Creating Compelling Podcast Intros and Outros
In podcasting, your intros and outros help start and end the episode right from the get-go by setting the tone as your listeners join you and leave a lasting impression as they head out.
They are important to help hook them in and provide the right information from start to finish so you don’t lose your audience.
But it can be hard to know what to include, how long they should be, and what makes good ones.
Today, I will be covering the purposes of an intro + outro, elements to create compelling ones, plus tips on how you can script and structure them.
Continue reading if you are ready to up your intro and outro game.
Understanding the Purpose of Intros and Outros
So, what are the purpose of having an intro and outro for your show?
Well, an intro helps to grab your listeners’ attention, introduce the podcast, the host(s), and set the expectations of what’s to come/what listeners can expect from your show.
The goal of an outro is to help conclude your show - providing your call to action, sharing what’s to come on the show, and leaving your audience ready to come back for more.
If either of these doesn’t do their job properly, your listeners could be skedaddling before the show even begins.
Elements of Compelling Intros
Intros can leave your listeners wanting more or having them hit the door running, so creating an effective intro is important.
Here are the elements we think you should include (in no particular order):
Keep it short
I say short because there is no specific time period that we think it should be. However, you don’t want to go for too long that it turns listeners off. At the same time, if you go too short you may not address all the key points that you need to address.
Music
You’ll want to pick music that makes sense for your show’s tone. You are setting the stage for what vibes your show is giving off so you don’t want to have sad music for an upbeat show.
Strong hook/attention-grabbing opening
Within the first few seconds of listening, your listener (or potential listener) will decide if they should stick around. So, you want the topic/content of your show to grab them in. This is what will make them intrigued, hooked, and want to keep listening.
The introduction of the show/host(s), the expectations, who this show is for, etc.
What is your podcast about? Again, keeping this short and sweet. A great way to do that is a one-sentence tagline so that listeners know what the purpose of your podcast is. They need to know that it makes sense for them to keep listening.
Who is it for and what will they get out of it? This can be great to include in the tagline so that your listeners know that “Hey this podcast is for me!” and what they will be getting out of your episodes. Remember, yes this show is yours but in the end, you are creating it for them - so what benefits are they going to get out of it from sticking around? It may seem like you’ll turn listeners off, but you want people who are your target audience and will be the right fit because the truth is, not everyone is your audience.
Who are the host(s)? Why should they care about you and your thoughts/opinions? You want to let listeners know who you are and why they should listen to you.
Here are some great intros if you are looking for some examples:
Tips for Crafting Memorable Outros
But intros aren’t the only place to keep your audience hooked. As they are leaving your show you want to create a lasting impression that will keep them coming back for more.
Here are our tips for what you can include in your outro to make it memorable (again, in no particular order):
Music
Similar to the intro, you want to be setting the exit tone - what feelings do you want them to leave with?
Thank your listeners for tuning in
They just spent time with you that could have been spent elsewhere, make sure to thank your listeners for tuning in and being a valuable part of your show because without them there wouldn’t be a show!
Summarize the key points
Especially if you have longer episodes, this is a great time to recap exactly what they are taking away from the episode and can apply to their own lives. Again, what is the benefit they just received from tuning in?
Plus, some information could have been missed depending on what they were doing when they were listening so it’s good to recap the important parts of the episode.
A call to action
You want the listeners to know exactly what to do when they leave. It may seem like these are things they would already do, but if you don’t ask, you’d be surprised what won’t be done. But remember, you don’t want too many CTAs so they don’t get confused about what the next steps are.
Some examples of calls to action are:
to subscribe
leave a rating/review
Gathering listener feedback
Visit your show notes/podcast website
Check out your services/products
Connect with you on social media
What’s to come
This isn’t necessary but it can be a great way for them to want to listen in to the next episode. Give them a hook on what you’ll be talking about next, if you have a specific guest or just give them an idea of what’s coming up.
Here are some great outros if you are looking for some examples:
Write Medicine by Alex Howson - Femtech and Inclusive CME/CPD episode starting at 38:29
The Messy Mom Podcast by Fit Mama in 30 - Embracing 40 episode starting at 47:55
Clocking In with Haylee Gaffin - Episode 118 about Back to the Basics starting at 12:36
Scripting and Structuring Intros and Outros
So, you’ve got an idea of what to include in your intros and outros to help set the stage and keep your listeners hooked, but what’s the best way to script and structure them?
When scripting you want to make both of these clear and concise. As I mentioned earlier, they shouldn’t be too long but they should convey the message, tone, and style that you want - be to the point.
Keep them consistent across episodes, of course, you can change them up as you see fit but keeping similar branding and structure will help listeners remember the information.
Finally, for structuring each of these pieces we recommend that each of them look something like this…
For the intro:
Music
Hook
The intro contents
Music to close it out
For the outro:
Music
Takeaways/key points
A call to action
Thank your listeners on the way out for being there
What’s to come
Music to close it out
Intro to Outro We Go!
Having intros and outros is important for catching your listeners’ attention and keeping them coming back for more in the future.
But they don’t have to be long and daunting, you can keep them short and light and still get your point across.
We encourage you to get creative and experiment.
Play around and figure out what styles and structures work best for your audience on each of these. It’s okay to make changes and adjustments based on their feedback and your evolving podcasting goals. What works for some podcasts may not work for yours.
Take what you want from these tips discussed and leave what doesn’t fit your needs, that’s the best part about podcasting there is no one correct way to do it.
Let us know in the comments what’s something that has made your intros and outros compelling for your audience!
Aleea
