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Creating a podcast teaser can help get people interested in your podcast episode and entice them to keep listening. In this article, I share how I make a podcast teaser that plays at the beginning of my episodes and tries to grab people’s attention.
What’s a podcast teaser?
Many content creators share previews of their podcast episodes on other networks through audiograms, quote graphics, and the like. Those podcast promotions try to get people from one network – say Twitter – to click on over and listen to the episode on a podcast network like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the like.
But, the types of podcast teasers I discuss in this article are directly part of the episode. For example, the flow of an episode might look like this:
- Opening soundbite from a guest from later in the episode <<< The teaser
- The official opening jingle for your podcast
- Host intro and start to podcast
An example from an episode from “The Business Storytelling Show.”
Why a podcast teaser is worth trying
I credit YouTube strategist Zach Mitchem for putting this strategy front and center for me. He mentioned on my content strategy podcast that people will hear the opening soundbite from the guest and then subconsciously wait for it to be discussed again and maybe even in more depth during the actual episode.
In other words, if it’s an interesting soundbite, they might listen longer than others. That’s why it’s so essential; Zach said to pull a soundbite from later in the show.
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How to pick a soundbite
Indeed, some guest soundbites are better than others, but we also don’t need to make it more difficult than it needs to be. Here’s my process:
- I upload the podcast file to the online Video Trimmer
- From there, I go to the later parts of the video and remind myself what quotes are available,
- Then I trim that quote, save and export.
- I use Capcut to add the soundbite ahead of the main podcast file.
- Export, and I have my file to publish.
Read next: How to use cliffhangers in corporate storytelling
How long should a podcast teaser be?
We should be able to leave that up to professional judgment – within reason. Is a one-minute teaser too long? Probably. Is a 10-second teaser too short? Probably. But it also depends on the exact soundbite, the context, and whether or not it all still makes sense.
I generally try to keep my podcast teasers somewhere in the 20-40 second mark. But I don’t look at the time that closely. Instead, I listen more closely to what’s being said in the clip.
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Sometimes, I use that teaser clip as an audiogram on social channels and perhaps even a YouTube Short.
The podcast teasers can help episodes get to the point, draw people in, and show some focus. Finding a way to get to the substance in a podcast episode is essential and can be a differentiator. Some podcasts take forever to get to any substantive content. The chit-chat, promotions, and whatnot can be overwhelming. And while hosts and producers could change that flow, even just adding a podcast soundbite ahead of those things can help, too.
Having a soundbite up front like this is yet another way to draw viewers and listeners in.