Datasheet

Practice 1: Selecting the Right Topic for Your Podcast
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And while we love the idea of getting down to brass
tacks with your topic, it’s not always the right path
for every show.
Becoming multifaceted
Just because you neatly fill a niche with your show
doesn’t mean that’s the only niche you can fill.
(Specialization may be the most commonly offered
evidence of natural selection, but it’s the ability to
survive when the nature of the game changes that
keeps the species going.)
If you’re going for multiple niches, make sure
they are related in some way. Combining your
passion for extreme-sports marketing and
your fascination with button application might
be taking things a bit too far, and you’re
almost guaranteed to alienate half of your
audience — unless (say) there’s some new
extreme sports with some equally extreme
fastening mechanisms. But no, probably not
even then. . . .
Becoming multifaceted often happens after a show
has been underway for a while, as the host discov-
ers “niches within the niche” — and perhaps even
tangential affinities — while exploring the main
topic at hand. While these can certainly digress from
the show’s original intent, they can also indicate an
untapped interest — for the podcaster and the lis-
tening audience.
Go ahead and explore these side projects. Let your
audience know that you’re taking a brief off-topic
stroll if you feel it necessary. Change is a natural
part of life, and as long as you’re not going com-
pletely off the deep end, your audience will allow
you some latitude.
Tapping into the community
Speaking of your audience — ask your listeners
what they think and where you should take the
show.
and financing Ultimate Fighting Championship
matches?
When you narrow your focus to specific elements
within a specific topic, sometimes you can actually
uncover more content. Now, that may sound coun-
terintuitive, but consider the extreme-sports market-
ing angle. A show on general sports marketing might
turn off an audience if the host delves into the
venue-selection process for rock climbing to maxi-
mize sponsorship branding. And if you can make a
compelling podcast about that topic. . . .
Hyperlocalization
Even though podcasts can and do reach a global
audience, going hyperlocal is another great way to
set your show apart from the rest. Forget covering
sports marketing for the entire U.S. market — cover
the challenges and rewards of doing the job in
Peoria, Illinois. How many community, school, or
enthusiast teams are there in an area — each giving
you a number of potential listeners?
And don’t think that hyperlocal means that only
local people will listen. While the content may be
local and relevant to those in a local area, the con-
cept may appeal to a wider audience. It’s no big leap
of faith to assume that someone working to market a
disc-golf tournament in Flagstaff, Arizona, could get
some great advice from the sports marketer in
Peoria — even if the producers never specifically
talk about disc-golf tournaments.
Broadening Your Focus to
Appeal to New Listeners
Strange as it may sound, taking the opposite road —
broadening your focus — can also lead to a great
podcast topic. Often, in fact, this advice can offer
the most benefit to established podcasters looking
to step up their game or appeal to a wider audience.
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