As the co-founder of Motion, I help technology companies connect with prospective customers on a personal level. Motion uses two main strategies to enable our clients to connect with their target audience. First, we encourage genuine conversations through thought leadership programs. And second, we develop valuable, engaging content that helps clients stand out from competitors – and become the choice in the marketplace.
During a recent podcast interview with Jake Jorgovan, I had an opportunity to talk about the many iterations of our service model and how we got to this point. I also had a chance to breakdown some of the best ways to use a podcast or video series for both demand generation and long-term thought leadership.
“The thing we constantly heard from clients in the B2B tech space was – how can I ensure that I actually do get leads from a content initiative?”
Tristan Pelligrino
Co-Founder
Motion
What are the challenges associated with building demand through video content or a podcast?
Bringing leads in the door is an ongoing challenge for many businesses. And fostering long-term brand awareness and commitment is an even greater challenge. While video engages prospects, its organic nature make it more difficult to determine the ROI for video marketing initiatives. For this reason, some companies are reluctant to spend more than a modest amount on video while others may cast video aside in favor of website enhancements or other initiatives that are easier to track. During the podcast interview with Jake, I referenced a few of the top challenges associated with video, including the following:
- Tracking Challenges: It is difficult to track the ROI of a video series or podcast
- Client Reluctance: Companies are reluctant to invest money in video because the ROI is hard to track
- Budget Constraints: Providing a high quality video product while working within a client’s limited budget can be difficult
- Price Vs. Value Issues: It is challenging to compete with companies who offer low prices but fail do deliver quality
- Poor Lead Visibility: Clients are often unable to see they receive leads from video, which can make them hard to justify
Can a podcast or video series really become your biggest driver?
Yes! But between an ROI that is hard to track and a company’s dependence on traditional marketing techniques, it may not be easy to convince stakeholders that a podcast could become your company’s key driver of leads and opportunities. While some companies are catching on to the power of video, others still rely more on traditional techniques such as advertising, direct mail, telemarketing, trade shows, and other types of event marketing.
Motion is a prime example of a company whose primary driver is their own podcast. Initially, the Motion team used a wide variety of marketing initiatives, especially in the company’s early years. And while Motion still uses a multi-faceted approach to their own marketing, there is much less focus on techniques such as pay per click advertising, blog articles, and SEO.
During the interview, I described Motion’s current podcasting approach as, “drinking our own Kool Aid.” By investing resources in our own podcast, we noticed that clients are more eager to strike up a conversation or send referrals to Motion. I attributed this shift and overall positive response to the following qualities of a podcast:
- A more subtle approach: Inviting someone to check out your podcast is a better conversation starter than raw promotion of your services.
- Deeper conversations: Podcasts open doors for deeper communication between you and your customers.
- Flexible: Podcasts can be kicked off at any point, from nearly any location.
- Purer connections: Podcasts often lead to in person meetings, events, and partnerships.
- Better understanding of audience needs: The deep conversations fostered by podcasts enable you to gain insight into your audience’s needs.
What are some of the biggest ways to get more value from podcasts?
The key to a successful podcast is a natural, genuine conversation. Even if there are some glitches or challenges along the way, the versatility of podcasts allows you to repurpose that content in a variety of ways. Here are some of the many ways you can transform your podcast content for current and future use – all aimed at establishing your company as a thought leader:
- Break up the conversation: During the podcast interview with Jakie, I noted that “you can get 10-15 different elements” out of a single 45-minute interview or podcast episode.
- Write a custom blog post: You can use your podcast content to prepare a blog post that focuses on your key podcast topics.
- Create a 30-second sound bite: Most episodes have pivotal moments or “turning points” that you can extract and use for 30-second sound bites.
- Prepare a podcast roundup: Once you have accumulated a collection of content on a topic, you can do roundups across a small group of guests.
- Create an animated video: You can use a clip to create an engaging video to post to LinkedIn, tagging your guest in the process.
As shown above, you can employ creativity and use the content from a single one-hour episode or conversation to develop an impressive collection of impactful and distinct marketing initiatives that you can use in the coming months. In this way, the versatility of podcasts allows you to maximize your marketing budget and resources beyond just the single conversation.
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.
