Best Podcast Topics

Starting a podcast is exciting. You’ve got ideas, maybe a passion you want to share, and dreams of building an audience and, yes, making some money. But hold on a second.

The single biggest mistake I see aspiring podcasters make is picking a topic based only on passion, without a clear plan for how that topic will actually generate revenue.

They think, “I love talking about [Obscure Hobby], I’ll start a podcast!” Then, six months later, they have 50 listeners, zero income, and they burn out. Why? Because passion alone doesn’t pay the bills.

Look, if you just want a hobby, that’s fine. Talk about whatever you want. But if you’re treating your podcast as part of a business – something that needs to justify the time and effort involved – then your topic selection needs to be strategic from day one.

Forget chasing download numbers for tiny ad payouts, especially early on. As I’ve discussed before, the most effective way to monetize a podcast initially is by using it as a powerful tool to network and attract high-value clients or partners.

And that monetization strategy starts with picking the right topic.

The Big Mistake: Passion Without a Profit Plan

We’re often told to “follow your passion.” It sounds great, but it’s dangerous advice when choosing a podcast topic for business. Why?

• Audience Size vs. Value: A podcast about your passion for collecting vintage lunchboxes might attract a small, dedicated group. But are those listeners likely to buy your high-ticket business consulting services? Probably not. The audience, however passionate, isn’t commercially relevant to your offer.
• Monetization Mismatch: Trying to slap ads for unrelated products onto a niche passion podcast feels forced and rarely generates significant income. Sponsors want targeted audiences they can sell to.
• The Fizzle Factor: Without a clear path to revenue that justifies the ongoing effort (recording, editing, promoting), enthusiasm wanes. When the results aren’t there, even passion projects die out. You see it happen all the time.

Starting with just an idea you love, hoping monetization will magically appear later, is backward thinking for business.

The Winning Strategy: Monetization First, Topic Second

Here’s the flip: Start with your business goal.

• What do you sell, or what do you plan to sell? (Services, consulting, courses, software, physical products?)
• Who are your ideal clients or strategic partners? Be specific.
• What outcome do you want from your podcast? (More leads for service X? Connections with industry players Y? Establish authority in niche Z?)

Once you know the business objective, choose a podcast topic that acts as a magnet for the people you want to attract.

Your topic needs to be something where you can consistently:

1. Demonstrate your expertise related to your paid offerings.
2. Discuss the problems that your ideal clients face (and that you can solve).
3. Attract guests who are either ideal clients/partners themselves or who serve the same audience.

The topic becomes the context for achieving your business goal.

How to Find Topics That Attract Clients & Partners

Okay, how do you find these “monetizable” topics?

1. Start With Your Offer: What problem does your core business solve? Who do you solve it for? Your podcast should live squarely in this territory. If you’re a financial advisor for tech startups, your podcast shouldn’t be about gardening. It should be about financial strategies for tech startups. Simple.
2. Mine Client Problems: What are the top 10-20 questions your ideal clients always ask? What are their biggest frustrations, fears, and aspirations related to your area of expertise? Each of these is a potential podcast episode, or even a whole season theme. Your topic should revolve around solving these specific problems.
3. Niche Down Smartly: Don’t be afraid of a niche! A podcast for “everyone” attracts no one. A specific focus attracts a dedicated, valuable audience. HOWEVER, the niche needs commercial viability for you.
   • Good Niche: “Marketing Automation for Independent Insurance Agents” – Specific audience, clear problems you can solve if you offer marketing services/tools for them.
   • Risky Niche: “History of European Folk Music Instruments” – Passionate audience maybe, but unless you sell rare instruments or related historical tours, linking it to a scalable business offer is tough. Be honest about whether people in your chosen niche spend money to solve problems you can address.
4. Validate Demand: Do a quick search on Google, YouTube, or relevant forums. Are people asking questions about your potential topic? Are other podcasts or blogs covering it? Some discussion indicates interest. A total void means it’s probably not a good idea.

Topics that Align with your business

Let’s illustrate with examples:

• Good Topic:“Podcast interviewing cybersecurity experts on protecting small businesses.”
  • Why it works: If you sell cybersecurity services to SMEs, this directly attracts potential clients (listening SMEs) AND potential partners/referral sources (the expert guests). You demonstrate expertise by asking smart questions.
• Good Topic:“Podcast exploring scaling challenges for direct-to-consumer brands.”
  • Why it works: If you offer logistics consulting, e-commerce funding, or marketing services for DTC brands, this topic puts you right in front of your target market and positions you as a knowledgeable resource.
• Risky Topic:“Podcast discussing productivity hacks for writers.”
  • Why it’s risky: The audience might be large, but are they willing/able to pay for high-ticket coaching or software you might offer? Monetization might rely more on lower-value affiliates or course sales, requiring significant scale. It can work, but the client-acquisition angle is less direct than the examples above.
• Bad Topic (Usually):“Podcast reviewing my favorite craft beers.”
  • Why it’s bad for business: Unless you own a brewery, run beer tours, or sell high-end beer-related merchandise, the path from listener to high-value client is virtually non-existent. While it can be a lot of fun, it’s a very hard podcast to turn into a business.

Before You Commit: Ask These Questions

Run your potential podcast topic through this filter:

1. Relevance: Can I naturally and authentically talk about the problems my business solves within this topic?
2. Audience Fit: Would my ideal clients or strategic partners actually listen to a show about this?
3. Guest Potential: Can I easily identify potential guests who align with this topic AND my broader business networking goals?
4. Monetization Path: Is there a clear line of sight between this topic and my primary monetization strategy (ideally client/partner acquisition)?

If the answers aren’t a resounding “yes,” rethink the topic.

Choose Your Topic Like a CEO, Not Just a Fan

Starting a podcast is relatively easy. Starting a successful, sustainable, business-building podcast requires strategic thinking right from the topic selection phase.

Stop thinking about what you want to talk about endlessly. Start thinking about what topic will attract the people you want to do business with and allow you to demonstrate how you can help them.

Choose a topic where your passion overlaps with a profitable market you can serve. Prioritize the monetization plan – make the podcast work for your business, not the other way around. Pick strategically, provide massive value within that framework, and you’ll build something far more valuable than just download numbers. You’ll build a business engine.