Following up from my earlier episode (#420) about utilizing numbering your podcast episode, listed below are 5 occasions and locations to not use episode numbers.
1. Do not use episode numbers after they wouldn’t matter to your viewers
This ought to be an apparent factor. When episode numbers do matter to your viewers, it’s best to use them prominently. That’s a lot of what I coated beforehand, like utilizing them for serial podcasts, frequent references, or file and folder group.
But when your podcast is just not serial, is just not meant to be consumed in a specific order, and you aren’t incessantly referencing different episodes, then you definitely most likely don’t want episode numbers. Your viewers possible doesn’t want them in these instances. So then don’t use them. In the event you actually wish to use them anyway even when your viewers doesn’t really need them, put them on the finish of your titles. For many podcasts on the market, I believe episode numbers actually don’t matter to the viewers. If they don’t matter to your listeners, they need to not matter to you both.
2. Keep away from episode numbers after they battle with episode titles, or else reword
In the event you begin loads of your episodes with a quantity, I extremely suggest utilizing the precise numeral as an alternative of spelling it out. Numbers in titles might be superb issues, like 5 finest cream sodas or 10 steps to success. That may be a extremely efficient method to title weblog posts, podcasts, and movies.
However in case you show an episode quantity prominently proper subsequent to a title quantity, you run right into a battle. You find yourself with two numbers proper subsequent to one another that imply fully various things. For instance, if episode 20 is titled “5 Greatest Cream Sodas,” it would appear to be “20. 5 Greatest Cream Sodas.” To a fast reader, that appears like “20.5 finest cream sodas.” Are you speaking about twenty and a half cream sodas?
That forces your viewers to re-read the title simply to grasp it. When confronted with this example, think about dropping the episode quantity or rewording the title. You possibly can change it to “Greatest 5 Cream Sodas” so it reads as “20. Greatest 5 Cream Sodas.” This makes the title a lot clearer. Even in case you strive separating them with punctuation like a hyphen or colon, I nonetheless suppose you’ll run into visible confusion. Keep away from the battle or just reword your titles.
3. Do not use the episode’s quantity inside that episode
This takes some technique, nevertheless it saves you from having to overthink issues later. While you communicate the episode’s personal quantity contained in the audio, you lock that precise episode to that quantity. What occurs in case you pre-record a number of episodes after which determine to reorder them? Or what you probably have late breaking data and must squeeze a brand new episode in?
In case your title says episode 100 however your viewers hears you say “Welcome to episode 105,” they are going to be confused. It may be a bit embarrassing and make you look poorly deliberate. So in case you can, merely don’t say the episode’s personal quantity inside the episode. That is additionally why I like to recommend utilizing a custom-made URL reasonably than strictly a number-based URL. In the event you say a number-based URL out loud, you might have firmly locked your self into that particular episode quantity.
It’s fully high quality to talk the episode numbers for previous episodes. These are already revealed and can by no means change. However for the present episode, depart the quantity out of the audio.
4. Do not use episode numbers in web site, social, or web optimization titles
When somebody is in your web site, they’ll merely click on a hyperlink to leap to an episode or get the present notes. They need to by no means have to look your web site for an episode quantity. Be certain any particular URL you communicate in your episode takes them straight to the web page, making it a wonderfully seamless expertise. Placing episode numbers throughout your web site clutters issues up when they don’t seem to be really wanted to navigate your content material.
On social networks, no one actually cares what quantity your new episode is. They simply desire a compelling cause to hear, and a quantity is just not a compelling cause.
Positively don’t let your episode quantity leak out into your web optimization title. That is the title that shows when your web page reveals up in search outcomes and the title that routinely embeds when shared on social networks like LinkedIn or Fb. The quantity fully wastes invaluable house in these locations, so hold it out of your social and web optimization tags.
5. Do not use episode numbers within the itunes:title tag
This can be a very particular tag inside your RSS feed. Apple has been very clear that the <itunes:title> tag ought to comprise solely the clear title of your episode. It shouldn’t have the identify of your podcast, the season quantity, and it undoubtedly shouldn’t have the episode quantity. There’s a separate <itunes:episode> tag the place the episode quantity actively belongs.
Your regular <title> tag within the RSS feed can definitely have an episode quantity in it, however you want an publishing device that permits you to populate these tags individually. Sadly, some platforms simply copy the very same title from one subject to the opposite, which suggests you’re both breaking Apple’s guidelines or lacking out on backwards compatibility. Hold your <itunes:title> completely clear.
You may be taught extra about how you can correctly use episode numbers in your podcast metadata if you wish to dive deeper into these technical mechanics.
Comply with-up to my earlier episode
I acquired some nice suggestions from individuals who had been initially in disagreement with my suggestion to make the most of episode numbers for holding folks inside podcast apps. Many realized that holding the viewers proper there within the app is definitely an incredible profit.
Nonetheless, I’ve found some frustrations alongside the best way. Past the problems with publishing instruments mishandling the separate title tags, some extremely opinionated podcast apps deal with issues surprisingly. Overcast, for instance, seems to fully take away episode numbers from the title fully. The developer may consider episode numbers are hardly ever related, so the app appears to strip them whatever the metadata tags you utilize. In instances like that, you may need to sort them out in a totally totally different approach in case you desperately need them to show. Simply remember the fact that app behaviors can change over time.
Particular thanks
- $30 from Stevie Taylor, host of The Gig Life Podcast, saying, “Hey Daniel. Thanks for all you do, sir.”
- $20 from Randy Black, host of Taking pictures It Straight, saying, “A small quantity of assist for a good friend and podcasting legend who provides a lot to the house with little given again in flip. Sustain the nice work Daniel!”
- 696§ from Bryan Entzminger, podcast producer at Prime Tier Audio
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