When you run out of podcast topic ideas, there are several steps you can take to fix that.
Podcasts have posted record revenues in 2021, and it seems like every topic has already been covered by all the influencers and content creators.
So the challenge then is to find fresh ideas and interesting angles to attract new listeners and engage existing ones. What is your take on the topic?
In this guide, we’ll discuss how to generate innovative podcast topics that your listeners will not only love but keep coming back to enjoy.
Podcast Topic Generator: Steps To Come Up With Ideas Your Listeners Will Love
1. Define Your Podcast Concept
Your starting point is simple. What is the concept of your show? This will help you focus on what kind of topics you want to collect.
For example, the concept of Dax Shepard and co-host Monica Padman’s successful Armchair Expert podcast is an interview format of experts and actors that blends the interview with conversation and their unique brand of humor.
Picking guests will lend to what topics they want to discuss, so their search to generate ideas start with knowing more about their guests.
If you have a news concept, you may start with what news outlets you want to follow each day.
If you have a fan concept, you may start with social media commentary sources on reactions and other fan takes on the latest developments.
Even if you are just starting in podcasting and don’t have a real concept yet, take a moment to think about it. Generating ideas for your podcast gets easier once you know this.
2. Research Similar Podcast Concept Topics
Once you settle on a concept, the next step is research.
Search for your concept in your favorite podcast streaming site. For example, I could search in Spotify for “baking with mom podcast.”
I will see many shows around baking, and maybe some around being a mom. There may or may not be examples of your exact concept, but there will be plenty of ideas for you.
Among podcasts with a similar concept or genre, what topics do they discuss? Which topics jump out to you as exciting to cover on your show?
Note the titles of the episodes. Read the show notes.
Write down the most exciting topics to you in a list. Collect at least 10. If you are just starting, these 10 will help you to build a foundation for your podcast.
Now type these topic titles or phrases into YouTube. Into Google. Write down 10 more ideas that jump out to you.
3. Create A Guest List to Enhance Each Podcast Topic
If your show involves guests, which will guide additional topics, you will want to first make a list of guests to invite on your show.
Creating a “Dream 100” list can help you start with a powerful guest list to consider and work towards. Popularized by Chet Holmes in the book The Ultimate Selling Machine, the Dream 100 is a list of people in your niche that you would love to work with, or in this case, have on your show.
Writing a guest name next to each of your podcast topic ideas should be a helpful exercise.
When compiling your list, make sure these guests would be open to or delighted to discuss your concept or podcast topic ideas. Having a guest on who doesn’t bake or have a mom, in my example, would be a short conversation, no matter how popular they are.
Sometimes guest names will help your podcast gain more interest, but your concept and topics should be the stronger drivers.
4. Use a Podcast Topic Generator Tool
It can be incredibly useful to use a host of topic generator tools to specify episode topics. Accordingly, the Ahrefs keyword generator helps you to find relevant keywords related to your podcast concept or list of topics. Entering a keyword into the generator will reveal other popular keywords associated with your concept.
Most importantly, it has a questions tab where you can view the most popular questions related to your topic. This is a great place to start when narrowing down your podcast concept or simply looking for your next topic or guest question.
Several paid tools offer limited trials, like nichesss. You only need to enter your podcast concept, and a few keywords, and it will generate several topic suggestions.
A content analysis tool like BuzzSumo will indicate which topics receive the most shares on social media and which types of content are the most popular. You can also compare your listed topics with the most shared content and adapt your content to fill any content gaps or adjust your podcast structure.
5. Design a Strong Narrative
In this final step, you must consider how you will communicate your concept and newly found topics to your listeners. Creating a trailer for your podcast will encourage new listeners to quickly understand what your show is about and give it a try.
If you have done your homework on what people in your niche or podcast genre are talking about, your concept should resonate. Your topics should drive listens.
You are now in a great position to write a brief blurb or description of your show, and describe it to others in one sentence. This will help your marketing narrative immensely.
It will also help you find the right guests to join your podcast. You now have plenty of material to discuss and guide your conversations. And create a show your listeners will love.
Conclusion
Finding podcast topic ideas that your listeners will love involves creating a concept, listing your topic ideas, and discovering what has already been said about these topics.
Moreover, identifying topic gaps as opportunities to fill will help you stand out in the market.
By leveraging podcast topic generator tools, you will have a deep well of intriguing angles to explore in your episodes.
Finally, you need to put this all together in an attractive narrative package that listeners can grasp, understand, and love.
I’m the CEO of Wavve. I love encouraging creators and entrepreneurs to share their stories and lead with purpose.