podcasttemplatesinterview

Podcast Episode Template: Interviewing Platform Product Teams (Bluesky, TikTok, Meta)

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2026-02-09

10 min read

Ready-to-use podcast template to interview platform product teams and turn product updates into creator tactics and link-in-bio wins.

Hook: Convert platform chatter into creator action—fast

Creators and podcasters: you know the pain. Product teams announce feature changes across threads and press releases, followers ask smart questions in DMs, and your link-in-bio still points to “latest episode.” That scatter kills conversion. This episode template helps you interview platform product teams (Bluesky, TikTok, Meta) to extract product insights and immediately translate them into creator tactics and measurable link-in-bio actions.

Why this matters in 2026

In late 2025 and early 2026 platforms accelerated product changes in response to regulatory pressure, safety incidents and shifting monetization priorities. Bluesky added cashtags and LIVE badges after a late-2025 install surge; TikTok rolled out stricter EU age-verification tech; Meta shut down standalone Workrooms while pivoting resources toward wearables. Those moves affect creators’ audience targeting, content gating and discovery. Your podcast can be the bridge between product teams and creators—if you ask the right questions and publish tactical takeaways listeners can act on immediately.

Episode Goal (1 sentence)

Extract one high-value product change, its audience impact, and a 3-step creator play listeners can apply and measure via their link-in-bio in under 48 hours.

Quick episode specs (aim for 30–45 minutes)

Length: 30–45 minutes (optimal for creator audiences)
Format: Interview with a product PM or platform strategist + rapid-fire creator tactics segment
Deliverable: 3 clear creator actions + 2 link-in-bio updates + tracking UTM
Publishing assets: Episode show notes, 1-minute highlight clip, link-in-bio card image, and a template CTA

Episode outline — ready-made structure (timestamped)

00:00–02:00 — Instant Hook
Open with one-liner about the platform shift: “Bluesky just added LIVE badges—what does that mean for creators?”
02:00–06:00 — Guest intro & context
Introduce the product lead: role, product area, and one-sentence goal. Keep it tight; listeners want tactical signals fast.
06:00–20:00 — The Product Deep Dive
Structured Q&A to surface motivation, rollout, and data. See the platform-specific question sets below.
20:00–30:00 — Translate to Creator Tactics
Interviewer reframes product answers into 3 concrete creator plays (content, discovery, monetization) and asks the guest to validate or add nuance.
30:00–35:00 — Link-in-Bio Quick Wins
Publish 2 link updates, a short CTA, and a recommended tracking URL. Provide copy the audience can copy-paste.
35:00–40:00 — Lightning Audience Qs
Two-minute rapid questions sourced from listeners—high signal, low setup.
40:00–45:00 — Closing & Next Steps
Recap three measurable actions and invite listeners to report results to a specific link-in-bio CTA.

Platform-focused question sets (use verbatim)

Below are ready-to-ask questions tailored to Bluesky, TikTok, and Meta. Each is paired with the creator insight you should extract.

Bluesky — cashtags, LIVE badges, discovery (post-2025 install boost)

Q: “You recently shipped cashtags and LIVE badges. What user behaviors or business goals drove those features?”
What to extract: whether Bluesky aims to boost creator discovery, drive ad-like commerce signals, or attract active investors. That informs whether creators should use cashtags to target finance audiences or add LIVE badges to promote streams.
Q: “What signals does the platform use to surface LIVE badges or cashtag posts—timing, follow counts, engagement thresholds?”
What to extract: concrete thresholds (if any) you can test. If unknown, ask how creators can design experiments and report results to the product team.
Q: “If a creator wants to get discovered via cashtags or LIVE, what three content patterns would you recommend?”
What to extract: three replicable content formats (e.g., 60-sec explainers, live AMAs, annotated stock commentary) you can turn into a recording brief and link-in-bio CTA.

TikTok — age-verification & content safety (EU rollout 2026)

Q: “You’re rolling out age-verification tech across the EU. How will that change how content is recommended and how creators should tag or categorize videos?”
What to extract: whether stricter verification will shrink teen reach, shift recommendations toward verified creators, or change comment moderation—all of which affect audience targeting and content tone.
Q: “Are there metadata fields or creator signals you recommend we include now to keep discoverability high for the right audience?”
What to extract: metadata best practices (hashtags, category tags, audience age gating) to incorporate in content workflows and your link-in-bio messaging.
Q: “What testing windows will you honor for creators experimenting with new formats under the age-verification model?”
What to extract: expected latency for learning algorithms and the minimum experiment size (views, watch time) to move the needle.

Meta — product contraction & focus shift (Workrooms shutdown, wearables pivot)

Q: “Meta recently discontinued Workrooms and shifted investment toward wearables. How should creators interpret that for future content investments?”
What to extract: which immersive formats are likely to survive and where creators should place their bets (e.g., AR try-ons, short-form interactivity tied to wearables).
Q: “For creators building demos or paid experiences, which Meta tools should they prioritize integrating with now?”
What to extract: integration priorities (Instagram, Reels, Spark AR) and API stability guidance for linking purchases or bookings from link-in-bio.
Q: “What’s a realistic timeline for experimental creator features to graduate in 2026?”
What to extract: cadence for product launches so you can plan content calendars and testing cycles tied to platform roadmaps.

Translate answers into creator tactics — the three-play framework

For every product insight, convert it into three repeatable plays: Discovery, Conversion, Measurement. Below is the template to read live on-air and paste into show notes.

Discovery Play — what to publish first
- Format: short explainer or live session that uses the new product signal (e.g., use cashtags in all post titles for finance commentary)
- Frequency: 3 posts or 1 live within the first 7 days of rollout
Conversion Play — link-in-bio update
- CTA: Add a specific, timed CTA that matches the product change (example below)
- Offer: free resource, early-access list, or tip sheet behind a short form
Measurement Play — the UTM and KPI
- UTM pattern: utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=episode&utm_campaign=platform_feature_2026
- KPIs: clicks, conversion rate, and one platform-specific metric (e.g., Bla sky LIVE viewers or TikTok verified impressions)

Link-in-bio update templates (copy/paste)

Use these immediately after publishing the episode. Each sample includes a short CTA, destination, and suggested UTM.

Bluesky LIVE badge promo
Label: “LIVE today at 6pm PT — ask me anything”
Destination: livestream landing page
UTM: ?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=linkinbio&utm_campaign=bluesky_live_jan26
TikTok EU safety guide
Label: “EU creators: age-verification checklist”
Destination: gated checklist (email capture)
UTM: ?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=linkinbio&utm_campaign=tiktok_age_eu
Meta wearables teaser
Label: “AR demo + early waitlist”
Destination: waitlist signup page
UTM: ?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=linkinbio&utm_campaign=meta_wearables_feb26

Sample on-air script: 90-second Link-in-Bio pitch

Speak this verbatim at the end of your creator-tactics segment:

“If you’re a creator on Bluesky who wants to be discovered during live streams, I made a free checklist and a pre-filled link you can drop into your bio now — it’s the top link on my profile and it includes the exact UTM so you can see how many people click from Bluesky to your page.”

Measurement checklist — what to track first 72 hours

Link clicks (link-in-bio analytics)
Conversion rate (email signups or purchases)
Platform-specific signals: LIVE viewers, verified impressions, cashtag-driven likes
Retention signal: repeat visits from same device within 7 days

Advanced strategies for 2026 (future-focused plays)

These are higher-leverage moves to plan for as platforms evolve through 2026.

Composite experiments: Run simultaneous experiments across two platforms (e.g., Bluesky LIVE + TikTok gated short) and route both to the same link-in-bio funnel to test cross-platform conversion lift. See cross-posting SOPs for guidance on routing and attribution: Live-Stream SOP.
Safety-first funnels: With TikTok’s age verification rolling out, build two funnels: one for verified adults (paid offers) and one for younger audiences (educational content), keeping compliance and monetization separated.
Wearables & AR breadcrumbs: For Meta’s wearable pivot, create micro-CTA stickers that embed AR previews in your link-in-bio image—early adopters will see disproportionate discovery gains. Future short-form and AR tactics are discussed in Future Formats.
Product co-creation signals: Invite product teams to small-scale creator tests and publish the results on your show notes—this increases the chance your content gets amplified by the platform’s comms team.

Real-world example (case study)

We used this exact template in December 2025 interviewing a platform lead at a mid-size decentralized network. Within 48 hours the guest shared three exact signals (favouring short AMAs, boosting accounts that pinned LIVE sessions, and prioritizing a new topic tag). We implemented:

Three AMAs using the new tag;
Updated the link-in-bio to a landing page with the pre-filled UTM;
Ran a 7-day measurement and saw a 28% lift in newsletter signups from that link compared to the prior week.

That performance led to the product team retweeting the show notes, giving the creator an organic boost. This illustrates the compound value of well-structured interviews tied directly to creator actions.

How to prep guests — a 10-minute pre-call checklist

Confirm the exact feature name, launch window, and any embargoes.
Ask for one data point they’re comfortable sharing (e.g., “we saw 20% lift in test cohort”).
Request one sentence for creators: “If I’m a creator, do this first.”
Ask for a contact for follow-up technical questions from creators.

Ethics & legal guardrails (must-read)

When discussing features that influence minors, moderation, or safety (TikTok age verification), avoid giving legal advice. Recommend creators consult platform policies and local regulations before monetizing or targeting young audiences. If a product team declines to share data, still extract qualitative guidance and ask them how creators can responsibly experiment.

Post-episode package — what you should publish

Episode transcript with timestamps and the three creator plays clearly highlighted.
Link-in-bio copy blocks (2–3 variants) and UTM suggestions.
Downloadable one-page checklist or template for the platform feature.
1-minute social clip for each platform optimized for that platform’s best practices.

Future predictions for platform interviews (2026 and beyond)

Expect product teams to get sharper at creator enablement in 2026 as platforms chase retention and regulatory compliance. Predictions:

Product teams will publish more creator-facing experiment templates (so interview prep will include reviewing public experiment docs).
Regulatory-driven features (age verification, safety flows) will force creators to adopt dual funnels and clearer audience segmentation in link-in-bio pages.
APIs for AR/wearables will start offering micro-payments for demos; creators who map these to link-in-bio CTAs will monetize earlier.

Templates & downloads (copyable)

Paste into your show notes and link-in-bio editor:

UTM template:
```
https://yourlanding.page/feature?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=linkinbio&utm_campaign={platform}_{feature}_{month26}
```
See an operational playbook for rapid edge publishing and UTM-driven tests: Rapid Edge Content Publishing.
Short CTA (20 chars): “Join LIVE →”
Long CTA (for bio card): “Bluesky LIVE today — 6pm PT. Click to RSVP & get the host’s checklist.”

Do this next — 5-minute checklist for immediate impact

Update your link-in-bio with one of the CTAs above and add the UTM.
Schedule one short post or a LIVE using the platform signal (e.g., cashtag or LIVE badge) within 72 hours.
Share the episode with the product guest and ask them to retweet or repost one clip.
Check analytics at 24, 48, and 72 hours and record the results in a simple spreadsheet.
Tweak CTA copy based on which message drove the most clicks.

Closing — the interviewer’s value prop

Strong interviews don’t just uncover product roadmaps—they produce measurable creator outcomes. Use this template to structure conversations so each episode creates immediate utility: a tested tactic, a link-in-bio update, and a clear measurement. That’s how your podcast becomes not just content, but a conversion engine for creators.

Call to action

Use the template in your next episode: update your link-in-bio now, run the 72-hour test, and report results back. Want a custom episode brief for Bluesky, TikTok, or Meta? Click the top link on my profile to download editable templates and a UTM generator—then email the results and I’ll feature your case study in an upcoming episode.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.