In today’s episode, I talk about how great it is to hear from listeners, the experience of starting to work with a co-host and how to create your intro and outro.
We have an intro!!!
I’ve never been eight episodes into a show, without an intro…
If you would like a little bit of guidance of what the first steps are in podcasting, let me know and I can send you a simple PDF which might help you. (I’m being careful to stay up to date with this ever-evolving world and not make assumptions that things are staying as they are.)
I start with some recent adventures in podcasting. The unexpected joy of developing relationships with listeners. As a host, you tend to open up and reveal a lot about yourself. This means that when you meet a listener, because they feel like they know you, they feel more like acquaintances than complete strangers. It’s quite an unexpected benefit of having a podcast.
I talk about a client who became a listener and recently sent me some information to include in the show 21st Century Work Life podcast. It’s wonderful to have listeners contribute content to the show, the podcast becomes something that belongs to the universe, rather than just to me. (And if YOU want to ask any questions about podcasting, or have some content to suggest for this show, let me know!)
There’s also another long-term listener, who has become a trusted “professional friend”, and he phoned me the other day! He was calling to ask me for some information, but the first thing he did was thank me for all the stuff and energy I was putting out there around online work. (Again, a listener of 21st Century Work Life podcast.)
As podcasts hosts, listeners feel like they know us.
07.45 mins
Update number 2: We’ve recorded the first four episodes of Gastronostalgia, a show in Spanish about food! We’re releasing weekly episodes, of different lengths: one as starter, next one as main course, then dessert, then coffee. And at the end of the month, we’ll put all four together into a “set menu”. (The “menú del día” is very popular in Spain.)
It’s tough to start a show with a new co-host, especially if you’ve never worked together before in the medium. I’m very aware of how much “air time” we each have, and what the balance and dynamic is. As well as being yourself, as podcasters we have a persona. When you have co-hosts, this also happens, in relation to each other.
I’ve been having problems with Google Podcasts as listener, it’s telling me I can’t access the content because I’m not 18!
12.37 YOUR INTRO AND OUTRO
Here’s the content I use in the 3-WEEK PLAN YOUR PODCAST CHALLENGE on Intros and Outros:
YOUR INTRO
What do you want people to know right at the beginning of the show?
What information do you want them to have?
How do you want them to feel?
Have a go at writing the first words of your episode and your stock intro, if you are going to have one.
You might include:
A greeting (Hello, Hi, Welcome, This is, etc)
Information about the show (title, tagline, topic, frequency of episodes, where they can find show notes etc.)
Who you are (Your first name, full name, profession, business/organisation’s name, website, etc.)
For inspiration, listen to a range of shows.
Here’s a list with different types of Intros:
Brave New Work
Brene Brown’s Unlocking Us or Dare to Lead (they have similar intros)
En clave de podcast (bilingual)
How Do You Write
Hurry Slowly
The Sell More Books Show
Story Grid podcast
Writing Excuses
An important word about MUSIC:
Music recordings are subject to copyright.
This means you cannot grab any old track and use it in your show.
If you want to use music in your intro, or during the episode, search online for a site that will give you access to royalty-free music under a podcasting license. There are many fantastic tracks out there for affordable one-off fees, under a subscription model, or even for free.
I use this one: NeoSounds: Premium Royalty-Free Music library and this one has a broad free range Free Music For Creators
OUTRO
Just as taglines at the beginning of the show give regular listeners a sense of familiarity, signing off can give you the opportunity to thank listeners for their time, and show that you care about them.
Whether or not you underscore it with music, whether you record it fresh for each episode or use the same piece every time, make the sign-off part of your branding, your show’s unique identity.
Here are some examples from hosts who do this particularly well:
Robert Glazer ends his personal development podcast Elevate with “Until next time, keep elevating”.
Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting signs off with “Class is dismissed”.
Joanna Penn from the podcast for writers The Creative Penn, ends her episodes with “Happy writing” before moving on to her stock outro, which ends with “See you next time!”.
Aaron Dignan in “Brave New Work”, a show about reinventing the way in which we structure organisations, signs off with “Thanks for listening, now go change something.”
Here are some things to think about as you decide how to end your episodes, whether you’re using a recorded outro or not.
How will you signal to the listener you’re approaching the end of the episode?
What information would be useful for them to know? For example, many interview shows end with the guests’ contact details or social media usernames.
Have you got a call to action? Most shows end with a request for feedback, or listeners’ thoughts on the topic.
Do you want to tell your listeners what to expect in future episodes? (I recommend this only if you are well ahead of schedule.)
Is it worth reminding them of your name, or even of your show’s name?
I’m still deciding whehter to have a stock Outro to end THIS show, as I quite like the post-roll feature in Buzzsprout.
I recommend Buzzsprout as a media host – if you do sign up to them, you can use this affiliate link to support Adventures in Podcasting.
(I’m also an affiliate of BlueHost, where this website is hosted.)
Thank you for reading (and listening if you have listened to this episode) –
Keep podcasting!