Ask the Experts: How to Find Content Ideas

Okay, so, you've got a podcast. Maybe you haven't started recording, or maybe you already have a few episodes finished. At some point, whether it's your second episode or your two hundredth, you're going to freeze. The well has gone dry, and you're out of ideas. What about the next episode? Or the one after that? What do you talk about? Where do you even start?

Running out of ways to get your inspiration isn’t new, but it doesn’t have to be a reality for you. In last week's webinar, Simplecast experts Mike and Addy talk about how not to lose the creative spark and keep those ideas flowing.

What do YOU want to talk about?

If you’re going to be doing a podcast–or really, any creative project–you need to think about you first. What are you interested in? What could you talk about for hours on end? Do you have a Hot Take on something? Are you doing something particularly interesting? If you're a brand or a company, what point-of-view does your company hold? What's endlessly interesting to your staff and your customers? Not only will this give you a good avenue through which to find new ideas, but it’ll keep your show authentic and honest.

Who are your guests?

Find someone interesting that has something to do with your topic? Ask them to join you for an episode. (Because if you're absolutely stuck for ideas, it's okay to bring in someone else!)

This doesn’t have to be strictly for interviews, either; just having a discussion can give you valuable content. You can always invite the person back, too, or revisit topics you brought up with them for future episodes.

Crowdsource!

What are your viewers talking about? What are they interested in? This can be in regards to your show or your subject of choice.

If it’s about your show, you can always check your analytics data to see your most popular episodes, or read listener comments on your episodes. If you want to see what the buzz is about concerning your topic of choice, you can always do s0me social listening on platforms like Twitter and Reddit.

Don’t sabotage yourself.

This might be the most important one. All too often we find ourselves worrying about chasing trends, or throwing valuable content away for a variety of reasons. Don’t! What may seem like trash to you could be ground-breaking for someone else, and doubting yourself and your own creativity could kill potential episodes before they start. Just relax, have fun, and trust your gut. You may like what you find, and the content will come to you.

Good luck!

For more help, be sure to reach out to us today.