Podcast show notes are something both podcasters and listeners should know about. You can think of them as the cliff notes version of a podcast episode which is means you can discover what an episode is about as well as finding the hot topics in an episode.

As a podcast listener, show notes are great because the title of an episode doesn’t always give away what the content is (although it should!). If there’s a guest being interviewed, show notes can provide a bio of the person and give you some insight as to what is being discussed. If you enjoyed the episode and want to learn more, then you should be able to easily find links to the content discussed and how you can discover more about the guest.

For podcasters, let’s talk about the importance of providing show notes for your episodes. To begin with, it’s going to boost your SEO (search engine optimization) when you put them on your website. Listeners can Google terms to find your podcast and episodes when you fill your site with content…that’s a new way to gain listeners outside of Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the other.

Things To Include In Show Notes

Here is a list of what I include in show notes for my clients (and soon myself!)…

• Short bio or description of the guest if there is one
• A summary of what’s being discussed in the episode
• 3 main topics discussed in the episode
• A summary of each topic
• Links to anything discussed and social media links and/or website for the guest

You can and should also include the RSS feed to the episode on your website (grab the code and embed it onto your blog post).

 

Outsourcing Show Notes

You can always outsource show notes, but you can also do them yourself. I write show notes for a number of podcasts and here’s why I think outsourcing them is a great idea…you get a different perspective! When I provide show notes, I not only include all of the above, but I also include timestamps, quotes, and social media captions.

 

Timestamps

Timestamps are when you identify a really good piece of the conversation. I keep this under 60 seconds so that it can also be used as a social media graphic (I utilize Headliner.com to create wave graphics with this). You know those graphics that have the sound wave and closed captioning you see on Instagram or Facebook? That’s what these are!

 

Quotes

I listen for quotes that stand out and those are also used for social media purposes to grab the attention of listeners and make them want to tune in to the episode.

 

Social Media Captions

My show notes include captions for social media posts for the release of the episode. Your captions should be something that grabs your audience’s attention and makes them want to listen to the show.

If I haven’t convinced you yet as to why show notes are so important and useful, then send me a message so I can further convince you!