If you’re not using podcasts in your business, there’s a good chance you’re leaving money on the table. Currently, there are over 850,000 active podcasts. From 2018 to 2019, the number of people listening to podcasts at work more than doubled, and that number is expected to continue rising. Millennials are the most frequent podcast listeners and a third of them tune in every day. Considering millennials now make up the majority of the workforce in the US, there’s a strong case for using podcasts in B2B marketing.

Podcasts Show Thought Leadership

If you own a business, then you’re probably an expert in your field. Hosting a podcast is a great way to position your brand as a legitimate authority in your industry. It can boost your credibility, especially if you’re a new business struggling to grow your organic presence online.

Podcasts have the ability to make the listener feel like they’re sitting in on a professional conversation they may not otherwise have the opportunity to be a part of. The majority of listeners say podcasts help them grow intellectually, and 3 out of 4 listeners use podcasts to learn new things. If people are listening to podcasts to become more knowledgeable, and you have the knowledge to share with them, then using a podcast in your business is a no-brainer that can bridge the gap.

Practically, this is similar to writing a thought leadership style blog article. Choose a topic that your audience is actively interested in, and record yourself or others discussing that topic. The informal, open discussion feel of podcasts allows you to be yourself and share your professional opinion. This humanizes your brand and makes it feel more approachable to the listener, which increases your trustworthiness as a thought leader in your niche.

Podcast Content Can Be Repurposed For Other Marketing Channels

One of the most efficient uses of content marketing is repurposing content across different channels. Podcasts are perfect for this, yet it remains one of the most underused tactics in b2b podcasting.

For example, let’s say you just published a new podcast episode for your business. You could use the transcript for blog post content and social media posts, and audio snippets for motion graphics on YouTube. You may also reverse engineer this by filming an interview for YouTube content and using the audio for a podcast episode. These are just a few examples of many different combinations you could come up with, just make sure it’s relevant to your audience.

Content marketing is flexible and the goal is to be everywhere that your target audience is. Since social media is the most common way people discover podcasts, podcasting pairs nicely with a social media strategy. It has become a large piece of the marketing pie that you can’t afford to leave out of your B2B marketing.

Podcast Foster Brand Loyalty & Community

When it comes to growing a business, brand loyalty is non-negotiable. Building a community around your brand is one of the best ways to encourage loyalty. Podcasts are more intimate than other forms of content and can foster relationships with your brand. Since 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase from personalized experiences, it’s a smart move to connect with your audience as close as possible.

A good way to do this is to ask for feedback from your listeners and interact with them in the comments section. You can also engage with them on social media posts related to the podcast for a cross-promotional strategy. Listen to your audience and implement their suggestions to make them feel like they are involved. Remember that business professionals are human beings too.

B2B marketing can benefit from a human touch just as much as B2C marketing. We all have an emotional need to belong and be a part of a community, and podcasting can give your brand a social advantage.

Podcast Provides A Unique Medium For Content

Podcasts are consumed differently than other forms of content. The audio-only format is convenient and makes it easy to listen to while doing other things, such as your morning commute or a stroll during your lunch break. In fact, heavy podcast users listen outside of the house, mostly at work or in the car. This differs from the physical requirement of watching a YouTube video or reading a blog post, making podcast content more accessible throughout the day than other forms of content.

When marketing your business, you want to be top-of-mind with your audience as much as possible. Due to their portable nature, podcasts have the advantage of time here. Since 80% of podcast listeners finish almost every episode they stream, your business can be in front of customers for a longer period of uninterrupted time than other content mediums.

So...Should You Use Podcasts For B2B Marketing?

Podcasting has been around for many years now, and the benefits of using them for businesses have grown continuously. Regardless of your industry vertical, the chances of a large portion of your target audience regularly listening to podcasts are high. If you’re looking to increase brand awareness, brand loyalty, and credibility, then give podcasting a try.

If you’ve already established yourself in other marketing channels and are looking to expand, a podcast may be exactly what you need to reach more of your audience. Just like everything else in marketing, you won’t know until you try it, test it, and gather data. And don’t worry if you don’t have a radio voice, you can probably fix it in post!