Although used most by the journalist crowd, interviewing sources can prove invaluable to content marketing professionals as well. You can rely on the interview information to expand your expertise and integrate quotes that instantly boost the authority of your written work.
You might be hesitant to offer this service, however, without knowing how to best approach the process of finding and interviewing sources. Thankfully, it is easier than it looks, especially when you know just what tools of the trade to use. To help you get started, here’s a rundown of the most effective tools you can use to find and interview sources.
Find Reputable Sources
When you need to find the perfect source for your articles, take a peek at these helpful sites.
HARO
Help a Reporter Out, or HARO as it is better known, allows you to put out a free interview request and connect with individuals with the experience you seek. Sources browse through the requests in an effort to find where they can best share their expertise and promote their companies.
To help ensure only qualified sources respond to your request, make sure to clearly state your requirements and query information in the appropriate fields. Since all requests go out to potential sources as an email, it can take at least three days to hear anything back. Once you select your ideal source, remember to respond to the remainder with your thanks.
ProfNet
With ProfNet, you can submit interview requests and browse through the database of experts in your desired field. They also send out the requests by email, giving sources the opportunity to quickly respond to your queries.
While content marketers, journalists, and the like can sign up for free, sources must pay to subscribe for access to the collaboration requests. But since you can approach potential sources yourself, it does not always take days to get a response. You do have to craft your query and messages with the right level of detail to vet your sources, however, or you could end up wasting a lot of time.
Given enough time, you can almost always find the right source through these two sites. To make your job even easier, always remember to ask your clients if they can connect you with sources as well.
Record the Call
Though they cannot help with your jittery nerves, these apps help make recording the call easier than ever.
TapeACall
Available only for iOS, TapeACall allows you to easily record all your interviews, potentially capturing excellent quotes and insights along the way. While the other apps charge by the month or minute, this one offers unlimited recording for a relatively low annual fee. For a little bit more, you can add transcription services to your plan. Although they did recently drop Android support, this is a favorite amongst writers.
You can use this app with both incoming and outgoing calls, placing your call on their private conference line. With the completion of the call, the app saves your recording and allows you to review, download, and share at your convenience. If you paid the extra fee, you can also have your recordings transcribed, and then edit within the app.
Cube Call Recorder ACR
For the Android crowd, there are many apps, but Cube Call Recorder ACR offers the most features and is the easiest to use. In addition to regular calls, you can use this app to record VOIP conversations through Skype, Slack, and more.
Although the base app is free, it is well worth getting the premium edition. As you come across vital pieces of information during the interview, the premium version of this app allows you to give your device a shake to mark your spot. After upgrading, you can also back up your recordings to Google Drive, save them on an SD card, or export the conversations to other platforms and devices.
While these are the most reliable of the bunch, you have your choice of apps that will record your calls. So, pick your favorite one and make sure to test it out with a friend before diving in to your first interview.
Transcribe the Interview
You cannot use those quotes until you have them down on paper, but thankfully, these apps are here to help.
Rev
You can send in your audio files to Rev and have them returned as a text document in less than a day. In fact, with their Shorten Turnaround upgrade, you can get your file back in less than 12 hours. They charge just $1 per minute for their transcription services with an upcharge for a short turnaround time, time stamps, and verbatim services. If you upload an audio file longer than 30 minutes, the quick turnaround time comes free. Although Rev is priced at the higher end of the spectrum, it is highly coveted for its accuracy.
Trint
Powered by AI, Trint does compromise a bit on accuracy, but it can save you money in the long run. You can choose between the per minute pricing structure at $15 for 60 minutes or sign up for a subscription. Upon selecting your pricing structure and uploading your audio file, the system will quickly get to work. In addition to converting your file to text, it will make your file searchable and allow you to share portions of the audio online.
If you have the time and budget, it is always infinitely better to work with a dedicated transcriptionist. The apps will do in a pinch, however, so don’t hesitate to load up your audio file to quickly move on with the rest of your project.
With these tools on your side, you can find and interview sources with the best of them. Just remember, as you start offering this service, remember to adjust your price to account for the extra time and effort required. Even adding a single interview can eat up hours, so calculate your rate accordingly to ensure you get all that you deserve.
Marie A. is a talented copywriter and content strategist who can help you achieve great success with all your digital marketing campaigns. She can write up all the web content you need to promote your company and build a loyal following. She also provides content strategy services to help you establish and follow an effective inbound marketing plan. She writes shareable copy with a clear call to action that inspires your readers to move forward in their purchase journey. Her content will always reflects your company voice and mission while adhering to your preferred style guide.
