To start a podcast, you have to jump through a lot of hoops. You must figure out your niche, develop a theme statement, create a visual framework and confirm who will host the show. And let’s not forget; you must convince your CEO it’s the right move.
It’s a lot of work. I’ve seen it firsthand as I’ve helped launch over 60+ podcasts at Motion over the last few years.
But even though it’s a huge relief when you hit “publish” on your first episode, that’s not where the work stops.
If you want your new podcast to have a business impact, you need a podcast marketing strategy in place. With millions of podcasts available, you can’t expect to upload an audio file on Buzzsprout and have thousands of listeners find your show on Spotify.
In this blog post, I decided to put together 13 ways to grow your company’s podcast and connect with your ideal listener. From defining your target audience to leveraging social media, cross promotion with other podcasters, and more, you’ll have a wide range of options to grow your podcast.
These different growth strategies are the same tactics we go over in weekly meetings with our customers.
And I think this list will help your team develop a solid podcast marketing strategy.
“Not everyone is going to listen to that 45-minute podcast episode. And that is perfectly ok.”
Tristan Pelligrino
Co-Founder
Motion
Podcast marketing 101: Know your audience
As a B2B marketer, you already know the importance of understanding your target audience. But when it comes to podcast marketing, this concept is even more critical.
After all, you want to make sure your podcast is speaking directly to the people who are most likely to be interested in your content, right?
So, how do you get started? The first step is to identify who your target audience is and understand some of their behaviors. Think about the people you’re trying to reach, and what they’re interested in. Consider factors such as:
- Job titles
- Company size
- Industry
- Pain points or challenges they’re facing
- Interests in other types of content
Once you have a clear picture of your target audience, you can create content that speaks directly to them. This will not only help you build a more engaged audience, but it will also make your job of marketing your podcast much easier.
Another reason why it’s important to define your target audience is because it helps you focus your marketing efforts. If you know who you’re trying to reach, you can tailor your messaging and tactics to their specific needs and interests.
When you know your audience in and out, it helps your team with a variety of other podcast marketing strategies.
Unleash the potential of your company's podcast on social media
Social media has become a crucial part of every B2B company’s marketing mix — for good reason. With billions of active users across various platforms, it’s a great way to reach and engage with your target audience.
When it comes to podcast marketing, using social media effectively is essential. From employee social media distribution to company social accounts, there are several ways to promote your company’s podcast on social media.
Repurpose your company’s podcast and format for different social media platforms
The key to success on social media channels is to format your content specifically for each platform. For example, TikTok and Youtube Shorts are ideal for short videos, while traditional YouTube is better suited for long-form content. Twitter and LinkedIn are great for video clips, and you can use repurposed content to drive people to your full episodes. When you format your content specifically for each platform, you maximize your reach and engagement.
Build connections with your podcast audience through employee distribution on social media
Your employees can be some of your biggest brand advocates. Encouraging them to share your company’s podcast through their personal social media accounts can significantly increase your reach.
But most companies never give their employees the opportunity.
Make it easy for them by providing pre-written social media posts, graphics, and videos. The more your employees engage with your content, the more likely they will bring new listeners to your show.
Use company social accounts to keep your audience up-to-date
Your company’s social accounts are a great place to promote your podcast and drive engagement. Share links to your episodes, post teasers, and behind-the-scenes content.
When your company shares podcast episodes (and the creative assets that come from each conversation), you breathe some life into your brand. Your company becomes more than a series of blog post links. Your company’s feed has real people discussing real challenges.
With the right strategy and execution, social media marketing can be a powerful part of growing your company’s podcast.
Want to see how other B2B marketers get the most from their podcasts?
Recorded Content is a show for small, scrappy marketing teams who are looking to launch & grow a successful B2B podcast. In each episode, we provide stories on how to overcome the challenges of launching, running and growing a show. We tackle issues with technology, content marketing, distribution and more. We help you become a B2B podcasting hero with an amazing show.
Join Forces: Grow your company's podcast through collaborations
Podcast promotion isn’t just about your company and employees. Collaborating with other podcasters can be a game-changer.
One of the best ways to kick off a collaboration with another podcast host is by reaching out to those in your specific industry. You can start by offering to swap podcast episodes on each other’s RSS feed. This allows each show to reach new podcast listeners who are already interested in the discussed topic. Podcast episode swaps also increase the visibility of your podcast in search engines, making it easier for potential listeners to discover your show.
Another way to collaborate is by having a podcast host from another show appear as a guest on your show. This is a great way to provide valuable content for your audience while building relationships with other industry players. When done right, guest appearances can lead to long-term collaborations and new growth opportunities.
Host-read ads are another great way to collaborate with other podcasters. They offer a personal touch that can be more engaging than traditional ads. By having a host personally recommend your company’s show, you can increase trust and credibility with your audience.
When you think about other podcasters in your niche, don’t view them as competition. In most cases, it’s a big opportunity to collaborate and help each other grow.
Collaborate to elevate: How podcast networks can boost your show's growth
When marketing your company’s podcast, there’s strength in numbers. Joining a podcast network can help you reach new audiences, collaborate with other podcasters, and ultimately grow your show.
Podcast networks bring together shows with similar themes or target audiences, giving you a chance to introduce your podcast to a wider audience. And the network can also promote your show to its audience, increasing your visibility and helping you reach more potential listeners.
At Motion, we feel so strongly about niche podcasts that we created our own network with multiple podcasts. Since we serve small scrappy marketing teams at tech companies, we developed a series of podcasts dedicated to this audience.
Another key advantage of joining a podcast network is the opportunity to collaborate with other podcasters. This can include cross-promotion through social media, episode swaps, or even hosting a joint event. These collaborations can help you tap into each other’s audiences, leading to more downloads and engagement for your show.
Additionally, many podcast networks offer resources and support for their members, including promotion, technical support, and even monetization opportunities. The Hubspot podcast network is a good example of the types of resources available when you get involved.
Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or just starting, having a network of peers and supporters can be invaluable in helping you grow your show.
Power up your podcast marketing with email
A lot of marketers view podcasts as a single channel. And they don’t realize that podcasts work well with other marketing channels.
That’s why email marketing can be a highly effective tool for promoting your company’s podcast and building a relationship with your audience.
Here are a few ways to use email as one of your podcast marketing tactics:
- Create a newsletter for your podcast. This is a great way to give your listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what’s going on with your podcast, and to share exclusive content they won’t find anywhere else. You can include links to your new episodes, teasers for upcoming episodes, and any other relevant news or information.
- Insert podcast episodes into customer onboarding sequences. This is a great way to engage new customers and get them interested in your podcast right from the start. You can use email to share your latest podcast episode and to encourage new customers to subscribe to your podcast.
- Use email to connect with customers. You can use email to share your new episodes, ask for feedback, and build a community around your podcast. You can also use email to share relevant news or information that your customers might be interested in, such as new products or services, or industry trends.
Email marketing isn’t just about nurturing sequences and converting prospects. Your company can use email AND podcasting to create compelling content to help your ideal customers — wherever they are in their journey.
Build a stronger bond: The benefits of engaging with your podcast audience
As a marketer, you’re always looking for ways to connect with your target audience and build a community. The same holds true when it comes to promoting your company’s podcast.
Encouraging listener engagement is a powerful tool for boosting your podcast marketing efforts.
First, capturing questions from listeners and answering them through episodes can be a great way to keep your content fresh and relevant. You’re not just talking at your audience; you’re having a conversation. This level of interaction can help to build a stronger bond with your listeners, making them feel heard and valued.
In fact, we worked with Nick Bennett of Airmeet to create the Anonymous Marketer podcast. The entire premise behind the show involves answering anonymous questions from the B2B marketing community.
“Every episode is based upon questions from the B2B marketing community. These are the questions marketers are afraid to ask.”
Nick Bennett
Host
The Anonymous Marketer
Another way to encourage engagement is by creating opportunities for discussion around your podcast. This could be through social media, in-person events, or virtual meetups. These gatherings give your listeners a chance to connect with each other, share their thoughts on your content, and give you feedback on what they’d like to see in new episodes.
I view podcasts as a way to have genuine conversations. And if you encourage conversations with your customers, you can build a strong community and grow your company’s podcast.
The power of presence: How live events can elevate your podcast
When marketing your company’s podcast, live events can be critical to building a dedicated audience.
By integrating your podcast with your company’s event strategy, you can create new opportunities for engagement and bring your content to life. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you navigate this aspect of your podcast growth strategy.
First, consider capturing interviews or live recordings at major trade shows. This can be an excellent way to tap into a wider audience and draw new podcast listeners. Whether interviewing thought leaders in your industry or simply broadcasting from the show floor, this type of content can be a powerful tool for promoting your podcast and building a stronger connection with your audience.
Another option is to organize smaller private events, such as a meet and greet with your podcast hosts or a live recording of an episode. These events are a big contrast to large trade shows because you keep the environment intimate and truly get to have conversations with your best customers.
Your company can also consider creating a consistent virtual event experience, such as a recurring webinar or virtual summit. By offering regular opportunities for engagement and interaction, you can build a more dedicated and engaged audience over time. The consistent event strategy also serves as a way to generate new ideas for podcast episode topics.
Many marketers view podcasts as a way to connect with customers remotely. But when you think about integrating your company’s show with events, you can connect in real life, too.
Podcast SEO: Boost your company's show with optimized podcast episodes
If you want your podcast episodes to get discovered in the podcast apps, you should optimize your podcast titles and episode summaries.
Some podcast traditionalists say, “Don’t worry about keywords. Focus on creating amazing content.” Or, you’ll hear comments like, “Create content that resonates.”
This is all great advice. I don’t disagree with it. But, I feel there is a balance to strike when you create a show for your company’s target audience.
You CAN focus on having amazing conversations and include keywords that matter to your audience. These keywords should be relevant to the topic of your episode and should help search engines understand what your podcast is about. Including keywords in your episode titles can make it easier for listeners to find your podcast when searching for relevant topics.
According to Alexis Hue, the Co-Founder of Voxalyze (a podcast search engine optimization platform), “SEO for podcasting is a lot like SEO was 15 years ago with Google.”
Another important aspect of podcast SEO is to create in-depth podcast show notes for each episode. These show notes should include a summary of the episode’s content, a transcript of the conversation, and any relevant links or resources mentioned during the episode. This information not only helps search engines understand what your podcast episode is about, but it also provides valuable information to your listeners.
In addition to show notes, consider crafting blog posts from the detailed conversations in your podcast episodes. This will allow you to expand on the topic and provide even more value to your listeners. Plus, you can create valuable internal links using specific keywords and improve your company’s ranking for relevant search terms.
Invest in your show and build your audience with paid promotion
Paid promotion is an often overlooked, but extremely valuable component of podcast marketing.
You may think that “if you build it, they will come.” The truth is that many of the top podcasts you see on Apple use podcast ads to grow their audience.
But you don’t have to be a large publisher to take advantage of podcast advertising. By investing in different forms of paid promotion, you can reach new listeners and scale your podcast’s growth, too.
One way to invest in paid promotion is by creating a podcast ad featuring snippets of your podcast episodes. These ads, which can be stand-alone images or short videos, can be shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The short-form ads highlight specific parts of a podcast episode and drive your audience to the longer-form version.
Youtube videos are another way to reach new audiences and share the value of your podcast. By creating a short, eye-catching video podcast ad that highlights the content of your show, you can engage with viewers who may not have otherwise been exposed to your brand.
Another form of paid promotion is display ads. These are the small, banner ads that you see on websites. By placing these ads on relevant websites, you can direct potential listeners to your podcast and help build brand awareness. Sponsored content on premium publisher websites can be another powerful way to reach new audiences and market your podcast.
The key to success with paid promotion is to be strategic and thoughtful about where and how you allocate your budget. The more specific your ads are, the better your chance of attracting your ideal listener.
“Most often, we use the video clips. I use LinkedIn and Youtube to grow the show.”
Toby Phillips
VP Marketing & Communications
Kolbe
Elevate your existing content with snippets from your podcast episodes
Podcast marketing is not just about promoting the show itself; it’s about finding ways to enhance other parts of your content strategy.
First off, let’s talk about blog posts. Blog posts help drive organic traffic to your company’s website. But a lot of blog posts are just endless pages of text. Sure, there are some headings and bulleted lists mixed in, but this doesn’t help engage your website visitor.
Your company’s podcast allows you to bring more life to your written content. By incorporating video snippets from your podcast, you can humanize your blog posts and integrate real conversations.
Adding these snippets can be as simple as embedding a YouTube video, or recording an audio clip to add to your blog post. This will give your audience a taste of what they can expect from your podcast, and they might just be inclined to tune in after reading your post.
Another way to enhance your existing content is by referencing quotes from your podcast in premium downloads or toolkits. This can provide your audience with real-life examples and help bring more flavor to long-form text content.
You can also enhance the content you create for customers. By embedding snippets from your podcast into knowledgebase articles, you can add another layer to customer success. Your company’s podcast is an effective way to connect with your customers and demonstrate how to solve their problems.
Your company’s podcast is more than an RSS feed. Your conversations with guests can become a key component of your company’s overall content strategy.
Boost your podcast reach with a simple signature update
According to Opensense, “for every 100 employees, your company sends nearly a million emails annually.”
With all these emails flying around, your company has a big opportunity to promote its podcast within your employees’ email signatures.
Think about it — every time you send an email, you have an opportunity to promote your podcast. So why not make the most of it?
All you have to do is add a line or two in your signature that mentions your podcast, with a link to your podcast page or the latest episode. This way, whenever someone receives an email from you, they can check out your podcast.
This is especially effective for B2B companies, where many of the emails sent are to potential clients or partners. Including information about the podcast in your signature can give the recipient a better understanding of your company and its values, and make your brand more memorable.
Collaborate with industry leaders to build more credibility
When building a podcast marketing strategy, it’s important to go outside the four walls of your organization. Partnering with industry leaders can be a powerful way to increase visibility, credibility, and reach.
But how exactly do you go about forming these strategic partnerships?
Start with Guests and Co-Hosts
One of the simplest ways to incorporate industry leaders into your podcast is by inviting them to be guests or co-hosts on episodes. This not only provides your audience with valuable insights and perspectives from industry experts, but it also helps build relationships with thought leaders and influencers in your space.
When inviting guests, consider the topics you want to cover and the industry leaders well-versed in those areas. Reach out to them directly, and make sure you give them a clear understanding of what the episode will cover and why you think they would be the perfect fit.
Promote Together
Another way to leverage partnerships with industry leaders is to promote each other’s content. If you have a guest on your podcast who runs their own blog or social media accounts, ask them to share the episode with their followers.
You can promote their content on your company’s social media accounts or through email marketing. This helps expand the reach of both your podcast and your partner’s content.
Content for Industry Events
Industry events are a great opportunity to create targeted content with industry leaders. Consider partnering with a thought leader to co-host a panel discussion or interview other experts at the event.
This type of content can be especially impactful because it is created specifically for a targeted audience, and can be shared on social media or even released as a standalone episode.
When it comes to effective podcast marketing, it pays to think outside the box and consider creative ways to collaborate with others in your industry.
Join the conversation: How to market your company's podcast in communities
Sharing your podcast content in communities is a great way to engage with your audience and build a loyal following. Whether it’s industry-specific forums, social media groups, or Slack groups, there are a variety of communities where your target audience may be hanging out.
By being active in these communities, you can share your latest episodes, start conversations, and provide valuable insights to your audience.
Here are a few ways to leverage communities as part of your podcast marketing strategy:
- Engage in discussions: Participate in conversations relevant to your podcast topics and share your latest episode as a resource for others. This is a great way to build relationships with potential listeners and showcase the value of your podcast.
- Share snippet: Sharing a snippet or excerpt from a recent episode can spark interest and drive people to check out the full episode.
- Offer exclusive content: You can create exclusive content specifically for community members, such as bonus episodes, Q&A sessions, or behind-the-scenes content. This will give them a reason to follow your podcast and engage with you on a deeper level.
- Collaborate with other podcasters: Partnering with others in your community can help you reach a wider audience. You can promote each other’s shows, cross-promote content, or even co-host episodes.
By being active in online communities and sharing your podcast content, you can help your audience, build relationships, and ultimately grow your audience. It’s important to remember to be authentic, provide value, and engage with your audience in a meaningful way.
Remember, communities are a two-way street. You can learn a lot from your audience, and they can learn a lot from you. So, don’t just post and run. Take the time to engage in conversations and build relationships with your audience. It’s the best way to help your podcast grow and succeed.
Podcast marketing...because your show won't grow itself
When marketing your podcast, there’s a lot you can do to get the word out there and have and drive results for your company. From developing strong relationships with industry leaders to sharing your content in communities, there’s a wide range of tactics you can use to give your podcast the exposure it deserves.
One of the key takeaways from this set of tactics is that it’s all about being intentional and taking a multi-pronged approach. You can’t just rely on one strategy — you need to combine several tactics to grow your company’s show.
So, where should your company start? The best way to get started is to choose one or two strategies that align with your team’s expertise and begin implementing them right away. You can expand your efforts and add new strategies over time.
Remember, your podcast won’t grow itself. Your company needs a dedicated podcast marketing strategy with a combination of activities.
This is what it takes to create a show that resonates with your ideal customer.
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.
