Make Your Podcast Pop: 4 Secrets to Crafting a Scroll-Stopping Podcast | Ep 84

Make Your Podcast Pop: 4 Secrets to Crafting a Scroll-Stopping Podcast 
Released: February 6, 2023
 
PODCAST: 4 Things For Your Podcast
HOSTED BY: Angie Griffith
 
PRE-ROLL UPDATE (ADDED 2/8/23):
Before we get started with this episode, I have to give you an update, and this is actually the second update on this topic. So when I published this episode for the first time, I had an update for you about my conversation with Apple Podcasts, and now I'm giving you how it has transpired. 
 
So I was so excited about this episode. I worked so hard on it. I really thought about how I can give you a way to audit your own podcast feed, so that you can be sure that you're at least laying the foundation to set yourself up for success, particularly in Apple podcasts. And as you listen to this masterclass-style episode, you're gonna hear me talk about the importance of your visual graphics.
 
Now, of course, the first thing that you'll think of is your cover art, which is obvious. But I did highlight two additional graphics that a lot of independent podcasters, especially smaller creators, tend to overlook - one of these being your Apple Podcasts host photo. 
 
If you don't know what I'm talking about, if you click on any podcast in Apple and you scroll to the bottom, a lot of times you're gonna see a picture of the host in a little circle icon, kind of looks like an Instagram profile photo.
 
That's what's called a host photo. Up until recently, anyone could submit their own host photo to Apple Podcasts. It was kind of a tedious process. You had to format your photo exactly to fit their template, you had to sign a waiver, you had to send it in via email, then someone from Apple had to manually add it to your show.
 
It was a process, but the whole point is that it was possible. Now, as you know, before I started my journey in podcasting, I come from over a decade in the music business, and I feel very fortunate that throughout my career I worked for an elite artist management company. I was trained by the best of the best when it comes to talent branding. When it comes to high level entertainers, when it comes to actors, musicians, any type of celebrity - branding is a key pillar in the entire ecosystem of everything they do. Every small detail matters, and so for a small creator, for an independent podcaster, when you're starting from scratch, it's so important to position yourself as best as you can in your feed so that it gives you a chance right from the start to compete with the major media companies that are dominating this space and the other podcasts that are already so much bigger than you and already have such a big audience.
 
So needless to say, for my own podcast and for every podcast I've ever worked on, submitting a host photo is one of the first things we do. And so when I was recording this episode, I was so excited to share with you my process for submitting host photos because it can seem really overwhelming. 
 
So I made you a template. I made it easily downloadable. I gave you an email script so that you can send it to Apple, and I was ready to publish this episode and like surprise you with this amazing resource. Well, what wouldn't you know... right before I go to publish this episode, I had recently submitted another host photo to Apple, and I got an email response back from them that I've never heard before. Here's what Apple said: 
 
"We aren't accepting requests to add new hosts and guest images. We curate these images based on relevance, popularity, and Apple-confidential algorithms." 
 
This is a brand new policy, and so what they're essentially saying is that as a new smaller creator, you no longer have the ability to submit a host photo to Apple, let alone guest photos, which we won't even get into.
 
This was shocking to me and it was incredibly disappointing, and I was advocating hard on your behalf. My response to Apple was:
 
"This new restriction is a devastating setback, particularly for independent creators who work incredibly hard to position our podcasts to look as professional as possible while we're growing our platforms. We rely on a professional feed to give us even the slightest chance to compete with the major media companies who are dominating the space, and thankfully Apple (until now) has leveled that playing field by allowing all creators access to the same key features that make this possible, particularly with regard to host photos." 
 
Well, since then, Apple and I have gone back and forth in emails, and I just wanted to give you an update that unfortunately, we are not gonna get this feature back anytime soon. I'm praying that at some point soon somehow we can integrate this into the RSS feed. I know there's something that people are working on that they're trying to get Apple to do. Maybe one day they'll make it available to us to just do ourselves within the Apple Podcasts Connect backend. I don't know. But the good news is that if your photo is populated on Apple Podcasts, I did get confirmation that we can change existing photos. So if there's a photo that you're not, you don't like anymore, or that it doesn't reflect your branding, you can change existing photos. You just can't submit new photos. 
 
So this is a major bummer. I'm so sorry to break this news to you. It really does suck, but - the good news is a host photo isn't gonna make or break your podcast. It is an amazing feature and I'm really glad that we've had access to it up until now. 
 
I still personally love Apple. It is my favorite hosting platform. It's the one I use to listen to all of my podcasts. They have been super supportive of me as an independent creator, as a smaller creator. They're supportive of my friends who are creators. This has nothing to do with Apple not caring about creators. It has more to do with just raising awareness about how important branding is and how the playing field really does need to be leveled between these big giant podcasts and the smaller, newer creators.
 
So before I even uploaded this episode, I thought really long and hard about what to do, because I could have easily just removed everything I said about the host photos and just taken that part out of the episode. But I decided to keep it in, and I'm deciding to keep it in now because I want you to have this context.
 
I want you to have my opinion about why this is so important, and I want you to know why I was advocating so hard on your behalf, and I want you to know why I still find this to be incredibly important, although there's only so far I can take this with Apple, right? 
 
So Apple, if you're listening, I still love you. I still appreciate all that you do to support your smaller creators, and hopefully at some point in the future we'll all have the ability to have a host photo on Apple Podcasts. 
 
By the way, if you're someone like me who already does thankfully have a host photo on Apple Podcasts and you wanna update it in the future, you can still download that template. I'm gonna keep it in the show notes for you because, it'll still be that same template that you'll use to update your host photo. So I am now laying this to rest. I have said my piece to Apple, I have advocated, and I've lost.
 
EPISODE INTRODUCTION
Welcome back to another solo episode of 4 Things for Your Podcast. It's just you and little old me today. I'm your host, Angie Griffith, and this week I'm revealing to you my four secrets to crafting a scroll stopping podcast. This episode is for you if you're sick and tired of your podcast getting lost in the sea of millions of other shows.
 
You wanna make sure that your podcast stands out and attracts loyal listeners. And in order to do that, you need to know what you can be auditing on your own podcast feed. So I'm gonna be sharing exactly how you can make sure your podcast is catchy and compelling from the minute someone stops on your feed in the listening apps, so that you don't lose them before they even give your episode content a shot.
 
This episode is jam packed with valuable information that you don't wanna miss. So get your notepad, put your phone on do-not-disturb, put your daydreaming on hold, and give this episode the attention it deserves, because trust me, you won't regret it. Now let's get started. 
 
PODCAST PRE-EPISODE INTRODUCTION
Welcome to 4 Things For Your Podcast. I'm your host, Angie Griffith, a podcast strategist and founder of the Podfluencer Collective podcast network. After over a decade in Nashville managing celebrity musicians, my mission now is to help you as a podcaster to dream bigger and to think outside of the box – to really see yourself as talent and to create a thriving business with your podcast at the center of it all. Tune in each Monday for a mix of solo episodes, guest interviews, and even recommendations for other podcasts that can help you along on your creator journey. And of course, you'll walk away from each episode with 4 things to keep you inspired and moving forward. Be sure you're following on your favorite podcast app, so that you don't miss an episode – because it's about time your voice goes viral.
 
EPISODE SEGMENT – OVERVIEW
All right, let's jump right in, because we have a lot to cover today. How can you make sure your podcast feed is catchy and compelling enough that it'll stand out among the millions of other podcasts out there in the listening apps? Now to do that, you're gonna need to pay attention to four key components. These are the four secrets, right up front. 
 
The first thing is your written descriptors, which are the first chance that you get to hook a brand new listener by describing in written form what they can expect from your podcast. 
 
A random person who lands on your podcast feed, they need to know at a glance whether or not your podcast is speaking to them about topics that align with their interests, and this is how you're gonna get that message across. 
 
The second thing is your audible descriptors. These are the first chance you get to hook a brand new listener by illustrating audibly what they can expect from your podcast.
You can't count on someone who's mindlessly scrolling on their phone to stop and read something if they're in the mood to listen. So you need to meet them where they are and give them the chance to hear whether or not your podcast is for them or it's not for them. 
 
The third thing is your graphic elements. These are gonna catch a potential new listener's attention, they're gonna make your podcast stand out in a crowded marketplace, and they're gonna increase visibility overall. If it's done right, your graphic elements go beyond a strong podcast cover. And when we dig in a little deeper, I'm gonna share two additional graphic elements that are gonna allow you to compete with the major network studio shows when it comes to the visual representation of your podcast – even if, just like me, you're on a budget. 
 
And the fourth thing is your episode hooks, which means: how are you enticing a brand new listener to hit play on one of your 30-60 minute plus episodes for the very first time.
 
Now, I don't know about you, but when I discover a new podcast, everything else I've already mentioned – it needs to be in place before I'm even gonna hit play on an episode, because my time is my most valuable asset. And then when I hit play, I know within the first 60 seconds whether or not I'm either clicking “follow” or I'm clicking out of that podcast feed to go find another podcast. So let's make sure every new listener is hitting “follow” on your podcast and giving your full episode a shot.
 
Now let's go through each one of these four secrets to crafting a scroll stopping podcast, so that you know exactly what you need to audit on your own podcast feed to give yourself the best chance for attracting new audience members into your ecosystem every single day.
 
EPISODE SEGMENT – 1ST THING: WRITTEN DESCRIPTORS
Okay. Back to the first thing, which are your written descriptors. As I mentioned, these are the assets that are the first chance you get to hook a brand new listener by describing in written form what they can expect from your podcast. A person who's never heard of you before, and they stumble upon your podcast feed, they need to know at a glance whether or not your podcast is speaking to them about topics that align with their personal interests – and your written descriptors is how you're gonna get that message across. You achieve this through a strong podcast title and a strong show description. 
 
WRITTEN DESCRIPTOR #1 – PODCAST TITLE
Let's talk about your podcast title. I cannot stress enough the importance of being super crystal clear in your podcast title about exactly what your podcast is about or who it's for. Just be super crystal clear. 
 
My good friend Edwin Covarrubias, he guested on my podcast – it was episode 67, talking about what a podcaster can expect at a million monthly downloads. Edwin has done the thing. He's grown his podcast, and he had some amazing wisdom to share about titling, because he attributes so much of the success of his podcast simply to how he titled the podcast.
 
In his podcast, he tells scary stories in every single episode. Therefore, he named his podcast Scary Story Podcast. If you have never heard of Edwin before, you've never heard of his podcast, and you see this title in your podcast feed, you know exactly what it is. And if that's what you're looking for – if you're looking for scary stories – number one, Edwin's podcast is always gonna show up at the top, because… SEO. But then number two, you're gonna probably check out his podcast, because you're confident in the content that he's sharing. You know it's going to be scary stories. 
 
[But Angie, I wanna be clever and memorable and different!]
 
…and you should be. But being clever doesn't mean that you're just being weird or trying to be funny. Being clever is conveying what your podcast is about with an emotion or some kind of play on words. But either way, when you're being clever, you're still being clear about what someone can expect from your podcast. 
 
A perfect example is Alex Cooper's Call Her Daddy. Obviously, you know it has something to do with sex and relationships when you're calling somebody Daddy, but she's not outright saying that's what it is, and that's how that podcast started out.
 
Obviously, it’s evolved over time. It's about much more than that these days, but Alex has been able to do such a great job with her branding that her podcast title works at this point, regardless of what she's talking about. 
 
Another thing to consider is whether or not your podcast title accurately reflects the topic or the theme of your podcast overall.
 
My friend Allie Reeves, who was also on the podcast (episode 48) – her podcast was called 6 Figure Influencer, which perfectly describes who that podcast is for. If you're an influencer who's striving to hit six figures or if you're an influencer at six figures, Allie's podcast is probably something that you'll go and check out if you scroll through the podcast feed and you stumble upon it.
 
That's actually how I discovered Allie for the very first time. I was scrolling Apple Podcasts, and I happened upon her podcast – and because of her title, I clicked on it to explore further… and I'm so glad I did. Through Allie's journey though, as a podcaster and as an entrepreneur, her podcast started to evolve and talk about so much more than just being an influencer and hitting six figures – because Allie's business herself, she'd gone way beyond six figures and she was helping her clients to do the same.
 
Now she's a mom, she's running a business at the same time, she's doing a million different things, and she's doing them all at full capacity – and so she decided to change the name of her podcast from 6 Figure Influencer to All In with Allie. Now 6 Figure Influencer was such a strong podcast title that it could definitely stand on its own – All In with Allie as a little bit more challenging to convey with the title alone. But what she's done is she made her cover art so strong to help convey the message of being all in as a mom and a business owner that now anyone who stumbles upon her podcast in the listening apps – even though the title isn't necessarily as strong in telling exactly who this podcast is for – the title and the cover art work together to call in Allie's ideal listener for her podcast.
 
All right. You also wanna make sure your podcast title is searchable, of course. So try to include keywords that are relevant to the topic at discussion. You wanna make sure it is aligned with your audience, so that you appeal to the people that you're trying to reach. Again, perfect example is 6 Figure Influencer. And then my final tip here when it comes to your title, there's no need to use the word “podcast” in your title. I compare this to an album title, right? Taylor Swift – she titles her albums Midnights, Folklore, fearless, Reputation, evermore, Lover. She doesn't title them “The Midnights Album” or “The Folklore CD.” No, you don't need the word “album,” just like you don't need the word “podcast” in your podcast title. 
 
WRITTEN DESCRIPTOR #2 – SHOW DESCRIPTION
Now let's move on to your show description – also called a podcast description, also called a podcast summary. Your show description is basically a brief blurb of text that describes your show and lives on the main feed of your podcast across all the listening directories.
 
In this, you're gonna wanna write out in your tone of voice and your personality exactly what a new listener can expect from your podcast in every single episode. So be sure to include things like reiterating the title, calling out who your podcast is for – because it's super important that you're speaking to the same person from episode to episode – I think it's more important than speaking on the same overall topic from episode to episode – if you solve a problem, call out what problem do you solve? Are you an entertainment podcast? So can someone expect comedy from you? What is it that is gonna make somebody want to tune into your show?
What's the value-add for the listener? If you have any unique qualifications, definitely call those out. Also, any experience that you have, any skills or expertise that can help someone who tunes into your podcast, I love including your release schedule, just to set expectations – so you can say, “Tune into this weekly podcast” or “this biweekly podcast,” or “this daily podcast,” whatever it is. I love that in your show description. 
 
And then something that not a lot of people do that I started doing and I recommend to those that I work closely with, is at the very end of your show description, put a link to where somebody can connect with you further – because it is so hard, much harder than it needs to be to find something as simple as an email address when somebody wants to collaborate with you. And when they go to your podcast and they can't find that quickly and easily, sometimes it's easier for them just to move on and find somebody else to collaborate with that's just easier to contact. So don't miss out on this opportunity for collaborations or for people to check out your memberships, your products, or your services. Just put a small link. It shouldn't be very long, because it's not gonna be clickable on most directories when it's included in your show description – so people are gonna have to copy/paste, or type it into a browser. So the best thing to do is “nameofyourpodcast.com.” Just make it easy to memorize, clear, short, sweet, and clean.
 
EPISODE SEGMENT – 2ND THING: AUDIBLE DESCRIPTORS
Now onto the second thing that's gonna make your podcast a scroll stopper, which is your audible descriptors. Like I said, these are the very first chance you get to hook a brand new listener by illustrating audibly what they can expect from your podcast. So you can't always count on someone who's mindlessly scrolling on their iPhone to stop and read something if they're in the mood to listen. So you need to meet them where they are, and you need to give them the chance to hear whether or not your podcast is right for them. And how you achieve this is through having a strong trailer episode and a strong pre-episode introduction. 
 
AUDIBLE DESCRIPTOR #1 – TRAILER EPISODE
About the trailer episode. So a trailer episode, just like a movie trailer, is a good 30-90 second overview about what a brand new listener can expect when they tune into your podcast.
 
Now the trailer episode is so overlooked, especially by podcasters who launch their podcasts without any real formal launch strategy, just like I did. I kind of started secretly putting up my episodes, so I didn't necessarily with my launch strategy have the need for a trailer, but the trailer is so, so, so powerful. It's something I ended up creating later on for my podcast, and every single podcast should definitely have one. 
 
Your trailer episode can be as simple as you know, sharing the exact information you wrote in your show description, or you can get fancier by adding in clips from your episodes that will either drive curiosity or showcase your personality.
 
Whatever you decide to do, just make sure it is clear, descriptive, well-produced (just like your episodes should be), and that you're not too long-winded. This is your highlight reel. This is a short, sweet summary. A strong trailer can make or break whether someone's gonna advance further into your feed.
 
AUDIBLE DESCRIPTOR #2 – PRE-EPISODE INTRODUCTION
Beyond the trailer, this is what you need to know about your pre-episode introduction. This is how you introduce a new listener to your show, giving them everything they need to know about your podcast. Here's the key – regardless of which episode they hit play on first. Regardless of which episode they hit play on first.
 
And regardless of whether or not they hear anything else on your feed – and you should absolutely use your written show description as your North Star in creating this. 
 
So think about it this way. You want your listeners to share your episodes with their friends. When they do that, they literally share a direct link to an episode that they think their friend will love. So you need to make sure that when that new listener simply clicks the play button within their iMessage, they understand exactly who you are, who your content is for, and why it might matter to them. This person is highly unlikely to go seek out your show description or your trailer for this information – so having it within the first 60 seconds of every single episode is highly critical. 
 
Here are some quick tips for creating your pre-episode introduction. I personally think they should be no longer than 60 seconds. I even think 60 seconds is pushing it. Mine is sitting right at around 60 seconds, and it feels a little long to me, so if you can keep it to around 30 seconds, I definitely think that's better. But I know it's hard to squeeze in all of the key information, so I do think it's okay if it's a little over 30 seconds. 
 
There are definitely benefits to pre-recording this as well. I know a lot of podcasters say similar things in their introduction each time, and it makes it feel unique and it makes it feel personal and there's benefits to that as well. But I really am a fan of a pre-recorded episode introduction, and here's why. I really just think it sounds clean, professional, polished, and most importantly, consistent. So remember, as the artist, as the talent, as a brand, you are positioning yourself out there in the marketplace. And so in your pre-episode introduction, you have a unique opportunity to describe yourself and to describe your podcast in a very intentional way. And once people start talking about your podcast, if they hear the same thing over and over and over again, they're gonna be able to communicate to their friends, their family, their online audience, why they should listen to your podcast in the words that you have chosen, because they've heard it so many times.
 
For example, yes, my podcast 4 Things For Your Podcast – it's a podcast for podcasters, but that means so many things. There are so many podcasts for podcasters. But because I have a pre-recorded episode introduction, it's easy for my listeners to say, “oh, hey, this podcast is for any podcaster who wants to build a thriving brand and business with their podcast at the center of it all.”
 
So it's very clear that my podcast isn't necessarily for the hobbyist podcast who's just having fun in their basement, but this podcast is for someone who really wants to build something based around their podcast.
 
EPISODE SEGMENT – 3RD THING: GRAPHIC ELEMENTS
The third thing – the third secret for your scroll-stopping podcast are your graphic elements. These are what's gonna catch a potential new listener's attention, it's gonna make your podcast stand out in a crowded marketplace, and it's gonna increase visibility overall if you do it right – and your graphic elements go way beyond a strong podcast cover.
 
So here's where I'm gonna share two additional graphic elements that are gonna allow you to compete with those major network studio shows when it comes to the visual representation of your podcast, starting with the most obvious. Let's start with your cover art. 
 
GRAPHIC ELEMENT #1 – COVER ART
Your cover art, of course, is a square visual representation of your show that shows up across all the different podcast listening directories.
Very quick tips here. It should be easy to read on a small screen. Remember, most people are looking at the podcast cover art on a small phone rather than what you looked at to design it, which was likely a giant monitor. 
 
I love to use bold colors. A lot of podcasters these days are really into those neutral tones and muted colors, so the more bold you can be – the more different you can be with your colors and your branding – the more you'll pop in the podcast feed.
 
Always use large and clear text. I'm a stickler for not using too many words on your podcast. Cover art, again – we're shrinking it down, and we're looking at these things on a very small screen. So other than your podcast title, I really think the only other text that should be on your podcast cover art is your name as the host.
The one exception would be if you are on a network or if you have a title sponsor. Of course you would put their logo on there, but minimal text. 
 
This next tip sounds a little obvious, but because it's come up recently when I was doing a podcast audit, just be mindful of your spacing – basic graphic design skills here. Just don't have your text go all the way to the edge of the square. 
 
If you can swing it in your budget or if you have the skills yourself to do this, I think that a professionally designed podcast title goes such a long way. It's something I invested in recently when I updated the title of my podcast on my cover art, and I really think it made a huge difference – because nowadays, everyone's making things in Canva, and so if you're using the standard Canva fonts and Canva placement, everything kind of starts to look the same. So it does take your professionalism up a notch if you can get your title professionally designed. 
 
If you have an image of a person such as yourself on your cover art, definitely have a closeup rather than a full body shot. Again, we're looking at these on a small screen, and so when you have a full body image, it gets really hard to actually see who you are and to see your face. So a closeup is gonna translate better in this scenario. 
 
And then the last thing – kind of on the same line as my title tip (how you don't put the word “podcast” in your title) – you also don't need to have microphones or other podcast stuff on your podcast cover art. Again, we know it's a podcast – so you wanna on your cover, convey the emotion or use images that actually describe what the content of your podcast is. Obviously, the one exception would be if you have a podcast about podcasting or about audio – but even me, my podcast is about podcasting, and I'm removing the headphones from my cover art as soon as humanly possible, maybe even by the time you hear this episode.
 
If you're someone who's wondering if you should just have one podcast cover or individual podcast covers for each episode, I'm not gonna spend a ton of time here getting into the weeds on that. However, I personally am not a fan of having unique episode covers for a variety of reasons, and I actually recorded a whole episode about the pros and cons with my good friend Jordan on Buzzsprout’s Podcasting Q&A podcast, so you can check that out if you're interested. I will link it for you in the show notes. The episodes aren't numbered on that podcast, but if you look at the publishing dates, it was published on July 31st, 2022, and the title is The Pros and Cons of Episode Artwork. And of course, like I said, I will link it for you right here in the show notes. 
 
GRAPHIC ELEMENT #2 – APPLE PODCASTS SHOW PAGE TALL ART
All right, enough about cover art. Currently, my favorite graphic element that's gonna really help your podcast to compete with those big budget shows is to submit a design to Apple Podcasts for your Show Page Tall Art.
 
[But Angie, what are you talking about?] 
 
Thank you, listener. I'm glad you asked. Now, I'm sure you've noticed that on certain podcasts when you click on the cover art and you go to the particular podcast feed from your iPhone, there's a larger canvas of that cover art that's bigger and slightly different than the square cover art graphic.
 
If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out my podcast 4 Things For Your Podcast, because I have this Show Page Tall Art for my podcast. If you didn't know, this is not a secret feature that's reserved for major industry players who have an in with Apple Podcasts, and you can absolutely submit your own PSD file directly to Apple. And of course, assuming you meet the visual guidelines and it's approved, you can easily have this added to your own feed. The link with the guidelines and how you submit is a little bit long, it's a little bit wonky, so I will link it in the show notes for you, but if you wanna just Google it, you can also do that. I would just Google Apple Podcast Promotional Requests and Artwork. And again, the design that you're looking for to submit is called Show Page Tall – because there are a few options when you click on that page. 
 
GRAPHIC ELEMENT #3 – APPLE PODCASTS HOST PHOTO
To wrap it up with the third secret, which is your graphic elements – we have to talk about your Apple Podcasts Host Photo – and no, Apple Podcasts did not sponsor this episode or my podcast. (Please do slide into those DMs, Apple Podcasts.) 
 
So what's a Host Photo? If you click on any podcast feed and you scroll to the bottom, oftentimes you'll see small images of the host and even guests in little circle icons, sort of like an Instagram profile photo, just a little bigger.
 
If you're like me, you may have in the past assumed that only big celebrities can have their photos in Apple podcasts, but you'd be wrong. Just like the Show Page Tall Art, any podcast can submit a Host Photo and even guest photos! There is a very specific process to doing this though in order for your images to be approved.
 
I wish they would make this easier on us, but lucky for you, I have figured it out, I've simplified it, and all you have to do is plug and play using my template. So I will link that for you in the show notes. It's totally free, so just scroll down and click the link. Or you can type into your browser: startingapodcastiseasy.com/applephotos 
 
EPISODE SEGMENT – 4TH THING: EPISODE HOOKS
And the fourth thing – the final secret that's gonna help you to craft a scroll-stopping podcast is your episode hooks. So how are you enticing a brand new listener to hit play on one of your 30-60 minute plus episodes for the very first time? 
 
If you're like me, everything else I've already mentioned needs to already be in place before you're gonna hit play on an episode, because your time is your most valuable asset – and when you hit play, you probably like me know within the first 60 seconds or so whether or not you're either clicking “follow” or you're clicking out of that feed.
 
So being intentional about how you are titling your episodes and what you're writing in the first line of your episode summary (also called your show notes), is gonna make sure that every new listener is hitting “follow” on your podcast and giving a full episode a shot. 
 
EPISODE HOOK #1 – EPISODE TITLES
So when it comes to titling your episodes, the most important thing you can do here is to drive curiosity. So how can you title your episode so that a new listener is so intrigued about what's in it for them that they can't not hit play on an episode. Your podcast episodes are never about you as the host. The only reason that someone's gonna give you their time – their most valuable asset – is if they're certain that they're gonna receive value in return. Whether that's learning something or being entertained. 
 
So I'm gonna tell you a story. One of my good friends was recently hired on as a podcast producer and co-host for a podcast about podcasting that's run by a major-player company in this industry. You may have heard her talk about this on my podcast.
 
When she was hired, she started to notice that the episode numbers started to plummet. They were going lower and lower by a couple hundred downloads every time they put out an episode. She and I jumped on the phone to kind of brainstorm how she could combat this, because coming in as a brand new producer and co-host, this was obviously a huge opportunity for her.
 
And the first thing that I told her is that she should think about changing the way that this company had been titling their episodes. I actually personally had been wanting to listen to this podcast, and I've gone through the feed multiple times, and I know it's a great podcast – it has great audio quality, it has great content – but every single time, I ended up leaving the feed just because I couldn't find an episode that seemed interesting to me based on the titles they were using.
 
It sounds so simple, but it's really not. So what I suggested to her is, rather than trying to be like, mysterious and clever when titling their episodes, she should come in and try to just get super clear about what's in the episode for the listener. So the new titles that she started using were more along the lines of things that are gonna peak your interest if you're a podcaster.
 
For example, “Apple's Hidden Project to Help Podcasts Get Discovered.” That's amazing. And another example, “Why Our Last Episode Got 42.5% More Downloads.” Now as a podcast host, these are the episode topics that I'm interested in personally – and I bet you would be too. Whereas before, even if this was the exact same content within the episode, I would've never heard it, because they were titling the episode something that was maybe a funny line that someone had said during the conversation – but it didn't really have anything to do with the value-add of the episode.
 
So of course as soon as she started titling her episodes more intentionally, wouldn’t you know, their downloads went up by thousands – and it's only continuing to grow from there, because they keep getting better and better at driving curiosity across the board with this mentality in mind. 
 
So before we move on from titling your episodes, I have two final tips.
 
The first one is don't be misleading. Okay, so if your episode title promises something, make sure you deliver on this promise – because dropping the ball here is gonna majorly damage any trust you've built with your listeners. As often as I can, I actually like to start with the episode title, and then I build my episode content from there. It's not always possible, especially when it comes to interviews – but particularly for solo training episodes, this is an amazing hack to have in your back pocket – and it's actually how I built the outline for this exact presentation for you. 
 
The second quick tip is be mindful of your character space. You only have a limited amount of visible space in your title line – particularly on Spotify, which only allows two small lines – so you wanna use this space wisely. For instance, I'm a huge fan of episode numbers in the title line, but you don't need to spell out the word “Episode,” or you don't even need to put “EP” for episode in the title line. Simply putting the number followed by a period is plenty, and that's gonna save character space for the words that actually matter. And not only that, but it's gonna keep your feed looking clean, consistent, and polished. 
 
EPISODE HOOK #2 – FIRST LINE OF YOUR EPISODE SUMMARY
Now the final aspect of a strong episode hook is the very first line of your episode summary (also called your show notes), because this is what a new listener is gonna see in the preview under each episode title when they click on your feed. 
 
So the key here is to build on whatever you titled your episode to drive even more curiosity. Again, do not waste this valuable space in your podcast feed.
 
For example, episode 62 of my podcast is titled “The Ultimate 10-Step Framework for Landing Your Dream Podcast Guests.” And the very first line of the episode summary, which is the preview that shows right under that title is, “You may be missing just ONE thing that could set you apart from all the other requests pouring into your dream guest’s inbox.”
 
Now, if you're a podcaster who's wanting to get big-name guests on your podcast and to land your dream guests, I'm sure you wanna at least click on the episode to make sure you're not missing whatever that ONE thing is, right? You wanna know enough that you'll click to listen. Your goal here is to be clear, informative, and to drive further curiosity.
 
EPISODE SEGMENT – RECAP
Now to recap, you need these four things to craft a scroll stopping podcast. 
 
The 1st thing are your written descriptors, which are the first chance you get to hook a brand new listener by describing in written form what they can expect from your podcast. You do this through your podcast title and your show description.
 
The 2nd thing are your audible descriptors. These are the first chance you get to hook a brand new listener by illustrating audibly what they can expect from your podcast. And this is your trailer episode and a strong pre-episode introduction. 
 
The 3rd thing are your graphic elements. These are gonna catch a potential new listener's attention, it's gonna make your podcast stand out in a crowded marketplace, and it's gonna increase visibility overall if you get it right. Of course, your graphic elements are your cover art, your Apple Podcasts Show Page Tall Art, and your Apple Podcasts Host Photo. 
 
And the 4th and final thing, the final secret is your episode hooks. This means: how are you enticing a brand new listener to hit play on an episode for the very first time. That's where your episode titles and the very first line of your episode summary get to shine. 
 
If you have not yet done so, I strongly, strongly encourage you to not only audit your own feed, but also share this episode with a fellow podcaster so that you can do an audit swap. Once you both know what you're looking for, you're gonna be able to dissect each other's feeds much more efficiently than you can do on your own feed because believe me – you're too close to your own project. Trust me on this. You're gonna have valuable feedback for each other that's only gonna improve the discoverability and the success of your show.
 
I hope you found this episode helpful. If you did, please, as I said, share it with a friend. I could really use your help in growing this podcast. And please also let me know on Instagram. I love hearing from you! It's @theangiegriffith, and I can't wait to see you there. 
 
Thank you so much for tuning in to this episode of 4 Things For Your Podcast. If you're loving this podcast, I would hugely, hugely appreciate it if you could follow, rate five-stars, and leave an amazing review on Apple Podcasts. And if you're someone who listens on Spotify, please follow and rate five stars on Spotify. 
 
If you found something valuable in this particular episode, chances are someone else might too.
So if you could, please share this episode with a friend, you can text it to a friend, you can tag me on your Instagram stories – it’s @theangiegriffith – and let me know what you were able to take away from this episode. 
 
Be sure if you're not in there already, get in my free Facebook Group. It's called Innovative Rising Podcasters, and it’s where we focus on one thing and one thing only, which is growing your podcast. And the best part is that every Wednesday you can drop a link to your latest episode, and every Friday you can exchange ratings and reviews with other podcasters. 
 
If you're loving all the content you've been getting on this podcast 100% for free, you can show your support for as little as just $1 a month by visiting buymeacoffee.com/4things. 
 
And if you're interested in learning more about the Podfluencer Collective podcast network, whether you're a podcaster or a brand, just go to podfluencercollective.com. It is all linked for you, conveniently, right in the show notes.
 
So again, thank you so much for spending your precious time with me today, and I'll have another inspiring episode coming your way very soon.
 
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in each episode are those of the individual contributors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the podcast host and team, or the owner of this intellectual property. This podcast is not an authority of legal advice, and listeners are encouraged to seek professional counsel with regard to their brand, their business, and otherwise. We all hope you enjoy and find value in each episode.