Updated: June 2023

Once you’ve made the exciting decision to start a podcast, you’re faced with a sometimes-intimidating question: what are you going to talk about?

One of the most challenging parts of figuring out how to be a successful podcast host is finding podcasting ideas that are interesting to both you and your target audience. Ultimately, choosing a podcast topic that you are passionate about is key to achieving streaming success.

How to Come Up with Podcasting Topics

Ready to get creative and start brainstorming podcast ideas? Here are a few tips to help you narrow down your ideas and choose the perfect podcast topic for you.

Start with your interests and hobbies

It’s important that you choose a podcast topic that you’re genuinely interested in; otherwise, your audience will be able to sense your disinterest. If you try to talk about issues that you aren’t passionate about, listeners may feel as if you come off as fake or disingenuous.

Plus, you’re more likely to have fun podcasting if you’re focused on topics you like. Think about your interests, hobbies, and areas of expertise, or try jotting down the topics that you find yourself often discussing with friends and family.

Evaluate your goals

If educating and informing your listeners is your goal, then your podcast will probably take a more journalistic approach. However, if entertainment is your focus, then you might have a less formal structure.

Some podcasts seek to sell certain products, in which case conversation topics should highlight product features and other information.

Establish a focus

When you’re trying to think of podcast topics, you might realize that your ideas fall into one of two categories: very broad or very specific topics. For example, talking about the latest season of your favorite television series is a specific topic, chatting about recent entertainment news is more general.

Depending on how broad or narrow you want your focus to be, you may need to adjust other factors such as publishing frequency and series length.

Consider planning for guests

Inviting guests to your podcast can be an excellent way to attract new listeners, expand your digital reach, and keep your podcast interesting. When you’re weighing different podcast topics, ask yourself if one of your goals includes having guests join you in the future.

If the answer is yes, then you may want to consider choosing a topic that leaves plenty of room for new ideas, opinions, and expertise.

Decide what sets you apart

The podcast industry is growing larger and more diverse by the minute, so a new podcast must stand out from the crowd to be successful.

Choose a podcast topic and hosting approach that will fill a gap in the current selection of podcasts.

Dive into the Podcasting Industry with an Education from the BeOnAir Media Schools

If your professional goals include starting your own podcast, there’s no better place to start than with podcast production classes and hands-on experience.

Start or accelerate your career at BeOnAir Network of Media Schools, located in Ohio, Colorado, Chicago, and Miami, you can choose from a wide variety of broadcast training programs, each one designed to cater to your unique interests and passions.

Questions? For more information about how to become a professional podcaster and how our broadcasting programs can help get you started Contact us today!

Image Credit: Getty Images / Antonio_Diaz