Creating a title for your podcast episodes can be daunting for some. I know that after 10 years of podcasting and executive producing literally thousands of episodes, I still struggle with titles.  Should it have the podcast title in it? What about episode and season numbers? Should I really put that much thought into the title?  Some of you don’t see the value in crafting an episode title.  I get that. If I have a show I subscribe to, I hardly notice the title.  Yet I have noticed something about my behavior around titles – I do care quite a bit when I am searching through the feed for past episodes or when I’m discovering a new podcast.  I find myself reading through the titles, looking for an entry point that seems interesting to me, or maybe I want to share a specific episode and have no clue what season or episode number it was.   The thing to keep in mind is the title is often how the listener interacts with your content without knowing how it effects their behavior.

I see a lot of podcasts that use episode numbers as the titles. Not very descriptive but it seems legit when I’ve done it. The problem is it doesn’t tell what the listener can expect. Now that does not mean that the title needs to give it all away either.  An original title might be all you need depending on the podcast topic.

Example 1:

Ep 1

So, what does that mean other than it’s the first episode?  What is this episode about? Why do I want to listen to it?

Example 2:

The John Wick Movie Breakdown | Action Fu Podcast | Episode 1

See the difference?  You now know exactly what you are there for. If you are a John Wick fan, this is an easy click.  If you don’t care about John Wick, you know this episode isn’t for you.  You can also tell what the podcast is easily.  I know the value of including the show title is debated, but I’m not thinking exclusively of your feed. By putting the show title in the description, it will be there when it’s shared in other formats. It also helps create brand identity in the mind of your listener.

Another idea to try is creating hooks in your description.  Try to include a pain point for the listener that you are solving on this episode. 

Here’s an example:

Jane Doe shares how to write incredible podcast titles | Episode 43

The bottom line is the more descriptive and concise a title, the more effective it will be as part of your podcast marketing mix.  Don’t be afraid to test title formats and change them from time to time.  I’ve changed titles a lot and it’s only helped downloads in the end.

Writing great titles can be tricky at first, but don’t give up! Really think about what the episode is about and try to say something that will entice people to listen.