Unraveling the Final Moments
By Tom Seest
How Does a Podcast End?
At PodcastBig, we help new podcasters develop strategies to create content, traffic, and revenue from podcasts based on our experiences and experimentation.
Podcast production requires considerable dedication: you need to organize interviews, record yourself and get everyone recorded, as well as edit it all before sharing it with the world.
An effective outro can keep your audience engaged and build a loyal following, so here are some tips on how to conclude your podcast in style.
How Does a Podcast End?
Table Of Contents
What Makes Listeners Vital to Podcast Success?
After your podcast ends, make sure to thank listeners for sticking through all episodes – this will show your appreciation and engagement with them, encouraging them to come back next time!
Alternatively, you could also encourage them to subscribe and share the podcast with their friends and family, encouraging them to return often while growing your audience. Doing this also increases positive online reviews that will boost your rankings in iTunes and Spotify.
Add a call-to-action in your outro and encourage listeners to visit your website or social media pages in order to generate additional traffic and sales for your content ecosystem, helping increase revenue streams.
One way of showing your appreciation for listeners is by giving them access to show notes for this episode. This will enable them to recall key aspects of your discussion while learning more about it.
Outros can also be used to promote upcoming episodes or products or services mentioned during an episode, encouraging your listeners to subscribe and expanding your revenue stream.
Additionally, an outro is also an opportunity for you to thank any sponsors of an episode and expand sponsorship revenue by drawing new advertisers in future episodes. Make sure your sponsors permit this action; otherwise it could be seen as spammy behavior and lead to more sponsorship revenue loss for you!
What Makes Listeners Vital to Podcast Success?
What Happens After the Finale?
An episode wrap-up provides you with an opportunity to express your thanks, give key takeaways from the show, and hint at what to expect in future episodes. It also presents you with an excellent opportunity to ask listeners to review it on iTunes or Spotify; not only will this improve SEO but it could attract new listeners to your podcast.
While many podcasts feature a scripted plan with specific tasks for both host and guests to perform, it’s common for hosts or guests to spontaneously come up with topics or start conversations without prior preparation or planning. This can help give the show a more natural, personal feel while making listeners feel they know each other.
No matter if your show features a planned script or not, an outro is an ideal time to tease out what will be discussed in your next episode and create anticipation among listeners of the topic being addressed in it. Doing this can keep them coming back for more.
Use this space to engage your listeners, solicit feedback or anything else you would like them to do such as provide suggestions for guests, topics or any other feedback you are interested in hearing about from your listeners.
Reminding listeners to check your show notes for additional resources and links related to topics discussed on your show is also an opportunity for them to spread the word by social media or any other means. Finally, having outro music handy adds that final professional touch – making sure that their episode ends well and adds that final sense of professionalism!
What Happens After the Finale?
What Makes a Podcast Truly Memorable?
Podcasting can be hard work: booking guests, recording their voices, editing the audio file and then promoting it to an audience can take up most of your time – leaving little extra for anything else! However, when there is time available, thanking sponsors in your outro is an essential way to show that you appreciate them while providing information to your listeners about their products/services.
Sponsor ads typically appear in three areas of a podcast: pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll. A pre-roll ad typically runs 15 seconds before content begins; mid-roll ads run halfway through content for 30 seconds and last 60 seconds respectively. When negotiating podcast sponsorship deals, indicate to potential advertisers which area (pre-roll, mid-roll or post-roll) they would like their ad displayed.
Since most podcasts involve multiple contributors, it’s only polite to include a list of credits in the outro of each podcast episode. This could include all hosts, guests and crew members (e.g. editors).
Many podcasters utilize their outro credits to reaffirm what the podcast series is all about and to remind listeners what they were watching or listening to – helping keep listeners tuned in longer for future episodes and increasing subscription rates. You could also take this time to highlight any upcoming guest appearances; doing this may draw more visitors to your website and increase subscription rates; an engaged listener base is always beneficial for both podcasters and advertisers.
What Makes a Podcast Truly Memorable?
How can you make your podcast better?
Keep your listeners engaged by soliciting their opinions. Doing this shows them you care what they have to say while also helping you enhance the show in future episodes.
When seeking feedback, make sure to be direct but polite in your request. Avoid language that might come across as offensive. Consider offering incentives like stickers or pins in exchange for honest reviews only – otherwise you risk receiving tons of fake reviews just looking to take advantage of a freebie!
As well as asking your audience for ratings and reviews, your podcast outro can also serve to encourage interaction on social media – an effective way to continue the dialogue outside the podcast and increase its visibility on iTunes.
Many podcasters include their social media handles in the outro of their podcast and instruct listeners to follow them there, while others will encourage listeners to subscribe to their newsletter or visit their website.
As important as it is to outline all of the ways your listeners can engage with you, it is best to limit themselves to only one or two interactions at once to prevent confusion amongst your audience. Otherwise, this could prove too much information at once for them.
How can you make your podcast better?
What Makes a Great Podcast Guest?
An effective podcast script helps your show stay focused on topics that provide the greatest return, while providing you with a way to write episodes with a natural flow and that are enjoyable for listeners.
Outros are short summaries that appear after the main content of your podcast episode and may include credits, links to related material, or something more unique that reflects your brand. You can use a traditional or customized outro depending on how your brand wishes for its audio to be presented.
Podcasters who host beauty lifestyle shows might incorporate a catchphrase like, “Don’t forget to follow Bellamazing and Ciao!” as part of their outro in order to distinguish their show and ensure listeners remember it. This ensures the outro stands out and keeps listeners coming back!
Many podcasters also choose to include a call-to-action (CTA) at the end of each episode as an invitation for listeners to take further actions, such as subscribing or following guests on social media. By including such CTAs, podcasters can effectively increase their audience and expand their business.
As a podcast guest, it’s crucial that you have an established plan for how you would like the interview to unfold. Start by compiling a list of relevant podcasts within your industry that reach the target audience you desire and prioritize them based on a number of subscribers or number of people they reach with their content.
Reach out to these shows and pitch your story, making sure to include relevant bio information that details your background and topics of discussion. Also include photos and a link back to your website or blog; this will encourage listeners to check out your content and increase dwell time on their visit – something listeners are much more likely to do once exposed to your story!
What Makes a Great Podcast Guest?
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