How to Create a Name and Establish a Brand for Your Company’s Podcast

Podcasts have exploded in the past few years. More than half of the US population has listened to at least one, and 16 million Americans describe themselves as “avid” fans. 

And B2B podcasts are increasingly popular too, with 13 million households listening in on a regular basis. But with so many businesses already releasing their own podcast material, how can you establish a brand for yours and help it stand out?

The basics: Why do you need a B2B podcast?

Launching your own B2B podcast demands considerable time and commitment, but it offers a number of crucial benefits in return.

First, podcasts are an engaging, dynamic way to build brand awareness — while requiring very little work from your potential customer. 

Listening to one slick, concise episode is a more passive activity than reading a blog post or white paper. And unlike text-based or video content, your audience can enjoy your podcast while they’re doing something else. Almost 60% of people listen while cleaning the house, for example. 

If your B2B podcast is strong enough to hook a listener, they might check out your social accounts or visit your website to learn more. A B2B podcast can even be used for pure lead generation – instead of reaching out to prospects and asking them to jump on your demo, you can ask them to be featured as a guest on your podcast. They might even convert once you have a thoughtful conversation.

Thought leadership is another great reason to invest in B2B podcasting. A thought-leader’s podcast delivers a quality of insight that no other business can — building trust, authority, loyalty, and creating significant competitive advantage. Listeners will keep returning for as long as they want to get ahead. 

The icing on the cake? Thought leadership can generate sales, too. Around 60% of decision makers have awarded business to a company based on their educational value.

How do you create a name for your podcast?

This is a common question, but it’s not so easy to answer, as your podcast name and brand will be intertwined. However, here are some key questions to ask you and your team when you’re looking to develop a name for your show:

Who are you targeting and why?

You can’t start your podcast until you know who your ideal listener is, why they’re listening, and what answers they’re looking to get. 

Your listeners are likely to be the same people you’re selling to, though they might not have intent to purchase or sign up…yet. You need to look at your existing customer base, their behaviors, their buying habits, and more. Brainstorm ideas for content that relates to their goals, interests, tastes, etc.

Don’t be afraid to distribute surveys to pick their brains about their favorite podcasts: what do they listen to, why, and which elements are most important in an enjoyable podcast? And if a survey isn’t available to you, perhaps you can just connect with a few customers and see what types of podcasts they consume and why.

What’s your podcast’s mission and values?

Define a mission for your podcast as clearly as possible e.g.“to help budding entrepreneurs learn the skills to start their own business”. This should underpin all of the content you create for your podcast, and the way in which you present it. Hint: Once you create this mission statement, you can then use this as part of the description of your podcast (which appears on all major platforms).

Who do you want to appeal to as guests?

All good podcasts either revolve around, or feature, guest speakers. These might be established figures in your industry, colleagues/acquaintances with specific skills, prospects/customers or anyone who offers value to your audience. 

In any case, think carefully about who you’d want to invite on. Create a wish list of names and start reaching out. But make sure you can answer questions they’re likely to ask, such as who your podcast is for, what the episode will cover, what’s in it for them, etc.

What will be your B2B podcast’s tone of voice?

Your B2B podcast’s tone of voice should be unique and authentic to your business profile. This is about more than the sort of language and jokes you use — it’s about building an entire brand personality for your podcast. 

Try to identify ways in which your podcast can reflect your character, from the logo and episode titles to your host’s presenting style. You don’t have to necessarily be funny or comical…but you MUST be yourself.

Will you tackle big, tricky topics? Do you want to introduce each show with a quirky question? Will every title be a pun? How about an uplifting jingle in the style of a vintage radio series? 

Be creative. And be consistent. Don’t switch tone and style from one episode to another.

Naming your B2B podcast: what you need to know and do

Your B2B podcast’s name has to tell potential listeners what the show is about instantly

It has to stand out from the many other podcasts available for download. Maybe it’s a funny play on words. Maybe it’s intentionally over-the-top, but irresistible. Maybe it’s professional and straightforward. 

All good ideas. But how do you actually get started?

You can try multiple techniques for naming your B2B podcast. For example:

  • Combine your ideal buyer’s industry with their role, such as The FAB Engineer — this title explicitly tells audiences which industry and role you’re targeting.
  • Put the ideal buyer’s industry and a generic role together, such as The Marketing Planner — it’s still clear but opens up to a wider audience.
  • Blend a how-to approach with what your ideal buyer is responsible for handling, e.g. How to Grow to Small Businesses or How to Sell SaaS — it promises to help the listener learn and get better at their existing or dream job.
  • Combine an optimal characteristic with the type of company your ideal buyer manages or works within, such as Collaborative FinTech — it’s aspirational, straightforward, and concrete. 

How to measure your podcast name’s engagement

While customer research would be a great way to narrow down your options, you run the risk of exhausting potential listeners before they’ve even tuned in! So, instead of circulating an email survey asking respondents to choose from a selection of shortlisted names, check the keywords first.

Chances are, if your name includes one or two highly searched terms for your target audience, then it’s going to stick.

But if you want a more hands-on sense check before taking your name to the podcast store, you can ask your colleagues. Gather their feedback on your title ideas, asking them to see your shortlist through the eyes of the listener. They may suggest changes or entirely new names altogether.

Building a brand for your B2B podcast

So, you have your name, your mission, your ideal listener profile, and more. 

Now, you need to sell your B2B podcast with strong, eye-catching, professional visuals. 

A logo is crucial. And it can’t just be your business logo. That’s too on the nose and, frankly, a tad uninspired. 

Your podcast logo should help to create a clear visual identity for the show itself. Is it dynamic and popping with bold colors? Is it a little more sophisticated and understated? Is it a caricature of the host? 

Whatever you choose for your logo, it must form a cohesive whole with the title font and overall color scheme. Unify the entire visual language across your podcast’s website and social media accounts for clear branding.

Finally, create a blog post to accompany each episode. Provide a breakdown of the topics covered, the main discussion points, links to any sites or stories referenced, and key quotes from your guests.

You can even add transcripts for people who can’t or won’t listen. This creates a valuable opportunity to place more keywords onto your site organically, too.

Ready to record?

Launching a B2B podcast can help expand your reach, demonstrate thought leadership, increase your online visibility, build authority, and cultivate stronger relationships with your audience. 

It won’t always be easy, but follow the above advice and you’re in for a much better chance of smooth sailing.

The Tech Qualified podcast provides B2B technology marketers with access to real world case studies and best practices. We interview industry leaders to uncover what is working in the world of B2B technology marketing.

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.