Opening: I forgot the cold open, plus 5 more tips for short videos
Oh boy. I like to model best practices when I can, so that I set a positive example. I do that pretty well with my print newsletter, but I forgot a few things when I started this podcast.
1 -- you have to capture the viewer's attention in the first few seconds, so it was a mistake to start this podcast with music.
You need to do a quick opening that tells the viewer what the show is about.
2 -- if you want to be on some services, like TikTok or Instagram, you should stay below 60 seconds. I'm not sure that's possible for my subject matter.
3 -- ask questions and try to get some engagement, comments and such from listeners.
4 -- explicitly ask people to subscribe, like, share, and leave a review.
5 -- be clear and direct.
6 -- include captions so people can read the text and keep the volume off.