(2024) How to Craft the Perfect Description For Your Podcast (with Examples)
When it comes to your podcast description, think of it as a way to tell potential listeners what your show is all about and what they can expect from it. It's also an opportunity to set your show apart from the others out there.
In this article, Cleanvoice will be giving you tips on how to write the perfect podcast description, as well as provide examples to get you started.
Let's get started!
What is a podcast description?
For some avid podcast listeners, the answer to this question might be obvious.
However, it's not difficult to imagine someone stumbling upon a podcast through Spotify or Apple Music without ever reading or even seeing a podcast description. So, before we dive into the nitty-gritty of how to write one, let's briefly go over what a podcast description actually is.
A podcast description is, quite simply, a brief summary of your show. Think of it as an elevator pitch for your podcast—a way to sell listeners on why they should tune in.
Just like with any form of content, first impressions are important when it comes to podcasts. And your description is often the first thing potential listeners will see.
Where are podcast descriptions located?
Generally, there are three main places where podcast descriptions are posted or displayed:
- hosting platforms
- podcast directories and streaming services
- websites
- SERPs
If you host your podcast on a platform like Anchor, Podbean, or Buzzsprout, listeners will be able to see your description on that site.
Most directory and streaming platforms like Apple Music, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher also give podcasters the opportunity to include a description. However, these are usually less prominent than descriptions on hosting platforms.
If you have your own website for your show (which we highly recommend), your description will likely be featured there as well—possibly on your “About” page.
Finally, your podcast description will also likely be displayed on search engine results pages (SERPs) when users enter keywords that your podcast ranks for. Often, your podcast description ranks in SERPs organically as a result of it being featured in one of the places mentioned above.
Now that we've answered the question “what is a podcast description?” let's move on to how to write one.
10 Tips for Writing the Perfect Podcast Description
When it comes to writing a podcast description, keep in mind that you want it to be attention-grabbing and informative. It should give potential listeners a taste of what your show is all about, without giving too much away.
Think of your description as an opportunity to sell your podcast to potential listeners. After all, you want people to actually tune in-not just click away after reading a boring or uninteresting summary.
Here are a few tips to help you write a great podcast description:
1. Start with a catchy opening line
Your opening line is crucial. It's what will make someone decide whether they want to keep reading. So, make it count!
Think about what makes your show unique and use that to start your description off with a bang. For example, if your podcast is particularly funny or heartwarming, start with a line that reflects that.
You could also try using a bit of suspense or asking a question to hook readers in. For example, “Ever wonder what it's like to be a professional dog walker?” or “Do you ever feel like you're just not cut out for this adulting thing?”
The well-known podcast Stuff You Should Know does a great job exhibiting this strategy. Their podcast description features an intriguing list of obscure, curiosity-inducing topics covered by the hosts over the years—perfect for capturing the attention of a diverse group of listeners!
2. Keep it short and sweet
When it comes to podcast descriptions, less is definitely more. You want to be able to fit your entire description on one screen—preferably without someone having to scroll down or press the “See more” button. So, keep your language concise and to the point.
The podcast Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald's is a great example of this. The show takes advantage of its deceptively simple premise and delivers a single sentence description that still manages to inform and captivate potential listeners.
3. Use keyword-rich language
Using keywords throughout your description will not only help potential listeners find your show more easily, but it will also help boost your ranking on directory sites like iTunes.
When including keywords, make sure to use them naturally. Stuffing your description full of keywords will not only make it difficult to read, but it will also turn people off from your show. A good rule of thumb is to keep your keyword density around 1-2%.
Off Menu does a great job working a number of food related keywords into their podcast description without sounding unnatural. As a result, searching for a food-related podcast using keywords like restaurant, meal, and main course is likely to put the show on listeners radars.
4. Highlight what listeners can expect
Your description should give potential listeners a good idea of what they can expect from tuning in. So, be sure to mention the topics you cover, the format of your show, and anything else that makes your podcast unique.
As the description clearly states, Radiolab is known for its innovative use of sound design and its ability to weave together seemingly unconnected stories into coherent pieces. Listeners will have a fairly good idea about what they're getting into after reading their podcast description!
5. Use strong calls to action
A call to action (CTA) is an instruction or piece of information that encourages your readers to take a specific action. In the context of a podcast description, CTAs can be things like “Subscribe now!” or “Rate and review us on iTunes!”
Including a CTA in your description is a great way to encourage people to actually listen to your show. And the more listeners you have, the better!
Planet Money's CTA may seem subtle, but even subtle CTA's can be highly effective. In this case, the show is directing listeners to their paid subscription plan without taking up airtime.
6. Include links
If you have a website for your podcast (which again, we highly recommend), be sure to include a link to it in your description. This will make it easy for potential listeners to find your show and learn more about it.
You could also include links to social media accounts or other places where people can find and interact with your show. For example, if you have a Facebook group for listeners, you could include a link to that.
History Extra is a great example of just how simple this can be. They simply direct interested listeners to the podcast's dedicated website.
7. Write actively when possible
When writing your podcast description, try to use active voice as opposed to passive voice. Active voice is when the subject of the sentence is doing the action (e.g., “I wrote the blog post”), whereas passive voice is when the subject is being acted upon (e.g., “The blog post was written by me”).
Active voice is generally more concise and easier to read, which makes it ideal for something like a podcast description. So, if you can, try to use it as much as possible.
8. Match the tone of your podcast
If you're struggling to come up with a podcast description, it's helpful to think about matching the overall tone of your podcast. If your show is funny, a funny podcast description makes a lot of sense. If your show mainly covers more serious topics, toning down your language and keeping things professional.
Tip: If professionalism is your goal—and it should be, Cleanvoice is a web-based application that can help. It automatically removes filler words, dead air, mouth sounds, and UHHHs from your audio files. The result is cleaner audio without spending hours working with your DAW!
9. Introduce the hosts
If there's one thing that's consistent across the podcasting medium, it's the importance of a show's host(s). Hosts form the foundation of a podcast, and that makes them prime candidates for inclusion in any podcast description.
This is especially true for podcasts hosted by people with some kind of existing online presence or following.
The show Wolf and Owl makes sure to start off their podcast description by introducing both hosts. Doing this allows fans of the hosts to instantly connect with the show and encourages them to give it a listen.
10. Edit, edit, edit!
Once you've written your description, it's important to go back and edit it. This will help you catch any typos or errors, and it will also give you a chance to tighten up your language and make sure everything flows smoothly.
Here are a few quick tips:
- Use a spell checker
- Read your description out loud
- Have someone else read it over for you
Ready To Craft The Perfect Podcast Description?
Podcasts are a great way to reach your audience and share your message. And even though you may have an idea of what you want to say, crafting the perfect description can be tricky.
In this article, we've shared some tips for writing effective descriptions—ones that will get people excited about listening to podcasts from you or any other podcaster.
Writing a great podcast description is one of many tasks that goes into starting a podcast. To free up time, why not outsource some of your audio processing to Cleanvoice?
Our free-to-try web-based application cleans up your audio while you edit your episodes, interview guests, walk the dog… whatever it is you need to be doing! To learn more, check out our website.
