In the fourth article analysing our CEOs talk at the 2024 B2B Marketing Expo, we look at what Luke had to say on branding and growing your podcast.
Branding is crucial for a podcast as it defines its identity, sets it apart from competitors, and builds audience recognition.
A strong brand – through visuals, tone, and messaging – creates consistency and trust, attracting loyal and engaging listeners.
It also enhances credibility, making your podcast more memorable and impactful in a crowded digital space.
This is exactly what Luke talked about during the Expo.
He began by stating: “If it looks good, people are going to want to come on to it and be a part of what you are creating.
“When something looks well-made, you’re going to have more of an incentive for people to invest in the content you are sharing – whether this is for a sales reason or for getting your message out on social media.”
LRB has vast experience in helping clients deliver B2B podcasts to a wide range of audiences.
Luke continued: “We had a client recently who we recorded four episodes with. So far, we have released only two of them.
“They looked great from a branding and messaging purpose, and he was inundated with requests for people to come on to it and work with them. They can now cherry pick who comes onto future podcasts.”
It is important to remain consistent in every aspect when first starting your B2B podcast journey – but Luke stressed that by adapting, you can grow your content to a larger audience.
He explained: “It is important to remember that your branding isn’t permanent, especially to such a new form of media – like B2B podcasting.
“You’re not going to start a podcast and immediately get thousands of listeners. By working with the right production company, you can start with a smaller, loyal audience. But do not get too attached to your branding. Adapting to the industry and bringing in new guests, new perspectives and new features can help you grow from those first few episodes.
“It is important to know that episode one is going to look very, very different to episode 20. And that’s fine!
“From our experience, the main challenge is getting it started – and we are here to help!”
Starting a B2B podcast comes with challenges like defining a clear niche, securing expert guests, maintaining consistent content quality, and overcoming technical hurdles.
Time constraints and measuring ROI can also be barriers. However, with strategic planning and the right support, these obstacles can be turned into growth opportunities.
Luke shared his experience of speaking to business leaders on the topic.
He said: “Most of the questions I have received on this have been ‘how do we prepare?’, ‘what do we do?’ and ‘how does it all work?’.
“I think that’s the beauty of this form of podcasts – it is conversational, so with the right partner you can just dive into it. You’ll have a list of questions, but you’re going to go off on tangents and have a genuine conversation. The whole point in this is to humanise people, the company and the goals of the wider marketing campaign.”
Luke suggested that hiring a small, knowledgeable production company could be the key to future success.
“Nobody ever became successful within the media world by always playing it safe. Hire a small production company if you want to get started within B2B podcasting.
You’ll be surprised at what you can get done in a relatively short period of time with a great ROI.
“Generally, we get around four episodes shot in a day. From that, we’ll get four trailers, three social media clips. That’s already 20 assets that you can distribute to your network!”
By having so many assets to get started with, you can then analyse what worked – and make changes to the next round of podcasts!
Don’t forget to check out B2B podcast lesson one, two, and three.