Podcasting is not as easy as some netizens may have you believe. Getting people to focus on your product is becoming harder due to their reducing attention span. Most listeners tend to decide about listening to a podcast within seconds of hitting play. The best voice over podcast producers must, therefore, strive to capture the attention of listeners with each episode.

You must meet very high expectations on every minute of your podcast if you are to impress the audience. The magic of a compelling podcast, hence, lies in how well you handle each section.

In other words, a podcaster’s task is to achieve these two goals continually:

  1. Pass A Specific Message- each podcast is packed with a specific message that is within a particular thematic area. For instance, a voice-over artist will only listen to a podcast if it stays within a given voice-over theme. It must, therefore, be articulated clearly in all sections of your file.
  2. Create A Regular Audience- listeners will return to your podcast whenever they visit and find helpful attractive information. Hence, your content, format, and style of presentation should always make listeners feel welcome throughout the show.

Passing the intended message while capturing the theatre of the mind is no walk in the park. You’ll have to keep the audience engaged at the beginning, middle, and end of the podcast.

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How To Create A Mind-Blowing Voice-Over Podcast Introduction

The first struggle for a podcaster is to capture the attention of listeners. The strength of the beginning hook greatly determines the listener’s stay for the length of your podcast. Having a captivating beginning will assist you in setting the pace for your presentation, enabling you to hook the listener instantly.

The average podcast length for 2019 was 41 minutes. Therefore, the introduction should promise the listener that the next 40 or so minutes will be worthwhile. Otherwise, they will lose their zeal of exchanging 40 minutes of their life in a fast-paced environment.

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While the introduction only takes a few minutes, these minutes must be memorable and captivating to make the listener curious about the content of your entire podcast.

So, what goes into the introduction of the best voice-over podcast?

Features of a compelling Introductory Section

  • Create a welcoming signature– A listener should know that he or she is following a particular podcaster just by listening to the first few seconds. The signature opening you provide can help the listener establish who is speaking. It can also calm down the audience since they are comfortable with the podcast.
  • Mark the episode–podcasters tend to deliver numerous episodes each period. A loyal follower will not want to repeat already listened to podcasts. Moreover, it will be a waste of time for them to wait for minutes as the content loads in identifying the number of chapters manually. Kindly be indicating their names and corresponding numbers at the beginning to avoid confusion.
  • Use a fascinating tone- make your sound enjoyable to the ears—one of the reasons people abandon podcasts is due to the voice or tone of the narrator. Use a tone that reflects the message you carrying, the expectations of the audience, and their desired perception. Some podcasters even choose to add background music to make it dramatic.
  • Introduce your subject- Listeners are usually searching for particular information in a podcast. Therefore, the introduction should indicate what a listener will garner for the whole duration of the podcast. From the first few seconds or minutes, it should be clear on what the broadcast is all about, helping the audience determine its relevance to their expectations. Without a convincing introduction, listeners are uncertain whether to proceed or click on another podcast show.

Hence, the beginning must hook your listener to the podcast. Make the introduction enjoyable by adding a joke, fun fact, or by asking a provoking question, among other tactics. A well-introduced podcast will keep listeners coming back to the channel.

The Body Of Your Voiceover Podcast

The body is the longest and most informative part of your podcast. Since it captures the main subject of your podcast, it will also keep the listeners returning to your channel.

A successful podcaster must master three crucial elements.

  1. Content
  2. Presentation
  3. Audience

1. Content

The internet has numerous podcasts on the same subject. However, listeners choose one podcast over the other because of the information a podcast captures.

Content on a podcast must meet the following criterion.

  • Relevant– address issues around your subject area. Do not waste time with irrelevant content and expect the listener to go beyond the first minute. Research on your topic so that a listener feels that he or she has gotten value for time.
  • Updated– Listeners are looking for new information on different topics. Repetition has no room in the creation of a podcast. Each episode should have new and exciting material. Thus, listeners will be confident of finding relevant information every time they visit your channel.
  • Engaging-the human element makes podcasts a preferred source of information: it is the podcast that gives the data instead of the consumer reading from a lifeless text. Use expert tips to make your podcast appealing, including the use of simple language, asking questions, leaving room for thoughts, and connecting with previous or future episodes. Make jokes in between to ease tension and make your content enjoyable.
  • Help the listener to take a step- The listener should experience growth in their knowledge by the end of a podcast. The packaged information and method of presentation should be able to aid them in learning more about a topic.

Provide information that is interesting to listeners. The content must be created and presented interestingly. Be factual and avoid details that could be controversial.

Furthermore, do not include all the details in a single podcast. Preferably, choose a specific topic for each podcast session. It will make your work enjoyable to follow.

2. Presentation

As much as podcasts are audio files, their presentation matters. Listeners are interested in the packaging of your information. The podcast script, the voice of participants, and the overall result will determine the reception you receive from the audience.

Here are crucial elements of the presentation that you must consider about your podcast.

  1. The voice– use a natural and conversational tone in your presentation. It should sound natural to your listeners, enabling them to relate to the content. If you speak on other forums like television or radio, the listener should feel an element of consistency. Identify a calm, relaxed, and consistent voice to use in all your presentations.
  2. Organized ideas– the points should flow from the introduction to the conclusion. The order must be logical and signify growth or advancement from one stage to the other. A haphazard presentation tends to make your content tedious and confusing.
  • Elicit a response or reaction– listening is not similar to watching videos. Listening is regarded as identical to reading because the listener has to engage with the content. Prepare the content and present it in such a way that it will inevitably push the listener to take action. Ask thought-provoking questions. Rhetorical questions are the best for a podcast; unless it is instructional.
  1. Connect it with other episodes- connecting followers and episodes is what creates a podcast community. The content should flow in such a way that the listener feels the connection between the podcast projects. Indicate topics and issues you will be handling in subsequent episodes. It makes your listeners look forward to future podcasts.
  2. Consistency- create a consistent formula in your presentation. It should contain an opening style, length of episodes, conclusion, tone, style, and format for your script, among other elements. With a consistent manner and formula, it will help your listeners to focus on the content. They will not be shocked by new additions with each episode. Consistency also builds confidence in listeners and makes your work predictable.

Professional podcast presentation should make your work easier to follow. The audience will find the content easy to consume in addition to making the entire podcast series enjoyable.

The chosen presentation all boils down into the type of script you write. When you prepare the script professionally, it will give you the best podcast in the market.

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3. Audience

The whole essence of a podcast is to understand your audience. The audience determines the topics you will be handling with each episode. The length of a podcast, the pace of presentation, and the complexity of ideas all depend on your audience.

A podcaster must judge the level of knowledge and style of consumption of his audience accurately if he or she is to get the content right. Feedback from the audience can also help a podcaster to shape his content.

Use tricks that will capture the attention of your audience from the beginning of a podcast to the end. If your followers are satisfied or captivated by your content, they will recommend the podcast to their friends.

The Outro of a Voice-Over Podcast

The best outro for a voice-over podcast is one that makes the entire episode memorable. It is the last word you have with your audience at the end of a show. The outro will determine the overall message carried away. It will also make the listener curious about upcoming episodes.

Here are simple tips to make a fantastic podcast outro.

  • Thank listeners for the time spent together
  • Send the listener to other platforms like websites, social media, and events where they can get more information.
  • Provide contact details in case of a clarification query
  • Give a teaser of the next episode so that they can look forward to its release
  • Indicate the action they should take after listening to the episode

An outro of a podcast should be short, reassuring, yet informative. It should build a bridge between the podcaster and listeners. It is also an opportunity to instill change in the life of the listener

Conclusion

A captivating voice-over podcast is a product of a carefully thought out the introduction, body, and conclusion. Each section must capture the imagination of the listener and promise value for the time spent. Learn what your audience wants, create a precise product, and your audience will forever grow. By crafting a quality voice over podcasts like a professional, the audience will likely listen to the end and take the desired action.