Most UK SMEs and charities still create content the expensive way: a blog here, a newsletter there, a LinkedIn post when someone has time. The result is stop‑start output and mixed quality. This article shows you how to record one 60‑minute interview with a subject‑matter expert and convert it—safely and credibly—into a month of people‑first content that ranks, gets read and earns replies. You’ll get workflows, KPIs, a cost/effort table, deliverability rules for today’s inboxes, and a 14‑day plan to prove value fast.
The zero‑waste principle
Zero‑waste content means extracting all the value from a single expert conversation—without padding, spam or thin pages. AI helps with drafting, summarising and repurposing, but your human expert provides the experience, nuance and proof. Google’s guidance is clear: the tool you use doesn’t matter; the usefulness and trust signals do. developers.google.com
What good looks like
- People‑first: it answers real customer questions, not keyword checklists. developers.google.com
- E‑E‑A‑T visible: who wrote it, what they’ve done, sources cited, claims evidenced. developers.google.com
- Inbox‑ready: authenticated, low‑complaint, easy to unsubscribe. blog.google
- Right‑sized: one interview powers 6–10 assets across owned channels—no throwaway pieces.
The 60‑minute interview → 30‑day content engine
- Pick the topic and voice (15 mins). Choose one customer journey moment (e.g., “Do I need a charity CRM or can I stretch spreadsheets another year?”). Define the expert: founder, delivery lead, or service manager with direct experience.
- Record the interview (60 mins). Use a quiet meeting room. Ask for numbers, pitfalls, timeframes, and a recent UK example. Secure consent to use their name and role.
- Transcribe and highlight (30–45 mins). Identify quotes, steps, and proof points (before/after metrics, costs, screenshots).
- Repurpose into a content set (half‑day):
- Flagship article (1,200–1,800 words) on your site with a named byline and an evidence box.
- Email newsletter (400–600 words) with an “insight → example → reply question” structure.
- LinkedIn post series (4–6 posts): one story, one “numbers” post, one mini‑checklist, one Q&A.
- Sales one‑pager with the decision tree and objections.
- FAQ page addressing 6–10 buyer questions in plain English.
- Quality‑gate using a simple rubric: clarity, evidence, originality, actionability, attribution, and UX. For a ready‑made list, see our 9 content quality tests.
- Publish to your site first; share to social and email second. This keeps the canonical source clear and avoids platform‑only content.
- Measure for 30 days (see KPIs below). Adjust next month’s interview based on what buyers clicked and replied to.
Five AI‑assisted workflows that save time without trashing trust
1) The “Insight Sandwich” newsletter
Lead with one strong claim from the interview, back it with a short example, close with a single reply prompt. Keep the call‑to‑action human (“Reply to this email with your context”). Ensure bulk‑sender rules are met if you’re at volume: SPF, DKIM, DMARC and one‑click unsubscribe. blog.google
2) The Decision Tree post
Convert the interview’s advice into a three‑step decision aid with do/don’t bullets. Link to deeper resources and a booking option. See our zero‑click content playbook for examples.
3) The “Proof Pack” sidebar
Add a small box listing numbers, dates and sources. This visibly supports E‑E‑A‑T and reduces bounce from sceptical readers. developers.google.com
4) The FAQ cluster
Turn recurring buyer questions into 6–10 short answers. Link each answer back to the flagship article to avoid thin orphan pages after Google’s crack‑down on scaled, unoriginal content. blog.google
5) The Sales Follow‑up kit
Give your team a post‑call email template that quotes the interview’s best line, includes one chart, and links to the decision tree. This keeps marketing and sales consistent without generating new copy every time.
Deliverability and search: the two guardrails you can’t ignore
Inbox rules, simplified
- Authenticate your domain. At higher volumes, Gmail and Yahoo expect SPF, DKIM and DMARC in place; Yahoo explicitly asks bulk senders to keep complaint rates under 0.3% and honour one‑click unsubscribe. blog.google
- Be intentional with volume. Only send when you have something useful to say and segment your audience. A smaller, happier list beats a big, angry one.
- Make unsubscribing easy. Don’t hide it—visibility is now a requirement for bulk senders. blog.google
Search rules, simplified
- People‑first content wins; AI can help produce it, but scaled, unoriginal pages will struggle. developers.google.com
- Show your work: bylines, what was tested, and sources matter more than ever. developers.google.com
Cost, effort and outputs: one interview per month
| Item | Effort (team hours) | Typical tools | Outputs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview prep + recording | 1.5–2.0 | Calendar, outline, recorder | 60‑min audio/video, notes |
| Transcription + highlight pass | 1.0 | Transcription, note‑tagging | Key quotes, steps, stats |
| Drafting with AI assistance | 3.0–3.5 | Writing assistant, style guide | Article, newsletter, 4–6 posts, FAQ |
| Quality‑gates + approvals | 1.5 | Checklist, fact‑check | Evidence‑backed final copy |
| Design + publish + schedule | 1.0–1.5 | CMS, email platform, LinkedIn | Live pages; scheduled series |
Most SMEs can run this in ~8–9 team hours per month. Your variable cost is mainly transcription and light design.
KPIs to track for 30 days
Website
- Flagship article: unique views, average engagement time, scroll depth ≥60%.
- FAQ clicks per question and internal click‑through to the article.
- Reply rate (your primary signal of usefulness).
- Click‑to‑open rate, unsubscribes, and complaint rate (keep well below 0.3%). senders.yahooinc.com
- Meaningful interactions: comments, saves, inbound DMs—not just impressions.
- Profile views of named experts post‑publication.
Commercial
- Booked calls attributed to the article or newsletter.
- Sales‑cycle notes referencing the content in discovery calls.
12 quality checks you can run in under 30 minutes
- Is it clear who wrote it and why they’re credible?
- Does it answer a real buyer question without fluff?
- Are numbers and claims sourced or explained?
- Are screenshots or photos authentic and labelled?
- Is there a visible, respectful call‑to‑action?
- Does the page load well on mobile?
- Is the headline honest and specific?
- Is the reading order scannable (subheads, bullets)?
- Are you linking to deeper help, not just sales pages?
- Is there an unsubscribe link and a plain‑text version for email? blog.google
- Is the content original, not stitched from generic summaries? blog.google
- Did a non‑expert colleague understand it in one read?
For a fuller set with scoring, see our trust‑first content playbook.
Procurement questions for your email and AI tools
Email platform
- Do you support one‑click unsubscribe and process requests within 48 hours? senders.yahooinc.com
- Can I authenticate with SPF, DKIM and publish DMARC easily on my brand domain? blog.google
- Do you expose complaint rate by campaign to help keep it under platforms’ thresholds? senders.yahooinc.com
AI writing/repurposing tool
- How does it handle citations and evidence?
- Can it keep a house style and author voice without over‑generalising?
- Does it make it easy to disclose authorship and how content was produced, in line with people‑first guidance? developers.google.com
A 14‑day plan to prove uplift
- Day 1: pick topic, book the expert, draft questions.
- Day 2: record the interview; secure transcription.
- Day 3: highlight quotes and steps; assemble a “proof pack”.
- Day 4–5: draft flagship article; add byline, sources and evidence box.
- Day 6: quality‑gate; fix gaps.
- Day 7: publish; set canonical URL; create FAQ cluster.
- Day 8: build the newsletter (reply‑first CTA); schedule for mid‑week.
- Day 9–10: extract 4 LinkedIn posts; schedule two this week, two next.
- Day 11: create the sales one‑pager and a short follow‑up email template.
- Day 12–13: set up tracking for article, email and LinkedIn.
- Day 14: review early metrics; capture replies and objections for next month’s topic.
Common risks and how to avoid them
- Thin duplication: don’t paste the same text across site, newsletter and LinkedIn; vary format and depth. Google’s updates target scaled, unoriginal pages. blog.google
- Deliverability drops: fast list growth with cold contacts spikes complaints; send only to opted‑in lists and make unsubscribing obvious. blog.google
- Unclear authorship: add a named expert and how the piece was created; it helps readers judge trust. developers.google.com
- One‑and‑done syndrome: repeat monthly; Ofcom data shows audiences consume online across formats—you need a steady drumbeat. ofcom.org.uk
Where to go deeper next
If you’re ready to scale responsibly, pair this article with our RAG‑ready knowledge base in 30 days to make experts’ answers discoverable across your team.
Let’s make your first zero‑waste month
We’ll facilitate your expert interview, set up the content engine and ship your first month’s assets. Then we’ll leave you with a repeatable checklist, KPIs and a simple calendar so your team can run it.