B2B industrial marketing programs depend on the knowledge our clients’ experts possess.
The technology required to automatically record everything in an engineer’s brain isn’t quite there yet, though, so we must mine for this information the old way: interviews.
Good strategy, good content, anything important in marketing — it starts with a conversation.
But even then, that’s only part of it. Because it isn’t just one conversation. It could be a handful. Dozens. Even hundreds.
And each one impacts real person-to-person connections. You can keep those impacts positive by considering the tactics below.
Logistical tips you should employ
If you’re going to make good content and intend to keep up the effort indefinitely, you’re going to need to interview experts. Follow these logistical tips to be sure you get the most value out of these conversations.
Be organized. Create a logical way to organize information. At Gorilla, we use Dropbox for ourselves and clients. As the volume of information you store grows, its search functionality becomes a massive time-saver. It’s also instrumental to our ability to maintain consistency in knowledge and quality even as personnel come and go.
Hit “record.” If you interview anyone, record it. Then, transcribe the recording. Transcription is helpful because (1) it makes interviews searchable, (2) it allows your future self or colleagues to read instead of listen, which is faster, and (3) it’s much easier to identify and grab testimonials or important quotes this way.
Take notes. And, save them to whatever information storage solution you choose. I treat my notes and my interview question list as the same thing, and it frees me to create a resource sheet where I record facts as I find them, link out to resources I encounter and sprinkle in questions when I believe an expert can fill in any gaps.
Why this legwork helps long-term
Obviously, collecting and managing information well helps build your knowledge and make it accessible to others.
But it also builds credibility. The ability to reference and apply prior-gathered information in an interview shows that you’re invested in a topic and want to grow in your understanding. It also lets you cut corners in a good way: A well-structured subject matter library gives you the chance to locate answers someone might already have given you. You avoid reinventing the wheel and ensure your subject matter interviews always stay productive. You create the impression in the minds of those you interview that you “get it.” You become a credible partner.
And when credibility is established, relationships flourish.
