The Unconventional Guide to Doing an Interview as a Content Writer

Interview yourself before getting interviewed.

I know this is like cheating but I hope it is not. 😀  Paul clearly instructed to interview someone, and not to write it down or type it up.  He suggested a video interview.

Forgive me for not being ready to face the camera.  Also, there is not enough time to find someone who will be willing to do an interview.   It would be lovely to interview the son or the daughter, but they are both unavailable, being busy and all.

I thought of interviewing myself. I know this is unconventional, but I believe you can make use of this as your guide when being interviewed as a content writer.

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I am Maria Narissa Aranzanso.  You can call me Bing for short.  I have a day job that caters to the establishment, implementation, and maintenance of the quality management system of an organization.  I started to pursue content writing last 2017.  I started as a ghostwriter and eventually became a guest writer on a website that provides service to Filipino freelancers and virtual assistants.

Why do you want this profession as a content writer?

I love to write.  It started when I was in high school.  The love to weave words and create something that will be appreciated and will be of use to others have been my aspiration from day one.  With a profession as a content writer, those aspirations of helping others, namely the customers, or consumers, in this field, will be fulfilled. 

What do you love most about content writing?

It is creating a spark for the audience that fascinates me.  If compared to food preparation, it is like transforming bland food into an extraordinary culinary item.

What should you research to target your audience?

There are three types of audience namely, the first customer, the second customer, and the potential customer.  All these three types have problems, complaints, worries, and difficulties.  They also have aspirations, preferences, interests, likes and dislikes, and needs.

To get information about the audience, I may have to consult the marketing team, or do the research on my own using the available tools.

What do you think makes an effective web content?

An effective web content moves the audience, earns attention, and creates a spark.  It has a structure that consists of a headline that captures attention, a subheading that pulls in the audience.

Effective web content has a focal point that motivates the audience to believe in; and a clear call to action that paves the way to purchase or share with others a product or service.

What is your content strategy?

I always start with defining the marketing objectives.  I proceed to identify the target audience then decide how they will appreciate the product or service.  I gather information to think through and develop new ideas afterward.  I conclude the strategy with an implementation plan.     

How do you create a topic?  

The most challenging part of the job as a content writer is to come up with a topic, but it is doable.  After I had identified the target audience in my content strategy plan, I proceed to find the appropriate keywords and also the relative keywords for the niche.  That will include trends and hot topics in other blogs of the same niche and in industry forums.  Research on the competition can also help in creating fascinating content.    

What tone do you use in writing content?

How I choose the tone depends on the topic and the audience.  The choice of words depends on what personality the product or service brand reflects.  It will also depend if the content will be written for a channel like a website, or a social network. That concludes whether the tone of the writing will be formal, informal, serious, comic, or cheerful.

How do you manage your content writing work?

I do not follow many steps in managing content writing assignments to save time.  I choose what job assignment need to be prioritized.  After prioritizing, I create a content strategy, which is a plan in itself, then proceed to write content.  I use Evernote and Trello when time allows, but most of the time, I work from scratch before proceeding.           

There you have it, folks! I hope you learned something even if it is not an actual video interview.  I still have to muster the courage of doing a video of myself.