About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

B2B Marketing, B2B PR, Guides and advice, Sector knowledge

Q&A on podcasts with Amy Woods, CEO and Owner at Content 10x

Podcasts have surged in popularity, boasting a staggering 464.7 million listeners globally in 2023, a number expected to climb to 504.9 million by 2024. This trend shows no signs of slowing down, as new content creators, including influencers, YouTubers, and B2C brands, are embracing podcasts. Even major corporations like Johnson & Johnson and McDonald’s have joined the podcast wave. This raises an important question, can B2B brands harness the power of podcasts for their benefit? And if so, how?

We interviewed Amy Woods, CEO and Owner of Content 10x – who specialise in producing, repurposing, and distributing content for B2B brands, including video and audio content, as well as blogs, reports, whitepapers and more.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

As an owner of a creative agency, I have quite an unusual background. I worked in management consultancy at Accenture for over a decade, specialising in mergers, acquisitions, and large-scale transformation programmes but I always wanted to have my own business. I was making videos and redeveloping them into graphics and blog posts when I spotted a problem solution. I noticed that many businesses create content, but don’t repurpose it because they don’t have the time and resources to do so. So, wouldn’t it be amazing if that great content could be turned into lots of additional, great content? That idea resulted in the creation of the agency.

Do you think that the market has changed recently?

The industry has grown massively. We have seen investment from big players such as Amazon, Spotify, and Apple, resulting in the growth of exclusive podcasts that can only be found on the individual platform. Other platforms like YouTube have provided the opportunity for video podcasts to increasingly grow in popularity. Short visual snippets are shared across other social media platforms, such as Instagram and Tiktok, where they go viral and draw people into finding the longer form content on YouTube. Without visuals, this isn’t something that would be possible for audio podcasts, so we are seeing the industry embracing video more. It’s fair to say if you want real recognition for your podcast content, videos will help your podcast travel further.

How do you publish a podcast and what are the best platforms out there?

To run a podcast, you need a podcast hosting platform, distinct from listener apps. Similar to website hosting, these platforms host your audio files and episode notes. Through an RSS feed, your episodes are sent to various podcast apps like Apple, Spotify, and Amazon, making your content accessible. Hosting platforms like Captivate.fm or Buzzsprout are essential for managing this process. Choosing the right platform is crucial; for instance, we prefer Captivate for its user-friendliness. The key is to submit your RSS feed to as many apps as possible, ensuring maximum visibility, unless exclusivity is a deliberate choice, which is rare in the B2B realm.

What pain points do you think podcasts solve for B2B brands compared to other forms of content?

Utilising podcasts not only addresses the need for long-form content but also serves as a content engine for various platforms. You can repurpose podcast content into social media posts, LinkedIn articles, and video snippets, expanding your reach to diverse audience segments drawn to different content types.

Particularly for B2B businesses, podcasts offer a unique opportunity for the audience to connect with you on a personal level, allowing your personality and organisational culture to shine, a challenge that is more complex to tackle in other forms of content, such as articles and blogs.

Why do B2B brands think they can’t pull off a podcast?

When first venturing into podcast creation, businesses often face several challenges including time, resources, and expertise. A significant concern is the ability to generate fresh content consistently. To help overcome this, it’s crucial to define your podcast’s purpose and target audience clearly. Brainstorming sessions are essential, as they are a highly efficient way to generate a wide array of topics. By creating a pool of, say, around 20 ideas, you can create nearly a year’s worth of content. With practice and research, ideas tend to flow more effortlessly, and hosts become more natural at steering conversations, reducing the time needed for editing. While challenges like audio editing may initially seem daunting, experience equips hosts with the skills to streamline the process over time.

What metrics are key to success?

Podcast success metrics include download numbers, listener demographics, and reviews. Repurposing metrics, like website traffic, keyword rankings, and social engagement, also gauge content success. These metrics are crucial as podcasts often require patience to gain traction. By tracking blog visits, comments, shares, and other content derived from the podcast, businesses can stay motivated during the slow growth phase.

In B2B, lead generation, inquiries, and collaborations are key metrics. Additionally, networking opportunities and business growth are equally as vital.

What are your five golden nuggets of advice to share?

  1. Setting up a brand podcast requires consistency and patience. Commit to a regular schedule, even for a limited season, and be patient, as results take time.
  2. Create a well thought out strategy. Lack of a clear strategy leads to confusion about purpose, audience, and goals, which can be disastrous.
  3. Quality content is essential; podcasts serve as valuable content fuel, driving various content engines.
  4. Invest in good quality equipment. Many B2B businesses rush into podcasting without investing in basic equipment, resulting in subpar sound quality.
  5. Assess your skills and time. Consider investing in experts, from audio and video editors to full-service agencies, especially if you have significant goals for your podcast.

Taking these steps seriously ensures a successful podcast venture.

About this article

Read time:

4 minutes

Category:

B2B Marketing, B2B PR, Guides and advice, Sector knowledge

Are you in your measurement era?

Driving strategic storytelling with market trends reports

Browse more blog posts

Posted on
byClaire James
Have you ever been asked to demonstrate the value of your marketing budget to leaders within your business? You’re not alone. According to LinkedIn’s B2B Benchmark report, 76% of B2B marketers feel under pressure to prove return-on-investment in the short term while nearly half cite ROI as the most important metric when reporting to the CEO, CFO and other board...
Posted on
byHonor Williamson
Staying ahead of trends and understanding which stories are resonating with target audiences is integral to great PR. Given the volume of noise in today’s media, making use of tools can help reveal patterns, highlight relevant topics, and guide your content strategy. This is where the market trends report can be a real game-changer. Market trends reports provide insights into...
Posted on
byClaire Lamb
The Guardian announced last week that it will stop posting on X. According to the newspaper, the “benefits of being on X are now outweighed by the negatives.” It went onto say that “this is something we have been considering for a while given the often-disturbing content promoted or found on the platform.”  It’s clear that X has become a...
Posted on
byJack Snell
In today’s fast-paced business environment, every penny counts, especially whilst businesses are under immense pressure to justify every line of their balance sheets. This is where the important of measuring your PR activities comes into play. At Skout, we believe that effective measurement is the key to demonstrating a tangible return on investment in your PR efforts. We recently launched...
Posted on
byRebecca Brown
There are many brands out there that are typically associated with their consumer products, but their heritage actually lies within the B2B market. In most scenarios, the consumer side of the business has grown so big, that it can easily be forgotten that they also sell to a business audience too! GPS specialist and smart watch developer, Garmin, is a...
Posted on
byJack Snell
It’s evident that AI is becoming increasingly beneficial in the daily responsibilities of marketing and PR professionals. Whether it’s streamlining processes or eliminating mundane tasks, there seems to be an AI software tool for everything. But with advancements in AI seemingly happening every day when we log on to work, sometimes it can be hard to keep up, or even...
Posted on
byJack Snell
With summer in full swing, we thought this was the perfect opportunity to have a little fun! Take our quiz and test your knowledge – a perfect excuse to take a well-earned break (we know you marketers are very busy 😉). All answers are at the bottom (no cheating!) And please do let us know your score. PR & marketing...
Posted on
byClaire James
I recently attended a leadership training course where we were asked to define our leadership style and our core values. We were guided through this exercise during the course but it got me thinking about my core values – the things that, when challenged, can prompt a physical reaction and an emotional response. It didn’t take me long to work...
Posted on
byClaire James
The construction sector has long struggled with issues around insolvency. This could, in part, be due to the fact that there are so many sole traders and small firms out there sub-contracting that have struggled financially with the Covid-19 situation and then with the supply chain price increases. But the industry has been sitting at a rate of between 750...
Posted on
byJames Weaver
The fintech industry is renowned for its innovation. In a highly competitive and fiercely contested landscape, connecting with your target audience is crucial, especially when aiming to penetrate a market as dynamic as the UK’s. Therefore, leveraging the power of PR can be a game-changer for your fintech business. Here, we detail how B2B PR can help your fintech brand...

Get in touch

Skout
11 Market Place
Macclesfield
Cheshire
SK10 1EB
Send us a message
Name(Required)

Send us a message