10 Ways To Generate New Ideas For Your Podcast

As a podcast host, you are always seeking fresh ideas to incorporate into your program. But do you ever feel as though you have exhausted all of the concepts that previously looked so new and exciting? Is it possible that the wellspring of ideas has just run dry? Or maybe you are suffering from writer’s block?

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.

Lacking new ideas for your podcast episode is not funny! It might be discouraging not just for you personally, but as a podcast presenter, you feel the need to continue coming up with new ideas for episodes that will keep listeners engaged.

When you believe you won’t be able to keep up with demand, your confidence and motivation will plummet. But don’t worry.

We are here to assist you!

In this article, we will reveal 10 simple techniques to get your creative juices flowing and help you come up with some excellent new podcast ideas.

1. Make brainstorming a habit

Brainstorming is one of the most effective methods for generating new ideas. And even a few minutes of brainstorming may revitalize your creativity!

Clear a slot on your calendar, take a blank sheet of paper or your favorite notebook (everyone has a favorite notebook, right?), and get to work. pencils, markers, or highlighters – whatever works best for you – and let the thoughts flow!

Make your brainstorming session a communal activity if you’re part of a podcasting team or have podcast pals. Collaboration may result in some fantastic ideas when you bounce ideas off one other or allow recommendations to take you down whole new roads.

Involving others you trust, especially those that share your passion, in these brainstorming sessions can help bring many various viewpoints into the debate, and you never know where that spark of an idea may come from!

On a side note: Brainstorming is far more useful when employed in advance, rather than after you’ve run out of ideas and are in Panic Mode.

The brainstorming process is not a friend of stress! Make brainstorming/idea generating a regular component of your podcasting regimen. That way, you’ll never be caught off guard when it comes to fresh podcast ideas.

2. Adopt a freewriting style

Freewriting, like brainstorming, is an effective, quick, and easy approach to generate fresh ideas. It’s easy to start freewriting. You schedule time in your day to sit and write continuously for a set length of time.

Freewriting is a terrific method to clear your mind, unclog any writer’s block, and just get your creative juices flowing.

While you may free-write about whatever you like, if you want to utilize this approach to develop podcast topics, simply start with that aim in mind. Try prompts like “What I love about [insert niche topic here] is…” or “I’m most in my podcast zone when…” and see what happens!

This idea production process, like brainstorming, works best when you’re stress-free and devoid of interruptions. But the greatest part is that it doesn’t take long to get things started. All you need is 15 to 20 minutes of silence before you start your day, at lunch, or in the evening.

here are 5 ways to adopt a freewriting style for your podcasting ideas:

1. Set a timer and write continuously: To adopt a freewriting style, set a timer for 5-10 minutes and write continuously without worrying about grammar or punctuation. This will help you generate a lot of ideas quickly, and you can then use these ideas to plan your podcast episodes.
2. Write without editing: When freewriting, don’t edit yourself as you go. Instead, allow your thoughts to flow freely and write whatever comes to mind. You can always go back and edit later, but for now, focus on generating ideas.
3. Write in a stream-of-consciousness style: Write whatever comes to mind, even if it seems unrelated or disjointed. You never know what ideas might come up when you’re not trying to control the direction of your thoughts.
4. Use prompts: If you’re struggling to get started, use writing prompts to help you generate ideas. For example, you could write about your favorite childhood memory or your biggest fear. This can help get your creative juices flowing.
5. Don’t worry about structure: Freewriting is all about generating ideas without worrying about structure. Don’t worry about creating an outline or organizing your thoughts in a logical way. Instead, focus on getting your ideas down on paper and worry about structure later.

3. Avoid stress

Stress is one of the most significant impediments to idea development! So go easy on yourself! Also, do something that will calm you. Meditate, take a bath, a shower, go for a run, or find a comfortable place to lie down and listen to some relaxing music and you might be surprised at how many brilliant ideas come to you!

And I have the science to back it up! According to research, when we do things that calm us, our dopamine levels rise. And there has been a solid relationship established between higher dopamine and enhanced creativity!

4. Make a notebook for ideas

Do you recall your favorite notebook? (If you don’t already have one, buy one!) You must keep it with you at all times! That’s because you never know when a brilliant idea will strike!

I’m not sure about you, but more frequently than I care to count, I’m ready to fall asleep when a thought comes to me and I think, “That’s amazing! I’ll make a note of it in the morning!” What do you think? When I wake up, I have no recollection of that brilliant thought! And it irritates me! But it’s a good reminder to always keep a notebook on hand!

5. Never stop reading

Try reading broadly about your topic, specialty area, or podcasting, in general, the next time you’re grabbing for straws. The more you read and investigate, the more opportunities for fresh ideas you will have!

All of the new knowledge and topics may go down so many different idea paths that anything you read (or watch, YouTube is a fantastic resource for this!) has the potential to act as inspiration.

Reading extensively is a good method since it will supply you with new viewpoints, which will lead to new ways of thinking about your podcast and niche issue.

Seek for blog posts, check Pinterest, discover scholarly publications where relevant, read physical books, and look for ebooks – truly, the resources are many! – on all the themes linked to your podcast, and you’ll have mountains of stuff from which to draw fresh ideas.

Here are 5 ways that continuous reading can help you generate new ideas for your podcast:

1. Expand your knowledge: Reading can expose you to new topics, ideas, and perspectives that you might not have encountered otherwise. This can inspire new ideas for your podcast episodes and help you broaden your subject matter.
2. Spark creativity: Reading can stimulate your imagination and inspire new creative ideas for your podcast. Even reading fiction or poetry can spark ideas for non-fiction or discussion-based podcast episodes.
3. Discover trends and hot topics: By reading news articles, industry publications, and blogs related to your podcast topic, you can stay up-to-date on the latest trends and hot topics. This can help you generate new ideas for episodes that are timely and relevant.
4. Explore diverse viewpoints: Reading content from a variety of sources can expose you to diverse viewpoints and perspectives. This can help you generate new ideas for episodes that consider different angles on a topic or address issues that your audience might not have considered before.
5. Make connections: Reading different types of content can help you make connections between seemingly unrelated topics. This can spark new ideas for episodes that explore the intersection between different fields or consider the broader implications of a topic.

6. Listen to other podcasts

Listening to other shows is also one of our top recommendations! Other podcasts are a terrific place to start if you’re looking for some amazing ideas. Take notice of what some of your favorite podcast hosts are doing on their shows and see if there is room for anything similar on your show.

You might have something fresh and different to incorporate in your episodes by putting your own twist on those concepts, within your area, and with your own distinctive voice and point of view.

Remember, the goal is not to directly replicate other podcasts. You’re tuning in to these shows to see what other hosts are doing well.

This might be a huge help in coming up with ideas for your episodes. So, open your preferred listening app, type in your niche topic, and start listening!

7. Communicate with your listeners

When it comes to podcast ideas, your listeners are yet another untapped resource. If you’ve worked hard to build a solid podcast community around your program, your listeners will be just as involved in it as you are.

And would almost certainly jump at the chance to offer their thoughts and assist you in coming up with fresh ideas to help make your presentation even better.

Use the call-to-action messages in your current episodes to reach out to your audience and solicit feedback. If you’ve accumulated a mailing list, use it as well!

8. Keep yourself updated with the new trends

Despite its shortcomings, social media can be a terrific resource for generating new ideas! Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and even TikTok are all powered by creative material, so tap into it and let your thoughts go wild.

Follow hashtags relating to your niche on all platforms you use, like pages or accounts dedicated to your specialty, look into comparable niches or things you believe your audience may be interested in, and see what material other creatives are doing.

9. Run a survey for your podcast audience

Surveys are also useful since they allow your listeners to connect directly with you. And you can discover what your fans think about your program directly from them!

Create a poll that offers questions about the sorts of themes they most enjoy, what topics or guests they’d want to hear more about, what they appreciate about your program, and where they believe you can improve. Answers to all of the above questions are really valuable when seeking fresh podcast topics!

Here are some steps you can take to generate new ideas for your podcast by running a survey for your podcast audience:

1. Determine your goals: Before you create a survey, determine your goals for the survey. What information do you want to gather? What questions do you want to ask? What type of feedback are you looking for? This will help you create a survey that is focused and effective.
2. Choose a survey tool: There are many survey tools available online, such as Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, or Typeform. Choose a tool that works for you and your audience.
3. Create your survey: Create a survey that is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Use simple language and avoid jargon. Include both multiple choice questions and open-ended questions to get a variety of feedback.
4. Promote your survey: Promote your survey to your podcast audience through your podcast, social media channels, and email list. Encourage your audience to participate and offer an incentive, such as a chance to win a prize or exclusive content, for completing the survey.
5. Analyze the results: Once the survey is complete, analyze the results to identify trends and common themes. Look for patterns in the responses and identify areas where your audience would like to see more content or topics they are particularly interested in.
6. Use the feedback to generate new ideas: Use the feedback from your survey to generate new ideas for your podcast episodes. Consider the topics and themes that your audience is interested in and use this information to create content that resonates with them.
7. Follow up with your audience: After you’ve implemented new ideas based on the survey results, follow up with your audience to let them know how their feedback influenced your podcast. This will help build a stronger connection with your audience and demonstrate that you value their opinions.

10. Join podcasting communities

The ability of the Internet to bring like-minded individuals together is one of its real gifts! We’re discussing online communities! When it comes to producing fresh ideas and inspiring new material, they are absolute gold.

As a result, these forums are a fantastic resource for discovering fresh podcast ideas. Simply go out to people in the community and ask for assistance with fresh ideas for your program. Most of these communities’ members are ecstatic to be able to assist their fellow podcast hosts virtually.

Download the first chapter of The Storytelling Series: Beginners’ Guide for Small Businesses & Content Creators by Obehi Ewanfoh.