The goal is to keep your listeners engaged every ep, and even more importantly – keep them coming back for more
There is a reason why shows like The Office and Friends are universally acknowledged as the most bingeable. Sure, they might be the background noise to your cooking or cleaning, or even play on the treadmill as you run your 5k – but the key is that they somehow do not get boring or tired, even on episode 60. You want to create the same kind of addiction in a listener with your podcast, and truth be told – it can be hard to do! So we have put together some tips to help you along the way:
Tip Number 1: Focus on the First 60 Seconds
Listeners will make up their mind about your podcast pretty instantly. All it takes is 1 minute for an audio show to either engage or lose a listener. For video podcasts, this can be as quick as 1 second (especially if you are thinking of reels/shorts!). So perfect your first 60 seconds with:
- Getting straight to the content. The long backstory can live where it belongs, at the back of your ep.
- Explain your pod’s value. Tell your audience exactly what they will get in this episode
- Tease the ending. Leave something for later and give a teaser about a section/idea/question you will explore later in the episode.
Tip Number 2: Have a Structure for Every Episode
A podcast without a structure is just a conversation. That sounds like a great idea until your listeners are scratching their heads and hosts are asking each other, ‘wait, what were we talking about again?’ Avoid this aimlessness and keep things snappy with segments. Try thinking about:
- Create standout moments that audiences will remember. This could be Q&As, themed remarks, recurring quizzes, etc.
- Use sound to help you. Obviously, this is a podcast! Use sound to your advantage and organise your segments with sound design, music jingles, or maybe even some catchphrases.
- Keep it consistent. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel every episode. Once you figure out a structure that works, stick with it.
Tip Number 3: Look to the Future
We are not saying that you need to have a huge cliffhanger at the end of every episode (although if this is a true crime or a genre podcast, maybe that IS the way to do it), but definitely have a plan for the future. It helps listeners to understand what they are subscribing to. Consider doing:
- Short teasers at the end of episodes. This could be as straightforward as you saying ‘in the next episode we will…’
- Give timelines for next releases. Even if you are always releasing on a Monday, it is worth repeating that you will speak to your listeners then. It helps to build that addictive habit (in a good way).
- And sometimes – look back, too. Leave some breadcrumbs of past episodes at the end of yours too. Encouraging people to listen to the back catalogue will help you become a binge-worthy pod.
Tip Number 4: Make it Easy to Binge Your Show
And finally, think of logistics! How easy is it to actually binge your podcast? Are you across every platform and social channel? Where do people find you? If you’ve started putting out full YT video and don’t have the rest of the catalogue uploaded yet, now is the time. Don’t interrupt the flow of the binge session – you want to keep people hooked for the full day (or month) and that can only happen with a seamless autoplay on whatever platform they are using. each out to us about your network or your podcast’s cross-promo strategy to get some advice or to help you execute the whole thing.