It’s so hard to say goodbye
How do you make the most of the real estate at the end of your podcast so you don’t waste those final precious moments saying something like: “Ummmm, ok…so, that’s it…BYE!”?
We often spend a lot of time thinking about how to get into our content but it’s just as important to think about how you wrap things up.
Why your outro is important
Since a lot of people don’t listen all the way through a podcast episode, the people who’ve stuck with you to the end are your hardcore fans.
That means they like what you do and will probably want to hear more of it. Or want to find out how they can keep the conversation going.
Your outro is a good place to tell them what to do next so the relationship doesn’t end when the episode is over.
Different options for how to end your podcast episodes
Ask people to follow/subscribe, leave a review or share your show
If your audience makes it all the way to the end of your episode there’s a good chance they liked what you had to say.
That makes it the perfect place to ask them to follow or subscribe to your show, leave a review or share it with their friends because they’ve clearly gotten a lot out of it.
Subscribers (also called followers in some apps) are important because when people subscribe to or follow your show their podcast app automatically dishes up your latest episode straight into their feed.
That way they don’t have to go searching for it every time a new episode drops.
Reviews are great too because when new listeners find your show they can see it’s good if there are already a bunch of testimonials talking it up.
Word of mouth is still one of the best ways to build an audience so make sure you encourage people who love your podcast to spread the word both inside podcast apps and out in the real world.
Ask people to join your online community
At the end of your podcast episode, a lot of listeners will want to know how they can continue the conversation with you.
Pointing them to your Facebook group, email list or social media profile(s) is a great way to build a club of dedicated fans who can engage with you outside your weekly episodes.
Point people to the show notes page on your website
Getting people back to your website at the end of an episode is always a good idea, especially if they can find useful content there.
Your show notes page is a place where listeners can get more information about topics you’ve covered on the show as well as resources you think they might find useful.
I often send people back to my website at the end of my podcast episodes because I’ve got heaps of helpful content there as well as links to my other podcasts, information about me, my podcast guide and my online podcasting course, PodSchool.
Send listeners to a landing page for free resources
If your podcast is educational why not create additional resources your audience can download after the show has ended?
Examples include cheat sheets, editable PDFs, infographics, or ‘how to’ guides.
You can create anything that’s going to help your audience implement the stuff you’ve been talking about on your podcast.
Let them know where they can donate to your podcast
A lot of podcasters use platforms like Patreon to get financial support from their audience.
Often, shows that are funded this way offer something additional for paying subscribers. It might be merch, an ad-free version of the show, or a discount on tickets to live events.
You can be as creative as you’d like and I’d encourage you to give serious thought to what you can do to thank people who support you in this way.
When the expectation is that podcasts are free it’s a big thing for someone to dip into their pocket and say “I’m willing to pay to keep this show alive.”
So, it’s important you give people who do this something they’d value to say thank you.
Keep it simple
While there are plenty of different things you can encourage listeners to do at the end of each episode, ideally, you don’t want to ask them to do all of them at once.
Instead, try rotating a different call to action at the end of each episode so you’re only asking them to do one thing at a time.
This will increase the chances of them doing it and decrease the chances of them feeling like they’re getting a long list of homework at the end of each episode.
Got a burning podcasting question you’d like answered? Send me an email.
Want to start your own podcast but need a little help? Download my “How To Start A Podcast” guide or sign up for my online podcasting course, PodSchool.
Thank for the great information!
In the outro, is it best to let listeners know the podcast is a division the the company?
For example, “Thank you for listening to MickeyNMinnie, a division of Walt Disney Studios.”
Would a two-for-one “subscribe and share” at the end be okay? Or literally just put one call to action?
Hey Robin, you can definitely let people know where the podcast comes from, particularly if it’s relevant. When it comes to the outro of your podcast, there’s no hard and fast rule but you need to operate from a place of understanding that it’s very difficult to get people to take action at the end of a podcast so you just want to make it as easy as possible and as little effort as possible. Rach