In an ideal world, the first podcast topic you choose is entirely unique. You’d be the only podcaster covering your chosen topic, so all listeners would automatically tune in to listen to your podcast. You wouldn’t have to worry about differentiating your topic from others, because there would be no competition.  

But in the real world, the podcast market will likely already be saturated with productions on your topic of choice. If you want to convince those affiliated with your institution—and maybe even those outside of it—to keep returning to your podcast, you’ll need to differentiate it from others. 

What a niche is, and why you need one

So you’ll want to pick a niche. A niche is a specialized area of focus that aims to appeal to a specific audience. Having a niche is necessary for not only retaining podcast listeners, but also growing your audience. Some beginning podcasters might be tempted to start with a generalized topic and try to find their specific focus from there. Others might worry that narrowing their niche too much will jeopardize their chances at reaching a larger audience.

But when you’re starting from scratch, having a general podcast topic won’t help you face the competition. This article will walk you through the steps you’ll want to take to refine your topic choice and choose a niche. Specificity matters!

1. Start with general topics

It might be useful to think of the process of finding a niche as an inverted pyramid. First, begin with a broad list of topics. While brainstorming topics, it might be helpful to think about the specific needs and interests at your institution. Here is a list of topics to get you started:

• Careers
• Spotlight 
• Wellness
• How-to
• Local community
• Diversity and Inclusion

2. Narrow your focus

Now that you’ve got a list of topics, you’ll want to think about what makes your podcast topic unique. Consider not only what topics will be of interest to your specific institution, but also what topics can provide value. One way to ensure that your topic provides value is to examine the chosen topics of other podcasts. Analyze what areas they cover well and what areas have less coverage. 

Next, consider your own expertise. Is there a specific area of interest that you know a lot about, and that could be helpful in addressing some of your institution’s interests or challenges? You may also want to consider potential networking opportunities and identify individuals or groups to collaborate with.

3. Keep an open mind for adjacent topics

While having a niche is important for starting a podcast, consider ways to expand that niche later on. One way to successfully expand your niche is to pay attention to engagement rates throughout each podcast episode. Is there an episode in particular that performed well? Think about the content of that episode and how you might make similar episodes expanding on that content. This strategy will help you diversify approaches to discussing your niche. 

Plan flexibly 

Starting a podcast requires consistent planning, but it also requires flexibility. While it’s good to have an outline for what you want to discuss at the beginning, pay attention to how your audience responds and don’t be afraid to lean into their interests!