Podcast Marketing might be the new frontier. But only if it has a personality; if it doesn’t – you need to rethink.
Source: An AI image from Stockcake – https://stockcake.com/i/starry-night-storytelling_1201747_1148984
People love storytelling. Even mundane stories remind us of the little joys of life and to observe the different idiosyncrasies of others.
The podcast is the perfect tool for this. It’s this century’s very own sit-around-the-fire storytelling.
There’s always a charismatic host- the fire. Then the wise guest- the elder. And at last, the listeners – a tribe sitting around the fire listening and gaining years’ worth of experiences or the experiences of a storyteller.
For a brief moment, everyone is back to a time when information was passed on verbally. A bit changed and a bit mystical, but still inspiring, hopeful, and informative. This type of communication gave people the courage and mental tools to act.
That’s why the podcast is a cultural milestone; one that has been used to entertain, to diss, and to pass on crucial information.
And this is how you market yours.
Does your business need a podcast?
This is the question you should be asking first. Creating a podcast is a lot of work, a rewarding one, especially monetarily (for brands but also personally for the creator).
It involves: –
- Finding a host whom people want to listen to.
- Giving your topic a fresh take that hasn’t been done (to the death) before.
- Finding and sourcing guests to feature on the podcast, or if it is an internal podcast, having the right people with shareable knowledge.
- Marketing the podcast
If you think the podcast may yield a net positive, then go ahead with it. Podcasts are on the rise, but so are concerns of oversaturation. There are a lot of great shows, and attention is scarce. Either you capture it or you don’t; there isn’t much middle ground.
Even engaging shows experience churn, and the listeners move on to newer things.
In short, do it, but it is an investment- time and money, both.
What do you need to start a podcast?
If you do take on the challenge, this is what you will need: –
- A mic or two (please invest in a mic, you don’t need a great one, but a good one, and good mics are cheaper than you may think.)
- A camera to record (iPhones aren’t bad; neither are smartphone cams, but the podcast will eat storage, so this is something you have to manage)
- A host (someone who knows the topic inside out and can speak on it and ask questions)
- Editing software (Da Vinci Resolve’s really good, and its free tier is powerful)
- Choose a network to host on and an RSS feed link (Spotify is free and offers the least resistance, but there are more. Buzzsprout is a famous one.)
How does a business market its podcasts?
Okay, there is a vital step that should not be skipped: your podcast must be interesting for it to grab people’s attention.
Or else, it is nothing but a marketing gimmick.
That is one of the only prerequisites that will take you far enough- to have something substantial to talk about or in novel ways. Only then will any strategy work long enough to return an investment.
Your podcast will only generate revenue when: –
- Your listeners value it.
- Your guests (if any) feel like they want to be on it, i.e., if you have high-quality listeners they care about.
The rest is a matter of discovery.
Strategy 1 – Embrace the weird
Okay, CEOs and CMOs, strap in. The first marketing strategy we have here is on the presentation, which will set the stage for everything that follows.
The question for the strategy is this: what are you bringing to the table?
However, this idea may seem a bit difficult to grasp. You have products and services you want to sell. Of course, it would be around the topic. But that’s not what podcast listeners need. Look at the trends, and you will see that a podcast is listened to because it speaks to a tribal nature. OR a storytelling hook.
For example, GE launched The Message, one of the most famous B2B Podcasts.
And that’s in 2016, when podcasts were new and there was increasing traction for them. GE could have leaned into something else, but they didn’t, and that’s why they became one of the most listened to podcasts ever for a while.
Of course, GE had resources, and they could afford a voice cast and effects. But that wasn’t the reason- it was the premise that improved brand-consumer relationships and integrated GE’s offers into the podcast seamlessly.
This means: –
- Thinking of new ways of approaching a topic.
- Knowing which guests, if any, need to be on the show.
- What questions can you ask that haven’t been asked before?
This is the crux of a successful podcast- to investigate what makes a topic interesting.
Strategy 2 – Distribution
You cannot depend on the algorithm to make your show discoverable. You must build a distribution channel, and this is where the leaders of your organization jump in.
While the marketing team runs their campaigns on social and owned media like email and advertising, organizational leaders must use their network to disseminate the podcast to their peers.
This is a step that is often forgotten- independent creators have the mammoth task of building an audience and must share and promote heavily on social. What they won’t do for the same resources as a business.
But you do have resources, and one of the best ones is your teams acting as ambassadors. The marketing team can write and craft the message, but your leaders and employees must promote it.
Without this human touch, the podcast won’t grow much. Because, believe it or not, word-of-mouth is vital for a podcast.
Here’s an example of Steven Bartlett, host and creator of the show Diary of a CEO.
Steve’s show started off simple, in his bedroom with a duvet over his head. But it exploded and continues to bring in big names. How is this possible? He uses content distribution- he atomizes his content and distributes it on YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, you name it, the guy created content clips for each channel and became one of the most recognized podcasters.
All because of a single method. Now imagine your leaders doing it- the net gain would be insane. But there has to be a cadence set by marketing teams- it cannot be an assault on everyone in the organizational network.
Strategy 3- Meta-Storytelling
Content Atomization is the name of the game in this strategy. We are assuming you have done the basics like: –
- Researching your ICP
- Having an email list and audience to talk to
- Handled the technical stuff and recorded the podcast
And they are looking purely for marketing strategies.
In this stage, all you have to do is create meta-narratives for your podcast. These look like blooper reels or something confrontational or wise that comes from behind the scenes.
Then, using social media, you show the humans behind the production and their stories. Here’s another example by Bartlett: –
What does this have to do with his show? Absolutely nothing. It’s engagement. But it leads to storytelling and attracting talent. But that’s not one of the main reasons- the main reason behind this is to show how he runs things, and that attracts people.
The meta-narrative here is that the culture is a goldmine, and the guests are attracted to it.
This is the same playbook Alex Hormozi uses; he breaks his content down to sell or attract crowds to his offers. People talk about meta-narratives more than they talk about the podcast itself.
People love talking about each other’s highs, lows, and entertaining aspects. Whether you use social for this, an influencer, or your owned media, your audience needs to care about the people, especially the host, making the show.
A podcast isn’t just content; it’s a fire you build. And like any fire, it needs care, fuel, and people who believe in gathering around it.
Podcast Marketing about treating it like a show, not an afterthought.
Podcast marketing is tricky. However, the thought leadership and brand relationships it builds are undeniable. Listeners and guests come to enjoy the show and the host- this is a given.
But what do many brands do? They run it like an afterthought with little effort and personality. Is that what your audience or you want?
What about your guests? Are they on the show because they want to sound smart or because there’s actual value they want to share? It’s usually the latter, but it ends with the former happening because the host doesn’t infuse it with personality.
It’s difficult for brands to produce these shows- clear ROI is not visible, especially at the beginning, and then topping it off with distribution? That has got to be tough.
That’s why Ciente helps brands market their podcasts and empowers leaders to become living brands through our own TechTalk. But the central focus is to get your voice out there. Or improve your podcast’s visibility.
In the end, Ciente helps you focus on what you do best: create and speak to your audience, while we amplify what’s already there to the right people.