Here are ideas for finding new themes and subject matter for your next podcast:
If you're currently getting paid for your time and expertise, that's a good sign that you have something interesting to say on the topic.
Ask yourself:
How do I currently make a living?
What kind of customers do I serve at work?
What communities do I belong to?
What do I do better than anyone else?
For example, Christopher Schmitt is a web designer, so he talks about design on his show:
If you're already blogging on a particular topic, you can create a podcast where you read your blog posts. This is exactly what Ashley Baxter is doing for her Bootstrapped Digest podcast.
Using tools like TopPodcast, Podbay Top Charts, Cast.Market, Stitcher Charts, you can browse the different iTunes podcast categories, and see which ones are topping the charts.
Also: look at when some popular shows were last updated. If it’s been months (or years!) you might be able to create a new show to fill that space.
One of the best ways to create new shows is to remix your existing long-form content.
For example:
You have a 1-hour interview show that gets 1,000 downloads per episode.
Take the best moments from that show, and create a 5-minute highlight show. This might get 2,000 downloads per episode.
Next, take 4 of your best highlight episodes, and turn it into a narrative 30-minute episode.
Now, you're giving listeners the choice: do they want a 1-hour interview show, a 30-minute "commuter" show, or a 5-minute highlight show? You're remixing the content so it appeals to different types of listeners!