Your ultimate guide on how to get all of the right assets to launch your podcast

Your podcast’s show description can sometimes make-or-break someone’s choice to listen to your show, so making these as interesting and compelling as possible is key. So how do you do it? Here are tips: 

Crafting Your Unforgettable Show Description 

Before you begin: remember that your show description is usually the second chance for you to convince your listener to hit play. The first is the artwork. You need your description to be punchy, to the point and to feel in line with the artwork and the sound of your show. 

To explain what we mean by a good vs. bad show description, here is an example of a hypothetical show description that we would probably tell you to change:

Hello and Welcome to the XYZ Podcast! This is a show about the stories behind the most powerful and influential people in the world of marketing. Press play now to learn more.

You might think to yourself – well, this is a punchy and concise… but there are a few things wrong with this kind of description:

  1. It wastes space. The first line of your description is absolutely wasted if you are putting in words like ‘welcome and hello’ as the first line of your show description. Just cut straight to the chase. Very often this line will be the only one your listener will see as the preview in most podcasts app only shows the first few words. 
  2. It is vague. This show description gives us no information about the problem that the podcast is solving. Today, there is likely already a podcast that does the same or at least a very similar thing to yours, your selling point should be about how you are doing that differently and why that problem should be solved by you specifically. Be clear – it will only do you good. 
  3. It has bad SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). If this podcast is all about marketing, it actually uses very few marketing keywords that might lead people to the show – the things people are searching for. SEO is vital in helping your discoverability and to driving your audiences to your podcast. 
  4. It is boring. This is purely a matter of taste, but we like to avoid phrases like ‘press play’ etc in show descriptions as it not only wastes more space, but it also sounds a bit dull. Likelihood is that if the listener is reading your podcast description, they already know how they can listen to your podcast. Instead maybe invite them to write to you with a question, leave a review or subscribe. 

So here is a rewritten version of our fictional podcast that might sound just a little better:

Discoverability – it’s every podcaster’s biggest problem. By talking to audio experts like Matt Deegan and Matt Hill, XYZ gives you practical advice on podcast marketing to help your show grow in downloads and influence. Follow us so you don’t miss our weekly episodes and find Podcast Discovery – @podcastdisco – on all social platforms for even more insider audio tips.

And why else is this version better?

  1. It has a memorable logline. Any show description that doesn’t evade the topic the show is talking about is a win, so don’t hold back with the first line of your show description. 
  2. It includes people. If your show’s guest is prominent in your field, make sure to include their name. Very often, people might just be searching for their name and if your show pops up – that’s another listener you can add to your fan base. 
  3. It gives an indication of your schedule. It’s always good to be upfront with your listeners about how often your show comes out. Don’t spend too long on it, but a small mention goes a long way. 
  4. It talks about the people behind the show. By directing people to the socials at the end of the description, it gives a CTA to interact with your brand/personality beyond your podcast. If the goal of your show is to make a bigger impression in the space, this can only be a good thing. 

That’s pretty much it – there are definitely no secrets here. Your show description is important, but don’t spend too much time on perfecting it and focus on the content and your artwork first. Remember: you can tweak a podcast’s description at any time post publishing (although of course getting it right the first time is always best!).

WANT MORE TIPS ON LAUNCHING YOUR SHOW? WRITE TO US.