Podcasting – How to find your territory
Finding your space to play in is one of the toughest parts of building a podcast. There are so many streets you could walk down with already established houses on them.
Do you focus on a profession that you know inside out? Or a lifestyle topic like parenting or living the single life? The trick is to carve out the niche you know and are most passionate about and do what others are NOT doing in that space.
When I started the Air Heads Podcast there was already a rock solid Radio Podcast doing the rounds on all platforms called “Game Changers” by Craig Bruce. For Radio people it still remains in my eyes as one of the best radio podcast in the world so If I was going to jump into that space and start claiming to be a player then I had to Zig where Craig was zagging.
I have never seen my radio podcast as a direct competition to Craig’s – in fact the way I see It, they compliment each other.
See Game Changers would once a week talk to the big names in Australian Radio Kyle Sandilands, Eddie Mcguire, James Brayshaw, Richard Stubbs, Chrissie Swan and Hamish and Andy. Like I said a great insight into radio at the highest level and evergreen content that you can take a lot of radio lessons from.
Firstly, I didn’t have access to those radio movers and shakers, and nor did I want too either Craig had that part of the sector covered. Who I was interested in talking too was the regional guys? Why? Well it’s the whole reason for my podcast. If I can talk to people that are already in the industry doing the flying hours then maybe I could hit them up for advice on how they got into the industry and then bring that information to you as the listener and being at a regional level it doesn’t seem so daunting and out of reach.
Much like Game Changers, Air Heads is all about Education, but the difference is I talk to all radio people and not just those that have cracked on at a metro level. Don’t get me wrong I have talked to Metro guys on my Podcast and it’s ok to reach out and do that from time to time but It’s also important not to lose sight of the reason your started the podcast. The Why should drive the fundamentals of what you are doing.
Weekly I will hear from Air Heads listeners thanking me for everything the podcast is bringing them, be it knowledge, good story telling or just a less stressful drive home from work. It’s great to hear from a variety of listeners and one of the main compliments the podcast gets is “I love the variety of People that you have on your show” from season campaigners to people that only did their first on air shift on the weekend – everybody has got a story to tell and lessons can be learnt from everyone.
There is no point trying to build a podcast in a field that is heavily populated already. You do that and you put yourself on the back foot straight away. Niche listeners to podcasts would have already settled on their chosen podcast and if you are sounding the same or just tossing up a similar option why are the listeners going to come across to your brand when there is already one that’s been making noise for 50 to 100 episodes.
Written by Leroy Brown
