection has less to do with how well you speak—and more to do with how well you see the person in front of you. Whether I’m leading a podcast interview, navigating a hard conversation, or just catching up with a friend, these five habits have made every interaction deeper, clearer, and more human. My five game-changing interview strategies that work beyond journalism: - Listen beyond words - Body language and pauses reveal more than perfect answers ever will - Embrace the awkward pause - Count to five after they answer. The magic happens in that silence - Ask open-ended questions - "How did that make you feel?" beats "Were you sad?" every time - Watch for emotional cues - Fidgeting, voice changes, and hesitation tell the real story - Practice emotional breadcrumbing - Reference something meaningful from their past that shows you truly see them The most transformative technique? Finding that Instagram post from three years ago about something deeply personal that never made headlines. When you show someone you've done real research into what matters to them, walls come down instantly. These skills revolutionized my podcast conversations and everyday interactions. Whether you're leading a team meeting, having a difficult conversation with a partner, or building new relationships, better questions create deeper connections. Study the masters: Oprah for emotional intelligence, Terry Gross for elegant questioning, Jon Stewart for navigating sensitive topics with empathy and humor. The goal isn't just better interviews—it's becoming someone people feel truly heard by.

Want to make a good podcast? Don't ask the same sh*t everyone else does. A lot of the guests I have on Stansplaining are quite well known so they have done lots of interviews. And they always get asked the same questions. Things about their career that interviewers assume everyone wants to know. But the feedback I've gotten from my podcast guests is that I don't ask the questions they're expecting. That's because I don't want to talk about the same things everyone else does. Why would someone listen to Stansplaining if they are just getting the same stuff they get everywhere else? These guests aren't 1 dimensional people, so I try to take a different lens and ask things I actually want to know. Because as I'm trying to get better at interviewing, I think the best way to do that is to find an angle I actually give a f&%k about. Asking them about how they make money and the business side of things gives me the chance to offer something to them as well. I'm not the guy that's going to give someone life advice, but I do know business, marketing, and content creation. So when we get into those types of conversations, I try to offer value back to them because I can speak to that stuff. Not only does that make all these podcast interviews way more fascinating for me, but it means the audience can see I know what I'm talking about. And it means hopefully my guests walk away with something they can use, too.

One of our clients recorded her first podcast episode last week. And afterwards she said something I didn’t expect: “I actually really enjoyed that.” Most first timers finish their first interview thinking about how they sounded. She finished thinking about the opportunity. Here’s why the episode worked out so well: → We prepared her message around demand, not delivery Instead of worrying about sounding perfect, we got clear on one thing: What problem is she known for solving and how does this interview highlight that? Keeping that angle in mind made her answers sharper and more relevant to potential buyers. → We picked the business stories that actually move listeners closer to a “yes” She didn’t share random anecdotes or a life timeline. She focused on the moments that explain why her work matters and the ones that build trust and open the door to sales. → We prepped her for strategic moments in the conversation The questions that reveal buying objections. The subtle openings to explain her method. The chance to position her offer without sounding pitchy. When she walked out, she said: “Honestly… I’m already excited for the next one.” And that’s what good business prep does: It turns a podcast from something you get through into something that actually drives demand.