If an audience doesn’t ‘get’ your podcast idea, it’s a bad one
A bad podcast idea is anything idea that’s not easily definable.
Because, if a listener can’t immediately understand your concept and whether it’s for them, then it’s not a strong idea.
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The most common ‘bad’ podcast idea
One of the most common pitches I get is “I want to do a podcast where I talk to interesting people.”
That’s not an interesting idea for anyone except the person pitching it.
Why? Because they know what they find interesting, but no one else does.
If your show concept is vague, undefined, or based solely on what you’d find interesting, it’s going to be really hard to grow an audience, especially when you’re starting from scratch.
Why vague podcast ideas don’t work
A bad podcast idea isn’t always a terrible idea generally.
It’s often just one that hasn’t been developed with an audience in mind.
If you’re building an audience from scratch, you need to give people a reason to listen that’s more than just “I think this show is interesting.”
Of course you do. You made it.
If people don’t already know or trust you, they’ll have no way of knowing whether your definition of “interesting” matches theirs unless you tell them.
The exception to the rule
If you’ve got an existing audience or a personal brand people trust, the rules are slightly different.
For example, Oprah could launch a podcast where she chats to people she finds interesting and I guarantee people would listen… because the niche is her.
She’s spent decades building her audience and personal reputation to the point where she’s got fans who would consume anything she makes because they’ve loved everything she’s done before.
If you’re not a household name or you don’t already have an audience of devoted fans who know what you’re about, you’re going to need to be much more specific.
How to turn a bad podcast idea into a good one
A great podcast idea is:
- Clear and easy to explain
- Designed with the audience in mind
- Focused on delivering value, whether that’s entertainment, education, or inspiration
That doesn’t mean you need to throw your idea out completely.
Often, it’s just a matter of tweaking it until the idea is right.
So, ask yourself:
- Who is this podcast for?
- Why would they listen?
- Am I keep the audience, rather than my ego, in mind?
- What problem does this show solve, or what value does it offer to a listener?
- Would someone ‘get it’ from a single sentence?
- Would this idea be enough to entice someone to listen if they knew nothing about me?
If the answer to these questions is yes, you’re on the right track.
Everyone is capable of coming up with a great podcast idea.
You just need to focus on making it clear, valuable, and easy for people to say: “That’s for me!”
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