Q&A Inspo You Can Totally Steal for Your Content Strategy
Q: How do you turn SME quotes into content gold?
A: Create your own winning Q&A framework
If you’re creating and executing content strategy, of course you’re already working with your subject matter experts (SMEs). And yes, you can always use them as sources and quote them in long-form articles, emails, social posts, etc.
Also consider the Q&A format, in all its glorious and flexible permutations. Here I’ve rounded up a few attention-catching examples of different interview/Q&A-type frameworks, both small (no-names) and big (major celebs). You can (and should) totally steal these approaches to use as a way to highlight your SMEs. After each example, you’ll find inspo for how to take these examples and make them your own.
Same Questions, Same Person, Different Year
This may only work with someone super-famous, but it’s an endearing framework for tracking Billie Eilish’s meteoric career trajectory. Vanity Fair has been asking Eilish the exact same questions eight years in a row, with her past and current selves side-by-side for a poignant perspective on what has changed—or not—over the intervening year. And while I do find the concept compelling, a bit of sharp editing would help tremendously. In comparing a video interview like this to traditionally what’s been featured in print, generally editing is tighter and snappier when the physical page is involved.
Billie Eilish at ages 15 and 16, answering the exact same questions exactly one year apart.
How You Can Steal This Idea:
Highlight a charismatic corporate leader for internal comms, either via video or in text.
Ask several experts in the same field the exact same questions, comparing the similarities and differences in their answers.
Turn it into a killer podcast element that would work well across many different verticals.
Basic Q&A, Your Way
Lots of magazines, newspapers and news outlets have their own angle on the trusty Q&A format. At Soapbox Media, a solutions-focused journalism site I’ve been writing for, they call theirs Coming Clean. Every issue, they identify an interesting personality in Cincinnati and ask him or her 5 questions. Here’s one I wrote about James Fisher, a super cool serial entrepreneur who creates amazingly rich gathering spaces throughout the Queen City (and The Cov):
Somerhaus is a super cool event venue in Cincy’s OTR district appointed with eclectic global finds.
How You Can Steal This Idea:
A variation of this format would work really well in an email newsletter, either internal or external facing, B2B or B2C.
Keep it really short and sweet. 3 Questions with [Name Here], for example.
Or even one question, like this: Our Expert’s Hot Take on the Lowest Point for Mortgage Rates in 2025.
The Guardian’s Celebrity Q&A
As if I needed another reason to adore magical realism genius author Isabel Allende, I just found one in her chicly cheeky Q&A at The Guardian.
I’ve been a huge Isabel Allende fan since I was first introduced to the splendid House of the Spirits back in my undergrad days. What an amazing writer.
It’s frankly impossible to pick one favorite quote from her Q&A, but if you twist my arm it’s maybe this one:
Clearly this type of format with short, open-ended questions works well with a big personality (i.e. a celeb). You may not work with Dolly Parton (or maybe you do… I will say I count a Dollywood employee among my readers – you know who you are!!), but odds are you work with some colorful characters.
How You Can Steal This Idea:
This would play well to spice up internal comms or intranet content.
Keep the questions short, punchy and personal and tag in your most flamboyant and high-profile peeps.
Celebrity is certainly relative—who are yours?? Every industry and sphere of influence has its standout stars…
A Peak Inside…
Vogue has always had a fun one-pager showing the spilled contents of a celeb’s bag, beach bag, etc. Now they also have a video version, and I just watched Dua Lipa’s. Dear reader, she carries multiple physical books in her Hermes Birkin Bag. Swoon. Apparently, in her spare time she runs a book club, Service95. Probably we’d be best friends if we ever met. Because, books.
Dua Lipa is a big-time serious reader who carries physical books in her very fancy handbag. She has a book club, people!
How You Can Steal This Idea:
When I worked at Kroger, I always wanted to do a “what’s in your cart” take on this idea, preferably with Jeff Goldblum, as research revealed that he is an actual Ralphs shopper out in LA. I mean, who wouldn’t want to go on a grocery run with say, Selena Gomez, Martin Short, Steve Martin or Jane Lynch (oops, did I just list the core cast of Only Murders in the Building?). Practically speaking, though, you could…
Ask an architect to snap a pic of the things on his or her desk
Find out the top five tools a graphic designer is currently using
Get your C-suite leaders to share their current go-to streaming shows, books & podcasts
Have a photographer share their five favorite snaps from the week/month/year
The Flip & Fun Mag Back Page Q&A
You know, I used to have stacks of print pubs stashed all around the house. These days, I can barely scrounge up one, which is the fall issue of Edible Ohio Valley Magazine. Their back page reminded me of a venerable print tradition that fills me with nostalgia: the casual Q&A. Theirs is with an obscure University of Cincinnati doc who weighs in on the important connections between our health and what we eat. Even though the featured guy is not famous at all, the topic and the hyper-locality are both relevant to the magazine’s audience. The questions are interesting and well written, and his answers are edited to be short, readable and revealing.
A classic favorite: the casual mag back-page Q&A. <3
How You Can Steal This Idea:
One of the main appeals of this framework is that it’s short, punchy, light in feel with a graphic vibe. Your company likely doesn’t have a print magazine, but these elements play just as well digitally.
Think a nice, big image, graphic text treatment and playing with font color.
Throw in a gif or a slideshow for extra cred.
Here’s the Edible example online for inspo.
