Podcasts are becoming one of the most increasingly popular forms of media on the internet. iTunes alone has thousands of podcasts readily available for people to listen to, not including the other global streaming platforms like Spotify, YouTube and SoundCloud.
So, to make your podcast stand out from the crowd and to attract new listeners and followers to your series, you’re going to need to write a captivating and enticing description. This is a description that will summarise each episode or your series and makes new listeners, in short, think ‘Yes, this is something I want to listen to’.
Today, we’re going to explore everything you need to know in order to write this compelling description, maximising the success rates of your podcast.
Working to Your Available Space
The first thing you’re going to want to consider is the space that you’ve got to work with. For iTunes, you have up to 255 characters in which to make your mark; this is relatively short when you think about it.
However, if you’re posting your description on your website, social media, or other streaming platforms, you’ll have much more room to play with. This means you’re going to need to create a unique version of your description for every platform that you stream on to entice new listeners, which can simply be an edited form of an original description.
Putting Information in the Right Places
With the consideration above in mind, you’re going to want to maximise your space but making sure you put the right information in the right places. For example, you’ll already be able to put your episode number in the title or headline, meaning you have more room in the description itself.
Also, many streaming platforms will allow people to click a ‘see more’ button, so you’ll want to make sure your keywords, big-name guests or other important information is put at the front, so users will see this first.
Using Keywords
One of the most important things you’ll need to remember is to include keywords in your podcast description, so it can actually be found by users who are searching for podcasts that they want to listen to.
“If you’re using a platform like SoundCloud, you can already add hashtags as a separate entity, but for platforms like Spotify and iTunes, you’ll need to add your keywords naturally into your subscription. While keeping it ‘natural’ is an essential thing to remember, try to think of what people will search in order to find your podcast,” shares Lottie Price, a script writer for Essay Roo.
Additionally, try to include one keyword or key phrase in your headline and episode title to also draw people in.
Perfecting Your Podcast Description
For many new listeners, your podcast description will be the first thing that people will see and therefore is the most important element you have as it will be the make or break feature that decides whether or not people will want to listen. Here are some tools to ensure your description is perfect;
Use these blogs to check through your grammar to ensure it’s perfect.
These are two editing tools to make sure your description is sending out the right message, as reviewed by UK Top Writers on UK Writings review.
This is a writing guide you can follow to make sure your description is properly formatted and structured.
These are two professional proofreading tools to ensure your description is free from errors, as recommended by the HuffingtonPost.
Two formatting tools to help you add quotes and references, or to track your word count.
An online writing community where you can chat with other professional writers, as reviewed by Best Australian Writers in Australian Help review.
Focus on Your Audience’s Expectations
At the end of the day, when you’re writing your podcast description, you need to be fully aware of who your target market is and what they are expecting from your podcast.
If you’re using ‘clever’ headlines or ‘inside statements’, you’ll need to remember that new users won’t understand this, and it will put them off listening. Try to appeal to a wider, broader audience by keeping thing neutral.
About the Author:
Mary Walton is a blogger at Simple Grad. Also, she helps people with resume polishing at CV Writing Service.
