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b'Six weeks into this experiment and a handful of data analyses later, we discovered our narrative style episodes were driving the most engagement. More listeners were tuning in the first day the episode dropped and the passive listens over time continue pouring in. \\n\\n\\n\\n212 people listened to Crafting The Narrative the day it was released.\\n\\n\\n\\nKeeping our eyes on the growth prize, we committed to producing more content our audience showed us they want to hear. But creating a narrative podcast requires a bit more preparation and intention than a standard interview. So in this episode of Audience, we\\u2019re unveiling what goes into producing a narrative episode to craft the most engaging story.\\n\\n\\n\\nTo dip our toes into these new waters, we first need to understand what makes a narrative podcast different from other formats.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nWhat Is A Narrative Podcast?\\n\\n\\n\\nFirst things first, a definition. What is a narrative podcast? The Art Of Podcast defines it as an audio documentary that follows a story arch. Rather than including an interview in full, the episode is comprised of clips, scripted segments, and music to tell the story in a non-linear way.\\n\\n\\n\\nWhen you think of narrative podcasts, you\\u2019re likely referencing a show produced by NPR or Gimlet Media. Both are the gold standards in this style of storytelling. If you close your eyes, you can probably hear Ira Glass or Jonathan Goldstein narrating an episode, cluing listeners into the most interesting parts of the interview.\\n\\n\\n\\nGiven the success of the shows produced by each of these powerhouse networks, narrative podcasts must be a lucrative way to engage an audience. But why?\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nWhy Narrative Podcasts Engage An Audience\\n\\n\\n\\nIn 2014, The Harvard Business Review set out to figure out why storytelling is such a powerful way to convey information. Their research found \\u201ccharacter-driven stories with emotional content result in a better understanding of the key points and enable better recall weeks later\\u201d. \\n\\n\\n\\nWe learned narrative storytelling follows a non-linear path, fleshing out characters and storylines. By ramping up the drama and suspense, the narrative format generates emotions in listeners, wiring them to connect more with the content. Their results mark a common thread between stories that produce engagement and narrative podcasts.\\n\\n\\n\\nEven outside of the science, podcasters have found success with narrative episodes. As of this publication,'