What makes a good Podcast intro
Here I share some podcast intro examples and explain what techniques work in crafting your Podcast intro. Follow these tips to leave a great first impression on your listener.
Start as you mean to go on. The first minute or two of a podcast says so much to a listener. If your intro is long and full of lots of information I don't need, then that says that the whole podcast will be more information than I want, so I'm not going to commit.
Don't pay a voice over to do your intro, saying something like, "Welcome to the Lightbulb Moment Podcast and here is your host Joe Bloggs…". To me, that's very cheesy and impersonal. Doing it yourself will be cheaper and more effective.
The first tip is the key to everything else that follows.
Put an empty chair or a photo across from you.
Some of the best radio presenters use this tip. It might sound ridiculous, but it works because it keeps your mindset in the right place when recording a podcast intro. Wherever you record, make an empty chair or a photo visible in front of you. That chair or photo represents your listener.
Visualise your ideal listener. Speak to them like they are just across from you. Use it to dictate your pitch, tone of voice and the language you use.
Always remember that you are recording a podcast for them. Unless you are giving the listener value, a podcast is pointless.
Consider using music for a Podcast intro.
Think about using some music that fits with your brand and personality to wrap around an intro. Is your tone chilled out and relaxed, or are you in your face and hard-hitting? Think of these things when selecting music and get something that represents the personality of the show.
With all the podcast intro examples I have provided from my Podcast partners, you will hear that they all use music. Here are some places you can find good podcast music:
Audiojungle / Envato market - very affordable, but you may have to spend more time browsing for the right piece.
Premiumbeat is a little more expensive but of excellent quality. You also get stems (different work parts and elements of the music), so you (or your podcast editor) can use the piece with a lot more flexibility.
Start by typing in some words that describe your podcast. For example "Technology", "Corporate". Then you can use words that describe you "Chilled out", "Hard-hitting". Use some of the filters to narrow it down to tempo and style. You will get plenty of options on either platform.
There are some places to download free music for a podcast intro, but the quality is noticeably worse, and you are limited in style (it all kind of sounds the same). You can find music on audiojungle for as little as $5
Tease a clip from later in the episode
I love when a podcast sets the tone immediately. The best way to achieve this is to open the show with an impactful clip later in the episode. This clip acts as a mini trailer as to what the listener can expect. It can ease a podcast host into the podcast much better too.
Find a good part or story from the episode that you found interesting. Edit it down to 15-20 seconds. Create interest and always try to not give everything away. If someone talks about a fantastic app they downloaded that changed their life, edit out the part when they say what that app is, leaving the listener needing more information that they will get by staying listening.
Here's a podcast intro example using a clip to open up the show, take a listen and hear how I left out some essential information:
Give the elevator pitch.
Give the listener a very brief synopsis of the podcast. The reason I say very briefly is that recurring listeners will have to hear this every time they start a podcast. Ideally, get this into 10 seconds. Describe the podcast in 1 sentence.
Anything longer than 15 seconds that you have to hear on repeat each time you listen becomes annoying. Here's an example of a short podcast elevator pitch that I put together for the Authority Brand Podcast. This elevator pitch, combined with music that works perfectly for the host Curt Mercadante.
Don't try and sell something or ask a favour of your listener.
Particularly important in new podcasts. If you feel you've built up a loyal audience who trust you, then I think it's okay to ask for something early on. However, if you are a podcast trying hard to grow numbers, this is not the time to do this.
Serve the listener before you serve yourself. Spending time at the start of the podcast asking a new listener to review a show or buy something before you've shared any content with them is very self-serving.
Use an insert or a break somewhere in the middle of the podcast to do this instead. Give the listener some value before you ask for something in return.
Record the intro for a guest after you record the interview
If you record an intro "live" or before you speak to the guest, you're missing out on a trick. Recording after, when you have a clear picture of how the interview went, will be far more effective. It gives you a chance to script an intro with the episode in mind, not a guest bio in mind.
You will know what the key takeaways from the chat were, and you should be using them to give the listener a reason to stay with the podcast.
Don't give a detailed background about your guest.
Following on from the previous point, don't give a detailed background on your guest's history. The number of times I hear podcasters intro with a guest's bio only for the guest to provide the same information in the opening 5 minutes, it's boring.
Pick out 2 or 3 awe-inspiring things about your guest and share them in your language and in a way that will impress a listener and keep them interested. Don't just read a bio. That's too predictable.
Tease reasons why the listener should keep listening
So you have waited until the end of the chat to record an interview, and you know what the best bits were. What were the parts that made you react with a "wow" or just left you feeling optimistic?
Tease one or two of them in the intro to let the listener confirm that this is the right show for them, and they need to keep listening. Be careful not to give too many things coming up, and it's tough to digest in an intro. Could you keep it to 3 items max?
Here's a sample from one of my Podcast partners, Conor McCarthy of the First 10 Podcast. Listen to how the background/bio on the guest is so short. He teases what's coming up and gives the listener specific reasons to keep listening. All done within 1 minute. If anything, I think this could be made even shorter. If you were ruthless, what would you edit out?
Speak to your listener as an individual
"Hello, listeners" - I can't tell you how much I hate hearing this. Look at that empty chair and say that. What would your listener think?
Listening to podcasts is a very personal experience for me. I listen on my own, usually with earphones, chilling out or taking a walk. I listen to things that I am interested in football, business, comedy, technology, so when someone says "hello listeners" or "Hi everybody", it dilutes the personal experience of a podcast.
Conversational and straightforward language like "Hey there" or "Hello my friend" is so much more personable. Speak as you would with a friend if you were catching up with them over coffee.
Use casual phrases and language
Use that empty chair or photo and visualise yourself having a chat with your ideal listener. How would you speak with them?
A lot of people see themselves as a host. What do you picture when you think of a stereotypical host? Probably a famous TV presenter. So many people start to imitate that character and the things they might say - this is why the empty chair is so important.
Don't try and speak like you think a TV or Radio "host" would. Phrases like "hello and welcome", "a jam-packed show", or "without further adieu" are not only very dated phrases, but they're not phrases you'd use in a casual chat with your friend, so don't use them in a podcast that represents your personality. I want to hear the real you, not an imitation of a chat show host.
It's a good idea to write a script, but only if you make it sound natural. Try writing a script then reading it back to your empty chair (sounds crazy, but it's good practice).
Check out the casual language used by Kenny Whitelaw Jones on The Project podcast:
Keep it simple & keep it short!
1-2 minutes is the sweet spot for a podcast intro with everything included. I know that might feel short when you're recording, but be ruthless. Keep your listener in mind (use the empty chair). Please don't waste the listeners time with stuff they don't need or want to know. If you do, they could walk out of the room before you even get to the interview.
What are the things they must know at this point? Start as you mean to go on. They will learn a lot as they go through this podcast episode, so don't flood them with too much information too early.
Unnecessary information in an intro says that even though there might be some value, it's going to be hard to find, and I'm not sure I want that. Nobody has the time for unnecessary information. Could you keep it simple, keep it short?
A synopsis of a good podcast intro
Here's a rundown of how a good podcast intro looks (swapping step 1 with step 2 can work well for the alternating balance of voices)
Music intro with teaser clip: 20 seconds
Podcast Elevator pitch: 10 seconds
An introduction to your guest: 30 seconds - 1 minute
Follow this, and you will be chatting with your guest within 90 seconds. You will have given the first impression that your podcast does not beat around the bush, and its purpose is to serve the listener.
