coming up with content for your podcast can be one of the more challenging and time-consuming parts of the process, especially if you are releasing a weekly show.
So how do you find enough ideas, so that you are not lying awake worrying about what you are going to talk about next?
How to come up with podcast content for a ‘niche show’
By ‘niche show’ I mean a show that focuses on a specific topic area rather than a radio-style podcast where all topics are on the table (I’ve got tips for finding content for those shows further down).
Google what others are doing in your niche
Google is always your friend and a quick search will not only uncover what others are doing but you can always search for “trending” topics within your niche.
Don’t copy other people – that’s what makes you stand out – your own uniqueness, delivering content in your own way with your own slant on that topic. Be inspired by others and perhaps find something that’s similar but different. What was missing from that show and how can you make it better, tell it differently etc.
If you copy other shows and you’re in a small niche (or even if you’re not) it won’t take long to get a reputation as the person who rips off other people’s work. Plagiarism is not acceptable.
The Twitter approach
The advanced search tool on Twitter lets you search for topics, hashtags and even tweet locations. What are other people sharing (for inspiration) or see what questions people are asking in your particular niche?
Twitter can be a place for people to vent their frustration, ask for help and let the world know if they have succeeded in something – a promotion, business success etc. It could prove a great source of podcast content if you’re trying to solve problems in your podcast.
Make sure, if you’re inspired by a tweet, you loop in the person who wrote it when your episode goes live. It’s a nice way to add a personal touch to your podcast and give back to someone who inspired your show.
Search Facebook Groups and Pages
These can be a great source of podcast content and a great place to build a network…if you do it right. Whilst I’m not personally a fan of Facebook, many many people have achieved great success using it for business and pleasure.
These groups and pages often have strict rules about self-promotion. Do that on your own page to your heart’s content.
Building a reputation in Facebook groups takes time so have patience and an understanding of what the group is about.
If you want to share details of your podcast there will often be ‘promotion days’ where you can share what you’re up to. This is your opportunity to put your ‘sales’ hat on and tell people to check out your podcast. If you’ve been turning up, answering questions and building a presence in that particular community, people will usually be keen to check out what you do.
Search your niche on Quora
Quora is a Q and A website where people ask about EVERYTHING.
Beware, you can lose half your life on this site if you’re not careful but you can also set up alerts and search questions that are being asked in your niche.
This can be really useful when you’re coming up with podcast content because you don’t need to wonder “what do people want to know?” You can see it right in front of you.
Amazon books
Amazon is a useful search engine for a lot of niches and when you find a book that interests you, you can often check the table of contents to see what it’s about. Again DO NOT copy it word for word but make sure you make the content uniquely yours with your own slant. The contents page can assist in directing your imagination to where it needs to go, particularly if it’s in your niche topic.
Ask your guest
The best content driver is if you have your own guests on the show. The conversations are always interesting if they are part of your niche. You can break up the show by having a monologue, intro the guest, ask great questions and finish with the lead into next weeks topic or guest.
Podcast content ideas for “radio-style” shows…
This style of the show is a lot broader than a niche show and usually, the focus is on the chemistry of the co-hosts rather than the content itself. Obviously, you have to still have killer podcast content, but the areas covered are often much broader and can cover news, pop culture or personal stories.
Search outside the main news sites
Almost everyone will be getting content for these types of shows from the big publishers in their area so look for ones that aren’t as well known but are still churning out great stuff.
Here are some of the ones I use…
