Episode 394

“I’m in a Saturated Podcast Industry, How Do I Stand Out?”

Help! I’m in a saturated podcast market!

This is question has been ask by podcasters (including me!) since I started in 2018.  

Our listener-submitted questions from Swapna Patel on our PodInbox Page inspired today’s episode. She wanted to know how to stand out in a saturated podcast market and what that looks like in 2023. Here’s her full question:

Hey, Krystal, it’s Swapna. I don’t have a podcast yet, but my question for you is, I’ve noticed lately in 2023 that everybody, and I mean everybody, either starting a podcast or wants to start a podcast, which makes me think that podcasts are what blog posts and blogs were in maybe 2009 and 2010. What do you think is the future of podcasting, especially since it’s turning out to be quite a saturated space with so many new people entering this arena. I would love to know your tips on standing out, or whether we should just wait to dip our doors into the podcast pool. – Swapna 

If you want to submit a question to be answered on the show, record it here: https://podinbox.com/theproffittpodcast

Seriously, how can I stand out in such a crowded space?

In the episode, I share with Swapna a little about the podcasting landscape today and where it was in 2018 when I got started. Roughly 2 million shows today compared to 500,000 when I got started. But the truth is, there is only one key ingredient to standing out in a market that feels like there are thousands of podcasters talking about the same thing: you.

You are the key ingredient.

And while I know the next natural question you’d ask is, “Yeah, but how can I show other people I’m different?” My answer is infuse more of yourself in everything about your podcast.

There’s a concept I teach about niching down in my podcast course that applies here: Broad Topic, Niche Audience

I gave an example of someone in real estate. If you start a podcast and say, “It’s a real estate podcast,” there’s no real appeal there. But if you start a podcast and say, “It’s a real estate podcast that focuses on buying and selling land for commercial use in the Houston area,” you’ve found your niche.

Let’s look at the “Fashion & Beauty” Industry. (I go into explicit detail about not being an expert in this industry in the episode, but it’s also worth mentioning here.) The topic of Fashion & Beauty is a huge category, but let’s break it down into bite-sized pieces to find a niche audience within it. 

You could be a makeup artist or hairstylist that wants to attract new customers with your show. How do you do that? By being uber-specific about the topics you’ll cover. For instance, if you’re a makeup artist that wants to give tips on the latest trends — that’s great. But let’s take it a step further and share tips for photographers that are exclusively working with influencers and what they need to know to help their clients get ready before a shoot. 

See what’s happening there?

Taking a broad topic that feels huge and overpowering and bringing it down to the level of a niche audience that cares deeply about that one thing you talk about gives you power in that industry. It makes you specific. And specific sells.