The Secret to Great SME Interviews? Think Like a Journalist
Authored by: Erica Pollock
If you’re a content writer, SME interviews are probably part of your process. And if you’ve done a few, you’ve probably stopped preparing as hard for them as you once did. That’s when the wheels come off – because if you think you can wing it, you’re either wildly overconfident or somehow related to Larry King.
A great SME interview doesn’t happen by accident. It takes preparation, sharp questions, and enough active listening to actually hear what’s being said. Here’s how to get there.
Do the Research
Don’t just skim the top results on Google. You want to dig into the expert’s work, their background, past interviews, and any contributions to their industry or field of expertise. Look for recurring themes, controversial takes, or even some lesser-known aspects of their career.
You also need to research not just the person, but the industry around them. Without that baseline knowledge, it’s hard to have a natural conversation or ask smart follow-up questions. Speaking of which…
Ask Better Questions
One of my journalism professors used to say: “If you want a more interesting answer, ask a more interesting question.”
And it’s really that simple. Boring questions get boring answers. Whereas specific, well-researched questions will give you the kind of insight that doesn’t exist anywhere else – which is really the whole point of doing an interview in the first place.
The best example I know of this is Hot Ones, the YouTube show where host Sean Evans interviews celebrities while they eat increasingly hot chicken wings. The concept is entertaining on its own, but what makes the show genuinely great is Evans’ questions.
Sean Evans makes excellent use of specific questions when interviewing basketball legend Stephen Curry on the YouTube show, ‘Hot Ones’. Image source
When interviewing Stephen Curry, Evans asked: “NBA Jam popularized the concept of being ‘on fire,’ but there was an influential study in the 1985 edition of Cognitive Psychology that said that ‘hot hand theory’ — or streak shooting — is a myth. As the NBA’s all-time leading three-point shooter, what’s your take? Does being ‘on fire’ feel real to you?”
That question works on every level. It references a pop culture touchpoint and a cognitive psychology study in the same breath. It’s tailored specifically to Curry’s record. It introduces a finding that directly contradicts his lived experience as a player, which makes a canned answer essentially impossible. And it pairs objective fact with a request for personal opinion, so the response has to be his.
That’s the formula: show your homework, make it personal, and build in something that invites a real response rather than a rehearsed one.
A few ways to apply this to your own interviews:
- Contextualize their experience. Tie the question directly to their unique role or perspective. If they’ve written something, reference it. If they led a specific project, ask about it directly.
For example: “In your recent article, you mentioned that AI is revolutionizing content marketing, but there’s skepticism about its long-term SEO implications. Can you expand on why you think AI will complement rather than disrupt traditional SEO practices?”
- Use data as a springboard. Reference a relevant study or report, then ask how their experience lines up (or doesn’t).
For example: “
HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing Report showed that 82% of marketers felt that AI has helped increase their content production. What has your experience been like using AI in your content creation process, and how do you ensure your content quality doesn’t suffer when doing so?” - Challenge a misconception. If they hold a contrarian view, hone in on that.
For example: “Many say that B2B buyers don’t respond to emotional messaging, but your recent campaign used humor to great effect. How do you see emotion playing a role in B2B content moving forward?”
- Ask about a decision they’ve made. This is a good way to encourage them to share personal stories and anecdotes with more specific details.
For example: “You’ve successfully implemented several innovative marketing strategies in your role at [Company]. What metrics or results do you look for that indicate these strategies are working?”
That being said, once the interview starts, don’t be a slave to your question list. If the expert says something unexpected and interesting, follow it. Asking questions rapid-fire makes it feel like an interrogation. The goal is a conversation.
During the Interview
Start with a little small talk. The expert might be nervous too, especially if they don’t do interviews often. A quick comment about something from their LinkedIn or a shared common interest can ease the tension and get the conversation moving naturally.
Then: listen. Actually listen. Not the “scanning your notes while nodding” kind of listening. The kind where you are fully present, making eye contact, paying attention to tone and pacing. Active listening means you’re picking up on the non-verbal cues too: a shift in tone, a longer-than-usual pause, a moment of hesitation before answering. If someone pauses before answering a question, that’s often a signal there’s more to the story – discomfort, a better example they’re deciding whether to share, or a nuance they don’t think you’ll understand.
Silence is a useful tool in that situation. After they answer, wait a beat before moving on. Many people will keep going, adding context or detail they wouldn’t have offered unprompted. If they don’t, a good follow-up question will.
A few I come back to constantly:
- “Tell me more.”
- “What do you mean by that?”
- “Can you share an example?”
They’re incredibly simple, but that’s exactly why they work. They keep the conversation moving without steering it somewhere artificial, and they consistently surface the kind of specific detail that makes a piece worth reading.
After the Interview
Whether you recorded the conversation or took notes (hopefully both), try to organize your material as soon as possible after the interview. Transcribing the interview right away, or at least key sections, helps you spot any additional insights or comments you might have missed in real-time.
Use this opportunity to categorize their responses and link together key ideas or thoughts. Grouping similar topics together will make it easier to structure and write the article, since you’ll already have the main points organized.
Get the Details Right
Be sure to check facts, figures, and names to ensure accuracy. Misquoting your expert or getting a simple detail wrong (like how to spell their name correctly) can damage your credibility, so it’s worth the extra effort to get it right.
If you’re unsure about something the interviewee said, don’t hesitate to reach out for clarification. It’s far better to ask now, than to publish something inaccurate later.
You’ll also want to cross-reference any claims with external sources. For example, if the SME mentions a trend, statistic, or data point, find corroborating evidence or statistics from a reliable external source. This not only ensures accuracy but helps you present a well-rounded perspective that’s more valuable to your audience.
A Note On Ethics…
As an interviewer, your credibility relies on more than just accurate quotes. It also depends on maintaining the integrity of the process. Ensure that you are following ethical practices from start to finish.
That includes things like:
- Getting their permission to record the interview
- Being transparent about how you plan to use the material
- Ensuring anything that is said off-the-record, stays off-the-record
- Fact-checking claims with a secondary, reputable source
- Representing their views fairly, even when simplifying for clarity
- Always giving credit where it’s due
Should You Share the Draft?
This is something that often comes up after the interview: the SME asks you to take a look at the first draft, before it’s been published. What should you do?
In journalism, it’s common practice not to share an article before it’s published. This keeps the integrity of the piece intact and avoids the SME trying to edit, retract, or soften their own quotes.
However, in marketing, the dynamic can be a bit different. Sharing a draft before publication can create goodwill and help build long-term relationships. This is especially important if you plan to work with the SME again. It also gives them an opportunity to confirm that their thoughts are accurately conveyed.
Ultimately, whether you share the draft or not comes down to your goals for the piece and your professional relationship with the interviewee. Consider how collaborative the relationship is, and make your decision based on that.
And whether you decide to send a draft or not, you should still always follow up after the interview by sending a quick email thanking them for their time. If you really want to go the extra mile, you could even send a handwritten note to their office.
No matter how you follow-up, people always appreciate the gesture, and it can increase the chances they’ll want to work with you again in the future.
Channel Your Inner Journalist for Better SME Interviews
Great journalists know that a great piece of writing often comes from a great interview. And if you come prepared, have genuine curiosity, and enough respect for the other person’s expertise to ask them something worth answering, you’re already halfway there.
Author bio: Erica Pollock is a content strategist with a journalism background, who specializes in turning complex ideas into engaging, actionable content. In her spare time she enjoys walking her dog Charlie, acrylic painting, and getting lost down the occasional Wikipedia rabbit-hole.
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