Trying To Start Or Grow A B2B Podcast? Try These Best Practices

Have you been considering starting a podcast, but aren’t sure it’s worth it? If this is your struggle, keep in mind that many experts affirm that podcasts can strengthen your public image, enable you to reach more customers and build trust. Or, maybe you’re already aware of the benefits of having a B2B podcast, but just can’t crack how to get more podcast subscribers. In either scenario, the following podcasting best practices can help you get from where you are to where you want to be.

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Revisit Your Personas & Cater To Them

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One of the biggest mistakes that B2B businesses make when starting a podcast is making it too general. They want to ensure they’ll have a large enough audience, so they try to cast a very wide net. The result is that their episode topics end up being too broad to really serve anyone, and they also often learn they’re not experts in such a wide breadth of subjects anyway.

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Remember, first and foremost, that podcasting is another form of marketing. You need to be very specific about who you’re speaking to and what they care about in order to gain listeners. So, dust off those buyer personas and craft everything from your podcast name to the topics you discuss with them in mind.

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Create A Plan For Branding & Consistency

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Beyond trying to be too many things to too many people, nothing derails a good podcast faster than a lack of professionalism. This is why podcasting doesn’t work as a hobby; it needs to be approached as an extension of your business. This requires branding and consistency.

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First, make sure that your company branding carries over into your podcast branding so the two appear united. Give your podcast a catchy, interesting name and have a graphic designer create some professional thumbnails you can use across podcast platforms and social media. Remember to include a link to your podcast in your email signatures, and to have a dedicated space on your website telling visitors about it too.

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Second, make a plan for topic creation, guest speakers and desired cadence. It’s all too easy to get busy and see your positive intentions slip into disappointing negligence. Go too long in between episodes, or fail to have exciting topics and guests for too many weeks, and you’ll lose subscribers in a hurry. Making a proactive plan, and being sure certain tasks are assigned to specific individuals will ensure you maintain consistency and followers.

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Promote In The Right Places

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Ok, so you have a killer podcast - but you’re still not getting more listeners. If this is the case, you can almost certainly stand to amp up your advertising efforts. Here’s a resource that gives great tactical advice for promoting your podcast on social media, including:

• Post about every episode, guest speakers, include tags and hashtags.

• Tailor additional short-form video content for Instagram Stories, Reels and TikTok.

• Post shareable images, including quotes from episodes, behind-the-scenes photos of your recording setup and photos with guests.

• Extract short audio clips from episodes to post on Twitter and Instagram.

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And here are a few more promotional tips we’ll add:

• Make sure that, anytime you have a guest on your program, you ask them to share their episode with their own followers. Then, take it a step further and provide them with a suggested post and image, in case they want to save time. You want to make it as easy as possible for them to share about your podcast, thus making their entire network aware of your show.

• Don’t be shy about contacting podcast platforms like Apple Podcasts and Spotify directly, to ask what’s required to get your podcast featured on their platforms.

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Remember, also, to make your episodes interactive and to include a call-to-action that either directs listeners to more of your business’ content or to learning more about your offerings. A podcast that delivers value through its show is also a great gateway for customer acquisition. These podcasting best practices are sure to grow your audience.

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Need further help turning the charismatic personalities in your office into legitimate podcast hosts and/or devising a podcast strategy? We would love to help!