Episode Summary
Regardless of the stage your company is at, a podcast can be a valuable tool in helping you build a sustainable marketing strategy. For instance, an early-stage B2B company can benefit from podcasting — which can help them not only build brand awareness and credibility but also connect with potential customers, investors, and partners.
As the B2B tech company grows, a podcast can serve as a tool for building brand recognition and then establishing thought leadership. However, it can also be used to generate leads and drive sales. Finally, in the later stages of growth, a podcast can effectively engage and retain customers.
In this episode of Recorded Content, we share our co-founder’s appearance on another show. Tristan was a guest on Emir Atli’s B2B Podcast Playbook Season 1, where he shared what made him start a podcast agency and build a Network of Shows and what it takes to create a successful branded show.
Featured Co-Founder
- Name: Tristan Pelligrino
- What he does: He's the Co-Founder of Motion.
- Company: Motion
- Noteworthy: Tristan is the co-host of the Recorded Content podcast.
Key Insights
- Motion's Network of Shows makes us an agency worth considering. In the past two years, we’ve launched around six shows, including Rep Your Brand by Nick Bennett (the show is no longer on air, as Nick decided it is time for a new show, The Anonymous Marketer), Content Logistics by Camille Trent, The Notorious Thought Leader by Erin Balsa, Taking the Lead by Christina Brady, and Slice and Dice, which we produce in collaboration with The Juice. The rationale behind our decision to build the Network of Shows is twofold. First, we wanted to try podcasting as we believe in its power and the value it could bring to our audience, and then it's also a confirmation to our potential clients that we know what we are doing. In other words, why would you opt for a podcast agency that does not produce its own podcast? ''It's a big part of our strategy at Motion — not only to produce our customer shows but also to produce our own so that we can test and try new things, formats, and styles. It's a playground for us to practice and try new things that will allow us to apply it to our customers' shows then and help them out as well.''
- Every podcast production starts with research. That's because companies that want to include podcasts in their marketing strategy don’t know where to begin. That's where Motion jumps in. However, even an initial idea requires a number of discussions so we can make it as specific as possible. ''One of the first things I would do is ask why you wanted to start a podcast. What was the spark behind, 'Hey, we want to try this content initiative.' So I always like to understand where that comes from because it comes from a variety of different reasons. Sometimes companies want to develop or increase their thought leadership, and they want to get some of those ideas into the market, and they're looking for a vehicle to do that.''
- A podcast is not a one-and-done project, unlike traditional video production, where a video is an independent piece you don't have to/need to tie to something else. A podcast, on the other hand, can grow and/or undergo modifications. It's an inexhaustible source of knowledge; it's informative, educational, and entertaining. It can be recycled and repurposed. All in all, it can drive your entire marketing strategy for years. ''Podcasts are a unique medium because you set this theme statement up front and then go on a journey with your audience. There might be some things that you are an expert in and can help them, but there are other things that you might be not as familiar with, and then that's when you can bring on other external individuals to provide their perspective.''
Episode Highlights
Why People Fall in Love With Podcasting
”You don’t know the full impact of podcasting until you go through the process. There are a lot of things that you don’t think about upfront. As a host or producer, you don’t understand the benefits until they’re right in front of you.
So, for example, as a host, one of the things that happens in your space is when you consistently have interviews or consistently produce podcast episodes, it’s a vehicle to allow you to think and interact with other people in your ecosystem.
You build relationships naturally by having conversations with people. Then, you get a chance to summarize the information you learned, whether writing or developing video content that stems from your conversation. And then you also get to capitalize on what’s going on in your industry.”
The Process Behind Motion’s Podcast Production
”When folks come to us, and they have some of these preliminary thoughts about a podcast, we walk them through a process that involves the creation of a Strategic Action Plan, a document that we focus on upfront to lay that foundation and establish that blueprint that then becomes the building block for all of the episodes and all the content from there.
And within that Strategic Action Plan, one of the first things we do is create a theme statement that sets the stage for everything we do, whether that’s an episode, visual framework, cover art, or video content. A statement identifies the specific audience you want to connect with and how you will help them.
And if you build those two things into that theme statement, everything else stems from there.”
A Podcast Allows You to Consolidate Different Content Pieces Into a Content Strategy
”A lot of times, and we often see this, where companies are building content in silos. They might have a writer that’s writing a blog post. They might have a video editor creating a video over here, but there’s no connection or underlying theme for any of it.
A podcast is a great way to tie everything together. Back to that theme statement. If you create that theme statement, and if the purpose is to help a specific set of customers or a specific audience, that allows you to pull a lot of things in and create this underlying structure designed and built around your ideal customer.”
