Lesson 1: Developing Your Podcast Concept

Defining your niche, audience, unique angle & mission statement

Mar 07, 2025

Hey Besties!

So you’ve got the itch to start a podcast—awesome! But where do you even begin? It’s tempting to dive in headfirst, but before you do, let’s lay a solid foundation. A strong concept will set you up for long-term success. Here’s my tried-and-true advice to help you kick things off the right way:

1. Set a goal

First things first—why do you want to start this podcast? Seriously, ask yourself, What do I want to accomplish with this podcast? Be honest with yourself! It’s key to have a clear goal in mind from the get-go to keep you focused and motivated. Here are some guiding questions to help you define your purpose:

Do you want to generate more leads for your business? Maybe you’re aiming for a specific number of new clients per month.
Are you looking to make industry connections? Perhaps your goal is to land a handful of high-level contacts this year.
Do you want to be seen as a thought leader? Maybe ultimately you want this podcast to help you land speaking engagements or media appearances.
Is there a problem you want to help solve? You might be looking to guide your audience through a specific challenge.
Or do you just have a story you need to tell? If your goal is to share an important story with your community, that’s valid too!

Make your short-term goal specific and attainable, but don’t be afraid to dream big with your long-term vision. (Hey, you never know—your dream interviewee, like Brené Brown or Tony Robbins, might be just a few seasons away!)

2. Develop your concept

Now that you know why you want to podcast, it’s time to nail down what your show is all about.

Think about your strengths. What can you talk about for hours? What excites you? Lean into those as you come up with your concept. That’s where you’ll find your show’s sweet spot.

Here’s the formula: Concept = Format + Genre + Niche

For example:

A 10-minute solocast with ASMR mindset pep talks.
A 30-minute interview-style show with CEOs sharing their biggest failures that led to success.
A 45-minute nonfiction narrative exploring old Hollywood true crime from a feminist POV.

But here’s the catch—there are a lot of podcasts out there. So, look around at what’s already out there that’s similar to what you want to do and find your unique twist. What sets your concept apart? Identifying that will help your podcast stand out. Take Sex Talk With My Mom. It’s a hilarious and informative sex podcast, but its edge? It’s co-hosted by a mother and son—an unexpected yet brilliant dynamic.

3. Write a logline

A logline is a one-sentence description of your podcast that clearly conveys what it’s about. Think of it as your podcast’s elevator pitch.

Podcast strategist

Eric Nuzum

advises that your logline should be 10 words or less. This helps keep it concise and memorable.

Eric cites the following examples:

Ask Me Another: An hour of puzzles, word games, and trivia.
Invisibilia: A narrative journey through the invisible forces affecting human behavior.
Sincerely, X: Anonymous TED talks.
TED Radio Hour: Fascinating ideas, astonishing inventions, fresh approaches to old problems, and new ways to think and create. (This was when the exercise was ten seconds, instead of ten words.)

What’s your logline? Make it punchy, clear, and intriguing!

4. Identify your target audience

Now that you know what your show is, it’s time to define who it’s for. Who is your ideal listener? For instance, maybe you’re targeting career-driven new moms juggling work-life balance. Or techies hungry for the latest in innovations.

If you’re podcasting about, say, menopause, demographics (women from 40-60) might be important. However, depending on your show’s topic, it might be better to describe your audience in terms of behavior and motivations rather than demographics.

According to

Bailey Richardson

, “Describing your audience in terms of a shared perspective creates the space for something that anyone can be a part of… That could mean a diverse group of people who overlap not in age or categories but in a passion point.”

Don’t just ask yourself who you’re making your show for—also consider what you want them to take away from each episode and how you can best serve them through your content. Creating a listener avatar can help you clarify this.

Examples:

WorkLife with Adam Grant – Appeals to professionals looking to optimize their work lives with psychology-based insights. It’s not just about productivity, but ideal for ambitious people looking to be more effective, thoughtful, and happy in the workplace (where we spend a large chunk of our lives).
Podcast Bestie – A best friend to indie podcasters who want to grow their shows, monetize their audience, perhaps break into the industry, and have fun while doing it. These podcasters are creatives, side hustlers, probably skew anti-establishment, and crave practical, no-BS advice.

5. Define your mission

This is where you bring everything together—your goal, concept, and target audience—and synthesize it into a mission statement for your podcast. You don’t need to post this anywhere, but it will act as your compass, keeping you on track whenever you wonder, Wait, why am I doing this again? It can also help guide collaborations and monetization opportunities.

For example, my mission for Private Parts Unknown is to destigmatize conversations around sex, relationships, and sexuality—basically, to make things less awkward and shameful for me and my listeners. Knowing this helps me say “yes” to sponsors like STDCheck.com and “no” to random guest pitches for actors and attorneys that don’t have anything to do with my mission.

Now it’s your turn

Remember, the clearer you are on your concept, the easier it’ll be to create a show that resonates with your audience!

Big thanks to our presenting sponsor… Rebel on Main, a new podcast investigation about a rebel statue in Kentucky’s Bluegrass region.

Why does he wear a rebel buckle and a Union hat? Over seven sound-rich episodes, Rebel on Main chronicles a Confederate statue’s bizarre birth, the protests that threaten to topple him, and the haunting story of a community that now decides his fate.

Listen to Rebel on Main

Psst… Do you want to advertise on Podcast Bestie? Here’s info about options and rates.

I’m teaching some upcoming workshops you might be interested in:

So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️

What’s YOUR podcast about? Drop your podcast concept and logline in the comments below for feedback.

Podcast Bestie