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The real secret to creating content that works across formats isn’t just conducting interviews, it’s structuring them so you can repurpose the material. If you plan the right kinds of questions for your interviews, you’ll walk away with not just a single usable piece, but raw material for blogs, articles, video, podcasts, and social posts.

I learned this lesson early in my writing career. One of my first assignments was for a religious-based magazine, where I interviewed an older couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Back then, there was no social media, so I didn’t think about repurposing at all. I was simply focused on writing the best article possible.

The couple's daughter (who worked for the magazine) told me afterward how nervous she’d been about putting her parents in the spotlight. But both she and her parents were delighted with the final piece, as was the editor. That experience taught me the power of a well-structured interview.

Not long after, I wrote another article that involved extensive research. I turned it in as a single piece, but the publisher split it into three separate articles. That experience had me singing “ka-ching! ka-ching!” all the way to the bank. And it showed me just how valuable it can be when one piece of work turns into multiple paychecks.

Fast forward to today, I’ve interviewed many people—some for commissioned articles and many more for my Online Business Launchpad podcast. In fact, I’ve conducted well over 200 interviews for the show alone. And here’s what I’ve learned: the quality of your questions determines the quality of your answers. And the quality of the answers determines how many different formats I can spin the material into.

Don't Let Your Interview Questions Fall Flat

Before we take a took at those 5 tips for asking great questions, I wanted to touch on something important first.

I know this probably sounds like Captain Obvious here, but if your questions are too general, you're going to get vague, unusable answers. But if those questions are too narrow, you’ll miss opportunities. And if you don’t plan for repurposing, you’ll find yourself scrambling to retro-fit content into formats it wasn’t designed for.

But it’s not just the questions—it’s also how you capture the interview. A fuzzy recording or spotty notes can cost you valuable quotes and make repurposing harder. I used to kick myself sometimes when (back in the dark ages before I had a recording device), I used to miss a great quote because I was too busy trying to write everything down. And no, to my sorrow, I didn't know how to use shorthand (either then or now).

These days it's so much easier. At minimum, you can use a voice recorder on your phone or computer. Or if you’re online, Zoom and Google Meet both offer decent recording capability, though platforms like Riverside or Zencastr give higher-quality audio/video. And trust me ... always have a backup recording running. You’ll thank yourself if (when) something goes wrong.

Okay, so let's take a look at those 5 tips.

1. Start With the End in Mind

Once you've got your interview book, you're going to want to pull some questions together. But before you draft those questions, ask yourself:

• Could this interview work as a video?
• Will I need quotes for social posts or newsletter snippets?
• Is there potential for a thought leadership article or ghostwritten blog?

When you know the content formats you're aiming for, you’ll naturally craft smarter, more versatile questions.

For example:

• If you know you’ll want video snippets, plan to ask questions that invite short, punchy soundbites.
• If you’re targeting an in-depth article, ask layered questions that draw out detail and narrative.
• If social media is the goal, ask for quotable “one-liners” or surprising insights.

By thinking about where the material will go, you’re not just interviewing, you’re strategically shaping those future assets.

2. Use Open-Ended Prompts That Spark Stories

Avoid “yes/no” questions and lean into open-ended ones like:

• “Can you walk me through what happened when…?”
• “What’s something people misunderstand about this topic?”
• “If you had to explain this to a beginner, how would you do it?”

Then, when you get an answer, don’t stop there. A simple follow-up like “What else?” or “What question haven’t I asked that I should have?” can unlock deeper insights. These questions often bring out surprising details or anecdotes that weren’t on your radar, but are perfect for repurposing.

3. Ask With Repurposing in Mind

To get material that plays well in multiple formats, think about the type of answer you want:

• Examples and anecdotes are great for blog posts, guest articles, or LinkedIn stories. For any kind of writing actually. A great story can go a long way to illustrate a key point
• Contrasts or before/after scenarios are perfect for narrative-driven pieces or case studies. We're still talking story here, but it's often a "before/after" type story, especially with case studies. And the more obvious the difference, the stronger the impact of that story
• Step-by-step “how-to” breakdowns are gold for explainer videos, listicles, or social carousels. If people are struggling with something, or trying something new, having that step-by-step process laid out for them, will have them hanging on until your last word
• Bold opinions or predictions are ideal for short video clips, social snippets, or hot-take posts. Especially if those opinions or predictions are counter-intuitive to what the prevailing "wisdom" of the day is

The point is, you can choose strategically which kinds of questions to ask, depending on how you plan to repurpose the content afterward.

4. Capture the “Extras” (and Track Them)

Not everything your subject says will make the final article, but that doesn’t mean that those unused comments aren't useful. Keep a running folder or file of great quotes, hot takes, or mini-stories you didn’t use.

Years ago, I used to keep a paper file of of all my unused ideas and snippets. Recently, I went through that file and realized I had forgotten almost every single one of them. Now I capture and digitize everything—quotes, themes, story sparks—into a searchable system. That way, when I need a fresh idea for a pitch, blog post, or social snippet, I can pull up my archive instantly.

Think of it as building your own personal content library from interviews (just make sure you can search it). And remember, these days you can easily get the transcripts of your interviews done without breaking the bank. So many tools out there will create that transcript for you in just a few seconds.

I personally use Descript (affiliate link), which is perfect for creating transcripts AND for helping me use those transcripts to create social media snippets (both text and video), pulling themes and quotable quotes and more.

5. Shape the Story After the Interview

I seriously thought about making this step a whole post all on its own. Why? Because shaping raw material into a compelling narrative or "can't put it down" story is a true art form.

So as you review your transcript, look for tension, difficulty, and challenges that have been overcome. That’s where the story lives. Then match the story arc to each specific channel. So for ...

• Blog post or article: highlight the full arc (problem → process → resolution) or lay out the hero's journey. Just make sure that the storytelling framework you're using is the right one for the channel you're posting your content on
• Social posts: zoom in on the emotional punchline, the aha-moment, or the strongest quote. AI is great at helping you go through a transcript and pull out the best quotes. Does it grab the very best quotes every time? No, but it will find enough of them to make the effort worthwhile
• Video: focus on the drama, the transformation, or teachable takeaways. Be sure to make sure the audio is good and that you use captions. What's exciting these days is that you can even take one video and turn it into two or more videos, just by having it captioned in different languages
• Podcast: let the story breathe and unfold in a human way. There's nothing more powerful than watching (or listening) to someone tell their story in real time. And it's up to you as the interviewer to pull out the context and nuance that can be hidden there

Just remember, every format you use will want a slightly different angle. As the writer, you’re not just capturing answers to the questions you're asking ... you’re shaping a story that works across multiple channels.

Want to help other writers get more out of every interview? Share this post with a friend or colleague who’s ready to stop wasting good content.

Author's Bio

Trudy Rankin is an online business strategist and content creator who loves writing about quirky or funny experiences that teach life lessons. She helps service-based business owners attract the right leads using smart systems, quizzes, and AI, without adding to their sense of overwhelm. She and her husband live in Melbourne Australia and enjoy renovating camper vans and traveling, especially to visit family.