How to Research Trending Topics and Create a Content Calendar for Your Podcast

You need to keep your podcast alive.

You do that by feeding it engaging content often.

It can be a challenge coming up with ideas. And keeping track of publishing content.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Make use of trending topics. And use a content calendar to plan.

Let’s look at how to do this.

Why Trending Topics Matter For Your Podcast?

Trending topics are juicy. You can get your listeners to engage more if you create content with current and relevant issues.

2. Attract New Audiences

Everyone wants to grow their audience. When you post trending topics, you get love from search engines. And your audience shares it with their friends. It’s the best way to attract new audiences to your podcast.

3. Enhance Your Podcast’s Authority

You want to become an authority in your niche. Authority means your audience respects and listens to you. Creating content with industry trends will help you become that authority voice in your niche.

How to Research Trending Topics

1. Use Social Media Platforms

Social media can be a treasure trove of trending topic ideas. I would suggest joining several social media platforms and checking out their trending sections.

X: Use X’s trending section to see what topics are currently popular. Follow relevant hashtags and accounts in your niche to stay updated.

Reddit: Explore subreddit communities related to your podcast’s theme. Pay attention to upvoted posts and recent discussions.

Facebook and LinkedIn: Join groups and follow pages in your niche. Observe the discussions and note recurring themes.

2. Google Trends

Google Trends is an awesome tool if you want to find the latest trends going on in the country. You can even see the popularity of search terms. This tool allows you to compare different topics and see how interest has evolved.

You should search for topics in your niche and check out the related queries and rising topics to find content ideas gaining traction.

3. Industry News and Publications

Follow industry news websites, blogs, and online magazines relevant to your niche. Subscribe to newsletters to get updates directly in your inbox.

Use tools like Feedly to aggregate news from multiple sources and stay informed about the latest developments.

4. Podcast Directories and Platforms

Your competition is a great source of trending topics for your own podcast. Browse podcast directories like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher to see what topics are popular in your category.

Look at the top charts and trending sections to identify high-performing episodes and themes.

5. Online Forums and Q&A Sites

You want to be among your audience because they are a great source of trending topic ideas. Check out forums like Quora, Stack Exchange, and niche-specific communities to see what questions people are asking.

Use these questions as inspiration for podcast episodes that provide answers and insights.

6. Keyword Research Tools

If you have keyword research tools or have the budget to buy them, they can be a good source of trending topics.

Use keyword research tools like Ahrefs, SemRush, or Ubersuggest to identify popular search terms in your niche. Look for keywords with high search volumes and low competition to find potential topics.

7. Audience Feedback

You can directly ask your audience what topics they would prefer you create content. Engage with your audience through surveys, social media, and direct interactions. Use feedback to tailor your content to their preferences and keep them engaged.

How to Create a Content Calendar

Now that you have your trending topics list, it’s time to organize them in your content calendar. It helps you plan your episodes in advance, ensuring consistency and reducing last-minute stress.

1. Choose a Calendar Tool

You can use digital tools like Google Calendar, Trello, Asana, or Notion to create your content calendar. These tools allow you to schedule, organize, and collaborate when creating content.

2. Define Your Content Categories

You can categorize your content based on themes, formats, or series. This helps in maintaining variety and structure in your episodes. Example categories could be interviews, solo episodes, industry news, or listener Q&A.

3. Set a Publishing Schedule

Decide how often you will release episodes (e.g., weekly, bi-weekly). Consistency is key to building a loyal audience. Choose specific days and times for publishing to create a routine for your listeners.

4. Plan Topics in Advance

One trick that advanced podcasters use is to always plan topics in advance. They schedule topics for each episode at least a month in advance.

When planning your topics, include relevant details like episode titles, guest information, and key points to cover.

Create content that is a mix of evergreen and trending topics so you have a balance of timeless information and current events.

5. Include Key Dates and Events

Mark important dates and events in your niche on the calendar. This includes industry conferences, holidays, or significant anniversaries.

Plan episodes around these events to capitalize on heightened interest.

6. Allow Flexibility

Trending topics can emerge unexpectedly, and you might want to adjust your schedule to stay relevant. Keep a few slots open for spontaneous episodes or breaking news.

7. Track Performance and Adjust

Your audience will give you feedback once you publish episodes from your content calendar.

You can monitor the performance of your episodes using analytics tools provided by your podcast hosting platform. Track metrics like downloads, listens, and audience feedback to understand what topics resonate most with your listeners.

Use this data to refine your content calendar and focus on high-performing themes.

Conclusion

Now you know how to research trending topics for your niche. And to create a content calendar for future episodes.

The next thing to do is go to Google Trends and put your niche in the search box. Look at the related queries and rising topics to find trending topics.

Then it’s time to record some great content for those topics.

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