Do you know what to talk about in your episodes?

What am I going to talk about in this episode? Oh, that's

an idea. Let's talk about what to talk about in

your podcast.

When you're starting a podcast, it's really important that you

think through the topics that you're going to cover

and how you're going to approach them. It's not a

coincidence that there is definitely a connection

between what you're talking about and how long people want

to listen to you talking about that thing. That's just common sense.

Right? But did you know that if you don't pitch your

podcast absolutely perfectly from the

beginning with your brand new listener, you've lost

them? No chance to get them back. That's it.

One and done. So the trick is to ensure that

every time you're talking to your ideal podcast

listeners on your episodes, you're telling them exactly

what they're going to get right from the beginning. And what should they be

getting? Well, that's the point of this.

The first stage of figuring out what to talk about in your podcast

is get an understanding of the kind of person

who's listening to your podcast and what they want to hear.

Without that, what's the point? So you need to do a little bit of

work here. I know that you would love the idea of just plugging a

microphone in and hitting record and then publishing whatever comes

out of your mouth into the apps and enjoying all those

delicious download numbers rolling into your

stats. Unfortunately, it doesn't work quite like that.

You need to understand what your listener wants

from you now. It's not like you have to follow strict rules

around this. This is not radio broadcasting. Nobody's going to throw

a book at you if you veer off topic for a second or you

don't do the crunch and roll in exactly the right way that they do in

radio. Like poor radio broadcasters have to deal

with so many rules. However,

you do need to follow your own style guide,

and the way you're going to get that style guide is as follows. You're going

to research what kind of person would find value

in your content once you understood who they

are. You need to do a little bit of research into what kind of

content they're already consuming, what they like about it, what they

dislike about it, and where they're finding that content.

Are they purely podcast listeners? If they are brilliant,

you're off to a good start. Do they like YouTube content?

In which case, you might want to consider whether a YouTube channel to

accompany your podcast might be quite a smart thing to do.

Are they hanging out in places like Reddit and Quora. Great,

you can go and ask them what kind of content they are looking for, start

conversations with them. Maybe they're just like your uncle Frank

and like to scour Facebook all the time, in which case, great,

you could set up a community there and do your research through that.

Whichever you choose, you're going to need to do the work and

figure out what will make those people hanging out in those

places looking for that kind of content want to listen to

yours. If you've already got an

established audience, maybe through an email newsletter or through social media,

then you could do a little bit of corner cutting here. I mean, you don't

have to necessarily go out of your way to spend all day in the

communities engaging with these people to find out what they would want from

a podcast that you're planning. You could do it through a

survey. There's all kinds of options for this now. You've got Google

surveys, the surveymonkey free tiers in some of these as

well offer an incentive of maybe, I don't know, a

$50 Amazon voucher, maybe less, and see if you can

get some feedback on the kind of content that people would be looking

for from your imagined podcast.

Okay, so now you've got the idea for your podcast and you

know who wants to listen to it. So what we're gonna have to do now

is figure out if, if there's any way that we can cash in on some

trends. Is there anybody already talking about this

that is getting known in the space? Is there anything within your

topic that's become viral because it's newsworthy? A lot of people are

talking about it at the time. Well, if that's the case, cash

in. Absolutely. Plunder that. Get that

content and figure out how you can repurpose it and present it as your

own. This is where the knowledge piece comes in. Too often I see

podcasters that think they're experts on a thing and they'll do a

podcast around the thing, and then very quickly it becomes quite

apparent they don't actually know all that much about

the thing. In podcasting, you're going to have a variety of different

listeners that are going to be at different stages on the ladder of

learning. Some will be near where you are, some will be

way down. There could be some that even know more than you.

So you need to figure out how you can stay on

top of the latest happenings and developments in your topic so

that if these people are listening to your show, they don't dismiss it out of

hand, it's better for you to have an alternative perspective

at the same knowledge level as them versus them

knowing more than you and quite publicly calling you out for it.

So don't get lazy. Don't talk about a topic you're not prepared

to continue investing in in terms of your knowledge. And this is why I

suggest that people listen to other podcasts in the space,

so that if there are any gaps in your knowledge or any alternative

perspectives, you get a total coverage of those in

your mind before you start putting out episodes on those topics.

This is especially if you have a topic that has lots

of subtopics that cross over.

So how are you going to connect this content that you're making

with your listeners? Well, that's where the personal touch comes

in. Anybody can start a podcast, but not anybody

can start a good podcast. And what makes a good

podcast? There's a number of factors. Obviously the sound

quality. I preach about this all the time, but unless you've

got decent recording equipment, at least an external microphone,

preferably a fit for purpose dynamic microphone,

you need to have the right content to begin with.

Well researched topic at that, so you know what you're talking

about and structuring it in a way that is

accessible to as many people that would be interested in that

topic as possible. And the way you deliver that is going to

make the difference. People will tolerate less

than perfect sound quality and maybe topics that are delivered

by somebody that might not know everything about everything. What they won't

tolerate is somebody doing it with a dull voice and zero

charisma. So this is where the self

awareness part comes in. If you don't think that you

are enthusiastic, charismatic and

personable enough to hold down this podcast, maybe

consider working with somebody that is. This is where a co

host could come in handy. If you're a brand or business, think about

who in your team has that office bance charisma that

everyone loves and everyone warms to. And along with that

personality that you're hopefully bringing to your listeners, you'll also

have personal experience in the topic you're talking about.

Definitely bring that to the table. What we don't want to hear is a lot

of textbook stuff around a thing that's very generic

without you bringing why you're an expert on this

to the table. For example, if your

expertise is around finance, but yet you don't share the

stories where you maybe didn't have any money, perhaps bring that to the

table so that people can get an idea for the before and after

you. Then in their mind become that person that can make the

transformation. You've been there, you've done it. Here's how you did

it. That is always going to be a much more alluring

prospect for a podcast than, oh, I know

everything about finance. And here's what you need to know. Not to mention

aside from the fact that people feel like, you know, they're getting actual

benefit of your experience, they're building a connection with you, they're getting

that thing in their head where they're going. This person's like me, oh,

I like them. I can learn from them. And that is a win

when it comes to your engagement.

One of the things that's often overlooked by new

podcasters that come into this without really knowing what they're doing is

they forget about the balance of features. So entertainment and

education, everyone is really keen to get into the education

piece, but what good is education if I'm not

entertained? Think about when you were in school. I'm sure that you had

teachers that really held your attention because they were funny,

they were warm, you liked them, their personality came across right.

The teachers that didn't hold the room, didn't engage, you were

those dull people that would literally stand over an overhead projector

or in a textbook and just read the thing to you. Not

interesting, is it? Think about that. When it comes to your podcast, your

listeners do not want you to read textbooks to them. If they can find

out what you're telling them through scrolling Wikipedia, that's what they're going

to do. Especially if you've got the personality of a wet

lettuce. Just give that some thought. Are there any features

that you can bring in that bring you and your personality?

And if you've got guests, those of your guests off

the earphones and in front of them that they can visualize it?

Talking of guests, obviously it is the go to with

podcasts, especially in the business category. It usually

takes the format of someone hosts the podcast, the thought

leader, and then gets a guest of the week on, or a guest of

the fortnight or a guest of the month, depending on the cadence. Now there's

nothing wrong with that per se, but if you're

using having a guest on your podcast as a way

of carrying your podcast so you don't have to do quite as

much work in research and having that thought leadership, youre doing

it for the wrong reasons, bruh. Rethink that one. If thats your sole

reason for having them on the podcast, consider going solo. Push

yourself out of your comfort zone so you are the one coming

out with the insights. Where a guest brings real value

is if you are an all rounder thought leader in

your space. But there are certain elements of your industry where youre

not quite as smart or savvy or clued up on.

Thats where the guest can come in handy to fill in those knowledge

gaps. Youre collaborating. Youre not taking business from each other.

Youre collaborating in the education of your ideal client or

listener. Ill give you a very personal example of this.

I am not an expert in value for value.

Value for value is the new type of payment system that some

podcasters are sticking on their podcast feeds. What it means

is when someone listens to your podcast, they can pay you

cryptocurrency in return for the edutainment you've given

them. Now, I know nothing about how this all works. I cannot set up a

lightning feed or an Albi account or any of that stuff. I've

got no clue how any of that works. I do use some apps that have

that in place and I don't understand them. Which is why if I was going

to be doing a podcast about value for value, hint hint, sneak,

peak, I would actually get someone that's an expert in the future field to come

on the podcast and talk to you about it. Watch this space. See, it

takes nothing away from your respect level of my knowledge.

It just enhances the information that I can give

you. There's a knowledge gap there as far as I'm concerned.

I want to fill it for you, for the benefit of you, the

listener.

And remember, why are you doing this? Are you doing it because

you genuinely want to bring knowledge and insight to the world? Or are you doing

it for a crack? If it's the former, then you might well

consider having some sort of listener feedback feature. Maybe

they can email you. They can leave a voice note for you. Lots of

podcast websites now offer this. There's a WordPress plugin I believe as

well. I will link to those in the episode description for you. Ideally though,

you want some sort of system where your listeners can contact

you, reach out to you and provide feedback on your topics,

or even ask you questions. There is no better feeling, believe

me, than having an actual listener get in touch with you, wanting

to know more. And at the end of the day, you're doing this for them.

Or you should be. So for that reason, leave some open ended

questions in your podcast content. Ask some questions

to that seemingly non existent entity, that person

out there that's listening to what you have to say. You never

know, you might get a bite on the hook and talking about

features. How about having some recurring segments

that your show can become known for? A great example of

this is Kemode and Mayo's take a

film podcast where Mark Kemode, a known film

journalist, joins Simon Mayo, a very

famous, experienced UK broadcaster, and they discuss the latest

films. This show used to be on the radio and it

built its own community with its own language.

They have lots of in jokes that their regular listeners very

quickly clock onto. Now, I'm not suggesting that you fill your podcast

episodes with in jokes. Really don't do that, certainly not

the beginning of your episodes. But if there's a recurring theme that keeps coming

up while you're educating new listeners about that recurring

theme, let that breathe, let that develop legs of its own,

and you never know. Eventually your show might become

synonymous with these little features and recurring

elements. And going

back to the central theme here of what to put in your podcast, there

is nothing wrong with going back over topics you've covered

before. It can actually be really useful and helpful to a

listener or viewer on YouTube if you remind them about something

you've already taught them. But they might need to have it replenished in

their memory. Now, a lot of creators refer to this as repurposing

content, but I would go one further than that. I would say, think about

it almost like it's a series of books. Sometimes

your book covers one particular story. Another

book might revisit that as an old character. Nothing wrong with

you making reference to these old characters with brand new,

fresh versions. In some ways that's actually quite beneficial to

you because it then means your new listeners, who might not have the time to

go back through your old back catalog, are going to hear that same content, and

it might resonate with them in a different way at a different

time that will lead to a better outcome for both of you. So there you

go. That's my ideas for what to talk about in your podcast. I just

would like to say to you, if you are thinking about starting a podcast, brand

new one. Remember, we don't need another

diary of a CEO. That podcast has been done

to death. It has hundreds, if not thousands of

clones. Think about how you can bring something new to the

table. Doesn't have to be completely original, but if

you are thinking about setting up two microphones and

recording a 45 minutes conversation about a

guest topic, you might be struggling to build

any kind of audience for it. Unless you go and check

out my other piece on this, how to grow a podcast audience.

You'll find the link to that in the episode description as well.

So, in conclusion, what you need to be thinking about when

it comes to establishing what to talk about on your

podcast. Get an idea for your listener,

who they are, what they want to hear, where they're hanging out.

Try and figure out if there are any trending topics that have become newsworthy

recently. Bone up on them and get knowledgeable.

Ensure that your knowledge is up to date, that you're across all

the latest happenings and trends in your space. Bring personal

stories to the table. Don't just read from a textbook. Balance

your content between educational and entertaining.

Edutainment is key in this medium. Have guests, but

have them for the right reasons. Don't just rely on them to carry

your content for you week to week. Encourage listener

interaction. Bring your listeners into the content if you

can, and try and build up thematic themes and segments

that can continue throughout the life of your podcast.

I hope this helps. If you've got any questions, reach out to me. If you

need more in depth help from me, you know where I am.

Well, that's it for this latest episode of the Podmaster

podcast. If you've enjoyed it, please do leave us a review in Apple

Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast

from. Make sure you're following the show and you can find out more about the

show and stay in touch at Podmastery

Co. That's Podmastery Co.

Speak to you next time. The Podmaster is a podnost

podcasting production. Find out more about us at Podnows dot

co dot Uk. That's Podknows

dot co dot Uk.