Blog

6 Tips To Conduct Great Podcast Interviews

Podcast interviews are a great way to grow your audience, switch up from the norm, and provide value to your listeners. It’s a win-win-win situation. However, interviewing is so much more than pressing record and asking a bunch of random questions. Oh no! There is a purpose and there is a skill to this thing, all within your reach. Here are 6 tips to make your podcast interviews pop!

6. Audience

Before you even invite a guest on your show, you have to consider your listeners. Why? Well because your listeners are the ones who will be downloading, streaming and hopefully, sharing and telling their friends how awesome your podcast episodes are. They are attracted to your content and your style of delivery. So you always want to keep them in mind.

Ask yourself, how can your audience benefit from this potential guest you are considering? Better yet, what do they want to know about this topic or this person you are planning to interview? (A good way to find out is to...

How To Be A Good Emcee: What You Must Know Before You Go

So you've been tapped to emcee an event. First of all, cheers to you! I always think it is an honor to be able to be in the position of the emcee. It is definitely more than just standing up and talking into a microphone. The role of an emcee is an important one. So whether you are just starting out or have done this a time or two, here are some helpful tips for your next gig.

1. Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience is very important because it dictates the tone you set for the event. For example, the atmosphere you set for a women’s empowerment conference could be different from an annual gala or fundraiser. The audience for a popular music concert will have different expectations than an annual block party for the community. Your content as an emcee will be different from one event to another so you have to know your audience and know how to cater specifically to them.

2. Rehearse Scripts Beforehand

Please don’t ever, ever, ever...

4 Ways to Avoid Being Average

We've always heard the motto practice makes perfect. And while that stands true for anything a person wants to achieve, there are a few more mantras to adopt. Here are 4 Ways to Avoid Being Average:

1. Step Out of Your Comfort Zone When was the last time you did something you don't normally do to enhance your business or personal development? It could be going to a networking event. It could be speaking to new people about your business or aspirations. It could be attending a class that will give you more insight in your area of expertise. A little scared, huh? Well, don't let that stop you. Sometimes you have to do it afraid. You aren't alone. A lot of people feel a bit nervous doing something new but no one ever elevates staying where they are. Find a new normal outside your comfort zone.

2. Ask for Help In our pride we like to believe we know it all but the truth is, we don't. No one does. There are people willing to help you....

ON-AIR: 3 Tips for Aspiring Radio Personalities

1. Prep

Content, content, content. Content is everything. You MUST prepare before going on-air. Your content will vary based on the type of show you have (sports, news, entertainment) but prep is a must. There are many sources available for you to gather content and eventually you can become your own source of original content but you must keep an on-going pulse on topics related to your type of radio show. Believe me, 30 seconds on live radio feels like an eternity when you have nothing more to say so you definitely need to prepare and have enough content for your segments.

2. Engage

While you’re on-air, it’s vital to engage with your audience and thankfully, social media has given us many more ways to do so: send tweets, post messages, request comments, pose questions, receive text messages or take callers. The key is to make it personal. And since most people just love giving their opinion, you are bound to get some responses,...

Behind the Lens: 5 Christian Execs Influencing Mainstream TV & Film

There is a new wave of faith-based television and films surfacing on a mainstream level and guess who is ecstatic about these developments? Well, yes, moi of course, but not just me. There are many others who’ve been looking for new content that feeds their faith in a fresh, contemporary way without compromising quality. For so long the packaging of our faith-based movies and TV shows were uhhh…average at best. Though the messages were solid, the methods left much to be desired. However, we’ve witnessed a huge surge in quality content in the last few years causing television watchers and moviegoers around the world to take note. What we’ve seen and experienced is the type of content that entertains our souls but carries a strong message to our spirits.

While I can list a few of those movies and TV shows, I thought it better to shine a light the executives behind the lens. These are the movers and shakers you may not know (yet) but are advocating,...

5 Tips To Slay Your Next Media Interview

So you booked an interview on a podcast, radio show, or even YouTube channel to talk up your expertise and promote your brand or product. *cue confetti* Interviews are a must for anyone who wants to expand their audience and increase visibility. If done right, the avenue in which the interview is conducted and the interviewee can both benefit from the exchange resulting in a win-win scenario.

SMLXL

However, in my years of conducting interviews from celebrities to politicians, to entrepreneurs, music artists and so on, I've encountered some less-than-desirable dialogues. Some of which, with a few pointers, could have drastically heightened the overall experience and desired results. So from my real life experiences, I elected to share some first hand knowledge on how to slay on-air interviews. Whether it's for a new product, service, or sale, I got you. Read on and handle your next interview like the...

5 Surprising Gospel-Mainstream Collabs You Never Imagined

If you haven’t noticed by now, there is a new wave of change happening in the world of Gospel Music. The dividing line that keeps the ‘secular folks’ on one side and the gospel folks on another has started to fade. Music lovers and artists alike, who don’t mind the intermingling, are dabbing in chorus with this new thing. Others, ehhh, not so much. Arguments on both sides go something like this:

pro: we (gospel artists) are being a light in a dark place. We’ll expand our reach for Jesus!

no: Lucifer was like the MD in heaven and got kicked out. His influence is all over mainstream music. Don’t have any parts of that!

Whatever side you find yourself on, just know this: the tides are a-turnin’. Now while I, myself can understand the sincere purpose of why a Christian artist would collaborate with a mainstream artist, I have to admit, a few of these collabs had me raising my penciled-in eyebrows. Not because I think...

Stellar Awards Weekend Recap: 3 Things I Learned

The Stellar Awards is one of my absolute faaaaavorite award show weekends. Full of events, music showcases, networking, and spiritual enrichment. It was thrilling to interview some of Gospel Music's most notable celebrities and public figures. They really showed up! I'm always honored and humbled to be apart of this industry and this winning weekend was no different.

SMLXL

The abundance of events kicked off Thursday and lasted to Sunday in Las Vegas. Most of the "Stellar sanctioned" events were held at The Orleans Arena. (Though they are many, many other events that take place that aren't necessarily sanctioned by the Stellars, but very good to attend nonetheless.) I went along with some of the other radio personalities at Praise 95.3.

SMLXL

L to R: Monique Shurray, Nate Salary, Paula Renee'. (Missing: Devon "Chev Dev" Price and Tami Price)

However, while enjoying the late night bowling concert,...

Who's Written This Blog

Monique Shurray

Entertainment Journalist & Radio Personality

Monique Shurray is an Entertainment Journalist and Media Personality who has a love for music, a passion for media, and a heart for ministry. She’s interviewed countless guests for television and radio including well-known celebrities, politicians, music artists, entrepreneurs and business-owners, just to name a few.

The Podcast Interviewer's Checklist

This free checklist was created to make sure you are prepped and ready to conduct your next podcast interview!

Get The Checklist!

Must Read

6 Tips To Conduct Great Podcast Interviews

branding growth interviews podcast podcast interviews

How To Be A Good Emcee: What You Must Know Before You Go

emcee host prep speak

4 Ways to Avoid Being Average

business goals growth