152. What to Talk About on Your Podcast (Without Overthinking It) | Podcasting Tips for Content Planning

Struggling to figure out what to say on your next episode? You're not alone, but you're probably overthinking it. In this episode, I’m sharing how to simplify your podcasting process by focusing on clarity over complexity, why repetition is actually a smart strategy, and how content pillars can take the pressure off your planning.

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This episode was produced by me, The Podcast Teacher! Contact me at Hello@ThePodcastTeacher.com.

Transcript

Do you ever sit down to plan a podcast episode and think to yourself, ugh, why is this so hard? Your brain's either totally blank or it's a swirling mess of half formed ideas and nothing you come up with feels quite right. You want to provide value, create content that connects with your audience and supports your business. But without sounding like a pushy sales robot. The pressure to get it right can feel paralyzing. Hey there, I'm Julia Levine, AKA the Podcast Teacher, and you're listening to Podcasting for Solopreneurs, the show that helps online business owners grow their podcast to get more listeners, leads and sales. The truth is that overthinking is the number one content killer for solo podcasters. And trust me, I say that as the queen of overthinking myself. We second guess ourselves into silence, and before you know it, you are not turning on the mic at all and your message stays stuck in your head.

But what if you did not need a giant content calendar, a 47 step funnel, or a million dollar launch strategy in order to be strategic? What if you could plan high impact episodes without overthinking every single word? Today, you'll learn how to create podcast content that grows your audience and your business without burning out. Because, let's be real, coming up with podcast content should not feel this hard. You're smart, you're creative, you care deeply about your audience. So why does content planning still feel like pulling teeth? It's not because you're lazy, distracted, or disorganized. It's because there's so much pressure to get it right. You want to be strategic. You want to stay on brand. You want your episodes to lead to the next step.

And somewhere along the way, it starts feeling like everything has to be perfect in order to be effective. But here's the thing. This is perfectionism. Perfectionism wears a lot of disguises, and one of the most convincing is strategy. We tell ourselves that we're just being intentional when really we're stuck in analysis mode, trying to make sure that every episode checks 5,000 invisible boxes. I say we because I have been there. I still catch myself doing this because it's super sneaky. Being strategic is important.

I say it all the time. But trying to think your way into the perfect plan doesn't work when your brain has decision fatigue. So if you've been second guessing every idea or. Or staring at your outline, wondering if it's good enough, let's pause and find a happy medium. Because you don't need more pressure, you need more clarity. Strategic doesn't mean complicated. You don't need that six month funnel, a three tier offer ladder, or a 62 step nurture sequence in order to be intentional with your podcast. Strategic simply means that you know why you're hitting record.

It means choosing topics that help your audience with something they actually care about and gently moving them closer to what you offer. Your content should have a clear purpose, helping your ideal listener solve real problems, build trust with you, and understand how you can help them further. Sometimes that looks like a how to episode. Sometimes it's a personal story. Sometimes it's a mindset shift they didn't even realize they needed until you said it. And guess what? That's all strategy. So instead of trying to do strategy, quote, quote, unquote, right, what if you asked yourself some simple reflective questions like is this helpful? Is this aligned? Does this lead somewhere on purpose? Okay, so what does this process actually look like in action? One of my favorite ways to break out of content paralysis starts with a simple reframe. Instead of asking yourself, what should I talk about this week? Try asking, what does my listener need to hear today in order to feel seen, inspired, or equipped? That one question takes the pressure off of being clever, impressive, or ultra strategic, and it puts the focus back where it belongs.

Which is what? On your audience, you don't need a grand message or a complex outline. You just need one clear moment of value. That could be a mindset shift that you had on your walk this morning. A client win that sparked an idea or teaching on a topic that keeps coming up over and over again. So next time you sit down to plan, don't chase the perfect idea. Start by asking, how can I serve today? That shift alone can change everything. And let me tell you a secret. You're going to talk about the same things over and over and over.

Let me say that again for you. You're allowed to talk about the same things over and over on your podcast. One of the biggest mindset blocks I see is podcasters saying, I already talked about this. I need to come up with something new. I understand where that's coming from. But your listeners are busy humans. They're not studying your catalog like a textbook. They're tuning in while folding laundry, running errands, or driving to work.

They may miss an episode here and there when their routine is disrupted. And your audience is also growing. Most listeners don't go back and listen to all of your old episodes. And even if they did hear it before, they probably need to hear it again. Research shows that we need to hear something at least seven times before it sticks. Repetition isn't lazy. It's smart strategy. It's how trust is built and how ideas stick.

You're serving your audience even more by repeating the same concepts. Think of your favorite guru or someone in business that you follow on social media. They repeat their core ideas all the time, but from new angles, with updated examples, new metaphors. Or they do it in slightly different language and every time it hits a little different or lands a little deeper. So yes, you're allowed to revisit the same topic more than once, reinforce those most important messages, and reteach the most important topics. At this point, you might be thinking, okay, Julia, but in order to repeat myself, I have to have things to talk about in the first place. And you're absolutely right. Luckily, there's a strategy that makes content planning 10 times easier.

Before I share that, if this episode is helping you simplify your content and get out of your own head, I would love to support you further inside the Podcast Growth Collective. That's where you'll get lessons, templates and feedback to plan strategic episodes without spinning in circles. Just head to thepodcastteacher.com collective to check it out. Okay, so one strategy that makes Your episode Planning 10 Times Easier is using content pillars. Content pillars are four to six broad themes that you consistently talk about on your podcast. They represent the biggest subtopics under your big overarching topic, and they should align with both your audience's interests and your business goals. So for example, a weight loss podcast may have content pillars of diet, exercise, sleep, and mindset. For a business podcast, the content pillars might be lead generation, messaging, visibility, and launch strategy.

I tend to pick four because most months have four weeks and then you can just rotate through one per week. But some people find that too narrowing. So do what works for you. You just don't want to have too many topics. While determining your content pillars is not rocket science, it's a really helpful guide. Instead of thinking, what should I talk about in this episode? A question that's completely open ended? You're narrowing the focus and asking what you should talk about within just that one pillar. Once you define your pillars, you're no longer starting from scratch. You're rotating through content buckets with clarity and intention, and you're not likely to get distracted by potential topics that are outside your scope.

And it's totally okay if episodes overlap on more than one pillar. That's actually a good thing. It means that your message is cohesive, human, and applicable to real life because these topics don't exist in a vacuum. Content pillars simplify planning, clarify your brand, and make content creation a whole lot easier. Strategic content isn't about sounding fancy or having it all figured out. It's about being clear, being consistent, and showing up with purpose, even when it's imperfect. You already have what you need your voice, your message, and a desire to help. That's enough.

So next time you feel stuck, remember to keep it simple and stay rooted in serving your audience. Trust that clarity comes through action, not overthinking, and you don't have to figure this out alone. If today's episode gave you clarity or confidence, I'd love to support you further. Inside the collective Check it out@thepodcastteacher.com collective until next time, Happy podcasting.