Within today’s technology-centric world, consumers expect on demand access to information anytime, anywhere. Whether consumers are shopping for a new house, refilling a prescription or ordering a new pair of shoes, having complete access on the go is no longer an option, but a necessity. Just as new technology has resulted in an evolution of sorts within the retail space, the traditional format of presenting news has evolved as well. With the fast pace of today’s world, written news has taken a back seat to video to satisfy consumer appetites for information as quickly as possible.

As a result of the changing news cycle, the media relies more on video interviews to provide viewers with the same amount of information in a more efficient and timely format. While much of the information being shared in a video news story is the same as a written article, the interview process requires a different set of skills and discipline for the interviewee, and it is important for the interviewee to clearly understand several key points.

What’s the Big Difference?
The most important (and probably most obvious) difference between video and print interviews is that appearance matters. While you can quite literally roll out of bed and answer a reporter’s questions by phone for a written news article, a video interview requires a bit more preparation.

First things first: stick with basic, dark colored clothing rather than bold, patterns or prints that will distract the viewer from the message you’re trying to convey. Of course from an appearance standpoint, there are other clear rules to abide by, such as ironing your shirt and remembering to comb your hair, but you also need to appear comfortable as well. Note: this does not mean leaning back in your chair and propping your feet up on the desk. Instead, remember to sit up straight, think clearly, display confidence and act natural.

And by all means don’t. forget. to. blink!

Stick to the Script
Aside from appearance, the second most important part of any video interview is clearly understanding the reason you’re doing the interview. What is the point you are trying to make? Do you know how to convey that point? What do you want to accomplish? You’ll need to have a clear and concise answer before sitting down for any interview, but especially one on video.

While understanding your key message is important, it is equally important to prepare yourself for how to share that message. Simply repeating the same information over and over again regardless of the question will spell disaster for an interview quickly. In other words, don’t be like this guy…

https://youtu.be/1dHWNIcjG38?t=45

Work with your PR team to come up with a list of questions that could possibly be asked during the interview. Whether the question is slanting positive or negative, you must be prepared to provide some sort of educated response or risk becoming the next viral video on the Internet. In addition to practicing responses for specific questions, also come prepared with anecdotes and clever phrases to liven up the interview and make the discussion more of a conversation than a mundane question and answer session.

With these key points in mind, go forth and conquer the world of video interviews. Just remember, the interviewer is not your enemy. Remain calm and stick to talking about what you’re good at.