Podcasts are incredibly powerful B2B marketing tools, but barely any businesses are investing in them.
Sure, they take a bit of time to put together and sure, they can be a little awkward to record if you’re not used to it, but it’s really worth your time and effort.
B2B podcasts have a unique ability to blend education and storytelling, providing you with an opportunity to establish your business as thought leaders, engage your audience and create a significant amount of content for repurposing.
Many sources are predicting that, by 2025, over 500 million people will regularly listen to corporate podcasts. That’s an enormous market that you might not be tapping into on other channels.
In this blog, we’ll run through why podcasts should be a key part of your content strategy, how to maximise their benefits, and how to properly implement them in a way that will help you achieve your growth goals.
8 Benefits of podcasts for B2B content marketing
1. Podcasts allow you to diversify your content marketing strategy
Most businesses create great blogs, guides, infographics and other static content.
This is great, but imagine if you could deliver your content directly to your audience’s ears. That’s the power of podcasts.
By adding audio content to your mix, you cater to audience segments who prefer listening over reading. Talk to commuters, chat with lunch-break listeners, and convert those who simply don’t enjoy reading. Many listeners report that podcasts help them multitask effectively – a boon for busy B2B decision makers.
2. Humanise your brand and build strong customer bonds
As podcasts are conversational, they make your brand more relatable and, more importantly, trustworthy.
If you produce regular podcasts, you can build a loyal audience – potential customers who are connected and engaged with your content in a much more intimate way.
You’ll become the trusted source of information. If your audience have questions, they’ll come to you. If they’re looking for services you offer, then they’ll trust you more than your competitors.
3. Podcasts are cost effective
Starting a podcast requires minimal upfront investment compared to video productions or extensive paid ad campaigns.
You’ll need:
- Simple microphones – lavalier microphones are great, as they clip onto your collar – nice and easy!
- Basic editing software – there are many free options, such as Audacity, while other premium options don’t break the bank, such as Alitu.
- A clear strategy – identify what key talking points in your industry are, sit down and record your experts talking it through. This can help get the ball rolling in a natural way – don’t think about it as a podcast, think about it as any other conversation.
The potential ROI from podcasting can be huge. We highly recommend creating a podcast content strategy. Need support with this? We have a team of content experts that can help you get the ball rolling. Give us a shout by clicking here.
4. Podcasts are a great networking opportunity
We always recommend bringing guests onto your podcast whenever possible.
Featuring customers, prospects or industry leaders as guests nurtures relationships while increasing your podcast’s reach. You may even choose to feature on other podcasts as a guest yourself, opening doors to new audiences and allowing you to engage with more people than ever.
5. Podcasts can be great for SEO
Podcasts are a great way to improve your digital footprint.
Google indexes podcast transcripts, boosting your SEO rankings. Not only this, but backlinks from guest collaborations can improve your domain authority (DA) and drive additional traffic to your website.
6. Podcasts are a good way to gather data and potential leads
By asking your audience to sign up for your podcast (either to listen live, or to download after the fact), you can gain valuable data that you can use to market to in the future.
7. Podcasts make it easy to fill content gaps
For marketers, keeping a steady flow of fresh content is challenging. Podcasts not only address this issue but also provide multiple opportunities for content repurposing.
A single episode can be clipped into bite-sized content for social media, transcribed into blog posts, or converted into email newsletters. That’s a lot of value from a single recording!
8. Podcasts will help to establish your business as a thought leader
In competitive industries, standing out as an expert is crucial.
Podcasts allow brands to explore complex topics in-depth, providing actionable insights that establish credibility. Unlike blog posts or whitepapers, the conversational tone of podcasts humanises your brand, making it relatable while reinforcing authority.
This is all great, but how do you actually create a great podcast?
6 Tips for creating a great B2B podcast
It can be nerve-wracking starting a podcast. You’re putting yourself out there to be judged. However, always keep in mind that you do know what you’re talking about. Your first podcasts might not be amazing, and that’s okay. Practice makes perfect, and that’s never been truer as it is with podcasting.
Here are 6 tips to help you get your podcast off to a flying start:
1. Develop a strong podcast identity
Your podcast should have a distinct personality that complements, but remains separate from, your brand.
It should have a unique tone that might attract listeners who perhaps don’t engage as much with your traditional B2B marketing efforts. Have a laugh, provide unique perspectives, or feature a wide variety of opinions. Your podcast doesn’t need to be dry, even if you’re talking about dry topics.
Remember: always keep it conversational.
2. Follow the 80/20 rule
Focus 80% of your content on providing value – insights, trends and practical advice – and reserve 20% for promotional messaging.
If your podcast is too promotional, people won’t bother listening. They’re giving up their time listening to your podcast. You need to ensure that you’re providing value.
To help with this, map out a loose outline for your podcast before you start recording (one that bullet points what you need to say, any figures you need to include, etc.). Keep a timer running at all times to ensure you’re spending enough time on each topic (and that you don’t overrun) and keep any promotional conversations short and to the point.
In a 30-minute podcast, this means you’ll have approximately five minutes for self promotion.
3. Prioritise relevance and trends
Researching trends in advance of recording your podcast is essential. Don’t be afraid to change topics last minute if something big comes up – you want to be one of the first voices discussing industry trends, if possible.
4. Set an optimal length (and stick to it!)
Most professionals listen to podcasts during commutes or while multitasking, making 20–30 minutes the sweet spot. Shorter episodes ensure maximum engagement without overwhelming the listener.
It’s also less pressure on you, your team and your guests. We definitely recommend keeping any podcasts under 30 minutes.
5. Consistency is key
Once you’ve found a schedule that works for you, stick to it. Whether this is weekly, biweekly or monthly, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are consistent in your schedule. You want your business to be seen as reliable; a consistent podcasting schedule is a great way to do that!
6. Maximise distribution channels
Make sure your podcast is available across all platforms (especially major ones like Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts). This means that your audience can listen on their preferred platform and removes any barriers to entry.
You’ll also want to ensure you’re sending your podcast out across emails, social media and paid ads. You’ve put the effort into creating it, now it’s time to get the word out!
Looking to add a B2B podcast to your content marketing strategy?
Podcasting is no longer an optional channel; it’s a marketing staple.
People are listening, and if they’re not listening to you, they’re listening to your competitors. We understand that podcasting can be intimidating, but you’ll never improve if you don’t try it.
At Catalyst, we help our clients to create podcasts as part of a wider inbound content marketing strategy. Whether you’re looking to improve an existing podcast, or you’ve never made one before, we’re here to support you, from planning to recording to distribution.
Want to talk to a member of our digital marketing team? Click the link below to book a no-obligation chat.
Let’s talk about your podcasting future
