Why Podcasts are an Important Part of the B2B Marketing Mix
In recent years, podcasts have become an increasingly popular part of the B2B marketing mix. Podcasts offer a unique and engaging way to reach your target audience, and they can be an effective tool for building thought leadership and brand awareness. In this post, we'll explore some of the key reasons why podcasts should be part of your B2B marketing strategy.
The potential of podcasting for businesses
Podcasts are quickly becoming more popular in the business world, allowing B2B companies to maximize their marketing potential while also fostering further engagement with customers. Through podcasts, businesses can create content designed to inform and engage listeners, strengthen relationships with existing customers, attract new prospects and build a community around the brand.
Podcasts are relatively easy to produce yet offer invaluable benefits for businesses of all sizes, from lead-generation opportunities to improved online visibility. Podcasts also provide a platform for human voices to represent your brand, which can be a lot more compelling than written content.
The episodic nature of podcasts also means that you can achieve regular and frequent engagement with your audience. This builds much stronger relationships than campaigns, which might run for a short time and then stop, leaving the audience with an inconsistent relationship with your brand.
Podcasts can be an effective way to reach your audience
Podcasts can be an effective way to target a specific audience. Although it is true that some people don’t consume podcasts, many do and are increasingly looking to podcasts to learn more about their field of work.
Podcasts are an ideal platform for guests that have particular expertise in your target market's area of interest, to talk about your brand. These conversations with industry experts can give a broader perspective on what you do, and provide an implied 3rd party endorsement of your organisation.
Building an audience and promoting your podcast can be challenging: simply relying on your audience to search for, and find, your podcast is unlikely to produce good results. So to reach your audience you should consider a good promotional strategy. Frequently B2B podcasts are primarily promoted on LinkedIn, but other social networks, search engine marketing and emails are all good ways to grow the number of subscribers.
Building relationships with customers
Podcasts are an increasingly popular method of connecting customers with brands. It’s not only about encouraging customers to learn more by listening to guests’ stories of success. Although insightful case studies on how guests have used your products or services to achieve their goals are great, and a podcast's informal nature allows podcast guests to provide honest feedback, often asking someone to appear on your podcast is an incredibly effective way of strengthening your relationship with your most important clients.
Podcasts as part of a marketing strategy
As podcasts continue to grow in popularity, marketers should make sure their strategies include regular podcast episodes. Doing so will not only help keep customers engaged but will also complement more traditional marketing tactics such as emails, media relations and other campaigns. By incorporating podcasts into a larger marketing plan, companies can reach a much larger audience, as well as build trust and loyalty.
Creating successful podcasts that will engage listeners
To create podcast content that engages listeners there are a few important steps to take. The first and most important tip is to record the podcast with a high-quality microphone to ensure good sound quality. You will also need to use a good podcast hosting service – this not only provides the XML feed required, but will make it easier to distribute your podcast across all sites such as iTunes or Spotify, making it easier for your audience to find your podcast, helping you reach more people, and keep your listener base engaged with your content.
It's time to launch your B2B podcast!
If your business is looking for a starting point in its podcast journey, then look no further. Napier provides the skills and resources necessary to help companies create their first podcast – from concept to execution – so you can begin building meaningful relationships with your target audience. Take the plunge and get started today: ask Napier for help and make an impression with your very own podcast!
