I was listening to a radio station the other day (I won’t name it, or the presenter, because what I’m about to say isn’t that flattering) and I heard them say “Don’t forget that [next presenter] is here from [time]” and then carried on with the rest of the link, talking about something on the telly…
In case you haven’t realised yet - this is bad.
It’s bad for many reasons, but the most prevalent one is “Why do I care?”
Unless you’re an avid radio listener, it’s unlikely that you even know the name of the presenter that’s coming up next on whatever station you’re listening to.
So - is their name alone a reason to keep listening to this station?
Towards the end of the show, the same presenter said “I’ll be back tomorrow, to do it all again. Join me from [time]”
The same point can be made here…Why? Why should I make an appointment to listen to you tomorrow? What have you got for me? Am I supposed to just tune in because I like the sound of your voice?
The same is absolutely true for your podcast. When you’re writing an episode outline you should always be thinking “Why should people listen to this episode?” and if the best answer you can come up with it “I’ve got a great personality” then you should really re-evaluate your content.
And if the answer is more than your personality - make sure that you are explicit with that reason when talking about the next episode of your podcast. Your outro should give me another reason to come back and listen to another episode. If you don't have anything specific, give me the 'Big Sell' about why I should be listening.
Always think, and talk about, what is good about *this* episode - and end by giving people a reason to come back, or click on, for the next episode.
There is so much choice out there at the moment you shouldn’t give people the chance to even *think* about going elsewhere.
There's too many podcasters that only consider the 'fans' of the podcast - and that's where you can miss out on a crucial part of the audience. The casual listeners, the ones that aren't a part of your current network - they are the key to taking your podcast from good to great; from 'okay' to 'popular'.
Keep your casual listener at the forefront of your mind when putting your notes together. It’s those people that will help your podcast audience grow and grow.
If you'd like to talk more about podcasting - and how we at MonkeyPants Productions can help you in your podcasting journey - book in for a no-obligation call here