📜 The indubitable importance of show notes

Hear ye! Hear ye!

It’s November in the year of 2023 and surprisingly, we still find ourselves having many a conversation around the importance of show notes. So, here I am reminding you all about the indubitable importance of show notes.

But first…

What even is a show note?

Podcast show notes are basically a page on your podcast’s website detailing what happened during a podcast episode, and sharing further details on the content of the episode. As a bonus, having podcast show notes displays a certain type of professionalism and a dedication to the podcast, content, and listener experience.

Here’s why show notes are important:

✅ Makes the content more accessible

Show notes make content more accessible to listeners and followers who might be d/Deaf or hard of hearing. Sharing a written summary or a transcript in the show notes ensures that everyone, regardless of their ability to listen, feels comfortable accessing the content.

✅ Makes content evergreen

Well-crafted show notes can transform your podcast episodes into evergreen content. They allow listeners to quickly reference key points, resources, or topics discussed, keeping the content relevant and valuable long after the initial release date.

✅ Improves SEO and discoverability

Sorry not sorry to beat this drum again. Including relevant keywords in your show notes can significantly improve your podcast's search engine optimization (SEO). This makes it easier for potential new listeners to discover your podcast when searching for related topics online. Pro-tip: use the Ubersuggest research tool.

✅ Allows for varied learning styles

This might be hard for us, as audio people, to understand but some people prefer reading over listening. Creating show notes might help you reach an audience that have varied learning styles.

✅ Facilitate deeper engagement

Show notes can include links to related resources, relevant articles, or supplementary material that enhances the listener's understanding and engagement with the episode. This added layer of content enriches the listener's experience and encourages them to get nerdier about it!

✅ Added value for sponsors and guests

If you have sponsors and guests, you can include them in the show notes. When it comes to guests, you can also include links and social handles. That's added value both for them and your audience.

✅ Allows you to credit your team

We love crediting our team and love listening to credits on podcasts. Show notes are a great additional place to share the love of your team.

Before I shut up about this, I want to leave with you some examples of shows that make great show notes - Ologies, TILClimate, Poetry Unbound, and Sidedoor are some I love.

Which podcasts do you listen to that do a great job with show notes? Do tell!

✨More Magic

• Following the theme of optimism in podcasting from our last issue: this On The Media episode which explores the “boom and bust” of the podcasting industry.

• Podcasts now occupy a third of daily time spent listening (36%) to spoken word content, as per the The Spoken Word Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research.

• Spotify has integrated with TikTok. (I wish the intro of this podcast gets made into a soundbite).

🎙️ From the Desk of Tink

Stephanie Marudas and Emily Previti, who you may know from their award winning show Grapple, host Obscured. With their NPR reporting expertise, they are the perfect guides through the intricate maze of overlooked public policy issues on the quest to social change. Their inaugural series, From Words to Weapons, casts light on survivors of law enforcement trauma. The series covers intimate stories of generational trauma, controversial policing tactics, survivor support, resilience, and hope.

🦄 52 Weeks of Podcast Growth

Ask your listeners something. On the note of show notes and increasing engagement, how about asking your listeners something very specific about the topic of your podcast and getting them to engage? Give it a shot!

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Meanwhile, in Podcast Therapy…

We recently had an amazing Podcast Therapy session with:

• Build a Prince - A new podcast releasing on November 24, just in time for the Hallmark Christmas movie spirit. This romantic show will follow the story of Princess Adelaide of Alpinoa who decides to secretly create the perfect prince out of handsome American commoner, Hayden when she discovers she must be married by Christmas in order to be crowned queen.

In this sessions, we consulted with them to grow their podcasts in a sustainable and fun way.

📅 A quick note about publishing schedule

Hello! Sorry for the sporadic publishing schedule of Podcast Marketing Magic and thanks for being the bestest readers about this. We’ve been keeping busy readying content and organizing processes (hi Airtable!) for the next year. Things are starting to look more organized and color-coded now. So, with the exception of Nov 24th, we will be back to our regularly scheduled program of weekly issues.

Thank you for reading!