Thread by @mischaetc, Hey #AudioDramaSunday! (is this thing still on?)I wanna talk a little bit [...]

Hey #AudioDramaSunday! (

is this thing still on?)

I wanna talk a little bit about podcast trailers today. For some strange reason I've made like 12 trailers in the past month or so, and I feel like I've learned a lot!

1/

1st things 1st: Every podcast should have at least 1 trailer! Fiction, non-fiction, immersive storytelling or Just 2 Dudes Talking About Movies. Everyone! Give people a chance to decide if they like your show without asking them to sit through a whole episode. 2/

And your pilot is not always the best episode ever, it's just the one you need to be first.

(BTW, a trailer is also a great way to make sure your feed is working & registered on popular apps, so that your pilot actually drops the day you want it to.) 3/

There are generally a few types of trailers:
–Narrated clip montage
–Host-only read
–Longer preview clip
–Original scene / prologue
–[if I missed one plz tell me!]

Each one serves a specific purpose. Which does your show need? Don't be afraid to make more than one! 4/

Narrated montages are great if your show lives in smaller moments, but they need context. (Very common in true-crime podcasts, a genre all about giving context to small clips.) 5/

Host-only reads skip the scrounging for clips & dives right for context. Excellent for shorter trailers – think 60-sec spots. Especially good if you're trying to advertise on other shows, as a lot of pre-recorded ad slots live in that range! 6/

Longer preview clips are great for tantalization. "Like this lil bit? Catch the whole thing!" Excellent if you have a KILLER scene/segment, one that encapsulates the vibe of the whole thing, or teases where the entire story might go. (Tends to be longer though, so careful.) 7/

If your show doesn't have a scene like that, you can make one! Record a shorter version of your talk show, or write a prequel scene for series. For the most effort(!), it can also make the trailer "essential viewing," so it feels more like part of your show & less like an ad. 8/

All of these different trailers are different techniques to do the same thing: build excitement & anticipation, that leads the listener to go "Oh YEAH, I gotta listen to that!"

To that end, MUSIC IS KEY!! Music choice & placement often makes the entire thing work. 9/

Your theme song is a solid choice: ideally an intro to your show's vibe, that you already have. Esp. good for shorter host reads & clip montages.

Get short & long versions of your theme if you can. Separated stems for your theme are GREAT – allows for maximum versatility! 10/

But if your theme song doesn't quite match the trailer's vibe, don't be afraid to get a new track just for the trailer!

Eg: recently made a trailer for a workplace comedy w/ later menacing plot elements. But the trailer comes first so for music we swung into the comedy vibe. 11/

And a big part of this is editing. A trailer is about building momentum. Don't be afraid to use snappier edits in a trailer than you do in your show! Don't let things drag; punch in, do your thing, and get them into the main show as soon as possible. 12/

And lastly: Always remember who the trailer is for. Is it for new listeners? Returning listeners after a hiatus? Potential investors/advertisers? People who don't know what a podcast is?

And if you have more than one answer... make more than one trailer! 13/

I'll be able to talk about this more after they drop, but we've made a BUNCH of trailers so far for @StarTripperHQ Season 2, in addition to S1's "The Sale."

A lot of work? Maybe. But we're zeroing in on our purposes, & making sure we have everything we need to succeed. 14/

And that's what a trailer is: a tool to set your show up for maximum success!

I wish you all successful shows, and I hope this breakdown has been a little helpful. 15/15

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