Excerpt from: Podcasting at Work: 25 Questions to Ask Before Starting

This is likely the first question you answered when starting to think about your podcast, but it’s worth digging a little deeper on it.

Your topic needs to be narrow enough to clearly define the content of the podcast and who might be interested, yet broad enough to allow for enough variety to sustain the series for multiple episodes. Exploring other shows in your niche is a great way to see what’s out there and consider how your show could stand out in terms of topic and format.

The format of your show also plays into sustainability over time. There’s a reason so many podcasts are formatted as longform conversations or interviews. These formats are inherently easy to produce and therefore sustainable. More ambitious formats like documentary or audio drama require a lot more time and resources to produce and replicate episode after episode.  

Picking a format with built-in promotional opportunities can make life easier later in the process. Hosting guests from outside of your organisation for example provides another avenue for promoting and sharing the show.