Do podcasts work for B2B marketing?

Podcasts have been gaining popularity as a marketing tool in recent years, and for good reason. They are an engaging and intimate way to connect with your target audience and build your brand. With over 424 million podcast listeners worldwide, podcasting is a platform worth considering for your B2B marketing strategy.

Is podcasting a good idea for B2B marketing? 

Podcasting can be an effective way to reach your target audience and generate leads for your B2B business. As a B2B marketer, you have the opportunity to create a podcast that provides value to your target audience and positions your brand as a thought leader in your industry.

Podcasts are also a great way to build relationships with your target audience. They offer a unique opportunity to engage with your listeners in real-time and create a sense of community around your brand. This can be especially important in the B2B world, where building strong relationships with clients and partners is key to success.

For example, Caspian Studios partnered with Qualified to create three original podcasts, all for different target audiences. Demand Gen Visionaries is a podcast that answers a big question: how the heck are CMO’s driving demand and spending their budget? Each episode details how modern CMOs build and execute a GTM strategy. Demand Gen Visionaries reached over 168,000 listeners in just 120 episodes.

This show is a huge part of Qualified's marketing strategy, has had a significant impact on pipeline generation/acceleration.

How do you create a podcast content strategy?

To create a successful B2B podcast like Demand Gen Visionaries, you first need to create a strong content strategy. You can start by answering the following four questions: 

  1. Why are you making the show? What are the business reasons for the show, whether that’s centered around brand, account-based marketing, content pipeline, relationship building, customer stories, thought leadership, etc. 
  2. Who is your audience? Get really niche and list out all of the audience personas you are trying to reach. What are they searching for? What stage in the buying process are they, are they already your customers? What are their titles? 
  3. Who will be featured in your content? This includes the host of your show, along with your guests. The show could be interview style, or it could even be a fiction series where there are no hosts or guests, just characters and actors. If your show is interview style, consider whether your host and guests should be subject matter experts, depending on your target audience. What personalities do you want representing your brand? 
  4. What’s your podcast’s format/structure? The format of your podcast includes the creative, structure, sound environment, and segments of your show. Consider the length of your show and the cadence of episode releases.

Once your organization has answered these questions, you can begin mapping out what your podcast content strategy will look like. This is all important information to keep top of mind as you create a branded podcast.

What is a branded podcast?

A branded podcast is a podcast that is produced by a company or organization and is used as a marketing tool, like Demand Gen Visionaries. The content of a branded podcast is typically focused on topics related to the company or organization and is designed to position the company as a thought leader in its industry. Branded podcasts are usually made with a very targeted, niche audience in mind. 

A branded podcast is a great way to build brand awareness and connect with your target audience. By producing a podcast, you have the opportunity to share your expertise and showcase your brand in a new and engaging way.

How do you make a successful B2B podcast?

After creating your podcast content strategy, how can you ensure you're on your way to making a successful B2B podcast? There are a few additional things to have a strong strategy for when it comes to creating a successful B2B podcast: 

  1. Know Your Audience. Understanding your target audience is key to creating a successful B2B podcast. You need to know what topics they are interested in, what format they prefer, and what type of content they are looking for. You need to meet your audience where they are. 
  2. Be Consistent. Consistency is key when it comes to podcasting. You need to be consistent with your scheduling, the length of your episodes, and the format of your podcast. This will help you build a loyal following and keep your audience engaged.
  3. Invest in Quality. Investing in quality equipment, sound design, and editing is crucial for creating a successful B2B podcast. You want your podcast to sound professional and be of high quality, as this will help you build credibility with your target audience.
  4. Promote Your Podcast. Once you have produced a few episodes, it’s important to promote your podcast to your target audience. You can do this through social media, email marketing, and other marketing channels. You can also reach out to influencers and thought leaders in your industry to help promote your podcast.
  5. Measure Your Results. It’s important to track and measure the success of your podcast. You can do this by tracking listeners, subscribers, and engagement across social platforms.

These are just a few steps to start you off on your B2B podcasting journey. Working with a B2B podcast agency can help you take your B2B podcast to the next level.