3 things your podcast should have in the first minute.

 

The first minute of your show is super important to keep your listeners hooked. It’s the time when they decide if they’re going to be listening to your show. The first minute could be the deciding factor of you having another subscriber or not. So why not let them know exactly what they are getting into, set the tone for the rest of the show in the first minute, make sure you know what you want to do and get it done. 

 

I hear a lot of new podcasters that just “chit-chat” at the top of the show, that sends a message that the rest of your show will be unorganized, and doesn’t properly prepare the listener for what the show is and the information they need. Keep notes and perform these 3 simple things and the listeners will know what kind of show you have, and will listen and love it!

 

What is the show about?

 

Your listener may not know exactly what they are getting themselves into. You want to explain what your entire podcast is about in about 1 or 2 sentences and then move on. If you don’t know exactly how to explain your show, then how is your listener supposed to know what it’s about? 

 

This is something you should spend a little time on, making sure you cover everything your podcast is about in as little words as possible. You don’t have to spend a week on this, just make sure you know what you are going to say and say it right. Your listeners should be able to tell exactly what they are getting themselves into in the first 30 seconds of your show.

 

Who is on the show?

 

One of the first words out of your mouth, should be introducing yourself, and whoever the guest is going to be. It gets the listener more easily acquainted and let’s them know who you are, so they can better relate with you and the show. Your show may not have a guest, but it’s still important for you and your co-host to introduce yourself. I’ve heard plenty of shows where you go the entire episode and don’t know who is talking. 

 

You might have the best content in the world, but if people don’t know who you are, they might not be interested in the rest of the show. The goal here is to make sure to bring the listeners in to your show gently and comfortably. That means giving a proper introduction, if you do have someone else on the show, give their credits, tell a little bit about them, make sure the audience knows who this person is before you start the interview.

 

What is the episode about?

 

So you’ve given a short explanation on what the show is as a whole, and who is on the show, now you want to explain what’s going to happen this episode. This explanation can be a bit longer than the one you did for the show, because this will change episode to episode. It shouldn’t be too long though, still only a few sentences. Keep it concise and to the point, you want people to get an idea of what this episode is going to be about, or who is on the episode. This is similar to the show synopsis, and should be treated similarly as well.