Blogs and podcasts are both powerful marketing tools for B2B SaaS companies. And while company blogs have been around for a long time, podcasting has quickly become one of the most popular ways for people to consume content. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re looking for education, entertainment, or simply an escape from reality.
Podcasts are packaged into an easy-to-consume format accessible from the car, to the bus, to the bath. Podcasts can be consumed while we continue with our daily lives.
More than half of consumers in the US listen to podcasts, making them a powerful marketing tool. But a lot of companies, especially in B2B SaaS, are not using podcasts to their full advantage. In fact, many companies view a podcast as an extra layer or another box to check. And with the extra work involved, companies move a podcast further down the priority list.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Your company’s podcast and blog don’t have to be enemies. They don’t have to be competing priorities.
Your company’s podcast can actually fuel a lot of content for the blog.
Let’s take a closer look at both blogs and podcasts, and consider how you can repurpose your content in a way that lets you create a content flywheel, without doubling your workload.
“Your company’s podcast creates a conversation flywheel…and this can power your company’s entire content marketing strategy.”
Tristan Pelligrino
Co-Founder
Motion
The main differences between your company's podcast and blog
Before we identify the differences between these two mediums, let’s define them.
Podcasts are digital audio files made available for download on the internet. Even though podcasts are traditionally viewed as an audio channel, companies now produce full shows with the production of YouTube podcasts.
Blogs are educational, informational, or entertaining areas of your company’s website where new pieces of content—blog posts—are regularly published. For tech companies, blog posts serve as a way to answer their customers’ burning questions and provide an effective source of organic traffic.
Today, more than 6 million blog posts are uploaded each day and companies rely upon their blogs to be a core component of their content marketing strategy.
The main advantages of building out your company’s blog
- Blog posts typically require the involvement of less resources (writer + editor) than more dynamic media (videos, podcast episodes)
- Blog posts require less technical expertise and fewer tools to create than a podcast episode
- Blog posts typically require a shorter timeframe to produce and publish
- Blog posts take less time for your target audience to consume, typically three to 10 minutes compared to 30 minutes or more for a podcast episode
- Blog posts can potentially drive more organic traffic if they’re optimized properly
The major disadvantages of creating blog posts
- Blog posts that resonate with your audience require in-depth knowledge (so there’s always a struggle to find experts who are good writers)
- Blog posts require extensive research to ensure the content is fresh for the reader
- Blog posts require interviews or other content from external sources
- Blog posts are in written format only so you don’t get the dynamic content available within videos or audio files
For years, company blogs have been a core part of a marketing team’s content strategy. Blog posts help answer customer questions and drive website visitors to other content. Ideally, blog posts help attract target customers through organic search and then can be used to present your company’s product as a solution.
Podcasts can entertain and educate in the same way that blogs do, but in a much more engaging fashion. Your audience no longer needs to be glued to their screens to consume your content. They can simply pop in their AirPods and get on with their day while still absorbing what you have to say. A busy marketer’s dream!
The main advantages of producing a branded podcast
- Podcasts are a fresh type of content with less saturation than company blogs
- Podcasts provide a way to showcase your brand’s personality
- Podcasts, when produced consistently, help establish a deep connection with your audience
- Podcasts can be consumed “on the go” without having a laptop or computer in front of you
- Podcasts can be repurposed into video formats, adding to their flexibility
The disadvantages of developing a podcast for your company
- Podcasts typically require the involvement of more resources with a broad range of skillsets (audio, video, and written content)
- Podcasts require more coordination with team members, leadership and guests (if you host an interview-style show)
- Podcasts add a layer of technical complexity with live or remote recording platforms
- Podcasts require a bigger time commitment from your audience
The major considerations when choosing between a podcast and a blog
With podcasts growing rapidly, and blog content to continue to make up a large portion of the wider web, it’s understandable to be confused as to which will be more beneficial to your business.
If you’re struggling to pick between a podcast and a blog, it helps to consider the following questions:
Who are you looking to reach?
As is the case with any marketing strategy, you need to confirm your ideal customer profile (ICP). Are you looking to reach a wider audience, or does your business tailor its product for a very specific niche?
When you consider your audience, it helps to clearly identify a niche with your podcast. A blog post can focus on a keyword (or a cluster of keywords), but a company’s podcast is much better positioned when you have a specific audience in mind.
What point are you looking to reach them?
Think about the marketing flywheel. To create a sustainable business, you need to develop a process that can attract, engage, and delight your very best customers.
If you’re looking to attract business, a blog could be the ideal tool for you. Blogs offer an improved level of SEO and can include links to your product that gently nudge a reader into becoming a customer.
If you’re looking to engage potential customers and give them that final little push in the right direction, a podcast could give that personal connection they need to make that purchasing decision.
Podcasts are also extremely valuable for increasing the value of existing accounts. By showcasing success stories on your podcast, you can inspire your other customers and nurture the relationship.
Can your business bring something to the table?
There are millions of blogs and millions of podcast episodes on the internet right now, and both platforms show little sign of slowing down their momentum. While the immense competition may seem daunting, it actually presents you with an opportunity to be creative and grow.
Audiences are not looking to consume the same content over and over again. You need to consider if your blog or podcast can bring something unique to the table. This could be as simple as a podcast host’s unique personality, so long as it brings something new to the platform that no one else can claim. Consider what you have available within your team and determine the best approach to take with your content.
How can your blog and podcast work together?
Weighing up the pros and cons of each platform could take a little longer than it’s worth, especially when you can do both. There’s no real reason why you would choose one over another, as they can easily complement each other.
As we said earlier, if you have enough content for a regular blog, you also have enough content for a regular podcast. Old blog posts can be repurposed into a podcast episode, old podcast episodes can be transcribed and turned into a new blog post. After all, a podcast is simply a conversation about a topic.
Utilizing both platforms can help you reach a wide audience by literally combining both demographics in terms of awareness. Your brand, product and message will be spread across an incredibly varied range of people, rather than focusing your attention on just one group.
Those who chose to incorporate blogs and podcasts into their marketing hold a secret weapon. The two platforms can be used to cross-promote.
Even your most dedicated podcast listeners may have never read a single word on your website and vice versa. It takes a couple of seconds to add “check out our blog” to your podcast script. You could even integrate the blog into your podcast as a starting point for topics. Meanwhile, you can easily place some snippets of a podcast episode in your blog post. This will accent your written piece and offer an introduction to the podcast for your readers.
Cross promotion between your company’s podcast and blog helps grow both types of content.
“My favorite type of solo podcast episode is when I go back & revisit previous conversations. It always sparks something new for me.”
Tristan Pelligrino
Co-Founder
Motion
Own the media, own the market
To sum up: Stop asking the question “Blog or podcast” and allow them to work together for your company.
Unsure how to pull it off? This is where Motion comes in.
Check out our podcast packages and discover how simple it is to build a podcasting strategy that offers real growth to your brand.
Want to see how other B2B marketers use their podcasts on YouTube?
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.
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.
