Podcasts are everywhere, on almost every topic you can think of! Many overarching topics such as coaching, travel, and money have thousands of podcasts to choose from for listeners. So what makes one podcast different from the next? The niche that a specific podcast serves.
And if you're new to podcasting, we break down the very basics of podcasting for you in this blog.
What is a niche?
A niche is a subset of a category. For example, in the travel space, there are many niche podcasts. Kated Travel talks about travel trends around the world. Travel Gluten Free is a podcast that teaches gluten-free people how to safely eat and travel. The Thought Card with Danielle Desir is a podcast niche focused on making travel a financial priority. Since there are many different niches in travel, such as nomadic travel, budget travel, safari travel, and luxury travel. There are many niches to choose from when you select a niche for your podcast. You can even double down on your niche. For example, a travel podcast that speaks to budget nomadic travel would be a great example of using a sub-niche for a podcast topic.
Where Can I Find a Niche for My Podcast?
Find a niche for your podcast is simple but will definitely require some time and legwork for your research. The best way to find a niche for a podcast you want to produce is to use the following steps.
Choose a podcast topic.
What topic would you like to podcast about? Maybe you want to start a travel podcast. Whatever topic you want to start with is acceptable. Remember that some topics such as comedy, news, true crime, sport, and health are the most saturated podcast topics. Therefore, if you want to start a podcast on any of these topics, it will be harder to find a niche because there could be hundreds of podcast shows in one of these categories.
Check out the podcasts on the topic you want to podcast on.
Make a list of podcast titles and put their summary next to each show. What is repeated most often? What niches are not filled? Go through and also check the date of the last episode published. Because you may come across a podcast and niche that isn’t currently published, that topic and niche would still be open. Because although there is a podcast on that niche, if it currently isn’t being produced, chances are that it doesn’t have a listenership. At the least, it definitely won’t be a big competitor for your show.
What niche are you passionate about.
This is important because podcasting can take up several hours a week for production. If you’re not excited about your topic and niche, you can easily “podfade” into non-existence. On the other hand, suppose you love what you talk about and don’t see another podcast currently in production inside that niche. In that case, you may have found your podcast topic and niche to produce!
Competition
Lastly, how can you sub-niche if your topic and niche are already taken by one or more podcasts currently in production? Although they may not attract a more extensive following, sub-niche podcasts have a more dedicated base because the topic is so focused that the listeners you find can make some of the most amazing and involved community members inside your listener base!
Have you considered creating Self-Guided Tours as Podcasts?
As a format, this is underutilised, with many providers preferring to create podcast style content and then embedding the clips within their website or app. However, we want to show you that it is possible to create a podcast and host on the Apple Podcast store, Spotify, or wherever your listeners will find you. Here are two examples of free walking tours:
- Walking In Place: Walking in Place is a series of audio walking tours that you can listen to from your podcast app. Whether you use it as a self-guided in-person tour or you’re lying on your couch staring at the ceiling, the goal is that it’s a calming, interesting and maybe even fun experience.
- Mesa Verde National Park Audio Tour: This audio tour is 40 minutes long. You can listen along in your car as you drive the six miles (10 km) of the Mesa Top Loop, or listen on your phone as you explore the ten stops along the way. You can also follow along from your home or school to explore Mesa Verde virtually.
These are both provided as free, but Apple provides two options for receiving payment; Podcasts Subscriptions now offers a subscription service for creators. Fans can pay to listen to shows, hear extra content, and get early access to new episodes. Alternatively, you can set up your podcast as a pay-as-you-go.
Selling your Self-Guided tour direct: Shopify
Another consideration is creating the audio files and embedding them on your site. A great example of this might be Shopify, where you can upload the digital files as products behind a paywall, alternatively free or with discount codes. The out-of-the-box system also includes Gift Vouchers, and if you’re a tour operator providing tours already, you can provide all your in-person tours, Self-Guided Tours, and merchandise on one site with indie: Experiences Shopify app.
Be creative when thinking of niches for your podcast, and develop a topic and niche that you love! Then, your listeners will hear the energy and excitement in your voice, which will create a stir for them to listen to your podcast regularly.
How to Grow Your Business with a Podcast
And finally, with more and more people creating podcasts and more consumers checking out podcasts on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and other podcast platforms, it’s easy to see why creating a podcast is an excellent way to get into your ears potential clients.
But, with so much hype centred around podcasting, how can you get in on podcasting profits and exposure to potential new clients? Read our earlier article on How to Grow Your Business with a Podcast to learn more.
Looking for a tour booking software for your self-guided experiences? Extend your distribution with indie Travel marketplace and manage all your bookings in one place. Try for free today or contact us now for a demo.
