Don’t Fear The Niche

Every podcaster wants to have the biggest audience possible for their podcast. But that doesn’t mean you need to broaden your content in order to get there. In fact, not fearing the niche can be your biggest asset.

On this episode of the Q’d Up Podcast on Podcasting, I talk about why narrowing your content offerings can build fanatic audiences ready to gobble up everything you put out. I bring my years of experience in building content strategies that have resulted in millions of happy users, fanatic engagement on social media, and more ad revenue so you can make a better podcast that you’re more passionate about too

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Episode transcript:

One of the best things about the internet is that you can quite literally find anything you want at any time. The unlimited and exponentially expanding nature of the internet means that passion and creativity can rise up and compete with even the most well-funded content. It’s why we’ve seen so many niche independent podcasts explode in popularity, finding their way to the masses.

Take Lore for instance. It’s a podcast about the history behind folklore. That’s about as niche as you can possibly get, yet it has over 300 million downloads and has been turned into books and a streaming series on Amazon.

So then, why do so many podcasters water down their content, making it as broad as possible, thinking that’s the only way they can reach an audience?

Come on in and let’s embrace the niche together on this episode of the Podcast on Podcasting.

Hello and welcome to a new episode of the Podcast on Podcasting with me, your host, Matthew Stevens from Q’d Up Audio.

One of the biggest complaints I hear all the time about television, radio, and film is that everything looks and feels the same. There might be a million channels, but they’re all playing pretty similar content. With a limited number of timeslots and release windows available, networks and studios have begun to produce more generic content that is focus tested to get the largest audience possible. It’s why there are a million cop dramas and a bunch of multi-cam sitcoms.

While that philosophy has largely worked for those networks and studios over the years, more and more people have been cutting cable because they’re tired of how bland things have become. Streaming services like Netflix have given people access to on-demand niche content and they don’t want to go back to timeslots and laugh tracks.

Do you want a documentary about how coral reefs are being impacted as a part of climate change? How about someone modifying a truck to go off-roading? You want cartoons to help calm your 2-year old down after a temper tantrum, or content solely about the Star Wars universe? Streaming services and the internet at large have your back 24/7, providing a model that podcasts can and should be following.

While there’s a smaller audience for niche content than something more generic, the fear about cutting up a potential audience is pretty laughable at this point. The Earth is estimated to have nearly 8 billion people on it, with more than half having internet access. No matter how niche your subject matter is, there are millions of people absolutely dying for content that caters to them specifically.

That means you still have a chance at a sizable audience no matter what you’re talking about. Even better, those people are fanatical about what you’re creating because they likely don’t have very many choices. Less competition means more of a chance to grab an audience and keep them.

Think about it this way . . . Let’s say you really love the history of the Wild West and the famous characters of that time period, but you’re not really a fan of any other historical period. Are you more likely to:
A) Listen to a podcast that covers all of history?
OR
B) Listen to a podcast about the famous characters of the Wild West?

Chances are you chose B. In that case, you’d probably love the Wild West Extravaganza podcast because it covers exactly what you want but can’t find easily elsewhere.

Sub in any subject matter and it’s the same. You probably want a bread recipe from a baker rather than someone who does a bit of everything. You want to talk about the specific sports team you’re a fan of rather than the sport as a whole. You want passion and expertise.

For that matter, you’re listening to a podcast about podcasting — probably because you’re passionate about making your podcast better and you want to learn from someone equally as passionate about it.

Passion is at the root of the best creations. Whether it’s chewy chocolate chip cookies baked with love, a drawing that you poured your heart and soul into, or a podcast about a topic you know and love; passion stands out. No matter what you’re passionate about, dive into what specifically makes you love it because that passion is contagious — others will get excited when they hear your excitement, making them even more dedicated and loyal to your project.

Here at Q’d Up, we’re passionate about creating engaging audio. From creating new podcast ideas to production and marketing, we love helping people make their vision come to life and hit their goals. If you’re struggling to make your podcast as good as you’d hoped or you’re a business that wants your content to stand out above the crowds, contact us today and we’ll be happy to discuss your project in detail.

Now get specific, don’t fear the niche, and create something unique and amazing.