Four Keys to a Great Podcast Intro and Closing
There aren’t really any set protocols as to what your Intro and Outro should or shouldn’t be. You can pretty much do what you like or what you think is best. However, they usually include music and voiceover. A great intro is the perfect start to every podcast episode.
Recent surveys revealed that 27.5% of listeners decide to listen to a podcast in the first 5 minutes. Therefore, you need to hook your listeners from the very beginning. Think of the podcast Intro and Outro as the personality of your stream.
An Intro and Outro is not a requirement for publishing your podcast; but gives your transmission a professional feel and appearance. It also conveys a level of expertise in the mind of your listeners.
There are plenty of podcasters out there who just hit the record button and start talking. You don’t want to be like those podcasters. You want to give your podcast a fighting chance in a very crowded market! Therefore, you must have a great introduction and ending to help you stand out from the rest and achieve success.
one. Add some music to give your podcast a dynamic feel. As you well know, music can have different moods. Therefore, you can use music to set the mood for your podcast. This can be dark, light, playful or sad, etc. It’s your job to match the music to the mood of your show. For example, if your show is comedic in nature, then you might choose music that is light and fun.
Where do you get this music? The answer is quite simple and free for the most part. You can download royalty-free music from various services on the Internet! Also, you can cut and join the music to suit your creative ideas. You can even decide to use a jingle in the introduction to act as an attention grabber.
2. Choose an appropriate intro and ending length for your podcast. The length of your intro should match the length of your podcast. For example, you don’t need to have a 60 second intro for a 15 minute long podcast. Instead, you can create an introduction that is 15-20 seconds long. Most podcasters have Intros that are between 15 and 60 seconds long. Ultimately, the choice is yours.
3. Give vital details. During your podcast intro, you should introduce yourself, state your claim to fame, or the desired outcome of the podcast. Also, list your podcast name, date, and season (if you’re doing a seasonal podcast). Keep in mind that you’ll need to decide if you’ll use the same intro for every episode of your podcast, or if you’ll customize the intro for each episode. This decision will determine what details you give in the voiceover of the introduction. If custom, you may want to include the date and episode title or episode number.
4. Follow up your podcast intro with a memorable podcast outro. Have a call to action statement. This could be subscribing to your podcast stream or providing information for the listener to click on a link in the show notes. You can even provide them with a sneak peek of what’s to come in later streams. The most important thing is to remember to thank your listener for their time. Time is one of the most valuable goods someone can give you, so make sure you recognize that gift from your listeners. It’s also helpful to end with something witty and exciting, as this will keep listeners coming back for more!
Proper use of an introduction and an ending will raise the perception of your podcast’s professionalism to new levels. This one thing can set you apart from many other podcasters who don’t want to take the time and effort to be professional. Many influencers in various genres and niches refuse to be interviewed by someone they consider “unprofessional.” So add a great intro and ending to your podcast and raise your level of professionalism in the eyes (and ears) of your listeners!
