54. How to never run out of podcast content ideas

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This episode focuses on practical ways to come up with content ideas for your podcast

Laura: Hi, it’s Lauren McRae, and welcome back to Podcast Strategy that Brings In Clients. One of the most common things people tell me before they start a podcast is I’m scared I’ll run out of things to talk about. And honestly, even people who’ve been podcasting for a while feel this too. You might have weeks where you’re excited and full of ideas, and other weeks where you’re staring at your screen and thinking, I’ve said everything already. Now what am I going to say if that sounds familiar, uh, this episode is for you. Today I’m sharing practical ways to come up with content ideas for your podcast so you’re never relying on last minute inspiration or waiting for a light bulb moment to appear out of nowhere. By the end of this episode, you’ll have a list of places you can go anytime you need a new topic and a simple way to capture those ideas so they don’t disappear.

Your podcast is meant to build trust, grow your audience and bring in leads

Welcome to Podcast Strategy that Brings In Clients. I’m Your host, Laura McRae, podcast producer and content strategist. If you want your podcast to bring in leads, build trust and support your business, you’re in the right place. Because smart content starts with your podcast, but it doesn’t stop there. I hear people say this all the time. I haven’t started my podcast yet because I’m worried I’ll run out of content ideas. If that’s you, you’re probably already talking about your topic all of the time anyway. This could be with your Clients, in your DMs, on sales calls, in your workshops, and on social media. Your podcast is just another way of having those same conversations in a format that’s easy for people to listen to. So instead of hoping you’ll think of something new every week, we’re going to be intentional and build a podcast idea bank that you can keep going back to. The first place to look for content is your audience. Go to places where your people already are. That could be Instagram, Facebook groups, LinkedIn, your email list and ask them focus questions. Don’t ask vague things like what would you like me to talk about? That’s too broad and usually no one will respond. Try, uh, questions like this. So here’s an example. If you’re a, uh, meta ads expert and your podcast is about meta ads, you could ask things like what feels hardest about running meta M ads right now? Or if I could record one episode that helped you fix a problem with your meta ads this month, what would you want that to be about? Or what do you wish you could ask someone who’s already getting consistent results from their meta ads. Every single response can become an episode or even a series. And then when people ask you questions in your DMs, comments, emails or on calls, don’t just ask them and move on. Make it a habit to capture them. Write them down in a notebook or or in your notes app, on your phone or in a project management tool. I like to use Trello. If one person has asked you a question, you can safely assume others have wondered the same thing. If you’ve been in business for a while, you’re not starting from the beginning. You probably already have blog posts, email newsletters, social media posts, training sessions, masterclasses and workshops. Go back through what you’ve created and ask yourself which emails got replies, which posts got shares, saves or comments? Which blogs are still getting traffic? Those are clear signs that these are topics that your audience are interested in. You can then repurpose this old content into podcast episodes. Turn a blog post into a podcast episode where you go deeper and share more stories. Take a popular social media post and expand it into a how to or a step by step episode. Break a workshop into two or three shorter episodes. I’ve done that with my podcast. I’ve got an online programme called the Podcast Launch Programme and I’ve taken some of those modules and used them as podcast episodes. You’re not repeating yourself, you’re meeting people where they are. Some people love reading and some people will only ever listen to you in the car or on a walk. You’re making the same message more accessible. Want your podcast to bring in new leads without doing all the work? Then you need a podcast producer who doesn’t just edit episodes, but makes sure every one of them supports your business goals. That’s what I do. I manage the whole process. So your podcast does what it’s meant to build trust, grow your audience and bring in leads. I only work with 10 podcasters at a time. If you want one of those spots, book a

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call@ah, podcastsupportservices.com au contact.

Using Google to find topics for your podcast can help you brainstorm ideas

Another great source for ideas is other podcasts in your space. Now, I’m not giving you permission to go and copy someone else’s content, but it is a way to see what listeners are interested in. Go into a podcast app like Apple or Spotify, search for shows in your niche and scan the episode titles. Look at the themes that come up often and notice which ones grab your attention. If you have thoughts on those topics, and I’m sure you do, that’s a sign you can create your own episode on a similar theme with your perspective, your framework and your audience in mind. Think of it as joining a conversation that’s already happening, not copying someone else’s episode. This is one of my favourite simple tricks, using Google to find topics for your podcast. Now what you need to do is go to Google and type in a broad phrase related to your podcast. So say for example, you’re a HR consultant and your podcast is about hr. You might type into Google employee Engagement, managing remote teams or HR leadership skills. So put in one of these phrases that relates to you. Then scroll down to the section called People Also Ask. You’ll start to see real questions like how can HR improve employee engagement? And what is the role of HR in leadership development? And then when you click on those questions, more keep appearing. It’s like a never ending list of things people are curious about. And these are questions that people have actually typed into Google so you know that that’s content people are interested in. So you can copy these questions and put them in your podcast idea bank, reword them into your own language and turn each one into a podcast episode that speaks directly to your audience. This can work for any niche. Look at key dates and launches Key dates can be a really helpful way to come up with content ideas, especially if you’re a business owner using your podcast to market your product or service. Think about holidays and seasons, awareness days that are relevant to your topic, times of the year that are busy for your clients, and then your own business launches, events or promotions. For example, if you’re an accountant supporting small business owners in Australia, you might plan an episode in April about planning for the end of financial year to get them ready for June. If you’re in the wellness space, you might have episode planned for the new year when people are thinking about habits, or for Mental Health week. If you’re launching a new programme, you can lead in with episodes that talk about the problems it solves, share client stories, or answer common questions. This way your content feels timely and relevant and your podcast gently supports what you’re selling without every episode turning into a sales pitch. There are a few more places I recommend you look when you’re building your bank of content ideas. After every client call, ask yourself, what did we talk about today that other people would benefit from hearing? You obviously won’t share private details of your clients, but but the themes can become episodes. If you hear the same thing coming up again and again, that’s a clear content idea.

Next step is brainstorming ideas for your podcast about meta ads

Going back to the idea that you’re a meta ads expert and you have a podcast about meta ads, think about the objections you hear when people are thinking about running meta M ads or working with you on their ads. They might say things like, I don’t have the budget to run ads, or I’ve tried meta ads before and they didn’t work, or what if I spend money and nothing happens? Each of those can be an entire episode where you name the objection, normalise it, because lots of people feel the same way, and then walk people through a way forward. You might explain what’s really going on behind that objection, what they can do differently, and share examples or stories from clients who felt the same way but got great results once they were set up properly. This is so helpful for your audience and also really supportive for your future clients who are on the fence about getting help with their, uh, meta ads. Now look at your testimonials and client results. So say, for example, you’re a HR consultant Again, did someone tell you that your leadership programme completely changed the way they handle difficult conversations? Or did a manager go from constant conflict to to running a high performing, engaged team? Thanks to your support, those stories can become a case study, a lesson learned episode or a breakdown of what made that result possible. You can keep the client anonymous if you prefer,

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change names, roles and industries, but the story will still be the same. What matters is showing your listeners what’s possible and, um, walking them through how that change happened. Finally, think about what you’re learning. That could be books you’re reading, courses you’re taking, events or conferences you’ve attended, or conversations you’ve had with your peers. Then ask yourself, what’s one thing I’ve learned recently that my listeners would benefit from hearing too? You don’t have to position yourself as having it all sorted. You can bring people along with you and share what you’re trying, what’s working and what you’d do differently. So you’re not going to run out of ideas, are you? Ask your audience focused questions and save their answers. Repurpose content that’s already worked in other formats. Look at podcasts in your niche for themes that you can cover too. Use Google’s People to Ask section as a never ending question bank. Plan your episodes around key dates, seasons and any events or launches you’re doing in your own business. And then finally pull ideas from client sessions, objections, testimonials and your own learning. You probably already have months worth of content sitting in your business. It just needs to be captured and organised. So here’s your simple next step. Open a fresh note on your phone, a Google Doc, or on your project management system. Spend 10 minutes brain dumping ideas from the places we’ve talked about today and aim for at least 20 episode ideas. Don’t worry about title ideas. You can worry about that later. Just think of concepts for now and then put them down. You’ll be amazed at the content ideas you already have. If this episode has helped you feel a bit clearer about where your content ideas can come from, I’d love to hear from you. Now, I have a question for you to help me with my content ideas. How are you planning to handle your podcast over the festive season? Are you keeping it going, batching ahead, or taking a break? DM me on Instagram, uh, @podcastsupport.services or comment in Spotify and let me know your answers. Really help me understand what you’re juggling with and um, what kind of support and episodes will be most useful for you. Thanks for hanging out with me today and I’ll speak to you next week.

This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services

This episode is brought to you by Podcast Support Services. Podcast strategy that attracts leads, clients, and credibility. Are you looking for a podcast producer? We may have availability. Head to podcastsupportservices.com.

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