Break Through Podcast Topic Exhaustion
One of the fears we hear from people when starting a podcast or even into the journey is running out of topics. Maybe you’re not worried about topics, you have plenty of ideas! Why should you care about podcast topic exhaustion? Other than the fact that it can feel like an end and can make your podcast journey harder, we also need to remember that burnout is very real and can affect you physically and mentally. According to Harvard Business Review, burnout has “many negative physical and mental health outcomes, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, sleep disturbances, depression, and anxiety, as well as… [producing] feelings of futility and alienation, [undermining] the quality of relationships…”.
There is this idea that you may run out of things to talk about or maybe that you feel a lot of your topics have already been talked about over, and over again. Or maybe you just have a creative block. We have some tips to help combat this feeling.
Focus on What You Bring to the Table
When you’re starting or in a rut, it’s important to avoid comparing yourself to others. Podcast topic exhaustion likely will come but comparing yourself to others will likely make it worse and not help! So in these times, it is important to focus on yourself and think about what you can bring to the table. No one has the same experiences and perspectives as you – comparing yourself will only limit your shine. Even if what you want to talk about can be found elsewhere, there is a way you can talk about the topic in a different light, a different structure (interview someone, a series, etc.), and don’t forget nobody is you or has your unique view!
If you are struggling to think about what you have to offer. Take a step back and think about a problem you’d like to solve or a topic you would like covered more. To get over topic exhaustion focus on what excites you – what do you read about, listen to, or think about often? You may not already be an expert – but if it’s something you’re passionate about you’ll have more fun researching/learning and sharing your knowledge than if you focus on a topic that doesn’t excite you, even if that other topic may be more ‘popular’.
Brainstorm
Now that you've thought about what excites you/you bring to the table. Create a bank where you can list topic ideas; on a notepad, journal, Trello board, etc. For example, to help our clients avoid topic exhaustion, we help them think of episode ideas a while out. We jot them down really quickly while discussing, say in our phone notes or Trello, and come back to the ideas in the future. That way if you need ideas you can refer to your bank. When brainstorming we suggest:
Avoid brainstorming in the evening (you'll be tired and it will be harder/more exhausting to think creatively)
Sit down with a pen and paper and just write any and everything that comes to your mind. You can look it over later and decide what to keep and get rid of. But let your ideas flow, without breaking to think about why they may not work. Having a wide array of ideas will help if/when topic exhaustion arises.
Avoid distractions, get a snack and drink, set the temperature and have a blanket or fan if need be, and turn your phone’s do not disturb on. Make your brainstorming time as focused as possible!
Hire help! Podcast Managers are a great addition to your team, not only for editing and social media needs but for brainstorming and bringing ideas to the table that you may not be able to think of while in a rut. We offer many packages for your needs: check them out here!
Use Feedback to Avoid Topic Exhaustion
You don't have to have every single idea come from your own brainstorming. Please lean on those around you! Use your resources, one of which is your audience. Yes, ask for feedback! Use your audience and learn what they want to hear from your show. This is a great way to get feedback as well as build a list of possible episodes that you know your listeners are interested in. Not only will this help you come up with topics it can also be used as a topic. For example:
Discuss the feedback in the podcast. The good, the bad, the ugly. What feedback have you received and what are you going to do with it?
Build off of past episodes. Especially if the feedback regarding past episodes was positive. This feedback helps you learn what your audience likes and you can expand further on the most popular episodes or the episodes that were too short to include all the information you'd like.
Conclusion
Don’t let the fear of running out of topics stop you from starting or running your show consistently. If you need help with your show or batching content, reach out to us.
Most importantly do not think negatively about yourself, overwork yourself, or compare yourself with others. If you need a break, skip an episode and take a step back. Take time to remember what you are passionate about and why you started this journey. Podcast topic exhaustion will come and go but what's important is what you do to overcome!
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