Benefits of Podcasting for B2B and Professional Services
The thought of launching your own podcast has probably crossed your mind once or twice. I mean, imagine having a channel to reach and build trust with your ideal buyers while they drive, exercise, or walk their dog. You can’t get this kind of access with other digital marketing channels. But that’s only one of the many benefits of podcasting for business. In this article, you’ll get a variety of perspectives from B2B and professional services podcasters.
This article was sourced from an episode of Podcasting in Professional Services, available to stream in the media player below. You’ll hear from c-suite executives on how podcasting has impacted networking, sales, HR, marketing, and even their own personal growth.
Benefits of Podcasting for Business
Many businesses invest in podcasts because they see the potential to generate leads. But that’s a narrow view of the full business impact that a podcast can have across sales, marketing, and even HR. There are many other benefits of podcasting for businesses that operate with a sales-led revenue model.
Sales Benefits of Podcasting for Business
First and foremost, the intent behind a podcast is usually in service of generating more revenue for the business. So let’s begin with the sales benefits of podcasting for business.
Podcasting fuels sales enablement
Podcasting provides a dynamic platform to create content that empowers your sales team. Imagine crafting episodes that directly address common pain points of your target audience or explain complex product features. This content becomes a valuable resource for sales reps to share with potential clients, enhancing their ability to educate and persuade—a major benefit of podcasting.
Recently, I interviewed Aaron Weiche, Co-founder and CEO of Leadferno about his experience using podcasting for his business. In 2023, Aaron launched Conversion Cast, an interview-based podcast that features digital marketing experts speaking about topics his target audience (solopreneurs, agencies) would find valuable. He views this podcast as a source of content that can fuel sales enablement.
“[Conversion Cast] is giving me a library within digital marketing.” Said Aaron. “If I'm talking to someone who cares a lot about content distribution, I’ll say, ‘actually I just recorded an episode with a fantastic expert, go listen to this podcast. I'll send you the link right now, and you'll definitely pick out some things that you can try or start to put in motion.”
Aaron isn’t alone in viewing podcasting as fuel for sales enablement. Recently, I caught up with Allyson Cochran, Chief Revenue Officer at Silverback Strategies. She and I worked together for a few years between 2020 and 2022. During that time, we launched the Digital Marketing Troop podcast. Listen to her perspective in the podcast episode at the top of this page, or in the video below.
“I think I underestimated the real value of a podcast to be both in its core form as a podcast, as well as the sliced and diced version to fuel sales enablement.” Said Allyson. “That was a significant portion of the value.”
“We started by recording conversations with our subject matter experts in our core service departments. Short episodes. 10- 15-minutes tops that had the promise of having clear topics and takeaways for the listeners. The editorial calendar showcased the unique skill sets of our team and the tremendous results they were driving for our clients in various categories. We were able to build outreach messaging and marketing nurture drip campaigns around that.”
Deposits into client relationships
Podcasts offer a unique opportunity to engage with clients on a personal level. Hosting industry experts, featuring client success stories, or discussing market trends not only positions your brand as a thought leader but also reinforces relationships with existing clients. It's a way to provide value beyond the transactional aspects of your business.
“Deposits in our client relationships were right at the top of the benefits of launching our podcast.” Said Allyson Cochran. “The Digital Marketing Troop presented a venue for us to both showcase the success stories and our expertise, and also provide a platform for our clients to showcase their business, highlight some upcoming initiatives, and I think most importantly, it gave them a platform to establish personal credibility to their peers.”
Human Resources Benefits of Podcasting for Business
An often overlooked benefit of podcasting is the impact it can have on your employer brand and your ability to attract and retain top talent.
Employer branding & recruitment
A podcast offers a window into key personalities on your team. This is incredibly valuable for companies who work remotely. Through the podcast, prospective employees get a glimpse into the inner workings of your organization, making your company more attractive to top talent.
“We would regularly have candidates that would reference the podcast in the hiring process.” Said Allyson Cochran. “They’d say, ‘I found you guys through this [podcast] and I really liked how you positioned digital marketing and your take.’ Another thing I remember hearing from several candidates was, maybe they didn't find us through the podcast, but they really liked how we made these typically complex digital marketing topics digestible for the everyman.”
Employee morale & engagement
If you give employees the opportunity to be on the company podcast, they’ll love it. That was one of the major benefits of podcasting I experienced as the host of the Digital Marketing Troop. I could feel the energy from team members who were eager, prepared, and well-spoken when they came on the show, like this episode about SEO for B2B SaaS with Jacob Clarke.
Incorporating employees into podcast episodes, celebrating achievements, and recognizing milestones fosters a sense of pride and engagement. Employees become ambassadors, and the podcast becomes a medium through which the entire team feels valued and connected.
“Our staff really enjoyed being on the podcast.” Said Allyson Cochran. “You can't put a price on having a really engaged employee base.”
Allyson continued, “We had a backlog of team members looking to lend their voice and their expertise to the Troop podcast. It allowed them to advance their personal brands. They could showcase their expertise, which led to the growth of their personal brand and then Silverback's growth by connection.”
Internal training, learning and development
Podcasts aren't just external-facing; they can also be a valuable resource for internal training. Create episodes that share insights, updates, and best practices within the company, enhancing continuous learning and development for your team.
Marketing & Branding Benefits of Podcasting for Business
Surely, one of the biggest benefits of podcasting is its impact on a company’s marketing organization. In this section, we’ll explore how a podcast can humanize your brand, build trust with prospective buyers, and the importance of regularly distributing your podcast content.
Podcasting humanizes your brand
Podcasts add a human touch to your brand. When you’re on camera, your personality really shines through. The use of storytelling and emotion creates a more intimate connection with your audience. It humanizes your brand, making it more relatable to your listeners.
Recently, I chatted with Kelly Waffle, currently the Director of Research & Innovation at CPA Crossings. Kelly and I co-hosted a podcast called The Visible Expert between 2019 and 2020 that documented the story of how well-known subject-matter experts rose to prominence.
“I'm a big believer in the technique of storytelling.” Said Kelly. “That's one of the things I do like about writing blogs or doing podcasts. You have the opportunity to tell a little story along the way and help connect the dots and guide people along a path.”
Kelly continued, “To me, it's about memorability. You can put your point across in the written word. But when you're talking to people, you can use tone and inflection, you can weave in some emotion.”
Podcasting builds trust & visibility
In B2B and professional services, there are often long, complex sales cycles. Consistent podcasting becomes a nurture channel to build trust with listeners over time. Your audience feels like they know the host’s personality, and the expertise and value shared on the podcast.
“I definitely see the benefit in familiarizing people with me and building trust with me.” Said Aaron Weiche. “I think that's a very important aspect. If you're giving people something and they're grateful, and you're earning their trust and they feel like, oh, he's smart to have these guests and the conversations are enlightening and all these other kinds of things. I bet his software is also built smart and does smart things for us, too.”
Listeners can binge episodes
Just like your favorite streaming platform, your podcast can leave listeners eagerly awaiting the next episode. When they have the time, a buyer could listen to multiple episodes and “binge” your show.
“I was a little bit of a late-comer to the world of Netflix and binge watching,” said Kelly Waffle. “But once I got into it, my wife and I would be like, Okay, it's time to go to bed. Well, let's stay up for one more hour and watch one more episode.”
Kelly continued, “I think people have that with podcasts, too. People are hungry for information about how they can make their business better.”
Podcasts are a great source format for distribution
A podcast serves as a continuous source of fresh and authentic content. Transcribe episodes into blog posts, create video snippets for social media, and extract quotes for marketing materials. Just like I’m doing with this blog post you’re reading. This content versatility maximizes the impact of your podcast across various channels.
“The podcast was really a foundational element of our editorial program.” Said Allyson Cochran. “It was often the starting point for bringing content themes to life. We recorded a meaningful conversation, we then sliced it and diced it into different content formats like transcript-fueled blogs, email nurture cadences, audiograms, full episodes being highlighted in sales messaging…the podcast spread the love through the organization”
Podcasts can evolve over time
Unlike static content, podcasts can evolve and adapt. With the Digital Marketing Troop, we started off interviewing internal subject-matter experts at Silverback Strategies to showcase the unique skills and expertise on-staff. Over time, the show evolved to include external guests like clients and industry influencers.
“The only constant in marketing is change.” Said Allyson Cochran. “Change is what drives opportunity and like any living, breathing thing, marketing programs need to change. Podcasts should evolve as your audience grows with you.”
Podcasts can be a source of qualitative research
Engaging with your audience through a podcast provides an invaluable opportunity to gather qualitative insights. If you’re interviewing guests who fit your ideal client profile, their challenges, emotions, and aspirations are all valuable information that can help your business improve its product, service, messaging, sales tactics, and more.
Personal Growth Benefits of Podcasting
There are also personal benefits of podcasting. In this section, we’ll explore ways that a podcast can make a personal impact on the host. After all, a good host is a major factor in the success of a podcast.
Podcasting organizes your thoughts
Hosting a podcast requires thoughtful planning and organization. Articulating your ideas and framing discussions helps clarify your thoughts, enhancing your communication skills and overall cognitive organization.
Before he launched Conversion Cast, Aaron Weiche had been the host of another podcast called The SaaS Venture, where Aaron and his co-host Darren Shaw documented their journey as SaaS founders. In the video below, listen to Aaron talk about his experience with this podcast and the benefits he saw.
“For SaaS Venture, I would say the benefits are primarily personal and selfish.” Said Aaron. “It’s helped me organize my thoughts, it’s helped me talk out loud and then sometimes listen back to them. It helped me, especially in the co-host format, get someone else’s opinion or see what questions they have.”
Podcasting sharpens your skills
Engaging in podcasting, whether it's hosting, interviewing, or participating in discussions, sharpens your communication and public speaking skills. It hones your ability to articulate ideas clearly and succinctly, valuable skills for any business leader.
That was one of the benefits of podcasting for me, personally, since I started podcasting in 2019. One of my goals was to speak like I write, and write like I speak. And that mantra still rings true today. And since we’re throwing around early podcasting dates, an episode I will never forget is the podcast interview Kelly Waffle and I had with Scott McKain, ICONIC Author and Speaker, who shared a story of how he would practice speaking in front of a mirror to sharpen his skill.
Podcasting expands your network
Inviting guests to your podcast or participating in industry-related conversations can significantly broaden your network. This expansion can lead to collaboration opportunities, strategic partnerships, and access to a wider audience, all of which contribute to business growth.
On the examples shared above—Conversion Cast, Digital Marketing Troop, Visible Expert, and SaaS Venture—each podcast was a vehicle for expanding or leveraging a network. Podcasting enables human-to-human connection. It’s a great way to network and meet other brilliant businesspeople.
Let’s explore your podcast ideas together
Contact Red Cedar to speak with an expert. Red Cedar helps B2B and professional services firms differentiate their content strategies with podcast media. Whether you need a coach to show you how, or a partner to outsource production, we can help. Connect with me on LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter).
