Making a podcast trailer: a checklist
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Sound good
Intimate, echo-free narration is the key to making an intimate emotional connection with listeners. See the video below for more on the link between sound quality and power in podcasting.
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Introduce yourself
A big difference between podcasting and other media like journalism is that in a podcast, you are always a character in some sense if your voice is part of the show. So explaining why you’re doing it matters.
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Say what the show's about
But not just a summary — also highlighting how the show is different (since there are so many podcasts out there), and how it will help your listener, or what they’ll get out of it. Those are things many podcasts miss.
Sample podcast trailer: The Story Inside You
The idea and name of this show have gone through many iterations, and many earlier name ideas cast aside when it turned out there was already another podcast with that name. This did not end up being the final name for the show, but was a strong contender, because “the story inside you” is a key belief we bring to all of our training here: we do believe that everyone has stories inside them, and our role is to help them discover the confidence, and give them the tools, to bring those stories out. To hear more of talented sound designer Katie Semro’s work, visit her site.
Making a trailer, step 1: sound great
Many people are listening to podcasts in situations with background noise: driving, walking the dog, doing dishes. But you know what? Sound quality still matters! Even in these everyday environments, good-quality narration enhances podcasts’ super power (intimacy), whereas echoey narration (like an office Zoom call) cues us to tune out. (Recording at home? Try this.)
Answering this question as you write the script for your trailer will also help you make your podcast engaging as a whole: what’s your skin in the game? Why are you compelled to make this podcast? Concisely covering this (write it out as many times as you need to!) will pull listeners in, because life is too short to listen to people’s “take it or leave it” projects.” We want passion projects!
Making a trailer, step 2: introduce yourself
Making a trailer, step 3: say what your show’s about
Distilling what your show is about is a tough, and invaluable, scriptwriting challenge. With so many podcasts out there, we have to tell potential listeners exactly how our show is different, and what problem of theirs we’ll help them solve. To get started, review the four story elements, or check out the five best practices (with a great trailer example) in this blog post about “how to write a narrative podcast.”