I was doing a bit of research for a client the other day and looking at podcasts in the same field as theirs. A bit of healthy competitor analysis if you will.
(It's one of my favourite bits of the job. Yes, I know I need to get out more.)
Along the way, I was sighing at some of the episode titles I came across.
Episode 42
Conference Catch-up
Guest Name (Part 2)
Monthly Update
Ah man, such missed opportunities!
If you're thinking about starting a podcast, this is something worth getting right from day one.
Don't leave your episode titles until the very end.
They're not just labels you whack on before you hit publish.
They're one of the first clues people get about what your podcast is all about.
The clearer your title is, the easier it is for both humans and machines to work out whether your episode is relevant Reader.
Your Episode Title is Doing Some Big Work
The first reason's pretty darn obvious.
It needs to make a human think..."Ooh... that's for me."
But it has another job too.
Your title helps podcast apps, Google, YouTube and even AI tools understand what your episode is about.
When you start your podcast, avoid titles like...Episode 42, because you're not giving them much to work with.
If it's called How to Recruit More Volunteers or 5 Ways to Grow Your Podcast Audience, it's much clearer.
So when someone searches for those topics, your episode has a much better chance of showing up in the results.
Whether they're searching in Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Google.
It's one of the simplest habits to build into your podcast from the start.
Grab The MIC Rule #1
One of my fave podcasting mantras right here...
Clear beats clever.
If a stranger can tell what it's about, who it's for and why they should care...
...you're probably onto a winner.
A clever title might make your regular listeners smile.
A clear title gives new listeners a reason to click.
Take these examples…
Instead of... Episode 101
Try... 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Podcast Audio
Instead of... Guest Name (Part 2)
Try... How to Recruit More Volunteers – with Guest Name (Part 2)
Instead of... Conference Catch-up
Try... 3 Podcast Trends We Brought Back from This Year's Conference
Instead of... Monthly Update
Try... What's Changed This Month (and Why It Matters)
Instead of... Interview with Jane
Try... How Small Charities Can Measure Their Impact – with Jane Smith
Yes, they're longer.
But clarity beats saving three words.
Just don't go overboard because podcast apps often chop long titles off, especially on mobile, so put your most important words first.
What Would You Search?
Think about what you would search for if you wanted to find an episode like yours. It wouldn't be...
- Episode 14
- Interview with Jane
- Monthly Update
You'd be more specific and search for things like:
- How do I recruit volunteers?
- Charity fundraising ideas
- How do I start a podcast?
- Community engagement examples
Your episode title doesn't have to be identical to what someone's searching for. It just needs to give a really good clue about what's inside your episode.
A Quick Title Check
Before you publish your first episode, ask yourself:
Can someone tell what this episode is about?
Who's it for?
Would I click it if I'd never heard of this podcast before?
If the answer's no, give it another 5 minutes and have another think.
A Few Extra Things Worth Knowing
A couple of quick tips before you hit publish.
- You can change episode titles after you've published. If you've got older episodes with vague titles, try updating a few and keep an eye on what happens.
- Keep your important words near the beginning. Long titles often get cut off on mobile.
- If your podcast host lets you add episode numbers separately, use that instead of putting "Episode 52" in the title. Apple has recommended this for years because it helps apps organise episodes properly.
Podnews has a brilliant explainer if you're interested in the geekier side of it. Read that here.
Your episode title isn't there to tell the whole story.
It's there to earn the click...and give people, podcast apps, search engines and AI a really good idea of what's inside.
Cool Things for You
Need a hand naming your next episode?
We’ve all been there haven't we? Staring at our screen thinking, "I know what the episode's about... but what on earth do I call it?"
So I came across Outcast.ai's free Podcast Episode Title Generator this week. I wouldn't copy and paste whatever it gives you, but it's a brilliant way to get unstuck and kick-start a few ideas.
Just remember my new mantra before you hit publish: Clear beats clever.
If the title makes sense to someone who's never heard of your podcast before, you're probably on the right track.
Have a play with it here.
That’s it for this week’s newsletter.
If you only take one thing away from today, let it be this:
If you're planning a podcast at the moment, get into the habit of writing clear episode titles from the beginning.
Future You will thank you (and we love a happy Future You).
Next week, we're moving from episode titles to conversations.
Or, more specifically...Can we stop calling podcast conversations "interviews"?
Oh, and one last thing...
Thank you so much to everyone who's already replied with their favourite podcast for our Grab The MIC Summer Listening List. There have been some absolute belters so far!
It's not too late to join in. Just hit reply and tell me:
- The name of the podcast.
- Why it's the one for you.
- And, if you've got one, the episode you'd tell everyone to start with.
I'm going to pull all your recommendations together into one big summer listening guide for the Grab The MIC community, and I can't wait to discover some new faves!
I'll see you next week.
Vic x
