The Hook-It Game: Winning Podcast Beginnings

“Create an intro to the podcast spicy enough to captivate the listener in a matter of seconds.”

A recent survey by accountant Nick Deprey shows that over 90 percent of listeners abandon a podcast only after 5 minutes. If information is not delivered in a way that piques the listener’s attention and creates a picture in their mind, the human brain will typically lose interest. The podcast intro lasts for only about sixty seconds.

They say,

“The first impression is the last impression.”

So, how can you utilize these sixty seconds to hook the audience to your podcast? It is through crafting a dramatic intro with a script that it is bound to leave an impression on the listener.

If you’re new to podcasting or having difficulties attracting an audience, keep reading to get some scoop on how to compose an opening that will sweep the listener off his feet.

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Part 1. What are podcasts intros?

A podcast intro is like a teaser that gives an insight into what the episode will be about. The introduction to the podcast usually appears at the start of the podcast.

Its duration varies from thirty to sixty seconds but acts as the determinant of the show’s success. A good podcast intro is like a warrior that aids in scoring the audience, competing with thousands of other openings.

A well-designed intro usually starts with a hook grabbing the listener’s undivided attention. So the listener would have no choice but to press the play button to find out more. So now, let’s see some key elements of a podcast intro.

• The podcast’s name is critical to give the listener a sense of what they will be listening to.
• The episode title is a one-word summation of the entire episode’s content.
• Host introduction, introduce yourself and the co-hosts to the listener to develop familiarity.
• Background music draws the listener in and should be relevant to the introduction.
• The tagline is a major element that retains the listener’s interest.
• Sponsors, if you have any, put their names in the introduction.
• Disclaimer, if your podcast contains any spoilers, it should be mentioned in the disclaimer.

Now that you know what a podcast intro is? Let’s discuss why it matters!

Part 2. Why does the intro to podcasts matter?

Podcasts have gained massive popularity over the last decade. Currently, over 30 million podcasts are available, making it even harder for you to gain an audience if you are starting a new podcast.

The game is to entice the listener so that he would want more, and for that, we need an intro that is powerful enough to intrigue the audience. After establishing why we need a podcast intro, let’s look at some sample intros from popular podcasts.

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Part 3. What do podcast intros in trending podcasts sound like?

We will analyze the intros of the top three podcasts to find out the most important elements that make the introduction snappy enough to capture the audience.

This American Life

According to the US rankings, “This American Life” is the fourth most popular podcast and focuses on people’s real-life stories. This podcast has around 2.2 million listeners. Ira Glass hosts the show, and episodes are released weekly. Ira introduces a new character in each episode and inquires about their background.

My favorite murder

My favorite murder is the fifth most popular podcast according to the US charts. Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark host this show and discuss the true crime stories narrated by their friends or family. It has also been nominated for the best podcast award and has about 30 million listeners.

Stuff You Should Know

“Stuff You Should Know” is the sixth most popular podcast, and it is hosted by Josh Clark and Charles W, who usually talk about current customs and traditions. This podcast is very informative and addresses concerns that people face daily. Now let’s analyze the intros of the podcasts as mentioned above.

Table 1: shows the analysis of intros of the top 3 podcasts discussed above

Now that we’ve established which elements are more prominent in the intros of some of the most popular podcasts. Let’s review the essentials you should keep in mind when designing your introduction.

Part 4. How to make a good podcast intro?

If you want the audience to be unable to resist your podcast, design your podcast intro with the following tips in mind.

How long should a podcast intro be?

Your podcast intro should be brief and snappy. The ideal duration for a podcast intro is between 30 to 60 seconds. However, it should not last more than a minute and a half.

The intro of “This American Life” lasted for sixty seconds, while the intro of stuff you should know was over in about forty seconds. Both of these intros were short and to the point. However, they did an excellent job of providing just the correct information to pique the audience’s interest.

Is background music helpful in making the intro more appealing?

Selecting a soundtrack or sound effects for your podcast intro is optional, but it enhances the quality of the content presented. The soundtrack should be chosen carefully as it functions as a logo that presents a brand.

A soundtrack can also give a classy feel to your intro and aid the listeners in vibing to your content. For instance, if you intend to present horror content in your podcast, spooky background music and sound effects can help the listener get into the mood. To avoid copyright issues, you can find free music at the YouTube audio library or Pixabay.

Should you include a call to action in your intro and why?

Including a call to action at the start or the end of your intro can serve as a good marketing strategy for your social media account. Call-to-action phrases such as, “if you like our podcast, be sure to leave us a review,” can also serve as a hook to capturing the listener’s attention.

In the call to action, you can ask your listeners to do any of the following.

• Recommend your podcast to their friend circle.
• Visit your social media page and leave a review.
• To listen to the previous episodes.
• To buy your work, whether it’s a book or a magazine.

A call to action is also effective in establishing familiarity with the listener. There is no right or wrong CTA, and you can select any given phrases that suit your podcast.

• If you enjoy our podcasts, don’t forget to subscribe.
• Share our content with your friends and family; it’ll help us create more content.
• If you like any changes in the format, do leave your suggestions in the comment box.

For instance, in the intro of “This American Life,” Ira Glass uses the phrase, “If you haven’t tried the previous episodes yet, you should.” reminding the new audience to check the previous episodes as well.

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When is the right time to introduce yourself and your guests?

Logically it would help if you introduced yourself to the new audience right after introducing the name of your podcast. Introducing yourself is not challenging, but you can use guest introductions to create a buzz that will help you gain your listeners’ attention.

The proper way to introduce your episode guest is to tell your audience about their background, how you know them, and why you invited them to your podcast. It will pique the listener’s interest, and they will tune in to learn more. Now that you recognize what elements to pay attention to if you want to create a killer podcast intro.

Let’s look at the samples of some of the most popular podcast intros.

Part 5. Effective podcast introduction examples

Once you’ve figured out how a good podcast intro should be, the last step would be to glance at the intros of the following popular podcasts to eliminate any further ambiguity.

Crushed - A Comedy Podcast

Crushed is one of the top comedy podcasts in which people narrate their one-sided love stories to the host. First, let’s look at its intro.

Crushed’s Intro

“Hello! and welcome to crushed by Margaret Cabourn Smith, the podcast about the mooning and madnesses of unrequited love.

My guest today is the legendary stand-up benevolent podcaster truth teller all round grump old week Jenny éclair!”

Our Analysis of the Intro

As you can see, this intro is one of the most straightforward and fabulous in which the host first introduces the name of the podcast and then what the episode will be about and finally introduces the guest in the same manner as we talked about in the previous section.

This podcast’s intro, which lasted for only 25 seconds, was backed by dramatic music that complimented it perfectly.

Free Template for a Comedy Podcast

Hello! and welcome to ————— (podcast name); the podcast is about the ——————. (what is the podcast about) My guest today is the ————.(introduction of the guest). We have an excellent episode for you today! So buckle up your seat belts, and let’s get right into it!

Global News Podcast

Global News Podcast is one of the top news podcasts by BBC World Service, and its intro is as follows.

Global News Podcast’s Intro

“Hello! This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. With reports and analyses shown across the world and the latest news seven days a week, BBC World service podcasts are supported by ‘appetizer.’ This is the global news podcast from BBC World Service.”

Our Analysis of the Intro

Once again, the introduction is concise and hooks listeners in just 17 seconds. In addition, the host did a fantastic job of introducing the podcast’s name and what listeners could anticipate from it.

Free Template for a News Podcast

Hello! This is the ——– news podcast from the ———— (introduce the channel). With reports and analyses shown across the world and the latest news ————— (introduce the purpose of the broadcast), ———- podcasts are supported by ——————–. (the name of your sponsor, if any)

The Joe Rogan Experience - A culture and society podcast

It is one of the top culture and society podcasts, with the following intro.

The Joe Rogan Experience’s Intro

“Hey! What’s going on, ladies and gentlemen? This podcast is a f**kin doozy; we got a good one today! We had a great one yesterday, but this is another great one. And it is brought to you by the cash app. The cash app is a freaking awesome way to send money to your friends and family, and now you can buy bitcoin with the cash app”.

Our Analysis of the Intro

This podcast’s intro is a bit of a freestyle that changes with each episode. It’s also worth noting that the host introduced the podcast’s sponsor, so it can also be a thing.

Free Template for a Culture and Society Podcast

Hey! What’s going on, ladies and gentlemen? This podcast is a ——————- (explain what the podcast is about). My guest today is ——–, who is a ——– (introduce the guest), and if you are a frequent listener of ———, then you must know that I love talking about life, philosophy, and the differences in society’s cultures!

Welcome to Your Fantasy - A crime show podcast

Welcome to Your Fantasy is one of the most popular crime show podcasts.

Welcome to Your Fantasy’s Intro

“The following program contains adult content, violence, and strong language. The listener’s discretion is advised. Previously on welcome to your fantasy, Chippendale’s owner committed suicide in his jail cell just hours before he was to be sentenced.

Are you surprised? There are so many untold stories about Chippendales that we didn’t get to explore fully. So in this last episode, we are going to hear from some of the women who made Chippendale into this iconic brand that we know today, so to do that, I invited Nicole Hemmer and Neil J young to the show. “

Our Analysis of the Intro

It is a classic 2-minute intro that starts with a disclaimer and then the recap of the previous episode. Then, at last, the show host skillfully introduces the episode guests to the audience. This intro has subtle music in the back, which makes it upbeat.

Free Template for a Crime Show Podcast

The following program contains adult content, violence, and strong language. The listener’s discretion is advised. Previously on (the podcast name) ——————– (recap of the last episode). So in this final episode, we are going to hear from ———— (guests of the episode).

Despite operating in plain sight for almost ——–, it took a twist of fate for his reign of terror to finally come to an end. And yes, you guessed it, right, ladies and gentlemen, today we will talk about the infamous ———.

Football Weekly - A sports podcast

Football Weekly is the best sports podcast, and its intro goes like this,

Football Weekly’s Intro

“This is the guardian. Hello and welcome to the guardian weekly; more votes are needed for Liverpool, this time losing at the bottom of the league. Robbin is at the panel today with us.”

Our Analysis of the Intro

The intro tells the platform, then what will be discussed in the episode, and ends with the introduction of the guest and usually lasts for about 40 seconds.

Free Template for a Sports Podcast

This is ———-(the podcast’s name). Hello and welcome to the ————-; more votes are needed for———-, this time losing at the bottom of the league (a tagline related to any of the sports teams to hook the audience)

———– is at the panel today with us (introduce the guest of the episode). Yesterday’s game of —— was a bummer, and we’ll talk about it later in the episode.

Final words

A podcast intro is the same as a show’s teaser. It is like a small keyhole that discloses what the listener will be diving into. It should be short, snappy, and engaging enough to leave the audience gasping for more.

And hopefully, after going over the crux and tips mentioned above, you will be able to design an intro that will give your audience a sense of familiarity, encouraging them to stay for more.

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