Thought leadership is about more than just being an expert in your field – it’s about sharing your knowledge and insights with others, and being viewed as a trusted source of information and guidance.
One effective way to establish your company as a thought leader is through a podcast. Podcasts are a popular and convenient way for people to access information and entertainment, but they also offer a unique opportunity for businesses to showcase their expertise and connect with their audience.
In this post, we’ll explore the strategies you can use to leverage a podcast to position your company as a thought leader.
“What the f%ck is thought leadership?”
Erin Balsa
Host of The Notorious Thought Leader podcast
Choose a specific topic or niche
The key to being a thought leader is being “known” for something. So a key part of using a podcast to position your company as a thought leader is to choose a specific topic or niche that aligns with your company’s mission and expertise.
This allows you to focus your efforts and build a reputation as an authority on that specific topic.
When selecting a topic or niche for your podcast, consider the needs and interests of your target audience. What problems are they facing, and how can your company help solve them? What topics are they interested in learning more about? What does your audience aspire to be or what’s their ultimate goal?
By choosing a topic that resonates with your audience, you’ll be more likely to attract and engage listeners. And it’ll correlate with the way your company helps customers.
To ensure your company’s podcast is engaging and reflects your company’s expertise, be sure to choose a topic aligned with your company’s expertise. This will help you create high-quality content more naturally with the people within your organization.
“Anybody who thinks podcasting is saturated has their head up their a$#!”
Christopher Lochhead
Author & Podcaster
Invite industry experts and thought leaders as guests
Another way to position your company as a thought leader through a podcast is to invite industry experts and thought leaders as guests on your show. This allows you to have meaningful conversations with influential individuals and tap into their expertise and insights.
To find relevant guests for your podcast, do some research and make a list of potential candidates. Consider reaching out to industry associations, networking groups, and other organizations to see if they can recommend any guests. You can also use social media platforms, such as LinkedIn or Twitter, to connect with potential guests and pitch them your podcast.
When inviting guests to be on your show, be sure to clearly explain the topic and format of the podcast, and provide any relevant information about your company. Make it easy for them to say yes by providing them with a clear idea of what to expect and how they will benefit from participating.
By including additional perspectives from outside of your organization, you’re able to position your company on a similar level to notable figures within the industry.
Use the podcast to showcase your products, services, and solutions
A podcast is also a great platform to showcase your company’s products, services, and solutions. While you don’t want to turn your podcast into an infomercial, there are ways to naturally incorporate your offerings into the content of your show.
For example, you could invite customers or clients to be guests on your podcast and have them share their experiences using your products or services. This allows you to highlight the value and benefits of your offerings in a real-world context.
At Motion, we feature 1-2 customers every quarter on Recorded Content. This provides a forum for us to share customer experiences and provide a more in-depth view of a customer’s story (compared to a 1-2 minute case study video).
Alternatively, you could use the podcast to showcase your company’s solutions to specific problems or challenges faced by your audience. Even though many people don’t view a podcast as a product marketing initiative, it can certainly be a way to share the features of your product.
By demonstrating how your products or services can help solve problems and meet the needs of your listeners, you can position your company as a valuable resource and thought leader.
Encourage team members to share their insights and experiences
In addition to inviting external guests, be sure to also showcase the expertise of your own team members on the podcast. This can help humanize your company and give your audience a behind-the-scenes look at the people who make your business tick.
Encourage team members who are knowledgeable about your company’s products, services, or industry to share their insights and experiences on your company’s podcast. This can include sharing case studies, offering tips and advice, or discussing their own personal experiences in the field.
Not only will this help your team members develop their own thought leadership skills, it will also demonstrate the depth and breadth of expertise within your company.
You can highlight the expertise of your team members in a straightforward interview-style format or you can also use a solo podcast format for expressing ideas.
Want to explore thought leadership further?
What does it really mean to be a thought leader in B2B? The Notorious Thought Leader is a podcast for B2B marketers who want to generate demand by creating content that builds credibility and thought leadership. In each episode, Erin Balsa helps demystify thought leadership and uncovers how marketing leaders & CEOs are using thought leadership to generate demand.
Promote the podcast on your website and social media channels
One of the main aspects of being a thought leader is sharing your ideas. Without proper podcast distribution, your show won’t help with your thought leadership strategy.
To ensure that your podcast reaches as many people as possible, be sure to promote it on your company’s website and social media channels. This can help you reach a wider audience, engage with your audience on social and ultimately drive more traffic to your podcast.
Consider creating a dedicated page on your website for your podcast, with links to all of your episodes and any relevant podcast show notes or resources. You can also embed the podcast player on your website or include an embedded Youtube video so that visitors can easily consume your show.
On social media, share links to your podcast episodes and encourage your followers to listen and share with their own networks. You can also use hashtags and join relevant groups or communities to reach a relevant niche audience.
Offer resources and actionable tips
In addition to sharing insights and ideas on your podcast, consider offering resources or actionable tips related to the topics covered in your show. Your company’s podcast can be a conduit for other content to flow through.
When you create a show designed for your ideal customers, you can promote other pillar content available from your organization.
For example, let’s say your company conducts a survey and compiles an interesting roundup of the results. Even though the results are likely shared in a whitepaper or on your company’s website, you can also use the material as a foundation for a podcast episode.
One way we’re highlighting resources in a podcast format is with Slice & Dice. This is a show we produce in collaboration with The Juice. Each month, we take specific data pulled from The Juice’s platform and analyze it in a podcast episode format.
By providing valuable resources to your listeners, you can position your company as a valuable resource and thought leader in your industry. Be sure to promote these resources on your podcast and on your website and social media channels to drive traffic and engagement.
Regularly publish new episodes
A true thought leader doesn’t say one amazing thing one time.
To maintain your position as a thought leader, it’s important to consistently share ideas with your industry and evolve over time.
A podcast helps your company produce and publish new information relevant to your industry. This helps to keep your audience engaged and ensures that you remain top-of-mind as a source of information and inspiration.
To maintain a regular publishing schedule, it’s important to plan ahead and have a clear roadmap for your podcast. This can include identifying topics and guests in advance, creating an editorial calendar, and establishing a workflow for producing and publishing new episodes.
By regularly publishing new episodes, you can keep your audience coming back for more and position your company as a thought leader in your industry.
Become notable by publishing podcast episodes
Podcasts have become an increasingly popular medium for sharing information, entertainment, and personal stories. They offer a unique opportunity for companies to showcase their expertise, engage with their audience, and build brand awareness.
However, creating a successful podcast requires careful planning and execution. One key aspect to consider is the theme of your podcast. Choosing a theme that aligns with your company’s expertise and passion is essential for creating a high-quality podcast that accurately reflects your brand. By selecting a topic that you and your team are knowledgeable about and enthusiastic about, you can produce content that is engaging, informative, and authentic. This will not only help you attract and retain listeners, but also establish your company as a thought leader in your industry.
It’s also important to consider the audience for your podcast and decide how you can help them. You want to choose a topic that is relevant and timely, but also has the potential to generate discussion and debate. This can help you foster a sense of community and encourage listener engagement.
In addition, it’s a good idea to consider the format and structure of your podcast. Will it be a solo show, a panel discussion, or an interview-style format? Each format has its own benefits and drawbacks, and the one you choose will depend on the topic and your goals for the podcast. For example, a panel discussion may be more suitable for a topic that requires multiple perspectives, while an interview format may be better for showcasing the expertise of a single individual.
The key to creating a successful podcast that positions your company as a thought leader boils down to two primary questions:
- Who is your ideal audience?
- How can you help them?
If you focus on those two questions and publish consistently, your podcast will help position your company as a thought leader in your industry.
Written by Tristan Pelligrino
Tristan Pelligrino is the Co-Founder of Motion. He’s a serial entrepreneur who started his career as a consultant with large IT companies such as PwC, IBM and Oracle. After getting his MBA, he started and grew one of the fastest video production companies in the country – which was listed on the Inc. 5000. Tristan now enjoys leading the content marketing strategies of some of the most innovative B2B technology companies in the country. You can find him on LinkedIn and Facebook.
