B2B podcasts: A powerful thought leadership platform

A powerful speech by an influential voice gives any message – whatever its content or purpose – authority, potency and permanence.

For thought leadership, clients often want research they can showcase at events or use in PR to boost their leaders’ profiles. But where else in their marketing can they tap into the power of speech?

Capitalise on the audio boom

Consumption of audio content has grown rapidly in recent years. According to Edison’s research, podcast consumption had grown 20% in Australia alone in the two years to 2024. And smart speaker ownership has doubled to 34% between 2020 and 2024. 

One of the biggest advantages of podcasts is their portability. For listeners, the ability to tune in while commuting, walking or multitasking makes audio content especially appealing. That’s a benefit that B2B audiences also appreciate: for busy senior executives and time-poor business leaders, the ability to consume content in liminal moments throughout the day has proved to be increasingly popular. 

Avoid buying into “fear of pod”

However, until recently, there was a problem: tracking podcast performance was difficult. Hosting, access and streaming were often spread across disconnected platforms, making consistent metrics hard to establish. This made them a tough sell for marketers, as it was virtually impossible to track the ROI.

That’s now changing. Third-party hosting platforms such as iTunes and Libsyn have improved their analytics, giving marketers greater insight into the all-important audience stats and the chance to present a stronger business case for investment.

Learn from the leaders

Unsurprisingly, tech firms have paved a path in the B2B podcasts, with companies like Workday, Oracle and Verizon experimenting with podcasts for many years. 

Elsewhere, CEO-led podcasts are fast gaining traction, serving as both a platform for personal-brand building and as a direct channel from organisation to customer/consumer. 

One of the best-known examples is In Good Company, a podcast hosted by Norges Bank Investment Management CEO Nicolai Tangen. Over the course of the series, Tangen interviews CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies, exploring everything from their leadership principles and corporate strategies to how they interact with investment funds. 

Make it dynamic

Your podcast host must be engaging and knowledgeable in order to hook the audience and retain their interest, and your guests must have the same winning qualities alongside a fresh and informed perspective. Ensure that your podcast has a strong personality, and make it a point of differentiation.

B2B podcasts can be the answer to a common thought leadership problem: they can transform a dry or heavy topic into a captivating, meaningful discussion. Designing your content to make your topic as engaging as possible should be par for the course. But if you layer that with well-paced discussion and compelling speakers, your content can gain an extra lift.

Prove commercial viability

For any new marketing venture to succeed, its commercial value must be clear from the start. 

Building a podcast into a lead generation strategy is a strong approach. Yet nurturing those leads over time to help move them further down the funnel is just as important, and here’s where a podcast can really contribute. A series of B2B podcasts gives you the greatest opportunity to raise brand awareness over time through a variety of topics and interviewees, and can build a loyal audience of attentive listeners – and even brand advocates.

In addition, podcasts also have relatively low set-up costs compared with other forms of marketing. The real challenge is in creating the content. Ensure that you have a strong schedule of content that will consistently capture interest and build momentum, and line up an influential set of speakers to keep your audience hooked.

Make the most out of B2B podcasts

Unsure about how you can start elevating your brand through B2B audio content? Learn more about how we can help you create impactful audio thought leadership.