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As a podcast listener, how often have you started an episode and not finished it? If you’re like me, this happens all the time. I’m running around, not fully invested, or the host is yapping too much and it feels like they’ll never get to the point. Sadly, it’s lost in the abyss of podcast episodes, never to be listened to again. In this episode we’re talking about how to keep listeners listening, structure and deliver an episode that holds your audience’s attention, and evaluate your episode retention numbers.

First Impressions Matter

You have roughly 7 seconds to make a first impression, and this is true for podcast episodes too. Carefully crafting the opening is critical. If someone doesn’t like the beginning, they’ll never reach the middle or the end. A strong opening sets the tone for the listener’s experience. Think of the last time you subscribed to a podcast episode you didn’t make it at least half way through. See what I’m saying?

Understanding Listener Retention

Until about a year ago, I didn’t think much about retention rates. I figured if someone didn’t like an episode, oh well. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But a closer look at these numbers revealed a more important story about the structure and content of my episodes. Your retention rate can tell you a lot about what’s working and what’s not. Plus, it will give you more persise pinpoints to see where listeners are dropping off.

Setting Expectations

Setting expectations for each episode is crucial. Time is our most valuable commodity, and listeners want to know their investment will yield returns. Whether it’s entertainment, inspiration, advice, or simply a good story, they need to know what to expect from your podcast and what you promise will be delivered.

Purposeful Episode Naming and Descriptions

Naming your episodes purposefully and highlighting what they cover in the description are a few of the most effective ways to get your audience to listen all the way through. I pull time stamps throughout the episode and feature them in the episode description to let people quickly skim if they need to. This builds trust with your audience and retains the attention of your listeners.

Structure and Consistency

Your podcast needs structure, even if it’s just a 1-hour brain dump on a specific topic. Listeners crave consistency and knowing what to expect helps them decide whether to come back. So many podcasters think their audience is getting bored or wants them to mix things up, and this couldn’t be further from the truth. At some level every listener is looking for consistency, and that doesn’t mean boring but it does mean their’s a repeatable structure to content and the listener knows what to expect.

Full Circle Content

Create a full circle with your content. Tell people what you’re going to give them and then give it to them. At the beginning of this episode, I introduced the topic and an anecdote about my own listening habits. Then, I outlined what we’d discuss. Reinforce their interest by clearly stating what they’ll get from the episode.

Building a Connection

Talk to your audience, not at them. Speak as if you’re speaking to one person because most of the time, you are. This small change can make a huge difference in how your listeners connect with you and feel like part of your community.

Avoid Aimless Chit-Chat

Aimless chit-chat or housekeeping before the episode starts can drive listeners away. Unless the entire episode is aimless chit-chat, warm up off-air. Ensure good, evenly produced audio that’s cleaned up for the listener. Your listeners deserve the best, and if you’re not giving them that, they’ll find someone who will.

Tease the Ending

Save something for the end. Sprinkle in juicy tidbits throughout the episode, but also tease that there’s something at the end. Don’t give away everything at the start. If a listener wanted a listicle, they’d look it up on Google. Remember, you are the reason people come back to your podcast.

Evaluating Listener Retention

To check your episode retention, log in to Spotify for Podcasters and Apple Podcast Connect. If you’ve never used these programs be sure to claim your podcast and look at your individual episode analytics. You should see what percentage of people made it to the end of the episode and where they drop off. This will give you a better idea of what’s working and what’s not.

Improving Retention and Consumption Rates

If you notice a significant drop-off, examine what’s happening around that time. If there’s nothing notable happening around that time ask yourself if there’s a promised value that hasn’t been fulfilled? Normally, for solo episodes, aim for at least a 65%-75% consumption rate. For interviews, 40%-50% is satisfactory. Low retention numbers mean either your content isn’t worth consuming or it’s not organized in an engaging way.

Listener retention can be improved. It’s one of the easiest ways to measure and work on your podcast internally to grow a large audience. Podcasting is a journey of growth and development. If you’re willing to learn and put in the effort, you will improve. Keep sharing your stories and outlook with the world. You’re doing a great job, and I can’t wait to listen to your podcast.

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