There are an infinite number of ways to write your podcast, so we have some best practices here for you! Writing out an outline and script for your podcast will benefit you when it comes time to record! Not only will it help your show flow more naturally, but it’ll also save time!
Podcasts that are scripted, edited, and produced professionally are extremely good at portraying the ideas of a business or brand in a conversational tone. This makes listeners more likely to engage with you because they feel the podcast is being spoken directly to them. In this article, we’ll explain the proper way to outline and write a podcast.
Create an Outline for Your Podcast
Creating an outline for your show is the first step to writing a successful podcast. This outline will serve as the foundation for your entire show, and it’s where you’ll begin to build out your content.
Once your outline is complete, you can focus on adding more words or removing any unnecessary articles or filler words that don’t contribute to the overall message of your episode.
Begin With an Episode Introduction
The intro to your show can be written and recorded separately, then used for multiple episodes. When creating an episode introduction, you should capture the audience’s attention by telling them who they will hear from or what they’ll learn during your show.
The intro should be short, simple, and engaging enough to make the listener listen further. The ideal length of an episode introduction is usually between 15-30 seconds long.
For example, here’s what you can say at the beginning of your Introduction: “Hey there! Welcome back for another great episode with our guest today!” If this intro was used in multiple episodes, it may just read something like, “Today we have a new guest joining us on the show,” or even better if they’re already familiar with your podcast.
Summarize Your Episode
Summarizing your episode at the beginning is a great way to do an ‘elevator pitch’ for your show. A good summary should be:
- Short
- Engaging
- Essential for listeners who may not have heard recent episodes
- Serve as something that tells new listeners what they need to know about the episode before listening.
The key here is to keep this intro very simple so people will continue listening, having a brief overview of the episode. Always include a hook and call to action in this intro. Most podcasts will include instructions on subscribing or donating to the show in this section.
Scripted Guest Introductions
One item in your podcast that should be scripted is your guest introductions. There are several key reasons you’re going to want these introductions scripted, one of which is to prevent future edits.
You can also script guest introductions depending on your podcast’s tone of voice and format (interview, roundtable discussion). There are several times when you might need a scripted introduction for one person but not another:
- Interviews vs. discussions,
- Hosts/co-hosts vs. guests,
- Episodes that have only two speakers as opposed to three.
In an interview show where there’s just one host and multiple guests, the host will introduce each guest at the beginning of their segment. The host can read a script for this or ad-lib it.
Write Your Segues
Writing your segues will depend on both your podcast’s format and tone. If you’re doing an interview show, the segues will naturally be questions like:
- “What was it like working on set during that scene?”
- “Have you always wanted to direct?”
- “What was it like to work on that project?” or
- “How did you get interested in cryptocurrencies?”
If you do a roundtable discussion, for example, each person might introduce what they want to discuss before diving into their topic of choice. Scripting these might seem unnatural, but they’re worth doing because they sound more polished than someone stumbling over words trying to think on the spot.
Scripting your intros/segues can help improve flow while keeping episodes more uniform across all of them. It also helps avoid miscommunications with guests since everyone knows exactly what is going to happen next!
Script Your Ad Reads
If your podcast is sponsored, you’ll be reading ads regularly. Scripting these can not only save you time but also improve the quality of your reading.
This makes it easier on both yourself and whoever might be listening in case there’s a long pause or worse – awkward silence! It will seem like an eternity, especially if they’re waiting for that moment to happen before speaking again.
Writing your ad reads should take a similar approach to how you write your actual podcast. It should be conversational, informative, and entertaining! Include a brief intro to the product and a call to action!
Write Your Conclusion and Sign Off
Writing your conclusion can be done similarly to your introduction and can be used for multiple episodes.
Include a short recap of the main points from your episode or just bits and pieces that you didn’t get to cover in this specific episode. Some conclusions or sign -offs can be written for each episode and include what to expect from the upcoming episode.
Let your audience know what you’re up to next. This could be a new episode of the podcast, some exciting news about the podcast, or even just something cool that’s happening in your life!
Important Points to Remember When Writing Your Podcast
There are a few additional points to remember when writing your podcast. You can begin with a simple diagram outline to illustrate your idea. You’ll have room to explain everything in detail without needing any sub-headings so that people can easily understand what they are reading.
Research Your Topic
No matter how you choose to outline and write your podcast, you’ll need to do an extensive amount of research to keep everything factual. No one wants to listen to something that isn’t true, so be sure you know your stuff before recording anything!
Writing good content takes time and practice, but it’s worth the effort when you get positive feedback in return. Be sure to include any sources for quotes that you’ll be using. You can also include these in your show notes.
Provide Your Guest with a Rough Outline
If you want your episode to go over smoothly, be sure to provide your guest (if you’re interviewing guests on your show) with a rough outline. This will give them an idea of what they’re going to be talking about on your show.
You can get the guest’s input on this, but it shouldn’t take too much convincing if you have a good outline for them! They’ll already know that their time with you will go smoothly, and there won’t be any awkward silences or flubbed lines.
This is great since most people are uncomfortable in front of microphones no matter how experienced they are, so anything you can do to help ease nerves will make things better for everyone involved!
Conclusion
Writing a podcast can be easy so long as you have an idea of what you want to talk about, an outline, and time to do ample research. It’s not hard to find either since most computers come with the necessary equipment for audio recording!
Podcasting isn’t all about writing content though, thinking up ideas plays just as big of a role because your listeners are sure to lose interest fast without exciting topics.
