If you’re starting with a podcast but don’t know what to talk about, then you might consider choosing to publish content about anything. This tactic would allow you to have a versatile podcast, but that doesn’t mean it is an excellent idea. In this article, we look at the importance of picking a niche for your podcast, instead of a podcast about everything.
Advantages of a Podcast About Everything
There are numerous advantages of podcasting about everything. Here are some of those advantages.
Topics Can Relate to Trends
One of the advantages of a podcast about everything, or a general topic podcast, is that you can podcast about anything you’re currently interested in or on-trend. If you have trending topics, you can use podcast SEO to help your episodes rank highly.
Trends can also be a good way to continuously be at the forefront of the minds of the general public.
A wide-ranging group of Guests
Another factor is that you can attract a wide range of guests which can sometimes be a way to attract new audiences. These guests could have large followings and lots of authority, which can draw more people to your show.
In addition, it can keep your show fresh by having new guests all the time.
Disadvantages of Podcasting About Everything
There are numerous disadvantages to being generic with your topics. Here are some of those issues.
Audience Retention
One of the big problems is that you might not be able to retain your audience. You can post about one topic one week, then the next week be another topic that the audience from the former might not enjoy. Therefore, what happens is that your audience doesn’t return for another episode, even when they want the first episode.
This can make it challenging for you to keep audience levels high.
Keeping Sponsors
One problem is that you might not be able to keep sponsors. Your sponsors will want to advertise with podcasters who regularly showcase content in one genre. For instance, marketing companies might wish to have more business leaders as their audience. And this can be good for a couple of episodes.
However, if you then publish information that is more suitable for the general public, the sponsor might not want to be involved in this episode. Therefore, you have to spend time finding new sponsors.
Another problem that you might have is that your sponsors might be willing to pay as much for sponsoring your content if there is generic content.
Harder to Build a Strong SEO Profile
SEO uses keywords and topics to build authority on your website/profile. If you don’t have a strong presence in one topic, it can mean that your keyword distribution is less powerful and you won’t rank as high on Podcast searches or even Google.
The lower you get, the worse your traffic will be. For instance, those in the top three of results often attract 70-90% of the traffic, with the remaining traffic only about 1%. Therefore, you need a strong keyword profile and rank high to gain significant traffic. And the more traffic you get, the more valuable your podcast episodes are to sponsors.
Lack of Authority
Authority makes audiences turn to you for advice and sponsors want to be involved with your show. It also means that people will be more willing to purchase from you whether you have services or products.
However, authority can’t be gained if you’re not focused. Only through specialism can you be sure that you can gain authority.
How to Choose a Podcast Topic
There are numerous ways that you can choose a podcast topic when you want to create a podcast. Here are three of the most common ways to select a topic.
Education
The first option is to look at your training/education. This is probably very close to what you do for a living or the business that you run. It is an obvious choice, but there are numerous advantages.
For instance, you will have expert knowledge and connections that will make writing and
securing guests easier.
It also means that you might have some corporate contacts that will make it easier to get sponsors for your content. Therefore, you can build a more successful, high-value show.
In addition, because you have a lot of expert knowledge, you can be sure that you have the knowledge to deliver authority within your podcasts. Something that will make people want to engage with you better.
Experience
Not all topics require education. For example, many people have years of experience in their industry without any formal qualifications. If this is you, you might be able to create a whole podcast around your career.
Experience has some of the same benefits as those with education. For example, you might have the contacts, knowledge, and authority to help you build the following and sponsorship packages that help you make your podcast valuable.
Experience is often one of the best ways to gain a following because many people respect time spent in an industry. After all, you can get qualified but that doesn’t mean you’re an expert in the topic. But those that have spent years within an industry, means that you must have some high-level skills.
Interests
Interests are a great topic for building a podcast. Having a podcast around an interest means that you will have some engaging content as your energy will come through in the content. If you get excited, this can also come through when you’re on a podcast about something you’re interested in.
One problem with interests is that if you don’t have experience and education, then you can have limited authority or connections in the interest. This makes it harder for you to build a strong, revenue-generating podcast. But that isn’t impossible.
FAQs
Are topics important for success?
Choosing the right topic for your podcast can decide your success. Select a topic that you’re an authority on and there is plenty of content for.
How can you choose the topic?
There are numerous topics that you can choose from. Certain topics, like crime and sports, can succeed highly because they attract large audiences and high sponsorship payments.
Are news podcasts a good podcast idea?
News is technically a specific podcast topic. And you can be specific on what kind of news you cover.
Final Word: Podcast about Everything? The Importance of Picking a Niche
Podcasting about everything isn’t always the best option. It can mean that you don’t have authority with the audience which reduces audience retention, as well as sponsorship value. Therefore, you should pick a topic that you want to talk about week in, and week out.
Produce Your Podcast is a full-service podcast production, editing, and marketing agency specializing in helping brands launch, grow, and monetize successful podcasts that impact their bottom line. With 30+ years of experience in broadcasting and business development brought to every project we work on, our team of experts is a reliable partner to help you achieve your goals with your show.
Click here to schedule a conversation with our team today and let’s bring your show to life!
