The Strategy Guide You'll Wish You Read Before Starting Your B2B Podcast

by Kim Garmon Hummel, on Jan 25, 2023 9:15:00 AM

If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering how you can use a podcast to promote your B2B organization. Maybe you read that all the cool kids are using podcasts and decided to check out the hype for yourself. Or maybe you heard there are 464.7 million podcast listeners globally and realized podcasts can kick open a lot of revenue and marketing doors for your business. Either way, you’ve got your eye on creating a knockout B2B podcast.

But where do you start in creating a podcast?

You start where we always start here at Team Sauce: with strategy.

What The Heck Is A B2B Podcast?

Building a strategy is a lot like working a 10,000 piece puzzle. Not because it’s something you only do on snow days when there’s nothing better to do. But because before you dump all the pieces on the table and try fitting those tiny bits together, it helps to know what the finished product is supposed to look like.

Before you build your B2B podcast strategy, you have to know what the heck a B2B podcast is.

B2B Podcast: A podcast produced by a B2B organization that engages target audiences via content marketing, encourages content-based networking, and builds industry authority.

TLDR: A B2B podcast connects you to people who want to spend time with your brand (you connect the revenue dots).

Do Podcasts Work For B2B?

Yes. All the cool kids are doing it, remember? And unlike the y2k nostalgia fad, this trend can affect your revenue and beef up your bottom line.

Podcasting is market exposure, plain and simple. More than that, it’s a place people tune into for information, entertainment, and to feel part of a group. If you can position your brand as the answer to people’s questions, a cure for their unique boredom, and as the place to belong and fit in—well, you’ve just created a loyal, diehard fanbase for your brand.

You could make a daily podcast out of all the ways podcasts help your B2B company. For the sake of time, here are a few benefits of B2B podcasts:

Building and captivating an audience of your ideal customers
Meeting, growing, and developing industry relationships with the guests you bring on your podcast
Creating a content-generating machine out of your podcast so that episode content creates other materials for your marketing channels
Positioning your brand as an educator and expert in your industry
Showcasing the profiles of your team and leadership, so your customers become acquainted with your company a personal level

How Do You Create A Podcast Strategy?

Remember the puzzle analogy from before? Yeah, we’re not done with it yet (sorry).

Identify Your Podcast Goals

Before you sit down and pour out the pieces, you usually know what you’re trying to get out of working a puzzle. Even if it’s subconscious, you know if your goal is to frame the finished picture of adorable kittens on your wall, or if it’s to just have a good time for a few hours and never think about it ever again.

The point is, you know your goals. The same applies to your b2b marketing podcast strategy.

‍What do you want to accomplish with podcasting?
What does success look like for your brand if you invest in a podcast?

Once you know what you’re trying to achieve, building a strategy to get there is much easier.

It’s All About Content, Content, And Then Some More Content

You know your industry better than anyone else. So what’s the best way to share it? With podcasts, you have a lot of options and ways to format your content. Part of your podcast strategy is determining the best way to reach your ideal customer. The way you organize your podcast should be strategically designed to clearly share your ideas and also appeal to your audience. Here are some common (read: popular) podcast formats.

Interview Podcasts

The interview podcast features a host (or hosts) that guide a conversation through questions and discussion. The guest usually offers unique expertise or insights on your industry, while the host directs the conversation. You can break down the interview podcast into two subsections:

Expert interviews are where the host digs deep into a specific topic to unearth the deepest insights. Because who isn’t secretly curious about the stationery, pens, and analog tools industry?

Entertainment interviews are less about expertise and more about sharing interesting, funny, or crazy stories. Don’t discount the power of entertainment in a B2B podcast—depending on the industry, a little levity might make a big difference.

Research is key to successful interview podcasts. It’s a valuable format for sharing new ideas, opinions, and a fresh perspective—but you have to know the right questions to ask.

Storytelling & Investigative Podcasts

It’s a truth universally acknowledged that everyone loves a good story. Storytelling podcasts immerse your listeners in the world you create, so it’s a powerful way to share your brand. If narrative-based podcasting wasn’t your first thought, revisit the idea.

Podcasting isn’t made for thinking inside the box, so don’t be afraid to dip your toe into unknown podcasting formats. What’s the story of your industry? How does your brand fit into it? And more importantly, how does your customer fit into it?

Pro Tip: as more and more brands hop on the podcast bandwagon, you’ll need a unique perspective and voice to stand out. Start experimenting now and you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of your competitors.

Monologue Podcasts

We all know what a monologue is. This format is where a host speaks for the duration of the episode without input from other people. Podcasts like this are typically hosted by an industry expert (hey, that could be you!). The stage is all yours, but don’t take it for granted. You’ll need a script, some segmentation, or a little something special to give your content some umph and make it memorable.

Roundtable Podcasts

Pull in a panel of industry experts to discuss or comment on common issues, and you’ve got yourself a roundtable. Roundtable podcasts are a neat way to make your listeners feel like they’re in an exclusive club, and it creates a close community. Another benefit is that your group dynamic can really jazz up content that might otherwise get stale over time.

If Content Is King, Cadence Is Queen

Coming up with a podcast episode is cool. Coming up with 25 podcast episodes is cooler. Like all good inbound marketing, your podcast should be part of a cohesive content universe that your listeners can dig into. You want your content to be the rabbit hole people get lost down.

Sharing your podcast at a regular cadence makes it easy to be part of your listeners’ routine. If your listeners know you’ll drop a new episode every Tuesday at noon, they’re far more likely to listen than if they have to check in to see if you have anything new.

A good cadence is one that matches your listeners and their schedules. Are your listeners turning on a podcast on their daily commute? Turning to your show for entertainment on the weekends? Figure out what purpose your content serves and how your listeners want it delivered.

Ditch The Guesswork—Build A Strategy With Team Sauce

Investing in podcasts isn’t for the faint of heart—but the rewards to your customers, your brand, and your bottom line are well worth it. You shouldn’t have to guess about what your listeners want. You deserve to have a solid strategy that amplifies your voice, maximizes your outreach, and drives revenue.

At Team Sauce, we eat strategy for breakfast. When you need a B2B marketing strategy or help with your B2B podcast production, we’re here. It’s what we’re good at, and we can help you create a solid B2B strategy so you don’t have to second guess yourself through trial and error. Schedule a call today to learn how Team Sauce helps you #GrowSmarter.