7 places to find podcast inspiration to improve your podcast

Like any other creative medium, podcasting can be fertile ground for new and innovative ideas. No matter the audience base, purpose, or subject matter of your organization’s podcast, there are always opportunities to try new things and establish your brand as a cutting-edge thought leader in your space. But sometimes the creative well can run dry and learning how to find your podcast inspiration is a necessity if you want to consistently put out quality content and push yourself as a creator.

When it comes to ideating new concepts for episode themes, scripts, formats, and guests; there are plenty of resources you can tap into to gain new inspiration and foster creativity. With a creative medium like podcasting, the options are truly endless, which means there are also infinite opportunities to make waves and increase your listener base within the landscape.

Whether you’re working with an agency, an internal team, or going it solo, keeping things fresh and interesting will always be a key element of podcasting. If you’re not having fun coming up with concepts and scripts for the show, chances are, your listeners won’t be too enthused with the final product, either.

Without further ado, here are six ways to gather inspiration for your company’s podcast and help it stand out from the crowd:

1) Where to find podcast inspiration? Read, read, and read some more

Coming up with fresh ideas is easy when you’ve been feeding your mind with plenty of reading material on a subject. From online articles to books, try to read up on your subject as much as you can to familiarize yourself with the space and increase your knowledge base so you have more material to work with.

If you come across material that feels boring or uninspiring, chances are your podcast’s listeners won’t engage with it either, so it’s okay if you stick to researching only the topics that fascinate you and your team the most.

2) Follow thought leaders in your space

When coming up with new concepts or potential guests for your company’s podcast, you’ll likely want to do some recon on the key opinion leaders who are making waves in your industry. Try perusing the digital stratosphere to find people who are doing ground-breaking work, and don’t hesitate to reach out to them to schedule a discussion. Even if you don’t end up featuring them on the podcast, it could be beneficial for you as a writer, producer, or host to glean a new perspective and a fresh take on your subject matter through a quick coffee chat.

Some places to find leaders in your space:

• Social media channels
• Keynotes and talks
• PR pieces

3) Other podcasts can be your podcast inspiration

When strategizing your approach for your brand’s podcast, it’s helpful to check out the competition so you can get a sense of what others are doing in the space and how you can improve. While you wouldn’t want to directly copy other brands or podcasters, you can definitely draw inspiration and use them as a benchmark to gain a competitive edge with your company’s podcast theme. For example, is the competition doing regular audience polls, giveaways, or collaborations? Are their episode titles long or short, descriptive or general? What about the length of their episodes? The answers to these questions could serve as good food for thought in terms of the kind of content your brand can dabble in.

4) Go down a YouTube rabbit hole

In addition to checking out written content and other podcasts about your subject, YouTube can provide another wellspring of inspiration when you’re stuck for ideas or concepts. Check out any video content other podcasts are releasing and consider how you could incorporate more visuals into your brand, or how to improve them if you’ve already got it covered. Warning: may result in lost sleep, reduced productivity, or a sudden increase in tendencies to procrastinate.

5) Attend events or popular destinations in your industry

Depending on the subject matter you’re covering with your brand’s podcast, there are likely plenty of events or destinations such as museums, galleries, or stores you can visit to gather inspiration and generate new ideas. An event or outing can also provide a great reason to get out of the office for an afternoon, which will ultimately boost your creativity and productivity, so consider this your official permission slip to head out on a field trip.

6) Take a break to find podcast inspiration

Every content creator and creative person has come up against a mental block in their life. Sometimes, when you’re trying so hard to find that perfect idea, you can actually push yourself further away from it. Doing something else for a little while can often be the ticket to the breakthrough you’ve been hoping for.

Pay some video games, binge that show you’ve been wanting to watch, go out and exercise, spend time working on another hobby. These are all easy ways to focus your attention on something else, allowing your brain to reset and think about your project in a new way. Taking a break also helps to take some of the frustration out of the equation so your podcast inspiration will flow a little easier.

7) Schedule a brainstorming session with your team

Ideally, you won’t be tackling your brand’s podcast completely alone, so when in doubt, it’s always helpful to bounce ideas off your colleagues or book some time to focus on brainstorming. To add some structure to the session, start off with a word association bubble or another visual exercise to get the creative juices flowing, and definitely don’t forget to bring snacks.

About the Author:

Mackenzie Patterson is Quill Inc.’s digital content strategist.