What Should I Call My Podcast? Picking the Perfect Show Title
One of the main hang ups I've heard over and over again from people looking to start a podcast is being stuck on what they should call their podcast.
People spend days, weeks, and even months trying to pick the perfect show title.
So what really makes a great podcast title that's captivating?
Length Matters
It's important to convey what your show is about in as little amount of words as possible. Try to aim for 4 words of less. In terms of data from hosts, shows hosted on Anchor.fm tend to be between 3-4 words and are 15-20 characters long. Remember the shorter the title the easier to remember.
Pick a Podcast Name That Fits With the Content of Your Show
What will your show be about? What are you looking your episodes to focus on? If you're able to answer these 2 questions you can start draft variations of a potential podcast name. Have it a variation of what your show will be about.
Try to Avoid Non Descriptive Generic Words in Your Podcast Title
When you only have a few words to hook a listener with you podcast title, you need to make use of every word possible in your title. Words like "podcast" and "the" just take up space. If possible try to avoid them.
Pick A Name That's Flows When Saying Out Loud
A great podcast title should flow off your tongue. Try saying potential show titles out load and see how well they flow and are they enjoyable to say out load.
Be Mindful Of Your Show Pivoting Over Time
Every podcast should be different from episode 1 to episode 100 if the podcast makes it that far. If your potential title is something like "Best In Business", and not in a niche, you may change the direction over time so be prepared to be flexible.
Make Sure The Name Isn't Already Taken
This is something super basic but some people don't end up seeing if the potential show title is already taken. I was part of another podcast project in 2021 called Real Talk Podcasting. We launched as a top 100 show week one in several Apple Podcast Categories, but in terms of name we were already competing with podcasts named with similar variations. We picked that name for a specific reason, and you may as well, but if possible try to avoid the not needed competition out of the gate. If you end up duplicating a name already taken, you may also run into copyright issues and could be forced to change your name.
Have Your Name Easy to Pronounce and Spell
If someone is specifically looking for your show online or is recommending your show to someone else it's important to have the title easy to spell and pronounce.
Keep Your Potential Podcast Title Searchable Organically
Most people don't take search engine optimization and organic search into account when picking a podcast name. They don't look at the monthly search volume of the potential combination of words in the title. This is also important to take into account when writing your podcast episode titles as well as your show and episode descriptions to capitalize off of organic search. For potential organic search and organic social research you could use BuzzSumo, Semrush, Ubersuggest, among other tools.
Think About Attracting Your Ideal Listeners
If you have a niche target audience, this is easier to do such as a podcast about a specific sport or activity. If your show is about house flipping or dog behavior that needs to be in the title.
Some common strategies for podcast title creation include:
- Have the cadence and topic in the title like, Ted Talks Daily.
- Have the benefit to the listener in your title like, The School of Podcasting.
- Have your perspective about your topic like, the Future Belongs to Content Creators.
- Have The ideal listener as the title like, The Million Dollar Earner.
- Have a title that's a play on words like, Armchair Expert.
- If it makes sense and it's part of your branding have your name in your title like, The Joe Rogan Experience.
Regardless of what strategy you use, don't let the launch of your show get stuck over your title. Remember you can always change it or rebrand.
