Resource Category: Podcasting Basics

Like your artwork, naming your podcast is a big decision, and it’s not one you should take lightly. People spend days, weeks and even months selecting the right name because it’s that important. You don’t need to do that. It’s more important that you start and avoid overthinking it. You can always change your name. My feed went from Melanin Millennials to Wanna Be in seconds, and I’ve continued growing a community with the same level of loyalty ever since. 

When you start your podcast, you might think you’ll only cover the one thing you’re into right now. And while that might be true, the joy of podcasting means that a conversation or story can take you anywhere. You’ll want to pick a name that covers the depth and breadth of your industry. Keep reading, and I’ll reveal the two sure-fire ways your podcast name can have an impact.

Before you get started, here are a couple of dos and don’ts:

DO:

• Think about your content and themes
• Keep it short and sweet -under 30 characters is the golden rule.
• Pick a name that feels true to you.
• Make it relevant and easy to search.
• Ditch the ‘The’, ‘Podcast’ and ‘cast’
• Say it out loud a few times and have friends say it too!
• Remember that you can change your name.
• Think about a name that gives you room to grow and expand

DON’T

• Choose something abstract and obscure to your target audience.
• Pick something so long that it can get cut-off (or clipped) when displayed in a podcast player
• Pick an inside joke that only your friends/family will understand
• Use foreign terms that will be challenging to your target audience, e.g. using a German phrase when your target audience only speaks English.
• Pick hard to spell words, homophones (words that sound the same but spelt differently) or special characters.
• Use numbers. Potential listeners shouldn’t have to ask: Do you write the number or spell it out?
• Choose a name that’s been used by another ‘active’ podcast.

Remember, you can break all the rules and still come out on top! Most designers I’ve interviewed often say that they liked to learn the rules so that they could break them. Ain’t nobody got time for that! What I will share with you is that it’s important to be intentional when naming your podcast. You know your audience best, so go with your instincts.

TAKE ACTION:

Set a 2 min countdown timer on your phone. Open a Google doc, notebook or spreadsheet and spend 2 mins writing down as many podcast names as you can. 

When times up, review your titles and put a * next to your top 3.

Now let’s compare your Top 3 choices with the podcast naming conventions below.

Here are some tips on how to pick the right name based on the type of podcast you’re making:

• Use your name/ brand name 
  • The Michelle Obama Podcast
  • Ian Wrights Everyday People
  • The Penguin Podcast 
  • The Marie Forleo Podcast

• Use a headline
  • How to Fail with Elizabeth Day
  • The Curious Case of Rutherford & Fry
  • The Secret To

• Topic-driven 
  • Life Coach School
  • Catching Melanie’s Killer
  • The Guilty Feminist

• The description
  • Self-care Club
  • Happy Mum, Happy Baby
  • The Conversation Weekly

• Clever and abstract
  • The Receipts
  • Table Manners
  • Positively England

• Call To Action
  • Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
  • Welcome To Your Fantasy
  • Don’t Call Me Resilient

 

Let’s dive deeper into the anatomy of a good name

Nobody tells you that the secret to a good name often lies in how intimately you know your target audience and how well you can translate that intimacy into copywriting. Your podcast name (and artwork) often need to communicate what’s in it for the listener. Here are two scientifically-proven ways to do just that.

1. Power- Power words not only grab attention but also trigger action. When you incorporate a power word in your podcast name, you’ll hook people in quickly.
2. Emotion- Emotional words are all about engagement and creating an emotional response for the listener. We’re going to look at some great names and break down why they’re effective.

You can have a successful podcast without any of these rules. We’re here to help you expand your imagination. Below I’ve shortlisted podcasts that have charted in the UK Top 200 podcast on Apple Podcasts who have used power, emotion or the popular conventions mentioned earlier.

 

How to fail- Headline

This works because…

‘How to’ is a hugely popular way of grabbing potential listeners attention. It’s saying upfront that they’ll learn or gain something from engaging. ‘Fail’ is a power word, and its combination with ‘how to’ stop you in your tracks and makes you question yourself and what you want. Do you want to learn how to fail? For the right audience, it will resonate deeply.

 

The Guilty Feminist- Topic-driven

This works because…

It’s incredibly readable, and the use of the emotional word ‘Guilty’ makes you pause. It’s relatable because we’ve all felt guilty at some point. Feminist is speaking directly to the audience. This podcast is for folx that identify as feminists but occasionally fall short of the expectations and beliefs society holds about feminists.

 

The Conversation Weekly

This works because…

They’ve used the brand name and made it crystal clear what people will get and when they’ll get it. There are no emotional or power words, yet it’s highly effective for the audience they already have and those that might be aware of them.

 

Today in Focus- Clever and abstract

This works because…

This is produced by The Guardian, which have a huge reputation and online presence. It’s incredibly readable, and ‘Focus’ is an emotional word that creates an emotional response in the listener. It’s a clever name because it’s a daily podcast that focuses on one in-depth news story. It’s doing what it says on the tin, but the phrasing is clever and intriguing, so you might not connect the dots until you engage with the show and understand it’s purpose.

TAKE ACTION:

You’ve been given the two huge secrets to creating a great name. Refer back to the list you brainstormed earlier and pick out the ones with power and/or emotion built-in. If you need some more inspiration, check out this Power Words Glossary, created by copywriter Karl Stepp.