The effectiveness of your corporate video often depends heavily on the quality of the interview questions you ask. Great questions lead to authentic responses and compelling storytelling, while unclear or unfocused questions can result in uninspiring, disconnected footage. If you’re a marketer or communications specialist tasked with creating engaging corporate videos, this concise guide will show you exactly how to craft interview questions that resonate with your audience.
Step 1: Define Your Video’s Purpose
Before writing interview questions, pinpoint exactly what your video needs to achieve:
- What’s the main message? Be clear on the core idea your video must communicate.
- Who is watching? Tailor your questions to the needs and interests of your target audience.
- What’s the ideal tone? Decide whether you want answers to feel conversational, authoritative, inspiring, or persuasive.
Clearly defining these elements ensures your questions stay focused and effective.
Step 2: Structure Your Questions for Storytelling
A structured approach keeps your interviews clear and easy for viewers to follow. Here’s a simple narrative framework you can use:
- Introduce the Interviewee:
- “Can you briefly introduce yourself and your role at the company?”
- Present the Problem:
- “What specific challenge were you facing before implementing this solution?”
- “How did this challenge impact your team or company?”
- Highlight the Solution:
- “Why did you select this particular solution or service?”
- “Could you describe your experience implementing it?”
- Showcase Results:
- “What tangible improvements or results have you experienced?”
- “Can you share specific examples or metrics demonstrating success?”
- Close with Advice or Insights:
- “What advice would you give to someone considering this solution?”
Step 3: Write Clear, Engaging Interview Questions
Great interview questions prompt meaningful stories and genuine responses. Follow these best practices:
- Ask Open-Ended Questions: Avoid simple yes/no questions. For example, instead of asking, “Did the product meet your expectations?” ask, “How has the product impacted your day-to-day operations?”
- Avoid Leading Questions: Phrase neutrally to capture honest answers. Instead of “How much do you love our product?” ask “What changes have you noticed since adopting our product?”
- Encourage Specific Examples: Questions like “Can you share a moment when you realized the solution was making a difference?” inspire detailed stories.
- Prepare Follow-up Questions: When answers are unclear or brief, prompt further detail with questions like “Can you elaborate on that?” or “Could you give an example?”
Step 4: Ensure Answers Make Sense Without Context
In most corporate videos, the interviewer’s questions are edited out. This can leave answers feeling unclear or incomplete. Guide your interviewees to restate or include context within their answers:
- Instead of a brief answer: “Better efficiency.”
- Encourage detailed context: “Our biggest challenge before was workflow inefficiency, but since implementing the new system, we’ve seen much better efficiency across the entire team.”
Step 4: Review and Refine Your Questions
Before filming, critically review your interview questions to ensure:
- They align clearly with your video’s main objective.
- They’re easy to understand without jargon.
- They naturally prompt responses that are useful for storytelling.
Conclusion
Learning how to write interview questions for a corporate video is about clarity, storytelling structure, and eliciting authentic answers. By focusing on your objectives, asking engaging, open-ended questions, and ensuring your interviewee provides context, you’ll create videos that resonate deeply with your audience and elevate your message.
