TV shows and movies take full advantage of creating trailers that entice potential viewers and get people to line up, tune in, and talk about what they watched. Podcasts are no different. You can use a trailer to introduce a new show, get people excited about an upcoming season, or tease your next show.
Apple Podcasts is a directory that makes trailers easy to use. In fact, if you are using PodOps hosting, simply mark the Episode Type as Trailer, and the content will appear in Apple Podcasts right where it is needed. You may find this feature in other hosting platforms as well. However, we can’t promise all podcast directories will recognize a trailer as unique content. Be aware that a lot of directories load all your content as another episode. This means you want to be considerate of where in your RSS Feed timeline you publish.
Coming Soon Trailer: If you are launching a brand new podcast, this is a great way to start getting the word out to the world as well as ensure you are listed in directories when you release your first episode. This is a short piece of content introducing you, your show, and what you’re going to be sharing.
Teaser Trailer: Often at the end of an episode, this is a great way to entice listeners to tune in to your next episode. Share a juicy hook from the next episode along with when it will drop.
Show Trailer: This can be a great piece of reusable content. In a show trailer, you can do a similar introduction to you and your podcast as in the coming soon, but include a highlight reel of the best clips and one-liners. Think is your ‘must-listen’ way of enticing possible listeners.
At a minimum, you want to run 30-seconds in coming soon and teaser trailers. They can be a bit longer, but ensure you’re including valuable content that will hook a listener, not simply adding what you want to hear to fill time. A show trailer, in some opinions, can run as long as 5-minutes, but we recommend targeting 2-minutes. This gives you enough time to introduce yourself, the show, and a quick run-through of highlights.
What’s the point of your trailer? Remember to ask people to perform one action. That is likely to tune in and listen to your show. Make it clear where they can find you. Directing users to your podcast website is a great way to ensure that can access all episodes. You can direct users to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc., but keep in mind that every user has their own preferred app. A podcast website is something everyone can access without downloading a new app or creating an account.
If you have very specific background music, an intoxicating laugh, or a catchphrase, be sure it’s included in the trailer. You are introducing yourself to the world, ensure your signature sounds and styles are engrained.
Once your trailer is uploaded and released, spread the word. Share it across your social media networks, ask followers to share, tag others to get conversations started. Do everything you can to generate buzz!
