18 Things Podcasters Need To Do To Hook Their Audience [Step-By-Step Guide]

On average, you only have 8 seconds to get your audience’s attention or you risk losing them before you’ve even started. That means fewer downloads, fewer fans coming back next episode, and huge hits to any monetization your podcast has. That makes your hook the most important part of your podcast.

A solid hook draws listeners in and can even keep their attention for the rest of the show. Yet with millions of podcasts out there and short attention spans, your hook can’t just be good… It has to be great. The good news is we’ve got you covered. Below are the 18 things you should be doing to hook your audience, starting in the pre-production phase of your podcast.

Using Pre-Production To Hook Your Audience

Before you hop on the mic, you’ll need to do a couple of things first to ensure you’re setting up a great hook that actually leads somewhere the listener wants to be. If you do this prep work, it’ll make creating your hook a lot easier.

1) Familiarize Yourself With The Content 

The very first thing you want to do before you record is familiarize yourself with your content. Whether that’s through research, reading articles, or simply a quick brush up on some facts, you must understand your topic. If you don’t know what you’re talking about, it will come through in the recording and your audience will be able to tell.

2) Write Down Your Thoughts 

While brushing up on your content, be sure to write your thoughts down. The second that recording button blinks red, it’s so easy to forget what you were going to say. You may stumble over your words, wasting time and energy. Why not make it easier on yourself and jot down some notes or maybe even a full script.

3) Determine The Tone Of The Show

Prior to starting, make sure to pick a tone that reflects the content of the episode. If your topic is serious, a quirky, upbeat intro might not be the way to go. If your show is comedic, bring some energy to the hook. When opening your show, allow the topic to determine your mood.

4) Get To The Point

When setting up your hook–be brief! No matter how well written, clever or thought-provoking your opening is, your audience will lose interest if it’s too long. Let’s be real. Attention spans nowadays are extremely short–only 8 seconds–so your hook should be too.

5) Get Excited! 

While this prep work is important, you’re still putting on a show! It’s an exciting time and something to be proud of, so don’t be afraid to revel in that. Your enthusiasm will be contagious, encouraging listeners to not only stay but recommend your episode to others!

How Hosts Can Hook Their Audience

So, you’ve done all the important prep work to create a really engaging show but now it’s time to record. As the host, what can you do to hook your audience? We’ve compiled a list of 14 different hooks you can use to grab listeners’ attention.

6) Get To The Point With A Quick Intro

If you don’t want anything fancy, then just jump right in! In one or two sentences, you can establish the title of your show and what you cover, as well as introduce yourself as a host. Audiences don’t need anything fancy, they just need something quick.

7) Tease What’s To Come

If you’d like to give a little more, tease your audience with what’s to come. After introducing the show and yourself, you can give a quick overview of the topics you’ll cover in this episode. A teaser is an efficient and effective way to set up the audience’s expectations that your show will then fulfill.

8) Start With A Quote From Your Guest (if you have one)

If you have an interview-style podcast, open with a pithy quote from your guest. If at one point your guest says something intriguing and concise, place a clip of them saying that up front. Not only will this introduce a theme or concept, it will also create tension as your audience will be listening for that quote to pop up in the interview.

9) Ask A Question

If you want to get your audience thinking, try opening your show with a question. Utilizing a question that has more than just a yes/no answer can be a great way to create engagement. Additionally, your audience will listen to your show to see how you answer that same question and to see if your answer aligns with their own.

10) Use A Shocking Statistic

Another thought-provoking hook is to open with a shocking statistic. Similar to the quote, if you pick a relevant statistic, you will grab listeners’ attention and establish your authority on the subject. An evocative statistic will carry your audience through any exposition needed until you reach the heart of the show.

11) Grab A Relevant Quote 

Another great way to get your audience’s attention is to open with a quote relevant to your topic. A quote from a famous figure, article, or a speech is a great way to pique interest and establish authority in a certain topic. Even if your show never references that quote again, the contents of the quote can introduce the themes you’ll cover in your episode.

12) Use Powerful Sound Effects

Podcasts are an auditory medium, so let’s use that! Open with a powerful sound: a roaring crowd to talk about sports, the banging of a gavel to discuss a legal case. Whatever it is, a dynamic sound will add texture to your show and engage the audience further.

13) Share A Personal Story 

One of the most powerful characteristics of podcasts is their intimacy. A roundtable podcast can feel like a discussion between friends; a narrative show can feel like a friend telling you a story over coffee. So, don’t be afraid to lean into that intimacy and use it to hook your audience. A personal story will build trust between you and the audience, as well as set up a concept you’ll cover in the episode.

A story about taking your kids to the grocery store can be a great segue to discuss the prevalence of mom-shaming. A funny anecdote at a bar can get your audience laughing and, more importantly, listening.

14) Share A Public Story

If you’d like to keep your private life . . . well, private; then a public story or famous incident can accomplish the same things. Perhaps you reference how in 2009, Captain Sully landed a plane on the Hudson to speak on courage in times of stress. Whatever the anecdote, an incredible moment–both tragic or hopeful–can be a great way to draw the audience in.

15) Present A Problem

Another great way to grab your audience’s attention is to present a common problem. By bringing up a problem your listeners may have experienced in their own lives, you are relating to them. And if you’re promising a solution, they’ll listen to the show for that answer.

16) Set Up A Scene 

Similar to setting up a story, you can also set up a scene, placing your audience in a specific moment in time. While podcasts are auditory, engage with the other senses–describe what that moment looked like, smelled like, even tasted like. If you can immerse your audience in a moment, they will be pulled into the story, dilemma or interview you are about to deliver.

Keeping Your Audience

While piquing your listeners’ attention is imperative, you also need to maintain it. No matter your topic or hook, these two qualities below will retain your audience, making them more likely to recommend your podcast to others.

17) Pay Attention To Your Cadence 

Whether you’re reading a script or going off the cuff, it’s important to pay attention to your cadence, and to use it to your advantage. Without realizing, it can be easy to slip into monotone and bore your audience away. Instead, vary your delivery, emphasizing certain words or sentences for a more dramatic impact.

18) Be Concise

Lastly, you want to be concise. As said, the average attention span is only 8 seconds. Jumping right in helps establish your pace and being concise throughout keeps it up. A podcast episode is still a show and in order to entertain and inform, you must push forward. A slow pace will make a short episode feel longer than it is, driving users away before they’ve finished your episode

Here at Q’d Up, we know how to grab an audience’s attention and tell meaningful, impactful stories through audio. If you’re interested in having Q’d Up help produce your podcast or audiobook, contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote.