The title of your microcast is like the thumbnail on a video or the first line of a news article. If it doesn’t look interesting, it won’t matter how good your microcast is, people are less likely to check it out. But how do you come up with the right title? One that is interesting, but not pure clickbait, and one that summarizes up your microcast in one short phrase? Here are a few tips that might help, although I do not by any means consider myself an authority – I spend more time trying to pick a title than I do writing my scripts.
Make it catchy
First, try to make your title catch the listener’s attention. “Laundry Time” is simple and to the point, but probably won’t get much traction. Instead, try “Ways to Make Laundry Easier”, or “The Best Way to Wash”. This is helpful because it tells the listener that you have something worthwhile to say – this isn’t just a rant about laundry. If they click on it, they might learn something that will be useful to them. And it just sounds more interesting.
Ask a Question
People love to give their opinion. You know what they love even more? To be asked to give their opinion. Make your title into a question. “Do You…” “Have You Ever…” “Did You Know…” For what it’s worth, I’ve found vague questions do better. “Have you ever done this?” gets more interest than “Have You Ever Skydived?” People want to know what the “this” in the title is, and so they listen. It’s also a good idea to ask a question occasionally during your microcast episodes, even if it’s just a simple one. These are all ways to pull the listener in.
Use a Little Clickbait
Obviously, you’re not going to be lying to your listeners, or promising something you don’t deliver on. But it doesn’t hurt to bait the hook with a few extra worms sometimes. It’s fine to inflate the importance of something in your microcast, as long as you keep it interesting, and don’t shortchange your listeners. And remember, it’s your microcast. You’re excited about your topic, right? So put a little of that over the top excitement out there and convey it to your audience.
Brainstorm
Sometimes, you have to get creative. Try asking your friends to listen to your episode, or read it if you’ve written a script, and suggest a title for it. Bonus: this gets you some more exposure! Another way to think of a title – pretend you’re playing charades, except with words. What words would you use to describe the microcast episode? Get it down to the basics, then you can enlarge your title from there.
Go for Broke
Don’t be afraid to go for something a little confrontational, or maybe unpopular. As long as you are civil and kind about something, putting a bit of zing into your title can get you more listens as well. Again, this is a tactic that draws people in. A bit of debate, a chance to give one’s opinion – all ways to entrance your listeners.
Aesthetics
Last, make sure the title is easy on the eyes. Make sure you’re following the YKYZ protocol – all titles should look like this – 1. Episode Title. Number, period, title. This makes the site look uniform and makes everything mesh well together. Next, try to keep your title short(ish). Yes, people can hover over the title to see the entire thing, but what if they don’t? You want to catch their attention, and the less they have to do, the better. Feel free to use an emoji here and there to make your title stand out, or fit in with something relevant to your episode. Less is more here, though, unless you’re playing c/emojisentence.
Having said all that, don’t overthink this. Write your script, record your episode, and put a title on it. If you see another microcast, or even an article or video online with a catchy title, take note. What caught your eye? What can you learn from that? Practice makes perfect, and over time, it gets easier. At least that’s what they tell me. So keep at it, and remember to have fun!