Episode 248 | Insider Secrets to a Top 100 Podcast | Courtney Elmer

0:18 - Why Specificity is Crucial to Attracting More Listeners
2:16 - The Downside of Using AI for Titles and Descriptions
4:14 - Three Proven Ways to Make Your Content More Specific
8:01 - How Episode Titles Impact Listener Engagement
14:24 - Avoid These Common Red Flags in Your Episode Titles

3 Proven Ways to Increase Listener Engagement

Honestly? I love making content. But it wasn’t always this way.

When I first started my podcast, I thought if my content was valuable enough, listeners would flock to my show and ask how they could work with me. Fast forward over four years and 260+ episodes later, I’ve discovered a fundamental truth about attracting (and keeping) listeners:

“Highly effective podcast content isn't about how good your content is inside your episodes. It's about how good you are at selling someone on why they should listen in the first place."

It’s ALL about specificity, not in what you say, but in how you say it. This is key to increasing listener engagement and keeping your audience coming back for more.

Hook Your Listener Before They Hit Play

Want your podcast to cut through the noise? Specificity is a game-changer because it immediately positions you as the expert and helps increase listener engagement by showing potential listeners the value of your content.

Think of it like this. You walk into a bookstore and there are two books on the Featured Reads shelf. One is titled "Simple Strategies to Improve Your Wellbeing as You Age" and the other is titled "10 Proven Habits to Add 5 Years to Your Life." Which one would you be more likely to read? (I mean, obviously).

The bigger question is – why? Why are we naturally drawn to specific language?

Specific language grabs attention because it promises a clear, measurable benefit.

The same goes for your podcast. By being specific, you help potential listeners quickly see how your show solves a problem they’re experiencing, making them more likely to hit play. Specificity also builds trust and credibility because it allows you to speak directly to their experiences and challenges, setting you apart from thousands of other podcasts competing for their attention.

Here's how you can use specificity to increase listener engagement and hook your listeners before they ever hit play:

1. Use Numbers
2. Turn Feeling Words into Verbal Pictures
3. Say What Your Listener is Thinking

Let’s break it down:

Using Numbers: Create Immediate Curiosity

As one of my most invaluable business mentors, Brandon Lucero, always says, one of the easiest ways to make something more specific is to use numbers.

There’s a big difference between saying, “How to Grow Your Podcast Faster” vs. “3 Under-the-Radar Ways to Gain 30 New Podcast Listeners Today.” If you had a podcast that wasn’t growing like you expected it to, which one would you be most likely to listen to?

There’s a reason why: Numbers grab attention. They create a specific micro-promise that your brain can understand. Using numbers creates instant curiosity and taps into how our brains are wired as humans, which helps to increase listener engagement.

Predictability and tangible outcomes help your listener immediately (and unconsciously) gauge the value of your content, which helps to increase listener engagement. Which gets them to say yes to hitting play without having to logically convince themselves it’s worth their time.

Incorporating numbers into your titles is a powerful way to increase listener engagement. Skim your past episode titles. Do they use specific numbers? If not, start incorporating them. Titles like “Try This Hack to Skyrocket Your Email Open Rates” should become “Use These 5 Subject Lines to Double Your Email Open Rates.”

Stop Using Feeling Words: Create Visual Stories

Ever wonder why the best novelists make you feel like you’re living the scene? Simple: word pictures.

One of the biggest mistakes podcast hosts make in their content is using feeling words. Feeling words are words that describe feelings, like stress, worry, excitement, overwhelm, happiness — and the reason none of these work as effectively as you think they do is because they’re all subjective.

Overwhelm for the parent of a toddler is totally different from the kind of overwhelm an online business owner might feel when they’re scaling from six to seven figures. So when you use these words to describe different problems, your content blends into the crowd, which hurts listener engagement.

Instead, turn these feeling words into word pictures and say exactly what your listener is experiencing.

Instead of, “You’re feeling burnt out,” say: “You’re so tired at the end of a workday you don’t even have the energy to pick up the remote switch off the Cat Channel.”

Instead of, “You feel overwhelmed every morning trying to get your kids to school on time” try: “You’ve asked your six-year-old to get ready for school four times in the last twenty minutes and can’t decide if your next move is to scream, ground him for life, or curl up in a corner and cry.”

Creating visual stories with your words paints a vivid picture for your listener, making your content relatable and specific to their experiences, which will increase listener engagement.

Watch out for those feeling words next time you’re crafting your titles or descriptions. Asking yourself, “How would I describe this if I couldn’t use this word?” will lead you to more precise language and ultimately increase listener engagement.

Saying What They’re Thinking: Directly Address Their Needs

Sometimes, the best way to stand out is to say exactly what’s on your listener's mind.

“You lay awake at night wondering, ‘Am I a good enough mom?’” or “Two doctors have already told you that your metabolism is slowing down. But what if you didn’t have to part with your favorite jeans and wear mumus for the rest of your life?” This level of specificity speaks directly to your listener’s immediate thoughts and concerns, making your podcast hit home on a personal level.

To communicate effectively, you must understand your listener’s pain points and address them head-on. Addressing the unspoken thoughts of your audience can be your secret weapon to increase listener engagement and make your show unignorable.

Using Hyper-Specific Language to Increase Listener Engagement

If you want your message to stand out and get more listeners choosing your show over the competition, Numbers, visual stories, and addressing what your listener is thinking are your new best friends.

"Most hosts don't realize that they're not being specific enough. In fact, they don't even know the role that specificity plays in attracting new listeners to the podcast."

Imagine you’re an online business owner with a social media podcast. Instead of titling an episode “Make Your Business Stand Out on Social Media," you could say, “3 Reasons Your Instagram Content Is Getting Overlooked.” It’s more specific, relatable, and intriguing.

Let’s say you have a podcast for business owners on podcasting. Instead of “Easy Ways to Grow Your Podcast Audience,” go for “3 Reasons Your Podcast Listeners Aren’t Converting to Leads.” The specificity here tells the listener exactly what problem you’re addressing and promises tangible insights.

Your Homework: Audit & Refine Your Episode Titles

Ready to increase your listener engagement? Time to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Start by auditing your last five episode titles. Look for vague language and swap it out with specific, number-driven statements.

Ditch the fancy formatting and stick to clear, to-the-point titles that address a specific problem. (For more episode titling mistakes to avoid, make sure to tune into the episode).

By implementing these three proven language techniques, you’ll not only increase listener engagement but also build a dedicated listener base — and trust me, your listeners will thank you.

Want More Tips on How to Make Your Podcast Stand Out?

Follow Insider Secrets to a Top Podcast on your favorite podcast app and turn your show into a top podcast listeners can’t get enough of.

And if you’re a coach, consultant, expert, or online business owner who wants to start turning more listeners into leads from your podcast, we’d love to help. Book a free strategy call to chat with our team and see if you’re a fit for PodLaunch.