4 Tips for Uncovering the Best Topics for a Podcast
Choosing the best topics for your podcast is key to podcast success – and it’s also one of the biggest challenges our clients face. When you’re an expert on a subject, it can be hard to figure out what your audience will be most interested in.
Here’s our top advice on the, er, topic:
4 tips for uncovering the best topics for your podcast
Start with your brand’s core messages
We often tell our clients to start with their brand’s core messages. Ask yourself:
What are you known for?
What do you want to be known for?
What makes your company different?
Why do clients choose you over the competition?
What do you do better than the competition?
Share customer or brand stories that demonstrate your brand attributes.
You can also look at your current marketing campaigns, and align topics with a new product launch, upcoming event, or contest.
It goes without saying that every podcast episode needs to resonate with your audience. Keep the intersection of your company’s and the audience’s interests in mind. Topics that both build your brand and engage listeners are winners.
Constantly look for new ideas
Your staff and clients are essential when identifying trends or challenges. During meetings, ask them what they’re most excited about (or what’s keeping them up at night).
New ideas can also be found by reading industry articles, talking to partners and vendors, and polling your email list and/or social media followers.
And let’s not forget inviting guests to be on your podcast. They may bring new topics or angles on a variety of issues that are of interest to your audience.
Target niche topics within your expertise
To set your podcast apart from competitors and build thought leadership, consider creating a series out of niche topics. For example, a law firm could focus on one practice area, like employment law, and cover wage / equal pay issues, discrimination in the workplace, wrongful discharge, employee contract negotiations, etc.
A series is a valuable tool when optimizing your website and generating leads. As you produce more episodes and link them on your website, it will continue to build your credibility and lead to higher search rankings.
Pick a format
Your podcast topics may be guided by the format you choose. And yes, it’s important to pick one format and stick with it. When listeners know what to expect, they will be more engaged – and more likely to become regular listeners.
Common formats include:
Interviews with experts, either in your industry or in complementary industries
Guided discussions with experts on hot industry trends
Your own commentary on a topic you can’t stop thinking about
Customer stories interspersed with tips or lessons learned
You can also combine the above. Perhaps you have segments in your podcast: five minutes of commentary, one short interview or discussion, and finally, a tip or lesson learned.
If you decide to bring guest speakers onto your show, let them know ahead of time what topics you plan to discuss and/or questions you plan to ask them so that they can fully prepare before recording.
Leave professional podcast production to us!
You’re busy building a brand and running a business. Take podcast production off your plate and put it on ours. Our professional equipment and years of audio production expertise will ensure your podcast topics sound top-notch. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation.
