Why Show Notes are Important for Growing your Podcast

If you're not too familiar with podcasts, or perhaps you've only just launched your brand new show, there are plenty of new phrases and terms to get to grips with. When researching or producing your podcast, one of the terms you may have come across is 'show notes'.

Show notes are a vital part of the success of any podcast, especially for new shows. But what are they, and why are they so important?

What are podcast show notes?

Simply put, show notes are the text which accompanies each episode of your podcast. They usually consist of a brief description of the episode, introducing guests and topics which you cover during the show.

What should podcast show notes include?

• Summary of topics and time stamps
• Names and bios of guests
• Quotes or excerpts
• Related links to relevant websites and social accounts
• Relevant images
• Production credits
• Disclosures, disclaimers, and other required legalese

The notes should be a breakdown of some or all of the topics or stories which you cover during that particular episode. Sometimes podcasters include timestamps for each topic to help their listeners find a particular section.

This description can be brief, or it can be more detailed - but keep in mind that you need to strike a balance between having enough content to make the notes effective and having too much content which then makes it less engaging.

Most show notes usually contain a series of relevant links, perhaps to other parts of your website or social media, as well as guests' links. Guest bios and images can make the notes a bit more engaging for the reader.

The final things you need to include are production credits and any disclaimers or other legal statements.

Why are podcast show notes so important?

• Increases Podcast SEO which helps people find your podcast by using keywords
• Improves listener experience by helping listeners quickly find more information about what you're talking about
• Increase traffic using Call to action links

The show notes play a massive part in growing your podcast's following. Firstly, they're great for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) which determines how easily people will find your podcast from a web search.

This is enhanced by your shownotes because they contain a high volume of keywords - words which your intended audience have an interest in. You can increase the success of your show notes by including more keywords - just remember not to go overboard (think Joey using a thesaurus to write Monica and Chandler's wedding speech in 'Friends').

Good show notes are also important for listener experience. A good episode description can help listeners find guests and topics they are specifically looking for - especially if they have timestamps. Essentially, the better the show notes, the more listener-friendly your podcast is.

Finally, your show notes can help drive traffic to your website through links, in particular Call to Action (CTA) links. It's important to take your listeners from your podcast to a page which has a gain for you - perhaps an online shop or a sponsor, or your social media.

You can even make the links trackable so that you can see how successful they are and optimise the process over time.

And that's our guide to podcast show notes. For more top tips on how to make your podcast a success, be sure to follow us on soical media and don't forget to share this with your fellow podcasters!