You’ve gathered your tech materials, figured out where you’re going to host, and have practiced your intro into your hairbrush every morning since. But now you’ve come to realize that you don’t exactly know what you’re going to podcast about. You know you want to podcast, but you’re not entirely sure what you want to tell your audience. Sound familiar? If so, then it sounds like this article may be just the thing you need.
In order to have a successful podcast, you need to make sure that it’s planned thoughtfully. A part of planning your podcast is coming up with the topic you want to spend time on. So, let’s dive in and help you discover your topic!
Passion Above All Else
Growing up, you may have heard the famous quote, “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” from the adults in your life. The same can be applied to podcasting; talking about a subject you’re passionate about can carry your podcast to incredible heights.
Think about what piques your interest. What makes you stop in the middle of your day and really go, huh? Ask yourself why you want to podcast. What’s the thing burning inside you that you just have to share with the rest of the world?
Looking inward and discovering what’s important to you will help you find your perfect topic. An engaged and passionate host creates an engaged and passionate community of listeners!
Testing the Waters
The beauty of podcasting, and any art really, is the ability to try and try again. It’s not uncommon to start a podcast and learn that you’re not as into the subject as you thought. Don’t see these ventures as failures, though! Instead, see them as successes as you learned all the nuances of podcasting while testing the topic. So, when you find the topic that fits you best, you’ll be more than ready to produce it.
Finding Your Place in the Space
There are between 3 to 4 million podcasts currently available worldwide. So, it’s not unreasonable that you share a topic with another show. And that’s totally okay! The key is to find a “niche” for your podcast. Make your topic less general and more specific. Create a podcast with a specific audience in mind. Instead of just creating a show about cooking, create a show about cooking for college students. Focus your recipes on the challenges of cooking in a dorm and/or on a budget.
Finding a niche will help you to stand out amongst the other shows (and lends itself nicely to SEO practices!)
Creating a hyper-specific show allows for a dedicated, passionate community to grow around it!
Deciding on a Format
Podcasts have evolved beyond a couple of friends chatting in their living room. There are interview-style podcasts, long-form fiction podcasts, short and timely news podcasts. The list goes on. Deciding on the format of your content can create a unique listening experience for your audience.
Think about the content you want to talk about to help you figure out the format. Are you covering a sports team or a political movement? Then it might make more sense to make your show short and timely. If you’re really digging deep into the topic and the content could remain relevant for years to come, then a long-form podcast could be the way to go.
The type of content you want to produce will help you to determine the format for your show!
Podcasting can be a huge joy in life! And finding the right topic that you’re passionate about can help to create a show unique to you and your audience.
If you’re ready to launch your show, then give RedCircle a try! We’d love to help you on your journey to new podcasting heights!
