The recent shift in how B2B businesses create trust with their potential customers is significant. Today’s digital world offers many ways to connect with potential customers, unlike years ago, the use of old marketing methods (i.e., pamphlets, cold call emails, PowerPoint presentations) is not what will get people’s attention anymore. Instead, decision-makers now have an expectation to have conversations that show experience and provide insight before they will do business with any company.
Branded/Corporate Podcasts have changed how B2B companies can acquire and retain customers.
There are many different types of companies using podcasts to establish themselves as experts (and build thought-leadership) within their industry. Instead of selling directly to listeners using outdated marketing practices, organizations are using podcasts to develop credibility through conversations, expert interviews, testimonials, and educational discussions.
For B2B companies, branded/corporate podcasts are now used not only to provide content but also to be used as a tool for creating thought-leadership, establishing credibility, developing relationships, and remaining top-of-mind among their potential customers.
In this blog post, we will share with you why branded/corporate podcasts are such an important component of today’s marketing mix, and we will review some examples of B2B companies that successfully leverage branded/corporate podcasts as a way to position themselves as leading-edge companies.
Additional Read:
Multi-Camera Podcast Setup: Why It Matters and What It Changes in Post-Production
10 Ways Branded Podcasts Help B2B Companies Build Thought Leadership
1. Why Podcasts Are Becoming a Powerful B2B Marketing Tool
Podcasts, unlike short-form social media posts, enable businesses to have longer, more meaningful, and deeper conversations. Brands can use podcasts not only to explain complicated subjects, but also to highlight industry trends and share valuable life experiences – all without making the content sound excessively promotional in nature.
Podcasts create stronger emotional connections with listeners; therefore, audiences can hear the real voices of the podcasters, see the authenticity of their thoughts and feelings, and see the naturalness of how the conversations were conducted. As a result, the content feels more trustworthy and human.
For B2B companies, where many buying decisions require significant research, comparison, and an extended sales cycle, having the ability to form trust with their prospective clients is extremely valuable.
The following are some examples of how B2B companies can effectively leverage podcasts in their marketing strategies:
- Greater audience engagement
- Longer attention spans as compared to written content
- Increased brand credibility
- Enhanced relationships with your target market in your industry
- Consistent positioning as a thought leader
- The ability to repurpose content for distribution on social media and blogs
2. B2B Companies Are Using Podcasts to Educate Their Audience
The main reason for the success of a branded podcast is that it focuses on educating the consumer instead of trying to sell them something directly.
Today’s consumers would rather learn about a product before they buy it. This means that businesses are now developing episodes based on:
- Trends in the industry
- Problems faced in business frequently
- Ways to adopt technology appropriately
- Ways to operate better
- Leadership viewpoint on current events
- How to use customer success strategies.
For example, a SaaS company will create a podcast episode on the latest trends in automation, and a healthcare provider will create an episode on innovations in how patients experience care.
By taking a more educational approach to developing the podcast as a medium, companies are establishing trust with their customers and other companies as authorities in their industry.
3. Podcasts Help Companies Build Industry Authority
Advertisements are not the only way to build thought leadership. Businesses need to continually share valuable thoughts and opinions.
A branded podcast establishes authority for a company in the following ways:
- By hosting conversations with experts in the industry
- By sharing executive perspectives
- By discussing current trends
- By providing a new perspective on how to approach your business
- By sharing successful customer experiences
When you hear repeated value-based conversations from a company, you will begin associating that brand as an expert and credible provider.
This is very important when purchasing in the B2B arena because of the importance of trust in making those purchases.
4. Podcasts Create Stronger Human Connections
The majority of B2B marketing is considered very formal and focuses on branding and sales; whereas, podcasting provides a less formal environment with two people talking back and forth to one another in a straightforward fashion.
Listeners can hear:
- The voice and face of the company
- How their company’s leaders communicate
- How companies treat your customers
- What others think
This adds a lot of personality to your company’s brand and separates it from the rest of the marketing world, which can be monotonous and transactional.
When done well, a business may be viewed as being more friendly and approachable and will be more believable than if it were only produced via other means.
5. Companies Are Repurposing Podcast Content Across Multiple Channels
With one podcast episode, there are many other opportunities to produce content to leverage across various marketing channels.
Currently, businesses are converting their podcast recordings into:
- Video clips for LinkedIn
- Reels on Instagram
- Shorts on YouTube
- Content for blog posts
- Content for email newsletters
- Quote graphics
- Content for websites
- Case Studies
Podcasts are therefore very efficient as a means of producing content from a content marketing perspective.
Instead of having separate content produced for each digital channel, companies can leverage the podcast conversations as a content source and then distribute it throughout the different digital channels.
6. Executive Branding Is Becoming Easier Through Podcasts
A large number of B2B organizations today are using podcasts to build a stronger brand for their executives (founders, CEOs, and other leaders).
By hosting podcasts or appearing as a guest, leaders who regularly contribute will be recognized as authorities in their industries. This enhances:
- Visibility of the brand
- Reputation in the industry
- Opportunities to gain media attention
- Opportunities to build networking relationships
- Confidence of potential investors
- Trust of customers
In most industries, business is being conducted with leaders who are known and trusted by the parties involved. Therefore, by using podcasts, there will be a naturally developing familiarity with respective participants in a given industry.
7. Internal Company Podcasts Are Also Growing
Branded podcasts do not all necessarily cater to external audiences.
Podcasts are being created and utilized internally by organizations for the following reasons:
- Communicating with employees
- Leadership updates
- Training and onboarding
- Creating a culture of company values
- Motivating teams
Internal podcasts can help improve an organization’s ability to communicate effectively. With many organizations now working from home due to COVID-19, internal podcasts have become increasingly valuable in this regard.
Podcasts are more engaging than long emails or static presentations; therefore, the format creates a more effective way to communicate.
8. Video Podcasts Are Increasing Brand Visibility
Because of the growing popularity of video podcasts, there are additional avenues for B2B companies to create value for their products and services.
One way to do this is to record a podcast in an in-person or studio style format and upload it to various channels, including:
- YouTube,
- LinkedIn,
- Spotify Video, and
- their own company website.
When businesses have a video podcast, they increase their online visibility because all social media channels and search engines rank visual materials more favorably than non-visual materials.
In addition, they show that the business is professional, providing high-quality studio production and personifying the business brand more effectively.
9. High-Quality Production Plays a Major Role
Even though podcasting generally has a relaxed and informal vibe, its production professionalism can play an important role in the success of your event (for example, poor audio, poor video, editing mistakes, etc.). Generally speaking, when the production quality of a podcast is bad, that podcast will reduce a listener’s perception of the host’s credibility very quickly.
Professional podcast production provides additional credibility for businesses in the following areas:
- High-quality audio
- Developed storyline structure
- Professional Branding
- Engaging and visually stimulating
- Consistent publishing schedule
A B2B company that would like to create authority through a smooth and polished product can create credibility and professionalism through high-quality content.
Many businesses outsource their audio and video production services to an agency to provide assistance in producing multiple episodes per week at a high-quality level.
10. Podcasts Support Long-Term SEO and Content Visibility
The tools they need to create a digital footprint through the following methods.
By utilizing these practices to create content using branded podcasts, companies can generate both long-term website traffic as well as visibility in Google, YouTube, Spotify, and type of AI powered search engines.
As the development of artificial intelligence search engines progresses, their latest priority is providing content that connects with the end user in an experience-driven, conversational way, so in return, podcasts have become increasingly valuable for building online presence through these devices.
Conclusion
Podcasts with a brand have evolved beyond a fad; they are now considered by B2B organizations as being the most effective method to create confidence in their audience, provide education, and develop thought leadership.
Podcasts provide genuine dialogue in a digital age where consumers experience little attention span and are bombarded with the same advertising messages numerous times, and facilitate the placement of companies as leaders.
Companies that invest in podcast content today develop stronger brands, provide ongoing content value over time, and provide tools to leverage across different channels.
For those who want to project themselves as leaders within their industry segments, branded podcasting is fast becoming a significant aspect of contemporary B2B marketing strategies.
