Podcasting Q&A

How to make a great podcast trailer

August 31, 2020 Buzzsprout
Podcasting Q&A
How to make a great podcast trailer
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

Gillian from the Breaking Through Careers podcast asks, "Do you need a podcast trailer? And if so, what should you put in one?"

TL;DR
A podcast trailer helps you build anticipation for your new show or new season, while also allowing you to submit your podcast to all the major directories before you release episode one.

This is important, because some directories (like Apple Podcasts) can take up to 2 weeks to approve new shows, and you want your podcast to be available everywhere when it's time to launch.

So in this episode, you'll learn how to make a great podcast trailer that builds anticipation for your show's release.

#1. Make it short

Your podcast trailer should be shorter than a full episode. And, honestly, it doesn't have to be much longer than 60 seconds. The idea is to tell your listeners what they need to know and give them a reason to subscribe to your podcast.

#2. Things to include

  • Name of your podcast
  • What your show is about
  • Who your podcast is for (and not for)
  • A call-to-action


A call-to-action is the thing you want your listeners to do immediately after listening to the episode. In this case, your call to action will be asking your new listeners to subscribe to your show in their favorite app so that they can get episode one downloaded to their phone as soon as it's released.

#3. Have fun with it!

You want your podcast trailer to reflect the mood and tone of your show. If you have a fun and upbeat podcast, your trailer should feel fun and up beat.

Include clips from future episodes, add music and sound effects, and get creative!

Examples of good podcast trailers


Record your podcasting question at Speakpipe.com/Buzzsprout to be featured on a future episode.

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Sarah :

In today's episode, you'll learn whether or not you should have a podcast trailer. And if so, what should you include in one? Welcome to Podcasting Q&A, where you learn the best tips and strategies to launch, grow and monetize your podcast. This week's question comes from Gillian.

Gillian :

Hi Buzzsprout, Gillian here from breaking through careers podcast. My question is, do we need a podcast trailer? And if so, what should we include in it? And how long should it be? Thanks for your help.

Sarah :

Thanks for your question, Gillian. Now, the biggest benefit to a podcast trailer is that you actually need a live episode ready to go before you submit to all of the major podcast directories. Now, for example, it takes up to two weeks for Apple podcasts to prove your show. So you want to be able to have everything ready so that by the time your first episode drops, it's going to be available everywhere. First, let's talk about how long podcast trailer should be. Now the truth is, it doesn't have to be very long at all, at least not a full episode length. Even something as short as 30 to 60 seconds will be fine. Again, the point is it's a teaser. It's supposed to build anticipation when episode one drops. And the good news is that you can repurpose this podcast trailer for when you want to market your show on other podcasts, think of it as like an ad slot or when you want to promote your podcast and swap promotions with another show. Another way people use podcast trailers is in between seasons. So let's say you're about to start season three of your show, you can create a nice short 32nd trailer talking about what the upcoming season is going to be and to help build anticipation that way. So now, let's talk about what you should put in a podcast trailer. First things first, the name of your show, of course. You want people to know what it's called, so that they can subscribe to it on their favorite podcast app? And if they don't know the name of the show, how are they supposed to do that? Next, you want to be able to talk about what your show is about who it's for, and who it's not for. For example, Podcasting Q&A, is a weekly show that helps you launch grow and monetize your podcast, then you want to have a call to action. And all this means is that you want to have your listeners do some sort of action related to your show. And in this case, you want to have them subscribe to your podcast, or tune in on the day it launches. Now, because a podcast trailer is so short, you don't want to cram in a ton of call to actions, because it'll just confuse the listener. So you want to have one call to action. And that call to action is to subscribe to your podcast. Now when you're recording your podcast trailer, don't forget to add some personality into it. You want it to to match the tone and the content of what your show is going to be about. So if you think about it, a comedy podcast should have a nice light hearted trailer. even think about adding things like background music, or clips of upcoming episodes to just even help set the mood and to build anticipation for episode one. The point is, don't be rigid and have a lot of fun with it. Now, if you want to hear some examples of really good podcast trailers, we've left some links in the show notes. So feel free to check those out. Remember, your podcast trailer is most likely your listeners first impression of your show. So you want to make sure you get it right so that you can start your show up on the right foot. So that means being clear about the show's name, what it's about who it's for, and who it's not for, and adding a little bit of personality to really build anticipation was The first episode drops. Thanks for sending us your question Gillian. Now if you have a question you would like for us to answer on a future episode of the show had to speakpipe comm slash Buzzsprout or click on the link in the show notes and leave a brief audio message. Podcasting Q&A is available both video and audio format. If you like video, please subscribe to the Buzzsprout YouTube channel. And if you prefer podcasts, Podcasting Q&A is available on your favorite podcasting app. That's it for today. Thanks for listening and as always keep podcasting

"Do I need a podcast trailer?"
How long should it be?
What should you include?
Have fun!