The Secret Thought Process Behind Infinitely Better Title-Writing

With the increase of so many podcasts out in the world, people are naturally going to filter more to decide what they like. That makes it apparent that shows that write better titles have higher listener numbers than those that don’t have clear and intriguing titles. 

However, both of those sentiments are important in tandem:

Intrigue without clarity creates a mysterious, aloof title that comes off as too odd to approach. When a listener sees this kind of title, they don’t quite feel comfortable enough to listen because they don’t know what they’re signing up for in the first place. 

Imagine trying to push a show about kitchen renovation with the title “3 Mistakes You’re Making”. Well, shoot, tell me the 3 mistakes I’m making in… what? My life? My marriage? My choice in podcasts? None of us would probably give that one a shot. Maybe retry it as “3 Common Mistakes People Make in Their Renovations and How to Avoid Them”.

However, clarity without intrigue just becomes a PBS title that leaves no room for interest. In this case, the listener knows a bit too much about what they’re getting themselves into. At this case, why listen to the show? 

For a news show, maybe you’d use “A Cat Was Saved From a Tree This Week And Was Returned to Owner”. Awesome, why do I need the backstory now? Adding intrigue can ultimately give listeners the reason to listen. “What Ended Up Happening to the Cat Stuck in the Tree This Week?” gives the listener much less forward information and much more reason to listen.

At Blue Sky Podcasting, we take seriously the small intricacies of podcast releases, especially in titling shows. Of all the resources out there, we recommend starting with Sharethrough’s Headline Analyzer and working from there!