Episode 14: How To Make Sure Your Podcast Trailer Doesn't Suck

Welcome to Healthy Profits Podcast. I'm Ray.

I'm Zammy.

And we are back with another episode. Diving into how to make sure your podcast trailer does not.

Well, take us away here, Ray.

So, honestly, the worst podcast trailers are basically similar to some of the worst movie trailers. And we can all imagine what happens to a bad movie trailer.

Oh, the worst. I'm thinking of Sharknado, except Sharknado totally crushed it in the box office. But that was a terrible movie trailer.

Gosh. Well, okay, so there's maybe that one example, but also all the other bad movie trailers, like, you don't see the movie, you don't hear about them.

It's just there's a reason that there's an entire industry just dedicated to making great movie trailers. And today we're going to pull back the curtain on how to make a great movie trailer for your show or a podcast trailer for your show.

Exactly. So imagine the best movie you've ever seen. Now, it probably started with a really epic trailer, right? That buzz, that excitement. You're talking about it with your neighbors as you're taking out the trash.

Do you remember how old you were when you saw the trailer for Jurassic Park?

I don't remember how old I was, but I remember being like, that is so cool.

Epic.

Yeah. Insane.

I remember because got so engrossed by the story, and you hear that first dinosaur, when he sees the dinosaur and you don't know what he's looking at. And all of a sudden you hear that epic anthem. And then the first dinosaur goes. You're like, oh, my God, they recreated dinosaurs.

Totally.

That is the emotion you're looking to incite with your trailer, with your podcast.

Yeah. Because from there, it's. Everyone's lining up out of the door, you're waiting. Then you're actually. You're so excited about the movie that you're there sitting with a bowl of popcorn, and you're like, I'm gonna sit here for three hours.

Who? What?

Other times in our day, like, we all have crazy busy lives. We can barely look at something for over 10 seconds or over 3 seconds even. But somehow a movie will captivate us for hours. And it's because of that trailer. And I even think of thinking about sometimes that marketing for a new concert that's coming out or, like a tour that's happening. And, like, when you buy those tickets, like, we just had an experience, like, I love the California Honey Drops. And I bought these tickets as soon as they went out. I actually marked it on my calendar. I was Like, I know that they're gonna come to Southern California in, like, springtime. So in around December, I start checking because I know they're gonna sell out immediately. And as soon as I bought that ticket, I was already imagining the experience I was gonna have at the concert, building up all this energy. And then, of course, like, the concert happens, and I'm like, going there all day, just so excited. Concert happens. The best time of my life. Then I obviously, I'm still talking about it.

She didn't go to that concert with me, by the way.

Just so you guys know, it was a girl's day. But this is the kind of energy and excitement we want to help you guys create in your podcast trailers. Imagine if someone hears and watches your trailer and they're like, texting you or messaging you, hey, like, how many more days till your show comes out? That's what we want to be creating.

Totally. A good example of this too, and I want to give a big shout out to one of the shows we produced is the I'm from Denver podcast. If you guys have checked out the I'm from Denver show, they had some incredible trailers and some incredible nuggets that they did when they released their show. And I wanted to go over the formula with you guys real fast so that you can see what they did and. And see that it's really not that complicated once you really get down to. And distill down what it takes to create a trailer. So jumping in, I'm going to do the first three, and then I'm gonna let you do the other three there, Ray. But the first thing you want to do is keep it short. Keeping it short. And aim for 30 seconds to one minute. The trailer should be concise, engaging, and really introduce what your podcast is about, who it's for, and the transformation that you can. You will really undergo while listening to this show.

Yeah, it sets the whole tone.

Sets the whole tone. Yep. And then number two, you got to be strong and compelling with your hook and making sure that you understand what is interesting. And the snippet from one of your episodes is actually a really good thing to put in there too. So make sure that's. Number two is make sure that you have a super strong snippet and. Or just energy in that trailer. I've seen a lot of trailers where people are like, hey, listen to our show. It's coming out on Wednesday. I don't.

Yeah, there's no vocal range or expression. And I think with podcasts, it's so important to actually Play with your vocal dynamics. And that's something that us theatrical people can do very naturally. But maybe if you didn't grow up in the theater and all that, this is like a very quick little lesson to just play with your vocal range. Like maybe that's even starting out. Before you do the podcast, there's some exercises that you can do where you go up in your tone by the end or you go down in your tone, and it can create some just really beautiful dynamics that are super captivating to the ear.

Totally. Such a great add on to that. So that's number two. Stay strong. Number three.

That was number 2.5.

Okay, just ad hocking on to number two. Okay. Number three is to really clearly define who your podcast is for and articulate what the podcast is about and really relay the kinds of stories that you are going to be conveying to your audience. And I think that's something that is also. We'll go 3.5 in this one is really get comfortable telling stories. Your trailer should be a story, should be a bit of an emotional roller coaster for your audience. So I'll let you do the next four.

Yes. Okay. So the next one will be using high quality audio. This is the listener's first impression. You know, when you go on a date with someone and the guy does not open the door.

Hello.

Come on, dudes, you're supposed to open the door. You know, a woman will love it, even if she's like, super feminist. Give her the option to say no. Like, this is your time to open the door for your podcast listeners. Put your heart, put your soul out there, Put your good word out there. You know, you have a good message to share. So it's important that people hear it. And so make sure you're using a good microphone, pay attention to the editing, make sure there's no background noise that's happening. This all seems pretty, like, clear and simple, but we do have to say.

It, because I know it's so funny. Every time you say that, I'm always like, don't people get that? But they don't. It's really crazy. So the next part of that actually too, which would incorporate into that is using a lot of really cool music, sound effects and things. Because right now, sound effects and music really engage the listener. They really hook people in, and you want to really utilize those nuances in your ears to make sure that the audience gets hooked in and listens. And that's one. One of the reasons I got started in podcasting is because people loved how I soundtracked events and they wanted me to soundtrack their podcasts. And that's how this whole puppy got started.

Totally. It's the vibe that you walk into. It is the. When you're walking into a hotel or cool bar, cool restaurant, it's because your senses are all activated. And so with the podcast, there might be video. We have the image that people see, which I actually talk about in another episode, about the brand up, leveling and elevation that you can create through that image, because that's actually the first thing.

But.

But then the second thing that they're going to do after seeing your podcast image is click play on the first thing, which is the trailer. So once they hear that music, it gives the podcast and you an opportunity to hit them emotionally as well. So there's such a range of music out there that you can use. This is probably one of Sammy and I's most fun parts. When a new client comes to evolve podcasting and we get to figure out what is their soundscape, what is going to be the sound that really.

Kind of sings their soul, you know, it's.

Like their audio thumbprint. That's what we call that awesome.

That's really important. That will create the entire atmosphere. And one thing to note with the music or sounds, to make sure that they don't actually overpower your voice. You as the speaker, as the host, your voice is most important. So make sure that that music is actually Dr. You forward and not running you over.

Good call.

The next piece that we want you to keep in mind is to include a call to action. So tell listeners exactly what you want them to do at the end of the trailer. So subscribe, visit your website, follow your podcast on social media. All of these things are so important. So make the action super simple and straightforward.

Yep, that's it. Those are such great tips. Okay, so I'm gonna give you four more juicy nuggets here. I know that we've given you a lot, but these are so crucial to making a great trailer. And number seven is going to be highlight your personality. And we actually even got feedback on this the other day with our show. And what are we doing a better job? I hope so.

I hope so.

But highlight your personality. Really make that stand out. And with, with your trailer, that is your first impression. So make sure that it feels comfortable and that you're comfortable. And so what can you do? Yeah, exactly. And that's what I was going to say is if you are in a comfortable environment and you're not too rigid, this is that Time to really settle in and know that you're about to get somebody super amped. I always think of that part of a show or that part of introducing someone to the show as telling them about something brand new, like your new child. If you're a new parent, how exciting do you get? I know that got you, didn't it? Or telling somebody about a new relationship that you got into. You know, especially how fun and juicy that can be when you're like, oh my God, I just met this amazing person. That's how you should be with the energy when you're telling people about your show. Just like, I just got this amazing thing that I'm sharing. I cannot wait to share this with you. That is the tone that we're looking forward to your trailer. And then along with that book ending, book ending on the energy and the love and the feel. One really nice way to do that, and this would be number eight, is actually to share testimonials inside that trailer, if possible. Right. Just a little quick hit of, yeah, this show was amazing. Or this doctor really did something great for me. You can share testimonials in there. You can share stories of people that have transformed with your modality of health, their wellness, whatever that works.

And I would say keep them short and sweet. You don't want to go into a whole story in the trailer, really going into what they gained, maybe what is what was their problem, what they gained and moving on.

Totally. And a lot of times you'll see that happen in just like a quick one or two seconds in that podcast to do that. And then this is actually kind of a nuanced thing. We see this because we relaunched last shows. Number nine is actually to update it regularly. So as your podcast evolves, so should.

Your trailer and so should your podcast.

Totally.

A lot of people think, oh, I started this thing and it's specific for this type of person. And. But really in part of our jobs, what we do as an agency is we follow the show, especially in these six month chunks to see where are things trending, where listeners actually leaning in more. Where are they also pausing and getting. Jumping off the podcast and really updating the podcast as you evolve as a leader. And then of course, simultaneously updating the trailer.

Yep, Absolutely. So another 9.5 from Ray on the addition to the podcast. I love it. Thanks, honey. But yes, updating your trailer and that means that you can go in with your. In a technical way. Way to do that is just to replace the audio file in your hosting provider. And we can go into that later. Replacing that trailer is crucial to keeping yourself relevant and keeping your podcast fresh. I've talked to so many podcasts that have the same thing. After three or four years, I'm like, change that up. Let's. Let's do something totally new. And then the last one, which people forget to do all the time, I think we get to do that again, is to promote your trailer, promote that, get people excited about that again. And especially after you do an evolution of the podcast trailer, make sure that you promote that and feel free to promote that many different times in many different places at random sometimes, because that will introduce people to the funnel into your podcast. So if you get them listening to that really great trailer, it always opens up that first step into the podcast in a beautiful way so they don't jump into the middle of something and they might not know exactly what the show or who the show is always for. The trailer is a great place to.

Do that, and you could even do ads to the trailer. If you're looking to do ads to boost your podcast, that would be a great place to start. So remember, your trailer is often that first introduction piece to potential listeners to your podcast. So make it reflective of what you're offering, make it engaging, make it informative, and test different versions. See where the valuable insights lay and how you can present them in a way where the listeners really get it and want to dive in deeper. So we have some trailers that we found that we just think are amazing. Of course, the Diary of CEO. This is a podcast that we just absolutely love. And so their trailer is pretty next level. We wanted to show you guys something that is just like, this is just top of the line.

Top of the line. Yep.

And then we also have a C60 trailer, which is much more simple, but actually gets the same kind of results. And so this is also an incredible trailer. So we put these two trailers, the links down in the show notes so you can check them out, see what we're talking about, and then what do you think they should do, Sammy?

Well, at the end of that, obviously our favorite call to action for you guys, our gift to you is to make sure that you go and get yourself an audit by checking out our link in the show notes to schedule an audit with our team. Or you can go to HealthyProfits podcast.com audit audit to get yourself a free audit with our team.

And we'll let you know if your trailer sucks totally or not.

Or not.

Hopefully not well.

And if it does, it's okay. That's what we're here for.

So, anyways, and if you haven't started your trailer, maybe you skip that step. I know a lot of podcasters that actually got started and they didn't realize the trailer was a thing. You can still do it. So I would also encourage you, if you're listening and you're more on those beginner steps, of course, yeah, we can do an audit. But also, just get yourself a trailer. Make it cool. Make it fresh. Make it funky. Make it funky and have fun with it.

And happy podcasting, guys.

Happy podcasting.

Now. That was a great episode. Thanks for joining us and tuning in to the Healthy Profits podcast.

Sammy and I are here to help you turn your health podcast into a treasure trove of opportunity for your listeners and your business. So join us twice a week as we unleash our favorite tips and strategies that have helped our clients at Evolve Podcasting turn their show into a thriving part of their business.

And make sure you subscribe and listen in as each episode builds upon each other. And I know that you're a generous leader, so make sure you share this podcast with your fellow wellness entrepreneurs so we can all grow together.

Until next time, stay healthy and keep thriving. Bye.