Differentiation is key in podcasting. If your podcast looks, sounds, and feels like everyone else’s, a potential listener won’t have a compelling answer when they ask, “Why should I listen to this show instead of another one?”

Here’s the good news: You don’t need to reinvent podcasting; you need to carve out a space that’s unmistakably yours. Below are three ways to make your show stand out, along with exercises to help you apply each one.

1. Focus on a Specific Audience or Niche

Broad niches are forgettable. Saying, “My podcast is for business owners” isn’t specific enough to cut through the noise. Even “early-stage business owners” is too vague.

A better approach: Choose a niche that feels tailor-made for a very specific kind of listener.

For example, a podcast for…

• “Female attorneys launching their solo practice.”

• “Executive coaches who want to build a referral-only business.”

• “Physicians pursuing early retirement.”

When someone sees a show built exactly for them, they can’t help but check it out.

EXERCISE: Audience Sharpening Sprint
Answer these three prompts:

• What’s a subgroup of your audience you love working with most?

• What stage of their journey are they on?

• What problem are they obsessively trying to solve?

Example result: "This podcast is for new female financial advisors who are struggling to attract their first five clients without relying on cold outreach."

2. Align Your Podcast Format with Your Strengths

Your format is a huge differentiator, and the best shows lean into the natural strengths of the host.

Do you shine when explaining step-by-step strategies? Solo, short-form tactical content might be your jam.

Are you an empathic listener who can make anyone feel heard? Long-form interviews where you guide emotional storytelling could be your signature.

Example:
One of my clients is a gifted teacher. He naturally uses metaphors to explain complex ideas. Once he started doing AMA-style episodes answering client questions in simple terms, his listenership exploded. The format matched his strength — and it showed.

EXERCISE: Strengths Discovery

Look at your last 5 podcast episodes, blog posts, or coaching calls. Ask yourself:

• Where did I feel most in flow?

• What types of content do people quote or thank me for?

• What’s something I explain better than most people in my field?

Use that to guide your format choices, and don't be afraid to test multiple formats early on.

3. Surprise and Delight Your Listeners

Education is expected. But entertainment is what makes people remember you. The best podcasts don’t just inform, they delight.

This has been a huge shift in my own show. I’m working with a podcast coach who pushed me to think beyond information and start engineering listener moments that feel fun or unexpected.

Examples of “surprise and delight”:

• Start episodes with an unexpected question or story

• Add recurring segments (“Hot Take of the Week,” “Client Win Confessional”)

• Bring on guests your audience wouldn’t expect but would love

• Build in Easter eggs within your show

• Do community shoutouts

• Create listener challenges or prompts they can take action on

EXERCISE: Listener Experience Audit

Pick one of your recent episodes. Ask yourself:

• Where could I have added a moment of surprise, emotion, or humor?

• What’s a segment I could add to every show to make it memorable?

• How could I bring the audience into the episode more directly?

Even one small moment of delight can dramatically increase listener retention and word-of-mouth.

Final Thoughts

You don’t need to chase trends or outproduce the top 1% of podcasts to stand out. The secret to differentiation is clarity: clarity on who you're for, how you communicate, and what makes your approach one-of-a-kind.

It takes courage to get specific, experiment with your format, and show up with a little personality, but that’s what will make your podcast worth listening to.