So you want to start a podcast, but you're a little unsure about your topic or idea.
Don't worry. I got you covered.
I didn't mean to. Oh no.
Hello and welcome back to the Pad Sound School channel. From how to plan, produce, launch,
and promote a successful podcast to how to achieve professional audio, here you can find
all the tools you need to start or improve your podcast and take advantage of this fun
and engaging platform.
And I'm guessing that if you're watching this video is because you want to start a podcast,
but you don't have a clear idea of what kind of topic or subject to choose. Don't worry.
On this video, I will walk you through the step-by-step methodology I use with my clients
to help them find a topic they'll feel excited about because podcasting is about having fun.
Also, watch this video until the end because the last step is the one that podcasters overlook
the most, and it's the number one reason why they quit producing their podcast. We made
this mistake and we don't want you to start your show without having this information.
But stop right there and before we move on, hit the Subscribe button so you can be part
of the Pod Sound School YouTube community. Also, if you want to be notified of our weekly
video releases, hit the bell button. And if you like this video and the information therein,
hit the thumbs up. Okay, let's get to it.
Step number one, ask yourself why do you want to start a podcast? Before we jump into research
mode and start asking people for suggestions, we need to have a clear idea why we want to
begin our journey as podcasters. Having a clear idea of the reason why you want to start
a show is the foundation for finding the right topic.
So ask yourself, do I want to start a podcast because I feel passionate about a certain
subject and I want to create community around it? Do I want to generate more leads and give
more exposure to my business or costs? Do I want to create awareness within my community
about certain topics? Do I want to share my art, knowledge, passions, and expertise with
others? Do I want to start a podcast because it will give me an excuse to get together
with friends and discuss different issues? Anyway, you get the idea. Be clear in your
intentions. That will help you narrow down your list of topics.
Step number two, make an inventory of what makes you unique. Our quest for finding the
right topic or idea for a blog, a podcast, a business venture, a book, or a project we
may have in mind stars with looking inward and making an inventory of what makes us unique.
A deep look into our talents, expertise, experiences, and passions is the foundation for successful,
long-lasting, and sustainable projects.
So sit down with pen and paper or in front of your computer and make an inventory of
your interest and passions, skills and talents, subjects that you can talk about for hours,
activities you find so enjoyable you lose track of time when doing them, topics or subjects
you find fun and easy but others find difficult and challenging, subjects that you love to
teach and that you would teach for free if money wasn't a concern, challenges you have
overcoming your life, biggest accomplishments, educational and professional experiences,
and accumulated skills. And from this list, choose five topics or subjects that you like
and enjoy the most. Remember that just because something comes easy for you, it doesn't mean
that it comes easy for the rest of us. Don't underestimate and undervalue what you know,
your experiences, and who you are. You have a lot to give.
Step number three, what kind of content creator are you? On this step you may be wondering,
"Am I a content creator? What's a content creator?" So stay with me so you can find
out the answers to these two questions. Whether it's a blog, a podcast, a YouTube channel,
or social media, what you create and publish regularly for educational or entertaining
purposes is content, and that makes you a content creator. On this step is when the
imposter syndrome can start to creep in.
Imposture syndrome is the belief that your accomplishments and successes are the product
of luck and soon someone will realize you're a fraud. We all have something to offer and
to teach others. So depending on your personal and professional experience, we fall within
these three categories of content creators: content curator, professional, and role model.
Who is a content curator? As a content curator, you feel very passionate about a subject and
you are the go-to for valuable information. You may not have the credentials, but you're
constantly doing research and have a genuine curiosity for the subject. So for example,
let's say you're not an actor or a producer of Broadway shows, but you've watched every
Broadway show, are very familiar with what goes on behind the scenes, and you're well
versed about all the actors and directors and people always ask you for recommendations
about shows. You may also have a few connections with folks working in the behind the scenes
and you feel very passionate about Broadway.
You can use the podcast to share your love for Broadway shows with a broader audience
than your friends and acquaintances. You can talk about your personal journey as a Broadway
fanatic or interview people who work behind the scenes or actors. Every week you can cover
a different aspect of Broadway, and as your show grows, your expertise on this subject
will also grow. Having a podcast can open the doors for meeting and making connections
with people in the field and star networking like a pro. Cool, right?
Okay. The professional. As the professional content creator, you have the credentials
and the testimonials to prove your expertise. On this category we have the artists, musicians,
coaches, financial advisors, lawyers, doctors, real estate experts, and you want to use your
podcast to educate, create awareness, and train other people who have interest in your
field. So depending on your educational background and expertise, consider finding a topic for
your show and what you do in your professional life, but only if it brings you joy and fulfillment.
Okay. Let's move on to the role model content creator. This is a person who is going through
and documenting a journey of survival, resilience, or is creating something from scratch and
wants to teach those who are a few steps behind how to get from point A to point B so they
learn to navigate the same path with ease. For example, you can have a podcast documenting
your journey through recovering from an addiction and help others who are going through the
same struggle. You can also have a podcast documenting your ups and downs as a new entrepreneur
or business owner for those who are a few steps behind and can benefit from your experiences.
How are we doing? Are we enjoying this video so far? If you are enjoying this video, make
sure you take a screenshot right now. Share the screenshot on social media and tag me.
Okay. Now let's get to the most important steps. Step number four, external research.
There are different tools you can use to find out what people are looking for or asking
about your topic. For example, Keywords Everywhere is a browser add-on for Chrome or Firefox
that shows what people are searching on Google and the volume of the searches. You can install
this extension for free on your Chrome or Firefox browser.
Answer the Public is another tool you can use to see if people are actively searching
and asking questions about your topic. Answer the Public is a data visualization tool that
fetches and maps keywords, suggestions, and predictions that you see when you perform
a Google search.
Quora is another tool you can use to find out what questions people are asking. Quora
is a question and answer website where questions are asked and answered by internet users.
Step number five, describe your target audience. After making an inventory of our talents and
passions and also discovering what type of creator you are and coming up with some topic
ideas, the next step is to find out if you will have an audience for your topic. For
this, you want to describe your audience in detail. Who are they? Are they parents, widows,
single parents, business woman, cat lovers, dog lovers, movie lovers? What are their routines?
What does their typical day look like? How do they like their information to be presented?
Are they readers, podcast listeners, visual learners? What are their dreams? What are
their pain points? Do they struggle with being productive? Do they struggle losing weight?
Do they struggle with their finances? Balancing family and career? Do they struggle with finding
a partner because they're too busy with their careers?
Tony Robbins says that people's motivation to anything in life is rooted in the need
to avoid pain and the desire to seek pleasure. Knowing your audience allows you to bring
solutions to their struggles or provide a pleasurable experience so they stay with you
longer.
Now that know who they are, go find them on social media. Join Facebook groups, find communities
on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Run surveys if necessary. At the end of this exercise,
you will know whether there is an audience for your topic or not. We don't want to put
our best work out there to only get crickets.
Step number six, competitors research. Are there any other podcasts about the topic I'm
considering? Look at the different podcast directories, iTunes, Spotify, Google Play,
and listen to the top five podcasts in that category. Also, do a quick Google research
to find if there are other podcasts about your subject. For example, search podcast
about grieving, podcast superheroes, podcasts about '90s movies.
Here we're wanting to find what other podcasters are doing to get inspiration. Don't get discouraged.
Even if you find that there are another 100 podcasts doing the same, your journey, your
experiences, your point of view, your credentials are a wonderful combination and unique to
you.
Step number seven, monetization. This influences your content big time. One of the main reasons
podcasters give up on producing their shows is because producing a podcast is time consuming
and they don't seem to have a clear idea of how to monetize. Before you settle on a topic,
consider doing research about how you can monetize from your topic. See if other people
doing that type of show are monetizing and find out how.
Have a plan and be creative. Consider enrolling in crowd funding programs, putting workshops
together or events or meetups if you are a content curator. Also consider sponsorships
and advertisements. Having clear goals of creating a revenue directly or indirectly
from your podcast will make it sustainable and long-lasting.
So let's do a quick recap. The six Ws and an I. Why do you want to start? What do you
like? What do you know? What are you good at? Will I have an audience? What is sustainable?
Is there a potential for revenue? And there you go podskis, I hope you found this information
useful. And if you did, give this video a thumbs up and leave a comment below.
And also, I'd love to get to know you better. So come join us at our Facebook group, Podcasting
for Bosses. And before you go two things. [foreign language 00:13:21] and don't forget
to hit the Subscribe button. Until then, happy casting amigos.