7 Impactful Ways Podcasts Can Enhance Your Marketing Strategy and their Direct Outcomes

In the evolving landscape of digital marketing, podcasts have emerged as a powerful tool to connect with audiences. We’ve gathered insights from marketing experts, including a Head of Marketing and a Chief Marketing Officer, on how they’ve successfully woven podcasts into their strategies. From engaging leads with podcast content to enhancing credibility with sponsored episodes, discover the specific ways seven professionals have leveraged this medium and the results they’ve achieved.

Want to get quoted in MarketerInterview.com content just like this? Apply to become a contributor today!

Engage Leads with Podcast Content

The podcast has become an instrumental tool for engaging prospective leads during the awareness and consideration stages. As a long-form piece of content that is easily consumable, a podcast can offer deeper insights into your brand and products that are not possible with traditional or digital advertising. For one, a podcast holds the audience’s attention for a longer period of time and gives space to educate while entertaining. 

When a customer can listen and learn about the company’s values, products, and services, they don’t have to undertake additional research to move to the next stage. This also allows the marketer greater control of the narrative and much more strategic placement of promotional messages. Depending on the type of content being produced, a podcast episode can create and solve its own problem in one sitting.

As part of our lead generation campaign, we have begun marketing content-based ads that take users directly to the podcast landing page. There is no hard-sell call to action; it’s simply, “Here are the resources for you to make an informed decision.” This can empower prospects to learn more about your brand when they don’t feel pressured to immediately purchase something. As a result of making this switch early in the campaign, we have had a significant increase in website traffic from individuals outside of our database.

Ben La Bouve, Copywriter and Content Strategist

Expand Reach via Industry Podcasts

We integrated podcasts into our marketing strategy by sponsoring a series aligned with our industry, focusing on technology and innovation. Additionally, we launched our own podcast featuring interviews with thought leaders and customers. This dual approach not only expanded our reach but also established our brand as a thought leader. 

The outcome was remarkable, with a noticeable increase in website traffic and inquiries directly attributed to listeners, proving podcasts to be a powerful medium for engaging our target audience.

Alex Taylor, Head of Marketing, CrownTV

Promote Mission on Niche Podcasts

I reached out to podcasts that were specific to my industry (eSports) and used that as a way to promote my company’s mission. One good example was when I managed to guest on “The Business of Esports.” This podcast has hundreds of 5-star reviews across a variety of listening platforms, so it gets a lot of traction in the eSports world. 

It allowed me to express the desire of my company to combat toxicity in eSports. This resulted in lots of new referral traffic to the site, especially with people whose values aligned with our own.

Chris Matthews, Founder, Gamerabble

Connect Through Travel Storytelling Podcasts

We started a podcast series with stories from travelers all over the world. We wanted to use the power of storytelling to really connect with our listeners. Each episode provided useful travel tips and lessons learned from other people’s adventures.

Our podcast became like a meeting place for our audience, where they could get inspired, find helpful advice, and feel like they’re part of a community. The response was amazing—lots of people downloaded the episodes, and more folks visited our website whenever we released a new one.

Adding podcasts to how we talk about our brand made a special spot for us in the hearts and minds of our listeners. It showed us that when people really connect with what they’re listening to, it can lead to incredible support and loyalty.

Swena Kalra, Chief Marketing Officer, Scott & Yanling Media Inc.

Inspire with Audio Drama Campaign

The idea for the “Inspire the Future” campaign took root early in spring 2020 as we gathered on Zoom/Teams/Skype calls and remarked about the overwhelming number of email subject lines and social media posts that were based on negative, fear-based messages. Our team longed for narratives of hope.

One day, a colleague shared an inspiring story of her little nephew and his friend who, despite being separated, shared words and pictures of care and imagination which created an emotional response that inspired our team. And so it began.

We asked ourselves how we could better communicate our SAP message in a more positive, future-facing way to inspire others. “Inspire the Future” was developed to humanize the SAP brand and appeal to the emotions.

A key aspect of the “Inspire the Future” campaign was our audio drama/podcast, “The Retrofuturist Chronicles.”

The series follows Miranda, a perceptive yet disempowered 12-year-old girl, and her eccentric Aunt Natalie, who utilizes tales of innovation and whimsy to inspire Miranda.

“The Retrofuturist Chronicles” are absurdist not only because there is complete disregard for time, space, and the laws of nature, but also because everything trivial is made to seem important (such as Miranda’s ongoing existential crises), and everything important is trivial (such as Aunt Natalie’s tall tales).

Each episode invites listeners into Miranda’s world, showing her challenges and growth. Aunt Natalie, symbolizing mentorship and creativity, guides Miranda. This dynamic duo’s adventures serve as an allegory, with Miranda mirroring SAP’s clients facing seemingly insurmountable issues and Aunt Natalie representing SAP’s innovative solutions.

Aunt Natalie’s tall tales are patently nonsensical, but they have just enough basis in fact for it to be unclear what is real and what isn’t. The narrative’s playfulness, blending absurdity with allegorical depth, transforms trivial concerns into significant quests and vice versa. This approach not only entertains but also enlightens, as the SAP host afterwards demystifies Aunt Natalie’s tales, linking them to real-world business challenges and technological futures.

The series achieved 141% of goal for episode listens with nearly 1M audio impressions and was a significant contributor to the success of the campaign. The podcast also won numerous marketing awards including HERMES Platinum, MarCom Gold, MUSE Gold, NYX Silver, and a Webby Honorable Mention.

Ginger Shimp, Global Content Lead and Sr. Marketing Director, SAP

Establish Authority with Expert Interviews

Through our podcast, we bring in industry experts to share their insights, establishing ourselves as a trusted authority in the field. Covering diverse topics like industry trends, best practices, and innovative approaches to pest control, our podcast educates and inspires our listeners.

The outcomes of integrating podcasts into our marketing strategy have been remarkable. We’ve experienced a noticeable increase in brand visibility and recognition within the pest control industry. Our podcast has attracted a dedicated and engaged audience, expanding our network and enhancing our credibility. It’s truly rewarding to see the positive impact our podcast has had on our brand and the connections we’ve built with industry influencers and potential partners.

Rubens Basso, Chief Technology Officer, FieldRoutes

Enhance Credibility with Sponsored Episodes

Integrating podcasts into our marketing strategy involved sponsoring episodes relevant to luxury travel and business sectors. This approach allowed us to directly reach our target audience, enhancing brand awareness and credibility. The outcome was a noticeable uptick in inquiries and website traffic, illustrating the effectiveness of niche-audience engagement through thoughtful content placement.

Fahd Khan, Director of Marketing and Technology, JetLevel Aviation

Want to get quoted in MarketerInterview.com content just like this? Apply to become a contributor today!