Whether we’re developing an annual report, creating website content or composing a blog, the content-gathering phase is critical to the writing process at Ascribe. It’s where we learn about the topic and make sure we understand what we’re writing about. And our favourite way to gather that content? Live interviews.

Depending on the type of writing, there are plenty of other ways to gather content. Sometimes we’ll do online research to get ourselves grounded in the topic and find key statistics and other facts to strengthen our argument. In some cases, clients might provide us with background materials like product documentation or research reports. And sometimes we supplement these approaches with a few quick questions clients can answer by email to clarify certain concepts or provide extra context.

But for most of our work — especially for anything meant to demonstrate thought leadership — a live interview with a subject matter expert is the way to go. This approach requires a bit more coordination, but we think it’s worth the time. Here are a few reasons why:

1. We get more than just the facts

Facts are important, but they’re not the whole story. And it takes more than a list of facts to get someone engaged enough to read an entire blog or report. Talking to subject matter experts helps us understand what they see as the most important element of the story — and why. That lets us write content that underscores what truly matters to our clients, their stakeholders and customers, and society at large.

2. We can ask follow-up questions

With existing background material or emailed responses, what you see is often what you get, and there may not be an opportunity to ask further questions before we start writing. With a live interview, we can delve deeper to clarify a point or even tease out a more interesting idea that might otherwise have gotten glossed over. Sometimes the most valuable insights we get from interviews come from those follow-up questions.

3. We can get a sense of someone’s voice

Unlike web copy or a corporate plan, a blog post or editorial is meant to present the thoughts and perspectives of a specific person. That means it’s not enough to simply write in the standard company voice. Talking directly with that person lets us hear how formal or informal they are, how they phrase their thoughts, and what kind of language they use. This way, when we write in someone’s name, it sounds like them.

Discover the Ascribe difference

Our team’s journalistic backgrounds give us the skills to lead a conversation and ask the right questions to get at the heart of a story. From blogs about smart cities to annual reports that showcase vital work in substance use health, our interview-based approach helps us tell the stories that really matter.