Brand podcasts are becoming a mainstay among amplified marketing strategies, the kind that put conversation and expert insights at the center. HubSpot, Drift and Salesforce are just some brands leaning into the benefits podcasts offer — and for good reason! One of my favorite studies about podcast efficacy comes from the BBC. The study found that because podcasts are intimate and conversational by nature, brand awareness lifts by 89%, brand consideration by 57%, brand favorability by 24% and purchase intent by 14%.
With any marketing channel, there are mistakes that may be made. However, with proper education, they can be avoided, ensuring the brand podcast is a marketing powerhouse. This starts with the foundational idea that a podcast should be the center of the content strategy.
Let Your Podcast Fuel Other Channels
A cohesive messaging strategy is what marketers strive for. Podcasts should not only be part of the strategy, but they should fuel it. The content strategy playbooks we rely on are outdated and suggest that marketers let keywords and SEO dictate content. This will lead marketers down a dangerous path. Content written for an algorithm won’t lead to personal connection, which is why the personal conversations happening on podcasts are so powerful. Subject matter experts aren’t focused on keywords; they’re focused on sharing information in a lively, engaging dialog.
So, using podcast episode content to drive other marketing efforts will maximize efforts. How? Incorporate clips from the show in blogs, E-books, social media posts and email newsletters. Transcribe the episode and use it as blog content. Let the sales team share episode clips with prospects. By squeezing everything out of an episode, the audience will have a unified, cohesive experience with the brand behind the show.
Pick The Right Host
When starting a brand podcast, a company’s CEO might seem like the logical choice to play the host simply because they are the face of the organization. But it’s important to consider who the show is aiming to connect with, regardless of title. Choosing the wrong host might just push the audience away rather than draw them in. The host should be someone passionate about the show’s mission. Someone who can have natural conversations with guests and bring out their top insights. Finally, and most importantly, the host should be able to get into the nitty gritty about what the podcast is about so they can have intelligent conversations with subject matter experts.
Determine How To Measure Success
Data-driven marketers might be frustrated with podcast metrics at first. The vague nature of downloads, listens, reviews or social media engagement can be limiting. The truth is, not one set of metrics will determine show success. Rather, marketers need to map metrics back to specific outcomes for the show. Outcomes could include building audience relationships, increasing listenership, industry education, demand generation or influencing buying decisions. Once the goal is established, marketers can use podcast metrics to map back to it. This is a more satisfactory measurement method than traditional metrics alone.
Consider Show Sponsorship Carefully
B2C podcasts are ripe with various methods of sponsorship. But with a B2B podcast, I’d caution marketers to tread carefully. Sponsorship can be fruitful. It can provide an audience with exclusive offers, more industry insights and news. Sponsorships can also be solid opportunities for co-marketing with partners for brand elevation.
But, before diving in, ask these important questions:
- Is monetization the main focus? If it is, this has the potential to cause the entire show to lose focus on what’s best for the audience because earning money could outweigh content consistency and/or quality.
- Will selling ad space impact the goals of the show? Staying homed in on the goals of the show can prevent the show from teetering off course by attracting the wrong sponsors.
Brand podcasts are an essential part of the amplified marketing mix, serving as the foundation for other marketing content and a new source of revenue. To ensure the podcast is as successful as possible, ensure it serves other marketing channels, choose the right host, determine how to evaluate the show’s success and consider monetizing the show cautiously. Never lose sight of why the show was created or who it is for to keep the strategy on track and exceeding expectations.
Lindsay Tjepkema is the CEO and Co-founder of Casted, the first and only marketing platform built around branded podcasts. With more than 15 years of experience in B2B marketing, including agency roles, leading brand marketing teams and even running her own consulting agency, she’s a dynamic leader who’s had tremendous success building and growing marketing teams on a local and global level. After launching a branded podcast for a global marketing tech company, Lindsay realized her passion for authentic conversations. This led her to founding Casted to help marketers unlock the full potential of their content by harnessing the power of podcasting. The company has since gained rapid traction among brands that wish to create greater connection with their audiences through authentic conversation.
