Everybody talks about niching.
In today’s episode of The Podcast Trapper, I discuss why you should consider niching your podcast, how to choose your niche and some observations I have about niched podcasts from my own experience.
Without further ado…
What Niching Is
To “niche” is to narrow your focus. It means you have to make some decisions and be strategic about the purpose of your podcast.
When you niche your podcast, you give your audience what they want and none of what they don’t. A niche helps you set expectations. It’s an amazing tool to help you create content, stay relevant and avoid boring your listeners!
At Adode Media, we teach our clients how to niche. Before we ever hit record, we set objectives for their podcasts - number of subscribers or followers, number of listens, revenue goals, etcetera. Our focus is on producing real results from podcasts - not just chatting it up for no reason.
This is because we are a production company, and we know that niching gets results. And in a minute, you’ll understand why.
If you just want to record a podcast with your friends in your living room, and you don’t mind if your mom is your number one listener - maybe you don’t need to niche! I understand. But if you have dreams of turning your podcast into a successful income stream or brand awareness tool, read on. Trust me.
Niching is an art and a science. The reason you should choose a focus for your podcast is because you will be reaching the right people at the right time if you do.
For example.
I listen to certain shows while I get ready in the morning. It’s a vibe. I listen to completely different shows when I’m driving to work (I need that zen content to handle this Atlanta traffic) versus when I’m prepping our studios for clients, when I might need something more energetic or funny.
I wouldn’t listen to a breaking news podcast immediately before a client meeting, because it might affect my mood.
I wouldn’t listen to something too zen and relaxing when I am trying to get amped up to create content at Adode. I don’t want to get sleepy!
My point is, there’s a podcast for every mood. What kind of podcast do you want to create? What is the unique voice of your show? And what are people likely to be doing when they’re tuning in?
These are important questions because they can help you shape the kind of content your ideal audience will listen to every week.
How to Niche Your Podcast
Okay, so you’ll want to consider your audience’s habits when you strategize your content. But there is more to it than that!
Some questions to ask yourself are…
What is your podcast about, and who is it for?
What is it not about, and who is it not for?
What is your unique perspective in this niche?
What are your content pillars?
What are you the companion tool for? As in, what are people likely to be doing while listening to your podcast, and why?
What feelings do you want your audience to feel while listening to your podcast?
Let’s use The Podcast Trapper as an example!
The Podcast Trapper is a show about my experiences in the podcast industry. It’s not a show about how to podcast - it’s a show on how I’ve used podcast effectively and strategically!
This show is created with entrepreneurs in mind, and especially Black content creators.
My unique perspective is that I am a Black woman entrepreneur, community builder and podcast producer. This combination of experiences gives my show my unique flavor - or je ne sais quoi, as they say - that my listeners love!
The Podcast Trapper is about the podcast industry, and our pillars are podcasting for entrepreneurs, building a brand and content creation tips, and the importance of community.
The Podcast Trapper is NOT a space for me to ramble about s3x, culture and current events. I can get a martini with my friends after work to do that. My listeners would be so confused, and rightfully so.
What Niching is Not
Niching is not a requirement for you to create eight different podcasts because you have eight different hobbies. The objective is for you to find an overarching theme for your podcast, marrying a few things together in content pillars.
For example, you might enjoy several things - psychology, music, basket weaving and zine making. Those are fabulous hobbies. But if you had a podcast about all of those things, your listeners would probably get whiplash.
But…you could have a podcast about the psychology behind your favorite songs and discuss music history.
You could have a podcast about art and crafts, hosting experts in zine making and basket weaving among others.
You get my drift. Find things that have commonalities and combine them to use your unique voice. Connect with the audience you want by asking yourself the important questions before you get started!
Be sure to Subscribe to The Podcast Trapper wherever you listen to get current, relevant tips and tricks to grow your podcast.
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